Advice from the Experts

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Mimi talks to Lena Korres

Lena Korres is one remarkable woman. After completing a degree in Chemical Engineering and a post-graduate diploma she became the first employee of natural Greek brand Korres. Since then her career in the company has skyrocketed. Not only is she responsible for New Product Development and International Marketing (ultimately helping to guide the brand to bigger and better things) she is also the female spokesperson for the company next to her husband George, the founder and MD. Where she found time to have two children is anyone's guess!

About You

Background/academic – how did you get into the beauty business?
Through pharmacy. Having completed my studies in chemical engineering, I moved on to work at the Korres homeopathic pharmacy in Athens where, further to our customers’ demand, we used our knowledge of natural ingredients, homeopathic remedies and herbal preparations to create our first skincare products.

You have been involved in the Korres brand from the start – what drew you to the company?
George's early vision. While still a student, he started mixing natural pharmacy ingredients to create herbal preparations, natural remedies and eventually cosmetic products. There was a passion for natural ingredients and a small but inspired team of people working in the Korres pharmacy that drew me instantly.

What does your role as Research Director involve (particularly as the areas of research and development are so important to a natural brand like Korres?)
At Korres we create our products based on our respect and love for natural ingredients. We closely follow the latest developments in the field of cosmetology and we contribute to this international research, focusing on the unique herbs of the Greek flora, study of the active ingredients, methods of extraction and standardisation. In our products we use Greek flora and herbs such as mastiha and saffron, pharmacy ingredients known mostly for their therapeutic properties, food ingredients such as yoghurt and honey in their pure, edible form and last but not least the most efficient and well-documented natural actives. Our team consists of chemists and chemical engineers with a strong academic background but also a common culture and a deep understanding of the brand’s values. Our goal is to deliver natural products that offer clear benefits and with their texture, their smell, even their packaging - and put a smile on the face of people who use them!

Sum up Korres in one sentence? What’s the USP?
The use of herbs and natural ingredients of the highest quality; skin and environmentally friendly products with clinically tested effectiveness; affordable for every day use yet of high-aesthetics with a strong artistic direction.

What Korres products would you recommend as an introduction to readers who have never tried the brand before?

The Wild Rose range in our hydration and brightness family. If I had to choose a single product from the range, it would be the 24-hour Wild Rose moisturizing cream - a worldwide best-seller, and the first ever Korres cosmetic product. It contains the extract of a desert plant - Imperata cylindrica - ensuring 24-hour moisture by continuously regulating the cellular water balance.

Do you enjoy working alongside your husband and in a family business?
I enjoy sharing a vision and the same reality with my husband. I also enjoy working on different parts of the business and sometimes spending whole days when we do not see each other at all at the office!

Did you have any involvement in the Kings & Queens line?
How could I not? It's such a fun brand! I can't really take the credit though as this is a team effort and the lead was taken by a team of former Korres top natural ingredient experts who were offered carte blanche to create something unique relying on the charisma of the scents and spices used in ancient and medieval times.

Can you name any celebrities that use your products?
Only those who have already been cited as Korres fans as we'd never disclose such information from our end; Sienna & Savannah Miller, Scarlett Johansson, Rihanna, Drew Barrymore, Kylie Minogue, Charlize Theron, Cameron Diaz, Woody Allen and David Beckham amongst others.

Any new breakthroughs that our readers should be aware of in the beauty industry?
The beauty industry is evolving rapidly and technology offers us the opportunity to make even more natural, skin-friendly products that can offer extremely good results in terms of moisturising/ anti-ageing/ sun-protection/ protection of the skin's DNA. Still, as a company, Korres has promised not to overpromise! This simply means that we should never forget to take good care of our skin and our body, eat healthily and drink plenty of water!

Career highlight to date
A Korres team project; the development of our yoghurt skincare line which contains edible yoghurt in its original form. Yoghurt contains thousands of live cultures and therefore does not take well to mixing in the lab. It was a real challenge for our R&D team to create a stable cosmetic formula preserving all the benefits of live yoghurt. The whole idea started from our Greek tradition of putting yoghurt onto the skin to cool and soothe it when we have sunburn, hence the first product with yoghurt and one of my absolute favourites was our Yoghurt Cooling Gel!

Inspirations

Favourite discovery
The beaches of Naxos, where George's grandfather comes from

Who inspires you
Beauty & fashion industry wise, there are certainly people who were so ahead of their time, like Coco Chanel. Her life story is inspiring and her unique personality is behind legendary products, like Chanel No 5.

Daily extravagance
A mango Smoothie... and a quick shopping fix in between meetings when I'm abroad

Favourite place on earth
Greek islands & New York

Favourite song
At the moment the latest Moby album, I am a big fan

Happiest when..?
I organise fun stuff for my kids!

Fashion

Shoes
Burberry ankle boots and Havianas

Watch
A men's Bally watch I've had for ages

Bag
Balenciaga

T-shirt/shirt
Joseph

Favourite accessory
Retro Super Future shades

Favourite designer
Chistopher Bailey for Burberry & Martin Margiela

Beauty

Lipstick/lip gloss
Korres Lip Butter in Quince and MAC Viva Glam V

Eye liner
Don't use it

Foundation
New Korres Watermelon SPF 30 tinted moisturiser

Concealer
This is my favourite Korres makeup product! The Vitamin Concealer!

Mascara
Korres Mascara in Grey Green

Blusher
Korres Zea Mays in Peach 18

Shampoo & Conditioner
Korres Rice Proteins Shampoo and Achilea Conditioner

Fragrance
Narciso Rodriguez

Shower Gel
Kings & Queens Lemon Flower

Face Moisturiser
Korres Wild Rose Serum and Sugar Crystal face cream

Body Moisturiser
Cannot live without our Yoghurt Body Butter! Also love Stella from Tocca.

Desert island product
Yoghurt Cooling Gel

Who cuts/colours your hair?
Not faithful (to hairdressers!)

Home

Where do you live?
Northern Athens - Kifisia

Pets
Not yet

Favourite restaurant
Athens - Yellow Bicycle, NY - Cipriani's and Balthazar, London - Yauatcha

Favourite food
Traditional Greek meals

Favourite drink
Mango Daquiri

Favourite snack
Fruit salad

Favourite holiday location
Greek islands

Can’t live without
My books and my music