This blog was created as a space to openly and honestly write about all things relating to beauty – this page is to tell you about us!

I got my PhD at UCT specializing in the field of Breast Cancer. My interest in Science I think was partly due to the fact that in my Matric year my mom passed away from Cancer. It was agony. It was heart breaking to watch her suffer. I decided that research was something I would do to try and get some answers as so much was unknown. There were more questions than answers. I think even today this is true.

Armed with my PhD I went to Tygerberg Medical School and embarked on researching diseases like Tuberculosis and HIV – specifically how the host generates an immune response. My years at Tygerberg Medical School were successful allowing me to obtain my own funding as well as becoming an established author (Dr. Gael Fenhalls list of publications).

Career Break:

I battled with working and being a mom – I just didn’t cope! I was fortunate enough to travel to the US regularly presenting at International conferences. I did a sabbatical in the UK on two occasions. But I realized that I needed to make a choice so I took a break from my career and became a full time Mom/ taxi. I was lucky that my husband could support us. And I was even luckier to be part of them growing up. I watched the soccer matches from the side lines and listened to the music rehearsals. I was part of their growing up and I have no regrets.

Glamore Cosmetics:

Glamorecosmetics.com, There comes a time when change is right there and you need to reach out and grab it. This is what happened – my oldest daughter Emma was highly allergic to makeup and skincare. We literally battled with everything skin related. Being a mom but being a mom with a PhD helped me even more when I found our brands. I needed beauty brands that Emma would able to use every day so my mission was to look for brands with the following criteria:

• Cruelty free
• Vegan friendly
• Hypoallergenic
• Affordable
• Not yet available in South Africa

And that’s how we started Glamore Cosmetics. You can find more about us on the website but scroll down for a video as well.

What Brands Do We Currently Have?

In doing extensive research (3 – 6 months) I knew I wanted to import brands from the EU as opposed to the US. My main reasons for this were that in the EU more ingredients (over 1000) are banned in Cosmetics compared to the US (only about 15). Also the SPF testing procedures in the EU are more accurate and stringent.

South Africa has sadly become the dumping ground for Cosmetics – basically so many brands are here without complying with the guidelines set out by the CTFSA (Cosmetics, Toiletries, Fragrances South Africa) . Along with this there is no monitoring of Cosmetics – if you have an ID number you can legit import anything and everything from anywhere. And once it is here and on the shelves/ online no one is checking for banned and/or harmful ingredients. This was not something I wanted to do – which is why I import brands with all the necessary NICI documents showing every single ingredient.

Why Knowing The Ingredients is Important:

As a Scientist knowing the ingredients in my products is important – it gives me confidence. Knowing that these products are cruelty free makes me feel that I am not harming/ endangering animals. When it comes to my products being hypoallergenic it makes me feel safe – safe in the knowledge that no one will have a rash/ skin break out. So many people have sensitive skin and don’t even know that they have it. They use anything they can find or afford and wonder why they have ‘damaged skin’. I recently wrote a blog post about how to apply foundation for beginners.

All these products are safe for anyone to use – and this is important to me.

Understanding Sensitive Skin:

At the end of the day we are more than just selling beauty products – this is because I have a good understanding of how sensitive skin works and I care about your skin. And in understanding this I recommend our products. Not only that; I have experienced sensitive skin myself – it is sore and takes ages to heal. And it doesn’t go away with makeup it takes time and the right ingredients. You can find blog posts that I have previously written on the Glamore Cosmetics website – explaining how the outer layer is damaged and needs to heal.

If you have any questions about us – please don’t hesitate to contact me. I reply to every email. This is a short video clip from me to you About Us. And I also absolutely adore my dog Bear – photos below. He drives me crazy but I think he loves me too. Every morning he has to go for a walk which means he will legit follow me around ‘everywhere’ until I take him!! And he is constantly bringing me things – like shoes, balls and his. ropes – can you relate to this?

Thank you for reading this post and I hope we connect soon 🙂