Ones To Know:: Jennifer Yen, Founder – pur~lisse Beauty
We were fortunate to sit down with Jennifer Yen, founder and creator of pur~lisse an amazing skin care line. Stylish, savvy with flawless skin one would die for, Jennifer embodies building a successful brand doing what you love.
You started your career as an actress, how did you transition to beauty and start pur~lisse?
While working as an actress, my skin became very sensitive, from the heavy makeup and lighting, and I couldn’t find any skincare products to soothe and heal this new condition. During this distressful time, I made the decision to create pur~lisse, anti-aging skincare for sensitive skin inspired by my grandmother’s Chinese beauty wisdom and advance skin science.
How has social media helped you promote Purlisse?
The various social channels have allowed us to cost effectively connect and engage directly with pur~lisse fans. Each platform serves a different purpose, but together, we use facebook, pinterest, instagram, twitter, tumblr, and path to share what we’re up to, drive people to our e-commerce site and retail partners, respond to questions and customer inquiries, and let us to have a truly authentic and spontaneous voice by sharing the lives of people behind the brand.
Consumers are smarter, savvier and demand value and quality, and their shopping habits and expectations are changing accordingly. I predict more and more consumers will be using social networks/social commerce avenues, like Facebook, where real people make real recommendations. And I hope, this will force beauty companies to be ever more transparent and communicative. But, most significantly, I predict that consumers will increasingly pursue “attainable luxury;” and demand higher standards for the science and ingredients of their beauty products, rather than the advertising and marketing campaigns.
Will you expand the pur~lisse brand? What can we look forward to in the future?
Next steps for pur~lisse will expansion into Asia. In addition, we will create eco-systems by cultivating our own lotus ponds, lotus extracts and seeds in the provinces of Cambodia where lotus ponds are abundant … I want to create more employment opportunities for local farmers. A recent trip to Cambodia gave me this inspiration.
As an entrepreneur what are 3 rules that you live by?
- Be fearless and flexible
- Have passion and love for what you do
- Hire smart people, you are only as good as the people who work with you and don’t be afraid to quickly part ways with people who don’t fit company culture.
What are some words of wisdom for other women entrepreneurs just starting out?
Do what you love and love what you do, otherwise don’t do it! It’s going to be harder and more capital intensive than you think. Be prepared to work your business 24 hours a day.
Spend your time wisely. Who you choose to do business with, spend time with and build relationships with will determine the success or failure of your career and personal happiness.
There are people who execute on their dreams and there people who dream all day. Don’t wait – be bold, relentless and tenacious.
What’s your favorite purchase of the season so far?
Cream color, ¾ sleeve Smythe Blazer. It goes with everything I’m wearing this Summer.
Tell us your most memorable career experience?
When I opened my first retail store C.O. Bigelow in West Village, NY, which required at least 20 phone calls and emails just to get a first meeting.
What is the one thing in your closet that you will never part with?
My first medium classic black Chanel handbag I bought in college. It’s almost vintage now and still looks fresh!
Three words to that describe your style.
Classic, vintage and rock n’ roll.
As a working actress in Los Angeles, Yen’s skin fell prey to the occupational hazard of heavy makeup and hot studio lights.
Her beauty cabinet was full of the latest and so-called greatest, but nothing seemed to improve her skin’s condition. To solve her skin problems, Yen, no stranger to a love of beauty, and with a childhood rich in her grandmother’s skincare secrets, Yen rid herskincare regimen of constant frustration with the creation of pur~lisse. Today, Yen has stayed true to her desire to bring beauty andconfidence to all women. As her nature dictates, she’s constantly hard at work, spearheading thegrowth of Pur~lisse. Yen makes her home in Los Angeles, but is constantly traveling the world, to discover new (and sometimes rediscovering the ancient) beauty wisdom from fellow women around the globe.
