Founded and formulated by Carol Priest, Plantae is certified 'organic' by BioGro, New Zealand’s leading organic certifying authority. This means that all of the Plantae range meet a minimum of 95% certified Organic ingredients.
A family business, the Plantae team is made up of Carol and her daughters; Janelle, Fiona and Jacinta. We caught up with Jacinta to find out more about this unique Kiwi brand.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I am 26, one of 3 girls and work for my family business in the brand Plantae.
The team right now consists of Carol (Formulator and mum), and my 2 sisters; Janelle (Marketing & Sales Manager, 28) and Fiona (In-house Designer,24) and I am the Accounts/office Manager.
I came to into this company because I wanted to help create a brand that was entirely certified organic for women of all skin types.
What is your background? How long have you been in the Beauty Industry?
I have a BCOM in Marketing and have spent several years working in the Banking industry.
This was a great opportunity for me to work in a small team and with my family. I have been in Plantae for over a year now, while my sisters and mum have been in it since the beginning.
I have been around cosmetics my whole life as my mum Carol started formulating cosmetics in 1989 and has another range Carol Priest Natural Cosmetics, which is something we have grown up with.
How did the idea to launch your own Brand come about?
We decided to launch this brand because we saw a gap in the market for a entirely certified organic range with a minimum of 95% organic ingredients in New Zealand. We felt that consumers did not realize the difference between Natural and Organic so our brand has a huge focus on the certification standards of each product released and where the ingredients are originating from.
What is the philosophy behind your brand? What does it stand for?
The term Plantae actually means Plant Kingdom in Latin, so we based our whole range on the plant kingdom with Latin translations of all the key ingredients on the labels and packaging of the product. The main philosophy is based on the botanical benefits of plants and how they can heal and replenish the skin naturally without harmful chemicals or ingredients.
To many people, you would have their dream job, what is the best thing about working for such a gorgeous beauty brand?
Probably the free products, our bathrooms are full of Plantae, I am totally addicted to the range, I have never actually had to go out and purchase a day cream in my live so it is a huge benefit. I also get to meet a range of people through this business from the growers to the retail assistants that sell our products, so it’s a really interesting job.
It sounds like you have a really glamorous job; do you rub shoulders with the rich and famous?
Not yet- with Carol’s other range, Carol Priest Natural Cosmetics, there were rumours of celebrities in Hollywood and South Korea using it, but we have yet to look forward to actually meeting any!
What is your best selling product?
Right now- probably the Hydrate Pomegranate Superfruit Rich Day cream
What is it about this product that makes it so popular?
Because it has such a beautiful Rose fragrance and is rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids, so ideal for dry or mature skin types. Also it has a creamy texture which melts into the skin without feeling greasy or sticky.
What’s your favourite product from your range?
I like the Balance Phyto-Nutrient Day Cream, this is Vanilla and Jasmine fragranced cream which is perfect for everyday wear and under make-up, this product always leaves my skin feeling light and refreshed.
What advice would you give to someone reading this who would like to do what you’ve done?
I would recommend traveling first, to get inspired! But a degree in Marketing, Chemistry or Accounts would certainly help. I worked in other industries first to find out what I was good at and to see what appealed before deciding, so it’s worth getting some experience first.
What’s been the biggest highlight of your career so far?
PR events are always fun, we sometimes get to go to fashion events if we are sponsoring with free gifts or giveaways- last year a highlight was the Pink is in Fashion Show for Breast Cancer, The Eco Fashion Show and another independent one in Nelson by the retail outlet Trouble & Fox.
What has been the biggest challenge you've faced?
Learning this role - going from a Bank position to a small business where I juggle about 6 different roles, has definitely been a challenge. I spent the first 2 months just getting my head around the systems!
What does a normal day for you consist of?
Wake up, breakfast, then walk to work (7km), then shower, start work at 9am, check emails and mail.
10am - meeting with the Team to discuss the day ahead.
10.30am -Usually pack orders, reply to emails and update Social media channels.
1pm - Lunch- usually grab a quick bite to eat in town
2pm - finish any remaining work from the morning and then work on the business accounts.
6pm - home, dinner, chill out time then bed.
How do you relax?
A glass of Wine or Beer, reading the Newspaper or Fashion magazines.
Sometimes Yoga or a swim in the evening to help sleep!
Can you give us a hint about what is next for you? - The person and the brand
The brand is going to get a lot bigger this year, already our staff numbers have doubled since we started and we are planning on bringing out some new products and developing our brand overseas so into countries like Australia, Europe and Asia are markets which we are working on right now, so lots of exciting things to come!
I plan on up skilling as much as possible so that I can keep up with the ongoing changes in technology.
Find out more by visiting www.plantae.co.nz
Sounds like Plantae has a bright future ahead, so many of us haven't heard about this brand and thanks to BR most if not all of us are wanting to try it out :)