Truth Art Beauty Co-Founders Emily Graham and Caron Proschan
It’s not everyday that you’ll find the all-natural mingling with a serious dose of tech- and business-savvy. But that’s exactly what you can expect from New York’s Truth Art Beauty, an online emporium for custom and eco-minded blends for the face and body. Founded by friends and Harvard Business School alums Caron Proschan and Emily Graham, the beauty startup offers a collection of balms, moisturizers, bath salts and other goodies that can be tailored to your skin type and preferences using a quick online customization engine. Choose, for example, from anti-aging or anti-puffiness “boosts” as you build your own unique eye balm or assemble bath salts with either soothing or exfoliating properties and essential oils in scents you love.
Caron and Emily recently gave me the lowdown on their company, let me in on a few of their favorite apps and specific product recommendations to help you pick and choose among Truth Art Beauty’s products, whether for yourself or as a gift.
What prompted you to make TAB an online venture? Why not, say, start a retail shop first? We decided to make TAB an online venture because we wanted to have it be accessible to women all over the country, not just those who were near a physical location. We think there’s something really compelling about empowering women to create their own natural and custom blends from the comfort of their own homes.
How is technology making it possible for you to do what you do? Technology is making it possible for us to reach a much larger audience and also to enable women to create their own blends using our online customization platform. It’s as easy as building a smoothie, and we offer free returns and shipping, so there’s no risk involved in trying out a blend.
What apps, tech tools or web sites are you currently obsessed with (other than TAB, of course)? We’ve started using Pinterest and have become totally obsessed! A new favorite app is Uber – car service on demand – which is especially useful on rainy days. And a friend recently introduced us to cor.kz, a really useful wine app that has reviews, prices and also lets you keep track of what you like.
What two skincare products could you absolutely not live without? Our Face Nourish and Eye Balm. The Face Nourish is really a moisturizer and serum combined into one product. After cleansing, apply a few drops and that’s it. It moisturizes, tones, helps reduce the appearance of spots and lines, and protects the skin from environmental damage. The Eye Balm is a super hydrating formula that is very rich. We’ve been told it’s better than Botox!
And because it’s almost gift-giving time, Emily and Caron were nice enough to offer up some specific product recommendations for some familiar customer profiles.
Any recs for an early 30-something mom with easygoing skin, but zero time to indulge in a lengthy skincare regimen. What will keep her going day-to-day, be great for her skin, but low maintenance at the same time? We would recommend a custom Face Nourish and Eye Balm with our Anti Aging Boost. The Face Nourish is incredibly versatile and perfect for a woman who doesn’t have a lot of time for a regime. You can use the same formula for day and night, and it’s really the only thing you need on your face after cleansing. It works as a moisturizer, a serum and as a primer under makeup. Our Eye Balm is also for both day and night. Because it’s incredibly rich, you only need a bit and it will keep your eye area fresh and hydrated for hours. It also works amazingly well under makeup – your concealer won’t settle into any creases.
How about a mid-twenties go-getter who’s working, traveling, socializing and doing it all over again. What would you recommend for her to keep her skin fresh, even when she’s low on sleep, stuck in an airplane and switching time zones? For someone in her mid twenties, we recommend our Argan Face Nourish. It’s light, easily absorbed, and gives the skin a wonderful glow. It’s a great product to take on airplanes and works much better than a traditional moisturizer. How many times have you put on a traditional cream moisturizer and a few minutes later, it’s like you put on nothing at all? That’s one of the reasons we love our Face Nourish, which is oil-based. It actually penetrates and hydrates the skin for hours. You can feel the difference immediately.
Last but not least, what’s ideal for a woman that seriously needs some relax and indulge time? Beyond the basic day-to-day routine, can you give recommendations that will work as great gift picks to help a friend or family member relax and unwind with an at-home spa day? We love spa days! First, set the mood with one of our fave new products: the 100 percent pure soy candle. Most people don’t realize that regular candles are filled with synthetic fragrances that are potential toxins. We use only pure essential oils for the fragrance, a pure soy wax for the base and natural cotton wicks. And the scent we’ve started with is a deliciously warm Cinnamon Orange that’s perfect for the season. A bath is a great way to unwind. First, pour in a handful of our Bath Salts to help relax your muscles and your senses. Then give your skin a special treat by exfoliating with our Body Buff. It will remove dead skin cells, keeping your skin soft and smooth. Follow your bath with a generous application of our luxurious Body Salve. It’s a silky, velvety body oil that will hydrate your skin and give it a beautiful glow.
More high-tech beauty…
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