Herbivore
We spent a weekend with Julia Wills and Alex Kummerow, founders of Herbivore Botanicals.
Julia and Alex founded Herbivore Botanicals out of their very own Seattle kitchen. Passionate about creating products that were safe, non-toxic, and effective, they ethically source the finest raw materials to produce their secret formula. Every ingredient in every product has an active, therapeutic purpose, providing essential vitamins, minerals, and botanicals to restore skin to its optimum health. With a firm belief that skincare should be enjoyable, they’ve ensured that every product should bring a little indulgence to your beauty ritual.
Everything from their soothing creams and soaps to calming salts and hydrating oils comes with an incredible, gentle fragrance. So while you try to keep warm inside, spoil your skin with these amazing ingredients that have long-lasting, noticeable effects.
We had the chance to chat with Julia Wills and Alex Kummerow about their mission, their inspiration, and their secrets for staying cozy.
What is your favorite home-made meal?
A: My favorite home cooked meal is probably quinoa black bean bowls with steamed kale and roasted purple potatoes. I’ll top it off with an avocado and some fresh cilantro – heaven!
J: Alex has been making a gluten free pasta with homemade pesto lately that is pretty incredible.
Do you have a regular Saturday ritual?
A: I don’t have much of a ritual – not working on Saturdays is still a fairly new concept, but Saturday is definitely fun day! Julia and I will usually hang out and do something to decompress from the work week.
J: Getting outside. It can be hart to do this during the winter in Seattle because of the rain, but I think its important. We usually go to the park or to the lake and just walk around. In my opinion, being in nature as much as possible is so important.
How do you spend your Sundays?
A: Relax for sure!
J: Definitely relax. We work so much during the week that the whole weekend is basically about taking it easy. I like to take a long bath on Sunday and save all of our errands and chores for the week when we are more in the “get it done” mode.
Can you share your day-to-night look?
A: My outfit usually stays the same, but in the evenings I like to put on Dark Wave fragrance by OLO and get a nice dewy glow with our Phoenix facial oil layered on top of Pink Cloud, our new moisturizing cream.
J: I might add a few curls to my hair and put on my favorite Kjaer Weis lipstick.
What are your favorite winter habits?
A: Putting on my cashmere pants and sitting by the fire.
J: I am a total water baby so taking a long bath is a winter habit that I love. Its practical in that it warms me up when its cold outside, is more relaxing than a shower, and it is also a great time to meditate, take a deep breath and generally unwind. I take a bath almost every day during the winter.
Can you let us in on your go -to beauty routine?
A: I like to cleanse with our Bamboo Charcoal Soap or with Crystal Aura by Hannes Dottir. I follow that with Blue Tansy mask about every other day to exfoliate my skin, which leaves it smooth and radiant. I tone with our Jasmine Green Tea toner and apply our Pink Cloud moisturizer for all day hydration.
J: I try to keep it simple-ish, but I am kind of a product junkie at heart!
In the mornings, I wash my face with the Cleansing Concentrate by Kypris. Then I tone with our Jasmine Green Tea Toner. I apply our Pink Cloud moisturizer over it. I follow this with a little bit of our Orchid Facial Oil on my cheeks only (since my skin is combination my cheeks tend to be dry especially in the winter). When it comes to make up, I use Atmosphere Soft Focus Foundation by Vapour Beauty and a little bit of RMS unpowder. For my eyes, I use W3LL PEOPLE mascara. To brighten the lips, I use Kjaer Weis lipsticks or RMS. And for a little color on the cheeks, I use our Coco Rose Lip Tint. I de-frizz and smooth my hair with a combination of Milk by Reverie and our Orchid Facial Oil.
In the evenings, I wash my face with our Bamboo Charcoal Soap and then apply our Blue Tansy Mask (a few days a week). I tone with Jasmine Green Tea Toner. Next, I apply the Rejuvenating Serum by Tata Harper and our Pink Cloud Moisture Creme and/or Moonfruit over it depending on if my skin needs more moisture or more exfoliation, respectively. Sometimes I top it all off with Phoenix Oil if my skin is feeling dry or Lapis Oil if my skin is in need of balance.
Tell us about your beauty philosophy.
A: A daily routine of self care is self love. Self love radiates as beauty.
J: Natural is better. It brings better results and it doesn’t contribute to cancer
or other issues: a total win-win in my opinion!
What’s the coziest room of the house?
A: Living room, it’s where the fire is.
J: If I have to work on the weekend I would say living room.
What are your future plans for Herbivore?
J: We are so excited for this year because we will be launching End Caps in select Sephora stores in the U.S. at the end of the month! We are also launching in Sephora SE Asia in March and at Space N.K. in the U.K. in April. I think its going to be a big year for natural beauty.
Lani Allen is a graduate of Columbia University’s Non-fiction Creative Writing program. After serving as Vice President of her class for two years, she contributed written pieces and illustrations to many on-campus publications. As a writer with a passion for beauty, Lani enjoys capturing the stories of innovative thinkers and risk-takers shaping the industry as we know it.
I think its going to be a big year for natural beauty.
”
