More about these Canadian brands and their female founders
I recently wrote about new and buzzworthy Canadian brands for the 2018 summer issue of Cosmetics Magazine. I spoke to the amazing women behind the brands and wanted to share more about Blume, Rasmi Skincare, Evelyn Iona and Voir Haircare—who are each making their own unique mark on the Canadian cosmetics scene right now.
Blume (formerly Ellebox)
Taran Ghatrora, one half of the sister duo who created Blume, explains what sparked the idea and why her and her sister, Bunny, decided to start their own company—a delivery service for organic period supplies (and other natural goodies) on a subscription basis.
The package includes tampons or pads (or both) as well as good-for-you items like body butter by BKIND or Truffle Pig chocolate bars. They switch it up so you're not bored with the selection.
Taran, on where the idea came from:
I was studying law in the UK and ordering a lot of essentials online since I didn't have a car, when I noticed there was a subscription available for everything from bacon to razors, but periods happen every month and were completely overlooked.
This led to us asking each other the following questions: Why is the way the world treats periods so weird, maybe even wrong? Why is ‘feminine hygiene’ such an awkward topic and phrase? Is the silent-treatment society gives women’s periods somehow connected to the shame girls grow up feeling about their bodies?
The tampons and pads are 100 per cent cotton and 100 per cent organic.
Rasmi Skincare
The Halal-certified line was founded by Deqa Mohamud and her daughters Ilhan Abdullahi, Iman Abdullahi and Ifrah Abdullahi. On behalf of the Rasmi team, Ilhan told me what sparked its creation and why they decided to make organic products:
Most of the Halal skincare products have chemicals in them and we wanted those who are conscious about organic products to be at ease knowing that these products are Halal. By Halal, we mean that the products are not made with any contact with animals like pigs or dogs and alcohol.
Originally we created the skincare because our youngest sister suffers from extreme eczema and her skin is easily irritated. Any products that my sister came into contact with would create rashes and hives, so my mom, Deqa, went to an organic skincare school to get the tools needed to help my sister. After she made her first products, the body butter, we decided that there is still a demographic that is not catered to in the organic skincare world, thus, Rasmi was born.
In March, Rasmi held a charity event for Rohingya refugees in Toronto. Ilhan said, about the event:
We had over 60 attendees with live demos of products, product giveaways, poetry performances and a panel discussion on the experiences of women of colour in business. For new product launches, we are in the midst of developing natural face masks and soap hope to have that launched in the summer! We’re really excited about that one.
Evelyn Iona
This brand is all about giving back to communities (especially women) and making a difference, whether it's making affordable makeup or switching from chemicals to organic ingredients.
Here's what founder Brandi Leifso had to say about started her own company, Evio Beauty Group, and its makeup line, Evelyn Iona:
Evio was created with a mission of building community through products that women use every single day. I believe that we create change through small, conscious, consistent actions that eventually lead to big results. Evio was brought to life when I was living in a women’s shelter where I learned first-hand the impact that conscious choices of strangers can have.
Using conscious lifestyle products is an easy way to help impact your skin, planet, and community in a positive way. Together we can create a new standard of living that promotes kindness without compromising quality.
Voir Haircare
Keep your hair healthy with the natural ingredients in these hair masks, sprays and oils inspired by the four seasons. The company was founded by a collective of women, ranging from 26 to 35, who have a variety of experiences in the beauty industry. Co-founders, including fashion editor Nia Schindle, joined the team with a variety of backgrounds, from writing to cosmetic chemistry to e-commerce.
They all wanted to create something beautiful for the Canadian market. Each product is like a piece of art, with the packaging painted "in-house on artist canvases and then digitally rendered onto labels." A majority of the ingredients are sourced from Canada—so you can support your home and native land.
103 Likes, 15 Comments - Voir Haircare (@voirhaircare) on Instagram: "Did you know our Luxury Hair Oil doubles as a wonderfully fragrant hair perfume? Our custom blended..."
