5 minutes with Jane Foulston, brand director and ambassador at Emma Hardie
We caught up with Jane Foulston, the brand director of award-winning skincare brand Emma Hardie. You’ll find the brand’s iconic Moringa Cleansing Balm in our latest limited edition box, the Female Founders Edit.
“It’s the ultimate ‘spa-in-jar’. It was created by Emma to not only deeply cleanse, refine the pores, and condition the skin but also provide a relaxing, sensory experience,’ Jane explains. “It has consistently been our best-selling product since its launch in 2009 and is adored by beauty editors, makeup artists and VIPs. It’s about removing not only makeup, but also the stresses of the day.”
My passion for great skincare began with… my time as a beauty therapist. I was a trainer for 15 years, then I became an examiner for ITEC, one of the international training boards in the beauty industry. I was asked to take over ITEC when the founders retired and I owned and built it for 18 years, so I learned a huge amount from that time.
Emma Hardie co-founded her brand with my husband in 2009 and I became brand director… when Emma sadly had to retire for health reasons. I had always been in the wings as my husband was the co-owner and MD. Due to my wealth of knowledge and experience in the beauty industry, when Emma became ill it just seemed natural that I would take on a senior role.
The best thing about being the boss is… you can drive the business where you want to go, while listening to other opinions along the way. The worst is that sometimes it's very isolating. You can't be friends with your team if you’re going to have a clear direction and keep steering that ship forward.
The most important thing to do if you’re thinking of setting up a brand… is be absolutely certain that you have that USP that makes you different from everything else.
Getting the balance between my home life and work life is.. pretty tricky when you live with the MD! We do try to have a work watershed at 8pm though.
If I’m having a crisis of confidence my solution is to… basically get on with it!
My power fragrance is… a bottle of Chanel. Either No5 or Mademoiselle, but always Chanel.
To me, having a spa treatment is.. a bit like a busman's holiday. Because I was training people in the industry for so long, I find I’m thinking ‘you didn’t do that bit right’ and ‘you haven't set your trolley up properly’! It drives me crazy.
My make-up rule for a big meeting is.. to always put my posh foundation on. Best face forward! I wear By Terry foundation, and also Laura Mercier primer.
The secret to a glowing DIY facial is… massage. The first step is to cleanse with Emma Hardie Moringa Balm, and to use the cloth in the brand’s linear technique. Instead of working in little circles, it’s a slide method, so you really work with the facial contours. It’s like pilates and yoga for your face, and it drains away tension and puffiness.
A great working day for me will always… involve exercise somewhere along the way. I'm fortunate enough to have a gym at home so I whip in there first thing if I’m going to the office, or at lunchtime if I’m not.
One of my biggest successes has been…. having the opportunity to take an Emma Hardie product through a full clinical trial for the first time in the brand’s history. You’re sitting there on pins, praying that it’s going to come out the way you need it to, but the results on the Midas Touch Super Serum were incredible. It endorses everything you do.
Five words that describe me are…ambitious, professional, tenacious, empathetic and listener.
Want to read more about the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm? Click here to see the full reveal >