We’ve saved the most mellifluous of our interviewees til last. Well-known as an award-winning singer-songwriter, what’s it like being the new kid on the block in the beauty industry? By all accounts pretty good. Don’t expect much from John when it comes to sharing LovedO1’s  insurmountable problems (the brand’s too new to have had many yet); but do expect the kind of gentle wisdom about race and beauty that will one day move mountains. https://loved01.com/https://www.allure.com/story/john-legend-loved01-reviewPlease follow or subscribe to Keeping Face wherever you’re listening.For more information please contact [email protected] by @kathleen_bairdmurray, a @parkview.creative production.

Rose-Marie Swift is full of surprises. Plot-spoiler alert, she once played in a punk band (wait til you hear which band she supported!) and her business strategy has as much to do with astrology as it does with Excel. With a 38 year plus career as a make-up artist, and  an organic, natural, make-up brand  - RMS Beauty -  that has always been ahead of its time, is no unicorn story. Her's is based it all on trust, talent and lots of hard work. https://www.rmsbeauty.com/https://www.ft.com/content/03c56756-c0cd-11e4-9949-00144feab7dePlease follow or subscribe to Keeping Face wherever you’re listening.For more information please contact [email protected] by @kathleen_bairdmurray, a @parkview.creative production.

 From a tough start in life aged three months old, to achieving global recognition for her work in the hair industry, how did Charlotte Mensah overcome the huge loss of her mother and bullying at school to make it on the world’s stage? Through hair of course. Is there any other way? https://www.charlottemensah.com/shop-online/manketti-hair-oilGood Hair: The Essential Guide to Afro, Textured and Curly Hairhttps://amp.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/oct/18/charlotte-mensah-queen-of-black-hairdressing-interview-hair-became-a-form-of-healingPlease follow or subscribe to Keeping Face wherever you’re listening.For more information please contact [email protected] by @kathleen_bairdmurray, a @parkview.creative production.

He was a young hairdresser from the south of France, who learnt the business by listening to the likes of Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and other role models.  But when others stopped listening to him, Frederic Fekkai had no choice but to fight back.  And he did. Here he talks about what it’s  like to get your business back, when you’ve already sold it for millions. https://fekkai.com/Please follow or subscribe to Keeping Face wherever you’re listening.For more information please contact [email protected] by @kathleen_bairdmurray, a @parkview.creative production.

Bobbi Brown, founder of the eponymous make-up brand now wholly owned by Estee Lauder, has since gone on to start several other brands, including the hugely successful cosmetics company Jones Road. But with so many successes under her belt, how would she cope if she ever did come across failure?  Here she talks about knowing when it’s the right time to walk away. https://www.ft.com/content/7701c485-f15b-4ca2-badc-eb6e7bb4c021https://www.thecut.com/2018/04/bobbi-brown-evolution-18-interview.htmlPlease follow or subscribe to Keeping Face wherever you’re listening.For more information please contact [email protected] by @kathleen_bairdmurray, a @parkview.creative production.

Recorded in Kenya (her) and Shropshire (me), Alexia Inge is living the dream. But it’s a  well earnt dream, following 15 years of 100-hour work weeks, and the kind of ups and downs that would often leave her in tears, laughter, and with several huge problems to solve. Resigning from CultBeauty in 2022, the ecommerce site that revolutionised the way we shop for beauty, the co-founder reflects on a time very early on, when it very nearly didn’t happen… Please follow or subscribe to Keeping Face wherever you’re listening.For more information please contact [email protected] by @kathleen_bairdmurray, a @parkview.creative production.

Indomitable, unstoppable, and a veritable force of nature, Tina Chen Craig, founder of UBeauty skincare, talks about the time she nearly didn’t make it to her own launch. The originator of BagSnob, and creator of one of the world’s most exciting skincare brands also discusses her Asian heritage, and the importance of friends and family. Please follow or subscribe to Keeping Face wherever you’re listening.For more information please contact [email protected] by @kathleen_bairdmurray, a @parkview.creative production.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..”          Charles Dickens But wasn't it always the worst of times from which we learnt something? Something useful? Welcome to Keeping Face, a podcast about beauty founders and the moment they might have, almost did - and in some cases most definitely did - lose the plot and had to scramble to get back on track. From the moment Tina Chen Craig collapsed on the floor of her hotel bedroom to Frederic Fekkai realising that no one listened to him in board meetings, their excitement in building a successful brand is always pitted against those moments where they thought everything might go up in flames (as it did once, for Rose-Marie Swift). Over seven episodes, our host Kathleen Baird-Murray unpicks the glossy success stories of our favourite beauty brand founders, to discover those moments of desperation, intense pressure, and often, astonishment. The series came about after Kathleen had tea with Frederic one day and while talking about starting a podcast -  because with a 28-year long career in journalism behind her, and a love of interviewing people, what else could she do -  Frederic suggested she focus on those times when everyone gets it wrong, “because then you learn something”.  Working with the team at Parkview Creative, she set about tracking down those founders she felt might want to open up, and then dug deep to find out how they turned things around. Some, like Bobbi Brown, took failure in their stride; others, like Alexia Inge, cried all weekend before picking themselves up and getting on with it.  Trusting Kathleen to let them tell their stories, there were plenty of surprises along the way. Keeping Face is essential listening for anyone wanting to know more about the business of beauty, but also it’s always life-affirming to hear how others cope with difficulty, and reassuring to know that even shiny successful people get a little insecure at times. Hosted by Kathleen Baird-Murray, a Parkview Creative Production.Sponsored by Renude