Meet Marie, Founder of Facing Beauty

There is something special about discovering a beauty brand that has a real person, passion and story behind it. 

In a world where skincare shelves can feel overwhelming and beauty trends seem to change by the week, Facing Beauty takes a more considered approach. Founded by Marie, a qualified skincare formulator with a background in makeup artistry, lash artistry and skincare consulting, Facing Beauty was created from a genuine desire to understand skincare ingredients and create products that make sense.

Based on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Marie personally formulates and handcrafts Facing Beauty products in small batches, creating a range of skincare, body care and natural fragrance products with a focus on carefully selected ingredients and simple, effective routines.

As part of our Women on a Mission series, we caught up with Marie to find out more about her journey, what inspired Facing Beauty and what goes on behind the scenes of this Australian skincare brand.

From makeup artist to skincare formulator

Marie’s journey into skincare didn't happen overnight.

Before Facing Beauty, she worked as a makeup artist, lash artist and skincare consultant, including working with high-end skincare brands in salons and department stores such as Myer and David Jones.

It was while working closely with customers that her curiosity about skincare really started to grow.

People would ask questions about the products they were using and, rather than simply repeating the information provided by a brand, Marie wanted to understand the ingredients and formulations for herself.

She began researching.

The more she learned, the more interested she became in what actually goes into skincare and, importantly, why particular ingredients are used.

That curiosity eventually led Marie to become a skincare formulator and ultimately to create Facing Beauty.

Her goal was simple: to help people make more informed skincare choices based on their skin and their needs, rather than simply following marketing trends.

Creating skincare from the ground up

One of the things that makes Facing Beauty particularly interesting is that Marie is personally involved in the formulation and production of the products.

Rather than simply choosing products made elsewhere and placing a label on them, she develops and handcrafts the products herself in small batches on the Mornington Peninsula.

From researching ingredients and developing formulations to making, filling and labelling the finished products, Marie is involved throughout the process.

For customers, that means there is a genuine connection between the person who created the product and the product sitting in their bathroom.

It's also one of the things we love about discovering independent Australian beauty brands. There is often a much more personal story behind what you are buying.

What makes Facing Beauty different?

Marie believes good skincare doesn't need to be complicated.

With so many products and ingredients competing for attention, it can be tempting to think that a longer skincare routine must automatically mean better results.

Facing Beauty takes a different approach.

The focus is on understanding what your skin actually needs and choosing products accordingly, rather than using an endless number of products simply because they are trending.

For someone beginning a skincare routine, Marie recommends keeping things relatively simple with three core steps:

Cleanse with the Velvety Foam Cleanser.

Hydrate with the Peptide Serum.

Nourish with either the Face & Eye Cream or Bakuchiol Beauty Oil.

It's a straightforward approach that makes skincare feel much less intimidating.

Bakuchiol Beauty Oil: One of Marie's favourites

When we asked Marie which Facing Beauty product she couldn't live without, her answer was the Bakuchiol Beauty Oil.

Bakuchiol has become an increasingly popular skincare ingredient, particularly among people looking for a plant-derived alternative to traditional retinol products.

Facing Beauty's Bakuchiol Beauty Oil combines bakuchiol with a blend of oils including watermelon, prickly pear, sea buckthorn, pomegranate, cacay and raspberry seed oils.

The result is a nourishing facial oil designed to be incorporated into an evening skincare routine.

Marie particularly loves using it after the Peptide Serum.

And there's a good reason for that combination.

Hydration versus nourishment

One of the skincare tips Marie shared with us is that hydration and nourishment aren't necessarily the same thing.

A hydrating serum and a facial oil have different roles within a skincare routine.

The Peptide Serum is designed to provide hydration, while the Bakuchiol Beauty Oil can then be applied afterwards to nourish the skin and help seal everything in.

It's a small distinction, but understanding what different skincare products actually do can make it much easier to build a routine that works for you.

Rather than adding more and more products, sometimes it's simply about understanding the products you already have.

Marie's favourite skincare ingredients

With a background in formulation, it probably comes as no surprise that Marie has a long list of favourite skincare ingredients.

When asked to choose just one, she admitted it was difficult.

Among the ingredients she particularly enjoys working with are bakuchiol, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, peptides and coffee oil, along with Australian botanicals such as Kakadu plum.

Each ingredient has its own purpose within a formulation, and Marie's approach is to consider how those ingredients work together rather than simply adding something because it happens to be fashionable.

This ingredient-focused approach is part of what makes following an independent skincare brand so interesting. You get to learn not only about the finished product, but also about the thought that goes into creating it.

A simple skincare routine

If you're wondering where to start with Facing Beauty, Marie recommends keeping things uncomplicated.

A basic routine can begin with the Velvety Foam Cleanser, followed by the Peptide Serum and then either the Face & Eye Cream or Bakuchiol Beauty Oil.

For a little extra self-care, the 2 Minute Face Mask & Exfoliant can be added once a week.

Marie even has a simple reminder for it: Mask Monday.

It's a small ritual, but one that makes it much easier to remember to give your skin a little extra attention.

And if you're someone who doesn't want to commit to full-sized products straight away, Facing Beauty also offers a range of mini skincare products, making it easier to try different products and discover what suits you.

Skincare for different needs

One of the things we found particularly appealing about Facing Beauty is the variety within the range.

Alongside facial skincare, Marie has created products for body care, fragrance and everyday self-care.

The range includes Natural Perfume Oils, Hand & Body Custards, Whipped Body Scrubs and Vegan Lip Balms, giving customers plenty of options beyond their traditional skincare routine.

The natural perfume oils are available in both rollerball and pump formats and can be used on the body, hair or even added to a bath.

Meanwhile, the Hand & Body Custards and Whipped Body Scrubs provide a lovely way to turn an everyday routine into a little more of a self-care ritual.

Is Facing Beauty skincare suitable during pregnancy?

For anyone who is pregnant or looking for skincare suitable for pregnancy, choosing the right ingredients can be an important consideration. As a mum herself, Marie has designed the Facing Beauty range with this in mind and offers a selection of products that are suitable for use during pregnancy.

Vitamin A and its derivatives are one of those ingredients that can suddenly become a big question mark during pregnancy, and this was another reason Marie became so interested in bakuchiol.

Bakuchiol is a plant-derived ingredient that is often described as a natural retinol alternative because it can offer similar skin benefits without some of the irritation that can come with retinol, such as redness and peeling skin. It’s a beautiful ingredient for people looking for a gentler option.

When Marie is formulating, she thinks carefully about every ingredient and the role it plays in the finished product. She doesn't believe in adding ingredients simply because they’re trending.

A more considered approach to beauty

Facing Beauty's philosophy extends beyond the products themselves.

The range is plant-derived, vegan, palm oil-free and cruelty-free, with no synthetic fragrances.

The business also uses glass packaging wherever possible and offers refill options for a number of products.

For Marie, these decisions are part of creating a beauty business that considers not only what's inside the bottle, but also what happens to the packaging once the product has been used.

It's a reminder that small choices can make a difference, particularly when they become part of an everyday routine.

Why small-batch skincare is worth discovering

There is something particularly appealing about knowing that a skincare product has been made in small batches by the person who formulated it.

It gives the product a sense of connection that can sometimes be missing when you're shopping from a huge beauty brand.

With Facing Beauty, Marie knows the ingredients, the formulations and the process behind the products because she is personally involved in creating them.

For people who enjoy discovering Australian skincare brands, this is exactly the kind of business worth knowing about.

The perfect little addition to a gift

Skincare can make a beautiful gift because it encourages the recipient to take a little time for themselves.

A face mask can become part of a relaxing evening.

A beautiful body product can turn an ordinary shower into a small moment of indulgence.

A natural perfume oil can become someone's new everyday scent.

And a skincare product they've never tried before can introduce them to an entirely new brand.

That's one of the reasons we were so excited to discover Facing Beauty.

The products fit naturally into the kind of thoughtful gifting we love at Beaut Gift Co, particularly when we're looking for products that feel a little different from what you might find in a large department store.

You can discover the full Facing Beauty skincare collection on their website.

What advice would Marie give someone starting a skincare routine?

If there is one thing that comes through clearly when talking to Marie, it's that skincare doesn't need to be overwhelming.

Start with the basics.

Learn about the ingredients you're using.

Pay attention to how your skin responds.

And don't feel as though you need to buy every new product that appears on your social media feed.

Good skincare is not necessarily about having the biggest bathroom cabinet.

It's about finding products that suit you and using them consistently.

The woman behind the products

What started with Marie wanting to better answer her customers' skincare questions has developed into a business where she personally formulates and creates the products herself.

From makeup and lashes to skincare consulting and formulation, each stage of her career has contributed something to Facing Beauty.

And perhaps that's one of the best things about discovering small businesses.

You get to see where someone's experience, curiosity and passion can lead.

Facing Beauty isn't simply a collection of skincare products.

It's the result of Marie wanting to understand skincare more deeply and then share what she learned through products she has personally created.

Discover Facing Beauty

If you're looking for an Australian skincare brand with a focus on thoughtful formulations, small-batch production and a simpler approach to skincare, Facing Beauty is certainly one to put on your radar.

From the Bakuchiol Beauty Oil and Peptide Serum to the 2 Minute Face Mask & Exfoliant, natural perfume oils and body care products, there is plenty to explore.

You can visit Facing Beauty to discover more about Marie, her formulations and the full range of products.

At Beaut Gift Co, we're always excited to introduce our customers to Australian businesses with a story behind what they create.

And Marie's journey with Facing Beauty is exactly the kind of story we wanted to share through our Women on a Mission series.

Because behind every beautiful product is a person who decided to create it.

Facing Beauty and Beaut Gift Co

Of course, there is a little more to our connection with Facing Beauty than simply discovering some beautiful skincare products.

We have been lucky enough to work with Marie for some time now, and you can find her lovely Peaches & Cream and Watermelon, Hibiscus + Rose oils in some of our Beaut Gift Boxes. They have been a very popular addition, and we always love hearing that recipients have discovered and enjoyed Facing Beauty through their gift.

One of the things we particularly love about working with Marie is that we can continue to support her business by ordering smaller batches as we need them. For us, that's an important part of working with small Australian businesses. We aren't looking for a one-off transaction. We love building genuine relationships with the people behind the products we choose and finding ways to support each other along the way.

And after spending so much time communicating online, I finally had the chance to meet Marie in person recently.

It was one of those lovely meetings where it didn't feel like we were meeting for the first time at all. It felt more like catching up with an old friend.

We sat together for a couple of hours at a local café, talking about all things small business, sharing stories about our businesses and getting to know each other beyond the emails and messages that had connected us until then.

It was such a lovely reminder that one of the best parts of running a small business is the relationships you build along the way.

A collaboration we've loved

Marie has also been incredibly generous in supporting Beaut Gift Co over the years.

For multiple Beaut Gift Co business anniversaries, Facing Beauty has generously provided full-sized products as a gift with purchase for our customers. These collaborations have always been so warmly received and appreciated, and we love that they give a whole new group of people the opportunity to discover and experience Facing Beauty skincare for themselves.

It has also been wonderful to see how naturally our two businesses complement each other. A beautiful Australian skincare product makes such a lovely addition to a gift box, while our gift boxes provide another way for someone to discover a brand they may not have come across before.

And, of course, our recent catch-up gave us the opportunity to start talking about how Facing Beauty might be involved in something very special for Beaut Gift Co's upcoming 5-year business milestone.

We have some ideas in the works, but we're still ironing out the details.

So for now, you'll have to wait a little while longer.

Let's just say that if you've enjoyed seeing Facing Beauty products in our Beaut Gift Boxes and past collaborations, there may be something lovely to look forward to.

We'll reveal more when the time is right.