Interview with Alex Chantecaille

          The highlight of my day at the Nordstrom Trend Show was meeting Alex Chantecaille. (You can imagine how excited I was!) Alex is the Director of Sales at Chantecaille and daughter of Sylvie Chantecaille, the brand's founder. Chantecaille (pronounced shan-teh-kai) is a family business. The brand is known for botanical based skincare, a natural makeup look, and environmental campaigns. If you've passed by Chantecaille counters, you've most likely seen Olivia, Alex's sister and Creative Director, who models for Chantecaille collections. Meeting Alex was just as wonderful as I hoped it would be; she is genuine and personable, and as you can see above, beautiful too! In the midst of an incredibly busy day, she kindly agreed to answer a few impromptu questions about Chantecaille,  her inspirations, and what we can look forward to this year. Enjoy!

Could you describe the quintessential Chantecaille woman?

Modern, natural, and luxurious. Someone who appreciates beauty, but  in an effortless fashion, really embodies what it means to be chic, [and] also gives back.

What would you say makes Chantecaille special?
I think the fact that we're women making products for other women. It's my mother, sister, and I developing these products, communicating what we're all about, and sharing what we've learned. [We want] to empower women to feel better and look better, [to] give confidence as a sister would.

What inspires you?

 Honestly, nature. The simplicity, the intelligence and the beauty of nature and how well thought out it is. [From] something that just shocks you like a giant clam in Indonesia to a little hummingbird, it's all so perfectly created and there's so much to learn from that.

 

Could you share what colors you are wearing today?
I believe what I packed on my trip were the new classic palette we launched last fall, St. Barth's bronzer to get a little bit of warmth to the skin (it's a very lightweight beautifully milled bronzer), and our longest lash mascara.

  

Could you share a part of your daily beauty routine?

It's about feeding your face: from the morning cleaning it and refreshing it with rosewater. Using our vital essence every day, morning and night, gives a very redness calming, rosacea minimizing, healing experience. [I use] a lightweight moisturizer during the day and a richer one at night. [When] using our foundation, the coverage can always be controlled. If you're going out at night you can wear more, but during the day you can use a little bit to even out some red spots or areas of concern. And at night no matter how tired you are you have to wash your face!

For someone who's just starting on Chantecaille products what would you recommend?
We have an amazing value set called the Aromacologie starter kit that's in a really pretty faux croc pale pink travel zip pouch.  It has travel sizes of our foaming cleanser (naturally exfoliating and very softening), as well as the the vital essence full size, flower harmonizing cream (a very soothing basic cream that was originally developed as an eye cream), and a mini rose water (to spray throughout the day or [as a part of your] morning regimen).

What can we expect in summer or fall 2012 from Chantecaille?
In September we did the makeup for Christopher Kane. With the partnership we worked on creating a new cheek color from three of our current different cheeks: Cheer, Emotion, and Laughter. It was all about the focus on cheeks that pop, very natural eyes, pretty pink mouth with our color Comet, and bushy eyebrows (almost as if a girl had run up the hill, a very natural kind of flush). From that partnership we developed a new Poudre de perle called Akoya Pearl.

          I hope you enjoyed my interview with Alex Chantecaille! I'm grateful to have gotten the chance to meet her and catch a few pearls of Chantecaille wisdom. Have you tried any Chantecaille lately? I'd love to hear your recommendations! Do you visit counters when special guests or artists are in town?

Love, Dovey.

P.S. But wait, there's more! (More Chantecaille, that is). Stay tuned ...