What is your background?
I’m a make-up artist and hairstylist by trade, I started in theatre and eventually moved into photographic work. I always joke that I could have been born with a make-up brush in my hand! Being on set is so fun and just feels natural to me, I attribute this to my love for playing dress-up as a child growing up. I feel extremely lucky to do what I’ve always loved, and when I think about it, it feels just like a larger scale version of dress-ups!
What did you do before you became fully involved with ANTHEIA?
Pre-ANTHEIA I opened a photography company in 2008 with a friend of mine who is an extremely talented photographer. It was throughout this time, working within the beauty industry and hearing first-hand from my clients the difficulty of fake tan removal, that I realised as a beauty professional I had a responsibility to pioneer a better way. I was inspired to create a product that would soon go on to be The World’s First Express Fake Tan Remover, and eventually I stepped out of the photography business to really focus on the #faketanfreedom mission of ANTHEIA.
What was the spark that concentrated your mind to want to develop an express fake tan remover?
The spark that started ANTHEIA came down to pure disbelief that over six years of testing the offerings on the shelves world wide ranging from client to photo shoot emergencies, there was NOTHING that really worked.
I couldn’t believe that in the modern age we live in, and how developed we are in fake tanning and beauty, we were losing hours of our lives soaking and scrubbing our skin with harsh chemicals in an effort to remove fake tan.
It’s from here that the mission started: to develop a product that would actually work with speed, and more importantly, was safe on the skin. Fake tan can be very drying to the skin, so in caring for the body, I wanted to create a product that also had an anti-ageing element – and so ANTHEIA was born with a two-step process to not only remove the fake tan, but restore the skin.
You are listed as a co-founder of ANTHEIA. Who is your business partner?
Once I had the vision to create ANTHEIA and what I wanted to achieve, I approached two beauty industry professionals that were experienced in distribution and manufacturing.
Where did the name ANTHEIA come from?
The name stems from ANTHEIA, the goddess of botanicals, she who is blooming and mythical. The ANTHEIA philosophy is built on the foundation that we are all goddesses, and we should treat ourselves and our skin like the beauty of a goddess.
Describe how the tan remover is applied etc. How long it takes to do the job etc.?
The philosophy behind ANTHEIA is that we really want to educate tan users; it isn’t enough to just REMOVE fake tan. It is equally important for the process to be anti-ageing, nourishing and restoring.
Each ANTHEIA box includes three full body applications that you mix yourself (very similar to an at-home hair dye kit). We do this to keep the product free of nasty preservatives and fillers. You simply mix it up each time you are ready to remove and work over your body limb-by- limb.
Our promise is that the gentle-yet- powerful formula removes the fake tan on the desired area in minutes. We also supply a gentle Muslin cloth to assist with the removal; the soft weave is all the skin needs for the gentle exfoliation.
ANTHEIA is also great in bringing a dark tan down a shade – great for last minute wedding and event touch ups!
Please explain the connection with Victoria’s Secrets Angels?
This was definitely one of those pinch yourself moments! It was in the lead-up to the 2016 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in Paris and Kristyn Pradas, Body contouring and Celebrity tanner, reached out to ANTHEIA and requested our products to PREP, REMOVE and RESTORE the angels for the infamous runway show.
Being a make-up artist myself and passionate about our mission of a safe and better way to prep and care for the skin, it was an extremely proud moment and monumental confirmation for me that a professional of that level shares the same beliefs with me.
Kristyn still raves about the wonders of ANTHEIA and we keep her stocked with product for her long and star-studded client list!
Are you a Queenslander?
I moved to Queensland as soon as I finished year 12 and stayed until I was in my mid 30’s so I do very much feel like a Queenslander at heart. I make sure I fly back to the Gold Coast and Brisbane as often as I can.
My first make-up job was actually in the Myer Centre, Queen St Mall, so I of course hold this city very close to me. In fact, as I speak today, I have just come from training the Priceline team in Queen Street Mall, who have recently welcomed us as a stockist to all stores nationwide, it was a beautiful full circle moment! I felt very proud to stand there today.
Do you have any testimonials from women who have used the product?
Yes we do! Customer feedback is very important at ANTHEIA and it is a huge part of our success today.
Most recently we had one of our favourite girls from The Bachelor try ANTHEIA and she sent me a gorgeous review.
We put a lot of time into innovation and focus groups so all feedback is recorded and taken to the team for careful evaluation.
Where is your favourite place to long lunch with friends in Brisbane?
Stokehouse Q in Brisbane’s South Bank is a MUST. Perched on the waterfront overlooking the city skyline, it is simply world class.
What are your 3 favourite Brisbane cafe’s you like to visit when you are craving your morning coffee?
My Brisbane coffee hotspots are Cantinho in James St, Scout Café on Petrie Terrace and Jamie’s Espresso in Fortitude Valley!
Summarise Brisbane in 3 words…
Warm. Relaxed. Home.
SheSociety is a site for the women of Australia to share our stories, our experiences, shared learnings and opportunities to connect.
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