
Janet Stone, Founder of Stone Beauty
Hometown: I’m from Romsey, Hampshire and have been living in London since 2003.
Bio:
I spent my teens and the majority of my 20’s with no clear idea of what I wanted to do career wise, I had a lot of ideas and not much direction interspersed with bouts of travelling to Asia, Europe and America and Australia. After graduating with a degree in Environmental Geo-science from Cardiff University, I moved to London and fell into communications and marketing whilst temping. I have spent the last 7 years in an ever evolving communications role at a local authority in central London, which has given me continuous new challenges and useful desk top publishing and editing skills as well as the flexibility to have long periods away travelling the world!
What became clear over the last few years was I wanted to be my own boss and start my own business, and I was always on the look out for potential business ideas. The idea for Stone beauty hit when I had been reading an article about the power of natural beauty products, oils and butters and the benefits they could bring to sensitive skin such as mine. I had also hit 30 and was very keen to harness their anti-aging and antioxidant powers! I started researching and experimenting with making products at home, carrying out market research with friends and family and tweaking the products to have the beginnings of a small but excellent bath and beauty range. For four months I worked on setting up the business during the evenings and weekends, including putting the business plan into action by getting the logo designed, the website built, the products tested, sourcing suppliers etc, etc, etc and launched the website just before Christmas last year.
The ‘To Do’ list never ends but its well worth it and a continuous learning curve!
As well as selling online, I have a stall at Greenwich Market every Sunday and keep an eye out for local craft markets to attend to raise awareness of the brand and speak to customers face to face, which is really useful. As a result of customer feedback I have made many improvements to the range and have just added a fragrance free and preservative free body lotion and body butter.
Tell us a little bit about your beauty products:
My beauty products are all made fresh to order by hand using little or no preservative and contain no petroleum products, no parabens, no sulphates and are not tested on animals. They harness the moisturising and anti-aging powers of nutrient rich, plant derived ingredients that are full of vitamins and antioxidants which help combat the emergence of free radicals (cell damage that occurs with age) as well as soothing, nourishing, hydrating and rejuvenating the skin.
The Stone Beauty range includes a Body Lotion and Body Butter, available in 6 different scents, fragrance free or preservative free made with jojoba oil, shea and cocoa butter. Rose Intense Hand cream made with shea butter, cocoa butter, aloe vera and anti-aging macadamia nut and avocado oils.
Bath products includes two 100% natural body scrubs – a Nourishing Sugar Scrub and Hydrating Salt Scrub, both available fragranced or fragranced free and Dead Sea Bath Salts with Lavender.
I also have a 100% natural lip balm which smells of chocolate as it contains unrefined cocoa butter and 2 stylish boxed gift sets containing 3 products from the range, so something for everyone!
I have a massive list of products I want to add including a night cream, sensitive body cream, organics, facial oil and many more, so watch this space!
The one beauty product you can’t live without:
Stone Beauty’s Rose Intense Hand Cream, I always have the 50ml sized pot with me as its handbag sized and perfect antidote for my hands after washing, my elbows or any patches of dry skin that develop! I also use it on my face as a night cream as it’s a really rich moisturiser due to the shea and cocoa butter it contains and has anti aging avocado and macadamia nut oils in it too.
Your range of products reflect a kind of British nostalgia what era would you have loved to be a part of?
The brand was inspired by my love of the 1940s British war time era and the pin up girl images from that time. I was lucky enough to have a talented digital designer friend (mariannebutler.co.uk) bring my idea to life by creating the Stone Beauty Logo and all products carry the Union Jack.
I love the fashion and music from the decades of the 1900’s but felt the 40s reflects the stylish glamour I wanted Stone Beauty to convey.
Your Fave Fold Dress and why:
The Black Astor Dress, it looks great on and means business in black. I add the fan earrings with hair up for easy transition from day to night.
Thanks to Janet and all our other Women of the Weeks so far. If you’d like to feature, please contact us via info@thefoldlondon.com
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