Radiance Cleanse | Inside Beauty PR

Inside Beauty PR

by Olivia Cartwright, Tue 4th May 2021

Keeping up with the pace of the fast-moving beauty industry is no small task, and Moe McCarthy of PR Agency MMC communications certainly has an enviable little black book. With an impressive roster of clientele including Flavia Morellato, Glow Bar, Mimi Luzon and 001 Skincare to name a few, Moe's insider knowledge is second to none.

As a female-founded, owned, and run business we love supporting other women, and Moe's journey from university to single handedly launching her own PR agency is nothing short of inspirational. Read on to hear how she got to where she is today, and what she's seeing in the glamorous world of beauty PR.

1. How did you get started in pr and how did you get to where you are today?

After completing a BA in Politics at University College Dublin, I went on to do a postgraduate at Fitzwilliam Institution. It was here I developed my skills within Public Relations, furthering my knowledge of marketing, advertising, events management and e-commerce.My career began as an intern at FleishmanHillard, a worldwide PR and digital marketing agency. A hugely transformative experience, I then moved to Fleishman’s London office at the age of 22, where I did the PR for Emirates Airline, before moving to technology working on the Philips account. After stints working in tech PR, I decided to take the plunge into something I really and genuinely loved; the beauty and wellness sector. I’ve been obsessed with all things skincare, wellbeing and beauty since as far back as I can remember so after joining a female only team at an agency in Soho, I decided to go it alone and launch my own agency; MMC Communications.

I launched the company single handedly in 2018 with an ambition to utilise my six years of expertise to shake up the luxury lifestyle and wellness PR sector and I'm very proud of where I am now. Now a fully formed business, MMC Communications represents some of the best in the wellness and beauty game and companies that I really love, nurturing female-owned wellness brands like Radiance Cleanse, Glow Bar and skincare expert to the stars Mimi Luzon to name but a few really is an honour.

2. What trends have you been seeing in beauty lately?

I'm seeing a massive increase in multi-purpose products; which is nice to see. We are streamlining our beauty routines and becoming more mindful about sustainability and wastage, realising we don't need hundreds of products when one product can have multiple functions.

Also I'm seeing a lot more awareness around inner beauty; products that nourish us inside and out are taking centre stage. Ingestible beauty, like powdered supplements and even Radiance's Beauty Juice are increasing in popularity as we realise our internal and external health aren't mutually exclusive and we in order to glow on the outside we need to glow on the inside too.

3. What should we be looking out for in the world of beauty and wellness this summer?

Lots of hybrid skincare/makeup type products; since being a home we've all got used to not wearing makeup so serums that double up as a glowy primer will be the name of the game. I also expect to see massive uptick holistic beauty treatments using Gua Sha and crystals as we realise facials/body treatments don't have to be painful but instead a genuinely relaxing, soothing experience.

In terms of wellness, I expect to see a continued focus on immune support and products that promise to boost our overall well being; I think we have all become a lot more health conscious which can only be a good thing in my mind. Adopting positive routines such as juice cleanses to properly nourish and bolster our inner health will continue well past Lockdown easing.

4. What does your morning routine look like?

I love my morning routine and have always been an early bird! I wake up at 6am most days and start my day with a matcha union. I then aim to do an hour of exercise either a quick run or virtual barre class with Ashley at Define.London so I can get some exercise in before the working day starts and I’m staring at screens all day. Mid-morning I'll make myself a smoothie; I like to use Glow Bar's Super Glowy blended elixir for an extra adaptogenic beauty boost. I used to go to Glow Bar on Mortimer Street for a moon milk and workout at Define so it’s kind of the same routine but just at home instead!

5. What are you looking forward to most with restrictions lifting?

Catching up with friends and family over a glass of wine! Beauty wise, I am looking forward to getting a facial with Ada Ooi; she combines Gua Sha, acupuncture and her Eastern beauty principles and I alway leave feeling plumped, flawless and glowing. I also can't wait to get back to the gym; a real life Barre session at Define is a must after I've been doing their virtual ones all lockdown. Finally, getting my eyebrows done with Liarna Jessica; she's the only place to go.

Sustainability conversation

by Olivia Cartwright, Fri 16th April 2021, link

Sustainability

Sustainability is a subject that can no longer be ignored, we don’t need to just dip our toe in the waters we need to dive right in. The way we have treated our planet, our home, and our environment must change and it must change fast. Collectively if we all become mindful of our day-to-day consumption and our environmental impact things can and will improve. Together we can make progress but everyone has to do their bit.

We can no longer just trust that humankind will eventually come up with a solution. Science is incredible and I have no doubt in the capability of the human mind but if we make a united effort then we at very least able to buy science more time. Humanity is the cause but it is also the solution.

As a company, health is at the forefront of what we do, we provide a service to benefit the health of our customers, and that in itself is a wonderful thing. Given that we are a service that juices raw and organic fruit and vegetables, the planet is literally our sole supplier!

We want to reassure you that sustainability is a conversation we have and will continue to have behind the scenes in order to leave as little environmental impact in our wake as possible. Not only are we committed to managing our production in the most economical and least wasteful capacity we can but our packaging process is really considered and updated regularly. Our building and systems are all energy-efficient and we have even invested in green initiatives at our manufacturing site too.

Bottles - Why we DON'T use glass

As a consumer, you do not really see the environmentally friendly choices we make behind the scenes so we wanted to talk through the packaging you physically receive and why we came to these decisions. People regularly suggest us moving to glass bottles which we really appreciate at first glance may seem like the best option, but the true life cycle analysis paints a very different picture.

This 2020 study https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11367-020-01804-x evaluated the life cycle of RPET vs Glass. The results showed that R-PET bottles give the lowest contribution to global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, terrestrial acidification, fossil resource scarcity, water consumption and human carcinogenic toxicity, even when compared to re-used glass bottles.

We have always used sustainably produced, high grade RPET bottles. This is the best option for us as it takes less energy to produce, and is lighter to transport. The bottles and caps are both fully recyclable and are made from 100% recyclable plastic. Environmental considerations aside, glass is also not a good option in practical terms. Glass breakage (causing waste) is inevitable when delivering 15+ bottles in one box and is not only a disappointment when accidents happen but also a safety hazard when they arrive smashed. Not to mention all the additional non-recyclable padding they require to cushion them in transit.

Other Packaging

Our cool bags are sustainably produced, and you can re-use them over, and over. We love to see the creative ways our clients have re-used their bags so do let us know how you like to re-use yours! From keeping toddler meals chilled on the go, to picnics, to taking your juices to work - there are so many options. If you have more than 5 coolbags at home you'd like to return, get in touch with our team and we'll collect them from you - and re-use. If you prefer not to keep the cool bag, the only part that is not recyclable is the zip!

Our non toxic gel packs are re-usable too, but if you prefer you can also cut the ice pack open, pour the non-toxic contents down the sink and recycle the plastic in the normal way with other plastic materials.

The tape, welcome pack and stationery are all made with compostable paper and can be fully recycled and the box is, of course, recyclable too.

Please trust that each and every aspect of our business has been carefully considered and meticulously planned to ensure we are as kind to the planet and we possibly can be. We want to thank you for supporting us and joining us in this environmental battle we all face today. This is one conversation we don’t want to stop having and we are continually learning and improving so please do come to us with any suggestions or questions.

Keep up to date with us on Sustainability by visiting https://radiancecleanse.com/sustainability/

Paleo Lemon Cake

by Olivia Cartwright, Wed 7th April 2021, link

Ingredients

For the Cake:

4 eggs, yolks and whites separated
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups finely ground blanched almond flour
1 tsp baking powder

For the Lemon-Honey Glaze:

1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

To Top (Optional):

Coconut whipped cream
Berries

Directions

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment.
Separate egg yolks and whites and place in two separate, clean metal or glass bowls. (Egg whites will not whip if there is any grease in your bowl and they need the friction of metal or glass to whip well).
To the yolks mixture, add honey, lemon zest, and vanilla. Stir well until smooth. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together almond flour and baking powder. Stir into yolks mixture. (Mixture will be quite thick).
Using an electric whisk, whip egg whites on medium speed until just frothy. Pause and add a pinch of salt and the cream of tartar.
Continue to whip, now on high speed, until they reach the soft peaks stage. There should be no more liquid egg whites on the bottom of the bowl, and when the beaters are lifted out of the egg whites, the peaks should flop over slightly (instead of standing straight up).
Working in 3-4 batches, gently fold the whipped egg whites into the cake batter. At first, this will seem like it might not work. Just keep going, gently using a spatula to fold the mixture together (don’t stir quickly or you’ll deflate the batter). Repeat with remaining whipped egg whites until all are incorporated into the batter. Batter will be lighter in color and very fluffy.
Pour batter into your prepared pan and gently shake to even out the surface.
Bake at 160 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

While the cake is baking you can make your lemon-honey glaze

In a small bowl or saucepan, whisk together honey and lemon juice until very smooth and well blended.
When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Remove the springform, and while the cake still quite warm, brush with the lemon-honey glaze.
Allow cake to completely cool before slicing, or topping with any toppings.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.