5 minutes with Marina from Fais
Fais is a natural skincare and home range that uses only vegan ingredients, whilst maintaining a transparent approach to production practices. All of the products in the collection are made of natural ingredients, vegan friendly and cruelty free. With sustainability at the centre of the business, with products which set out to help to achieve a healthy balance for the skin and the mind without damaging the environment.
We sat down with founder Marina to learn more about the brand.
How did Fais begin?
I always say the roots of my business can be found in my grandmother’s garden. When I was growing up as a child in Russia, I spent many summer holidays with my grandmother, pottering around her garden. It was she that instilled a love of botanicals and a respect for the planet. Years later as I built a career in the highly pressured advertising industry, the stress started taking its toll on my skin, so I started looking for a simple & natural skin care routine, but could find nothing to suit my needs. I wanted something indulgent, but balanced and natural, so drawing upon my (& my grandma’s) love of plants, I decided to create my own.
What have been the highest and lowest points on your journey so far?
I think both the highest AND lowest points have been this year during the global pandemic. In the first lockdown I had a big low where I wasn’t sure how to continue with my business which has only just started making profit in its first year. The tremendous financial uncertainty was awful, but then I decided to focus on what I do best – helping people to achieve a healthier and happier lifestyle in difficult times. I switched up my mindset, and decided to be strong for my customers – and developed our new range of scented candles and mindful stationery. The high was then when several luxury wholesalers got in touch to commission me with unexpectedly large candle and skincare orders during the second lockdown. That’s when I knew it was all worth it!
What are the morals you run your brand by?
Sustainability and simplicity. For example, our star ingredient is Watermelon Seed Oil - a fantastic sustainable ingredient. It is abundant as a by-product of watermelon consumption, but often overlooked & discarded. However, it is packed full of antioxidants and light enough to be used on all skin types (even oily/combination skin) making it a great base oil.
Do you ever struggle to stay inspired?
Never! I’ve been lucky to be able to travel a lot, I’ve seen a lot of the planet, but the natural world never ceases to amaze and inspire me. Also, in addition to my grandma and her beautiful garden, I have some amazingly strong women in my life (family and friends), who inspire me every day. In fact, I’ve recently worked with my mother, a fantastic artist & florist (Instagram: @artefleures), to develop a stunning selection of greeting cards that we now include in the Fais range. They are all botanically inspired, featuring a mix of herbs and blooms across seasons, and rather beautiful if I do say so myself (I might be a bit biased!). It was such an exciting experience to work with my mum, and I’m so pleased to report back the cards are selling well too.
How would you describe your customer base?
People like me! People who want to want to fix everyday problems, simply and gently, while harnessing the power of plant ingredients. People who want to sustain a balanced lifestyle, who are committed to sustainability without compromising on their self-care experience.
Where do you see the brand in 5 years?
I hope to have moved into a bigger workshop - I am aiming to keep my production in-house but need to expand in size. I’m very lucky to have a patient and supportive husband, but Fais is taking over and I’m running out of space, so I definitely need to expand. I currently produce and quality check my range by hand, and never want to lose that hands on commitment, but I think I need a bit more physical room to grow the business even further. I am also hoping to expand my team, I want to form a tightly knit group of inspired individuals who are as passionate about sustainability and a healthy lifestyle as I am. This will enable me to focus on product development… I’m thinking more elaborate skincare formulations and a wider range of mindful gifting items. I am also very passionate about scents, and a big dream of mine is to attend a perfumery school. I would absolutely love that!
How would you describe your aesthetic?
A classic, minimalist approach I would say. But with a refined, luxurious twist that speaks to my customers in a personal and approachable way! The logo of my brand, for example, was inspired by the exquisite simplicity of our carefully selected natural ingredients. The packaging and label designs of the range are often dictated by the ability of the packaging to be recyclable or up-cyclable, but without compromising on a shelfie-worthy look. Whilst we care about the most zero waste approach we can achieve, I think that good design enables us to achieve this without sacrificing on visual quality. This is also the reason why we have decided to offer our face care range with alternative gold coloured aluminium caps – they’re super cute but also recyclable.
Can you tell us about your favourite piece from your collection?
I love them all and use all of my skincare and candle items on a daily basis as part of my personal routine. But right now, I would say my candles, which come in 3 of our signature blends - Balance It: Geranium + Lemon, Nourish It with Ylang Ylang + Bergamot, and Restore It with Palmarosa and Rosemary. I think my favourite has to be the Balance It blend. As all the candles are poured in our home studio in Hackney, I don’t even have to have a candle burning to be blessed with my favourite scent! In fact, I think having the calming aromas floating around our studio has definitely helped with the Coronavirus lockdowns in the UK over the last year. If you’re being advised to stay at home by your government, it really helps if your home smells gorgeous!
Do you have a mentor?
I wouldn’t say there is this one big person watching over me. I would say that I am very blessed to have so many amazing inspiring women (and men, of course) in my life – each drawing upon their very own unique talents to keep me inspired and strong in difficult times. My husband, who is a digital transformation strategist, has been a great help to the business too, especially this year when I had to move the entire business online due to the UK coronavirus lockdown.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Imagine how you want your life to be in future and then make baby steps to make it happen. Do things at your own pace, keep your focus and be kind to the people you meet on your way. If you can see it – you can achieve it!
