Sonia's Story

For a decade, I worked as a corporate lawyer in Toronto and Boston. After my first child was born, I decided not to return to practicing law. The long hours and grueling schedule did not seem conducive to raising a child. And, more significantly, my heart had always been in the world of cosmetics and skin-care.

I can vividly remember the first lipstick I ever owned. It was a pearlescent pink shade in a burgundy tube by a now defunct brand. I was at a department store with my grandmother, and despite my mother's objections, Grandma bought it for me (I had probably been begging for it so much that I wore her down). I must have been ten years old at the time. It was my first taste of the power of a product to lift you out of the mundane and inspire you to alter and im-prove yourself. As Emily Weiss, CEO and founder of Into the Gloss, articu-lated so well, "Products are a way to connect with, or disconnect from, who you are." I can still recall the smell of that first lipstick today. It was the begin-ning of a lifelong love for me.

For the almost three decades since then, I have been experimenting with, playing with, researching and immersing myself in everything related to skin-care and cosmetics. But it always remained a hobby. A hobby that took a backseat to "real" work. Until now.

As a result of this "hobby", I have met with leading dermatologists in Boston, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto. I sat in their offices and, like a sponge, absorbed everything they relayed to me. I gained insight and knowledge into what really works, what is necessary and what is mere marketing fluff.

One of the most valuable skills I learned as a lawyer was how to conduct re-search. Thorough, proper research. Every product I recommend on my site has been researched for its ingredients and its efficacy. And then road-tested by me to determine how it feels, whether it's practical to use, and whether my friends would like it and actually use it.

Sonia xo