I think that beauty starts with great skin.
Nothing you buy can cover up unhealthy skin. Of course, the foundations of great skin start with diet, sleep and exercise. Unless you get these right, it is hard to build. But I recently was sent the latest range from SKIN By Ecostore to try and I thought I'd put it to the test to find out what all the fuss was about.
SPOILER ALERT: I think Ecostore is a really cool brand and have loved their home products for years. I love cleaning and even more with their powders and detergents (I know, I'm weird like that!). They always smell great and don't leave your hands weird and dry. Also, I have met and developed a big girl crush on Danijela, their key ambassador for the campaign (gotta love NZ). She is a qualified nutritionist to boot, lending Ecostore credibility - a smart move. Danijela is super humble, stunning, lovely and has a cool blog called 'Healthy Always'. We'd met on a trip to Auckland last year, introduced by my old dear friend Gina. We clicked like peanut-butter and jelly cups (see Danijela's recipe here). So I was thrilled about her success being asked to be the face of a brand I already went gaga about.
First - where does it sit in the market? SKIN By Ecostore is positioning itself firmly in the supermarket aisle, which is - of course - a very savvy business move that I respect. What this means is that it is not going to supplement your favourite luxurious $120 cleanser you've lovingly saved up for, and use carefully on your 'pamper me' nights. Although the ingredients are far higher quality that than you'd see in your generic supermarket ranges, such as Nivea and Garnier, because they are sourced in New Zealand and include seaweed marine extract and grape seed extract sourced from Marlborough (there is a stunning video of this on their website), these products are for 'everyday' or when you want to be prudent with your spending. You'll still get fabulous quality, but it won't cost you the earth.
The creams, especially the 'Light Moisturizer' which I loved, Hand Cream and Night Cream will hydrate and give you a feeling of pampering without the guilt. On the other hand, I was a bit disappointed with their oil which, for me, couldn't quite get there as far as its promise of being a serum goes. The texture wasn't personally for me, feeling a bit too slippy. However, overall I loved this range of creamy products, from their botanical smell to way they felt on my skin. If I was looking to pick up a great moisturiser at the supermarket that I would use every day, supported local New Zealand grassroots business, full of great ingredients AND that I felt okay about chucking in my yoga bag, I would pick SKIN By Ecostore range. Every. Single. Time.
Second, the marketing. I really loved the marketing campaign around this range, using local heroines such as Georgia Alice (fashion designer), Zoe Bell (stunt woman) and Danijela amongst others. These are real NZ women who I look up to and look healthy, happy and natural. They are amazing ambassadors and I'd love to see more companies taking the lead from SKIN By Ecostore It's clear that this is where a chunk of the budget has gone, really focusing on telling the story of the brand and the country these products hail from. I want to see more New Zealand brands following Ecostore's lead and investing in well shot, portraits of our women, not stock models. I also love the accompanying visuals, in pastels and sea colours. Their Instagram account is, in my humble opinion, on fleek.
Finally, the packaging. I like that these products have sturdy plastic, a cool range of colours and feel like they'd fit right into my shower without fuss. They are low key, minimalist and modern. The outer boxes felt a bit flimsy, which was slightly annoying, and although of course, you'll just throw these out, it would have been nice for the quality of the boxes to match the products that they contain. I'd love to see slightly stronger boxes used because if they get bumped or crushed they might put people off buying the product within.
Overall, I'd highly recommend giving this new, exciting Skincare line a go. Ecostore has clearly really thought through their skincare launch, and it shows. I like that these are easy, breezy and good for you and New Zealand business. As far as accessible skincare goes, Ecostore has found the perfect formula - local ingredients, strong storytelling, beautiful New Zealand role models and a solid product, at an affordable price.
