An early adopter of organic and natural beauty, Janine Summers — founder of the consciously-sourced and organic skincare brand Olivanna London — takes us through her day
I wake up at… around 6.30am. I love how quiet and peaceful the early mornings are — it gives me a chance to plan and reflect on the day ahead.
My morning routine normally consists of… my skincare regime! I always say that skincare is self-care and this is one of my favourite parts of the day. I start with a double cleanse using our Soothing Seeds Cleansing Balm and follow up with our Milky Cleanser. Next I use a couple of pumps of Vitamin C serum — it’s super effective and lightweight, meaning it works really well under moisturiser. I finish with a couple of pumps of our Bakuchiol Eye Cream and Hyaluronic Day Moisturiser.
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As the founder and creative director of Olivanna I’m responsible for… a lot! I’m heavily involved with all elements of the brand from marketing, brand strategy and product development to our newly launched brand, My Olivanna, too.
My typical day… involves a lot of time on Zoom calls with my team and testing new products in the lab, so I try to ensure I leave my desk during the middle of the day to walk the dogs. In the afternoon I pick my daughters up from school which gives us a great chance to catch up and chat through our day. I love sharing and bouncing ideas around with them. In fact, they were the ones who inspired me to create My Olivanna in the first place.
My go-to working wardrobe consists of… usually something structured like a tailored jacket or dress with a pair of Louboutin or Aquazzura heels. I also love Alexander McQueen, Alaïa and Zimmerman.
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My go-to beauty look for the 9-5… is minimal as I’m all about skincare first. If I do use a foundation it tends to be a light, sheer formula and I’ll set it with a spritz of toner or an infused water. If I feel like I need a bit of a refresh in the afternoon, I take a pump of our Hyaluronic Day Moisturizer and buff it straight into my face using a foundation brush. It’s a trick I learned from a makeup artist, and it just gives you the most gorgeous, dewy, natural glow.
For lunch I eat… something light. At the moment I’m into cauliflower couscous. I also love beetroot salad and grilled fish with olive oil and herbs — anything super healthy.
One of the best lessons I have learnt in life is… to try to continually learn. It’s something my grandmother taught me, to feel enriched during my life. At 92 she says she’s still learning now. It’s a huge inspiration and something I teach my daughters. Founding Olivanna enabled me to surround myself with an incredible team who continually inspire and have brought my vision to life.
The thing I enjoy least about my job is… public speaking. Although I recently finished Anya Hindmarch’s book, If In Doubt, Wash Your Hair: A Manual for Life, in which she reveals that she’s had this issue for most of her working life and talks about how she overcame it. I found this really inspiring and it gave me a lot of insight.
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When I get home I… spend family time.
I couldn’t live without… my daughters. They are at the heart of everything I do.
When I feel stressed I… go for a walk with my husband. He’s my rock and confidante.
If I wasn’t in my current position, I would be… oh, that one’s easy! I absolutely love parties, so in another life I would have been in event management.
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