Davina Peace, founder of the luxe brand

Since Davina Peace launched her eponymous organic brand, there’s been a buzz across the blogosphere as well as in the glossies. The range offers a delicious selection of luxury body care and skin care products as well as some seriously sensual candles. The beautifully packaged beauty treats are all certified by The Soil Association and use fairly traded ingredients wherever possible – finally going green can equate to high end and indulgent, hooray! In a short space of time, Davina Peace has become a must-have for discerning beauty junkies and has set a benchmark for luxury natural products, so we’re delighted to have had the chance to find out a little about the lady behind the brand. Meet Davina Peace…

How did the Davina Peace brand come about and what’s your professional background?

Well, I’ve always been very creative. When I was young I wanted to be an actress, singer and artist, I was forever playing dress-up and being a girly girl.  Beauty products were something I loved indulging in and spent my pocket money on.

I spent time working at The Soil Association learning about organic products whilst I was at university and then moved to London to work at Saatchi & Saatchi where I realised the power of branding. During my time there I was ill for a while which made me revaluate my lifestyle and I took a deep dive into organic living in order to get better.

It was at this point that I discovered there weren’t any gorgeous, luxurious beauty products on the market that weren’t environmentally friendly without looking or feeling so. This is what spurred me on to create my own responsible brand.

Why do you think there is a real interest in organic and eco-beauty brands at the moment?

As consumers we are all much more aware and savvy than we used to be.  We are beginning to understand that ‘eco’ is better for us, whether it’s a direct benefit from the products we use, or indirect from the environment we live in.  We realise that we don’t need to compromise to be environmentally or socially responsible, so we are looking for that in brands.

How do you feel about beauty products that only contain a relatively small percentage of organic ingredients?

Firstly, every little helps. However, my biggest gripe is when a brand uses a small percentage but claims generically that their products are wholly natural and organic when they are not. A sweep staking claim is not honest. I put my stake in the ground and strove for organic certification so my customers can be sure that what I am claiming is true.

Why are transparency and responsibility important to you?

There are enough misleading and misguiding messages out there in every aspect of life and I just think it’s important that when we buy something we can trust the message we’re buying into. The thought that we consume without considering our impact on the environment or social welfare where the product is produced or sold just doesn’t wash anymore, we know too much and if we want a lovely world for our children tomorrow then we need to be responsible now.

The delicious Spiced Punch scented candle

Take waste as an example. To think that a newspaper alone put in a landfill site in the 1950’s would still be readable today is quite scary, especially when considering about the amount of rubbish we produce that’s not recyclable – surely we’re going to run out of space? That’s just one example of why responsibility is important.  This translates to ingredient sourcing, manufacture and everything we do.  Transparency should mean that bad truths can’t be hidden anymore.

Your range targets the luxury market. Do you think that people are still interested in luxury products, despite the current economic climate?

Yes, I do. After all, there is the well-known lipstick effect. Just because we are poor doesn’t mean we don’t want to pamper!  We might not be able to afford that luxury holiday but a little luxury treat never goes amiss.

What’s your favourite product from the range?

Gosh! This is a very difficult one. They’re all my babies and I love them all for different reasons! Can I list my range?! Actually, for this time of year it has to be our Christmas candle ‘Spiced Punch’ and my body oil, perfect for soothing and re-hydrating winter skin.

Any advice for women thinking about setting up a business?

Believe in yourself and your idea. Go for it.  Don’t get distracted and remember that ‘no’ is not a good enough answer!

Most importantly, can you run in heels?

I ran around the aisles in Harrods the other day filming my launch podcast – so yes! I was wearing my black patent killer heels (although I couldn’t wear them all the time) – does that pass the test?!

For more information see the Davina Peace website. The range is available to buy online, as well as in Harrods. You can follow on Twitter @DavinaPeace.

Oh please, please Santa? Davina Peace's luxury organic Hand Cream, the now cult Body Oil and the ultra-indulgent Body Cream