A day in the life of Alex Chantecaille, launching Chantecaille’s new Yellowstone Forever collection

Alex Chantecaille is aware of a factor or two about Chantecaille’s model values of respect, high quality, and a give attention to nature and its magnificence. For starters, it’s in her title.

Rising up within the French household filled with magnificence business pioneers and conservation activists, Alex spent her days enjoying gown up together with her mom’s classic Yves Saint Laurent and Armani couture, and setting a full face of make-up together with her mom’s Lauder and Prescriptives magnificence samples she’d deliver house from work. On spring breaks, Alex would tag alongside together with her mom to cosmetics labs in Milan, the place Sylvie labored on new collections and formulation. Not solely was Alex in a position to develop a watch for color and an appreciation for make-up at a younger age, however witnessing her trailblazing mom confirmed Alex firsthand what it was wish to work as a lady – juggling being a mom, a philanthropist and a high Cosmetics government.

Sylvie Chantecaille – who launched the pure magnificence model Chantecaille in 1998 alongside together with her daughter Olivia – paved the best way for feminine entrepreneurs within the magnificence business. She established Chantecaille’s founding ideas: a thirst for high quality substances and a need to assist save the wild areas that encourage the model’s subtle formulation. Chantecaille’s dedication to conservation began as a ardour challenge for the household, however has since turn into ingrained within the cloth of the model’s DNA. With the launch of Chantecaille’s Yellowstone Without end assortment, Alex is following in her mom’s footsteps by persevering with Chantecaille’s legacy of environmental philanthropy.

Earlier than turning into Chantecaille’s Chief Industrial Officer, Alex climbed the ladder from her early days at Elle Journal’s magnificence division whereas learning at Barnard School, to shoe firm Sigerson Morrison in New York Metropolis. Her early work as an account government at Chantecaille almost 18 years in the past not solely gave Alex the talents of working inside the retail facet of enterprise, however taught her find out how to assist, encourage, and respect the individuals who play a vital function in maintaining on a regular basis enterprise operating.

But it surely wasn’t simply all work and no play for Alex. Her lifelong dedication to the surroundings has allowed Alex to translate her information of untamed species – and their significance inside our ecosystem – from the depths of the wild to Chantecaille’s workplace in Downtown New York Metropolis.

Alex’s action-packed days are filled with digital and IRL conferences, conferring with consumers from high accounts, discipline crew touchbases, advertising and marketing conferences, and naturally an impeccable morning and nighttime skincare routine. The Unbiased sat down with Alex to debate launching Chantecaille’s Yellowstone Without end assortment, the model’s ardour for sustaining wild areas, and the way she manages to search out time to unwind on the finish of her busy day.

Rise and shine at 7am

“I like a beneficiant spritz of Orange Blossom Water or Pure Rosewater to awaken my face very first thing within the morning,” she mentioned. “Then, a swipe of Purifying & Exfoliating Phytoactive Resolution removes any impurities and frivolously exfoliates my face in order that it might finest take up the Bio Lifting Serum+ after which the Rose de Mai Cream – the most effective face cream ever, for my part. If I’m a bit drained or have to ramp it up for an enormous assembly, I’ll use Gold Energising Eye Restoration Masks. I’ll even exit for my a.m. oat milk latte across the nook with them on — they’re translucent.”

Alex additionally shared a secret magnificence tip to waking up feeling refreshed: attempt storing the Pure Rosewater within the fridge. “I can see it depuff and open my eyes immediately,” she mentioned, however don’t simply take her phrase for it. “It’s my boyfriend’s go-to within the morning as effectively.”

Practising some mindfulness methods within the morning additionally helps Alex really feel balanced earlier than a day on the workplace. “I do wish to exercise within the morning so I’ve had a while to myself,” she mentioned. “After I do, I really feel extra energised and centered, particularly if I labored late the evening prior. It provides me a wanted break and vitality increase to get again to work.”

However for busy working ladies like Alex, she may not all the time have time within the morning to run by means of a multi-step routine. For those who’re on the go, Alex suggests utilizing Chantecaille’s new Anti-Growing older Face Tint in Bronze or the Sheer Glow Rose Face Tint for a plump-looking pores and skin, and it additionally doubles as a light-weight basis. For a fast pop of color to the eyes, Alex says apply some Mermaid Eye Color in Hematite (deep plum) or Triton (metallic gray), topped with Luminescent Eye Shades in Zebra (mushy pearly pink) or Rhino (iridescent mushy gray with inexperienced undertones), respectively. And for a sculpted forehead look, go for the Clear Forehead Perfecting Gel to tame the brows and assist them develop. “Typically no matter Good Gloss or Lip Stylish is in my bag will rapidly be swiped on my lips as I’m grabbing the elevator,” Alex added. “If I’m fortunate it’s Lip Stylish in Tea Rose and Good Gloss in Love that I discover— these are my two favourites.”

Workin’ 9 to five…relying on the day

After main anyplace from 4 to 6 conferences a day, Alex will be certain Chantecaille’s retailer design, ongoing advertising and marketing initiatives, and on-line orders are operating easily earlier than she leaves Chantecaille’s Soho workplace, typically as late as 9pm.

Elements of her days are additionally spent coaching and galvanizing Chantecaille’s gross sales crew, influencers, and editors alike on the conservation items behind lots of their charitable collections. From sharing scientists’ data on the animals and their habitats, to educating them on the cultural significance of conservation, Chantecaille’s crew isn’t simply dedicated to promoting magnificence merchandise, however recognising the facility of merchandise with goal.

Unwind and unplug

Alex closes out her night by strolling her canine Ella by means of Washington Sq. Park, or biking alongside the Hudson River. Plus, studying a e-book whereas sipping a glass of wine – “ideally a French Chablis or a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir” – permits Alex to disconnect. After all, Alex additionally makes positive that she’s profiting from all the things New York Metropolis has to supply. “I am going see theatre, stay music or ballet a number of instances a month for positive,” she mentioned. “That’s what’s thrilling about residing in NYC – the entry to glorious tradition and artwork!”

Though, fully unplugging from her function as Chief Industrial Officer appears to be a little bit of a hurdle for Alex. “What challenges me isn’t feeling like I’m really achieved for the day,” she mentioned. “The concepts of find out how to drive the enterprise and execute thrilling methods for purchasers to have interaction with the model and our conservation companions – that’s my ardour. Typically I have to actually change settings to get my thoughts out of labor.”

That’s the place nature comes into play for Alex, and why she feels so personally related to the launch of Chantecaille’s Yellowstone Without end assortment: “Entering into the countryside the place I stay with my boyfriend is essential to me as I recharge and really feel in the end fulfilled and impressed. I like to backyard, cook dinner, hike, be on the water, and play with the canines.”

Yellowstone Without end

Maybe Chantecaille’s most fun ongoing challenge is the model’s newest collaboration with Yellowstone Nationwide Park. Simply 150 years in the past, the world’s first nationwide park was based as a refuge for individuals to reconnect with nature and be taught from all its magnificence. Since 1872, the conservation of Yellowstone’s wildlife has not been with out its challenges, as an more and more altering local weather threatens its ecosystem. That’s the reason luxurious botanical magnificence model Chantecaille is extending its dedication to environmental philanthropy to the Yellowstone Cougar Venture with the launch of the Chantecaille Yellowstone Without end assortment.

Whereas Chantecaille’s pure skincare and make-up merchandise are constructed on pure substances and sensible science, it’s the women-founded firm’s dedication to charities which defend wild species that sits on the coronary heart of its latest restricted version merchandise: the Cougar Eye Quartet and the Cougar Lip Stylish. To honour the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Yellowstone Nationwide Park, Chantecaille will present a lot wanted funding to the Yellowstone Cougar Venture, because it continues its vital work of learning the cougar’s behaviour and understanding the feline’s interconnectedness to the Yellowstone ecosystem.

“We wished to discover a method to assist Yellowstone’s one hundred and fiftieth anniversary and for us that’s all the time by means of discovering an animal that represents a key function inside the habitat,” Alex Chantecaille informed The Unbiased. “Animals and nature are interwoven so by highlighting a charismatic animal we’re in a position to focus the story on sustaining and preserving the habitat.”

The restricted version assortment, which launched yesterday, incorporates a Cougar Eye Quartet eyeshadow palette, with 4 impartial eye shades impressed by the sandy ombré tones of the cougar’s coat and eyes. The Lip Chics – a hydrating lipstick/lip gloss hybrid infused with hyaluronic acid – praise the eyeshadow palette with its peachy nude and mocha tones.

“We took inspiration from every component of the Large Cat – from the multi-layered beige, caramel and bronze mixture of its fur for each matte and iridescent shades to the gray of its cat-like nostril,” Alex defined. “The Lip Chics have heat undertones that complement the attention quad color palette and are named after flowers discovered inside the pure panorama of Yellowstone – Yarrow and Prairie Smoke.”

Whereas the favored assortment is already flying off the cabinets with tons of preorders, US-based Chantecaille is extra excited to assist a home-turf conservation initiative like Yellowstone Without end, led by fellow feminine president and CEO Lisa Diekmann. “It was clear in our due diligence that philanthropy and conservation is embedded in all the things Chantecaille is doing,” Diekmann recalled to The Unbiased. “From how they design and supply their merchandise to giving a voice to the causes they assist by means of artistic and chic storytelling, we felt honoured to be included of their huge portfolio of philanthropy partnerships.”

Other than the funding Chantecaille will deliver to the Yellowstone Cougar Venture, Diekmann believes the pure magnificence model will present a platform and a novel viewers for Yellowstone Without end that they in any other case may not have the chance to work together with. “We discover our clients like to be taught from us, typically asking, ‘What’s the subsequent animal?’ It’s thrilling to see how typically they’ll donate and be taught extra in regards to the trigger on their very own, too. I imply, you inform a lady and she or he tells her finest buddy, her sister, her youngsters, her associate. It’s very efficient advertising and marketing,” Alex mentioned with a smile.

Sleep tight

Earlier than heading off to mattress, Alex tends to placed on a face masks whereas answering emails, listening to a podcast or scrolling by means of Instagram. Her favorite choices embrace the Bio Lifting Masks+ for when she (actually) wants a carry, the Jasmine and Lily Therapeutic Masks for much-needed hydration and submit sunburn or windburn SOS, and the Hibiscus Smoothing Masks to take away uneven texture and to brighten the face. “The Detox Clay Masks is great for pores and skin that’s clogged and desires a deep clear,” she added.

Very like Yellowstone Without end’s dedication to conserving the ecosystem of Yellowstone Nationwide Park’s wildlife, Chantecaille is equally as devoted to creating sustainable magnificence merchandise constructed from pure substances. Chantecaille’s ardour for supporting conservation is embedded inside the model, and even inside the Chantecaille household. However don’t simply take our phrase for it.

“Purchasers and pals alike are equally enthused by the standard of the formulation, in addition to the conservation element and becoming a member of collectively to provide again to animals,” Alex mentioned. “We’re so proud to be Magnificence that Provides Again and to have the ability to share the tales of untamed locations and animals and the individuals who defend them straight.”