 I get asked a lot of questions about my background, so that seems like a good place to start. See, I’m not your average Kiwi. I moved here when I was 10 and very much consider Aotearoa my home. However, I’m not the type that can blend into the general crowd. My Dad is from Guyana, and is Indian by blood, while my Mum is from a border town in Northern Ireland. I was born in Belfast and lived there till the big move. So here I am, looking a wee bit “exotic” which has become one of the favourite adjectives I get thrown my way, with a broad Northern Irish accent and all the boisterousness that comes with it. It throws a lot of people and I get a lot of strange, disbelieving looks, yes, even in these days of cultural diversity and melting pot families. But it’s who I am and I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s probably a big part of why I created Beso in the first place, as a way to offer people what they need to feel good about their bodies and the skin they’re in. (cliché much, I know).  And then there’s my educational background. Given the nature of my Company, a lot of people assume that I have a science degree of some sort. But nope, not even sort of. In fact, I was terrible at science at school. I was always of the opinion that it was a waste of time and something I’d never use. Ha! I wish right now, Mr Pettit, Mr Ferguson that I’d listened a little harder in class, because science is what I do all day now. My focus throughout college and university was actually foreign languages, coming from a strong desire to travel and see the world. However, this is not something that pays the bills, so my BA led me to teacher’s college where I trained to become a language teacher. I don’t regret this for a minute. I loved being in the classroom, working with kids, sharing my excitement for learning. Teaching was my passion for 13 years and I loved my job. And my languages did help me travel of course, so bingo! But then I discovered a new happiness and went in a different direction, much to everyone’s and my own surprise. Beso was for me a hobby, after returning to my teaching position from my second round of maternity leave. I think I’d started to lose my fizzle in the classroom and I was ready for a change. So with the encouragement of many amazing ladies, I decided to take the plunge, quit teaching and concentrate on building Beso into something I could be proud of. It was a terrifying transition for me but I just had a feeling that Beso had to shine, that it was going to be important and that I would be able to use my company to help others in some way. I retrained, got my certificate in makeup artistry, and started to study everything that matters; so far I’ve covered social media marketing, essential oils, aromatherapy, skincare and soap making. Never a day goes by that doesn’t find me working on my skills to deliver the best information and service to my customers. I’m so glad I took this leap because it has made me so happy and my Beso dream grows and develops everyday. Beso is so much more than I thought it could be. I imagined maybe having a few moisturisers, maybe some lip balms and deodorant. But here I am now with a wide range of products, and am becoming a one stop shop for natural skincare and cosmetics. And it’s all made by me.  I think that’s what makes my company a bit special. It is just me. I have developed all my own recipes, I create my own bases, I do my own trials, I jar the products myself and I design and print the labels and packaging. I take the photos and a I do the marketing. I stand by everything that leaves my lab and all the promises I make my customers. It is up to me to provide the satisfaction people seek when they buy my products and I consider myself 100% accountable for everything that happens in my lab and studio. Not a product leaves my store without being checked and signed off by me. This is an important part of what I am doing, because I know that I am always doing right by my customers and nothing is left to chance. Another question I get asked is why did I go down this path at all. This is a very important aspect of Beso, as I created the products for myself and my family. We all suffer a bit from skin issues and I was tired of risking our health with synthetic and harmful commercial options. And I was also sick of seeing existing natural products sold with such an incredibly high mark up. I couldn’t help but see how ridiculous it was that a product with less ingredients in it could cost so much more. I was annoyed that the term “natural” had become synonymous with “elite” and “expensive”. So that meant in my mind that people already suffering from skin problems were being penalized by having to pay more to eliminate the nastiness from their beauty regime. So I started sharing my natural concoctions with friends and family so they could enjoy them too. And then they started offering to pay for them which was a bit of a turning point for Beso because it suddenly meant I had a business on my hands. I sat down and thought very carefully about my pricing because it was my goal to stay affordable so my products would be accessible to everyone. I’ve continued this philosophy and am proud to say that my highest priced non-customised item in my store is only $35.  When it comes to the makeup side of things, I decided to train in this service so I could connect with some of the wonderful ladies out there who struggle with this side of life. I have been able to meet so many gorgeous souls with incredible stories and spend time with them, making them feel happier in themselves and getting them to accept their personal beauty. My attitude towards makeup is that we should be doing it for fun, not as a chore. I want to enhance the ladies who come to me and help them see what they really like about themselves, not to change how they look and alter their appearances beyond what they can realistically achieve at home. I think this makes me different from so many other professionals in my trade. The best part of a makeover for me is helping my customers feel relaxed and happy with what they see in the mirror, not just on the big reveal, but before I even start applying the makeup. Self-acceptance is what Beso is all about and it means a lot to me to be part of this drive to give people that inner happiness. It’s been five years now that I’ve been chipping away at Beso, wondering every week, every month, every year if it might be coming to an end. But old customers return, and new customers continue to join me and this crazy ride keeps going. I hope the Beso love will spread and someday I’ll be a household name, at least in Tauranga. Regardless of the future, I’ll keep working my hardest to develop the best natural products I can and send them out into the world knowing that they are amazing and truly made with love.
X Camella
1 Comment
|
AuthorCamella Murie, owner of Beso Beauty NZ is pleased to be able to share her thoughts with you! Archives
August 2020
Categories |
RSS Feed