Karen Murrell
It was a pleasure to chat with New Zealand's natural lipstick maven about the future of the beauty industry, life across the transatlantic, and her top beauty tips.
Marilyn Monroe said “Give the girl the right pair of shoes and she can conquer the world”. We think the same can be said about lipstick. Did the confidence a great lippy give someone help you carve out your career?
I would say when you apply lipstick you automatically smile which shows confidence in itself. I am a caring, loving person and I love being in an industry that makes people feel good and gives a burst of confidence that brings me joy. In the office here we have a quote lipstick in one hand confidence in the other.
Where do you call home?
I live on Lake Pupuke in Takapuna, Auckland New Zealand.
Before you were creating wonderful lipsticks what were you doing?
I worked on the counter for Clinique which was the best job ever, I then went on to start a skin care brand.
Do you have any more products in the pipeline?
Yes, lockdown was a time of peace and total creativity. I found the solitude amazing for resetting product development, so expect to see new products on the market later this year.
Why should we wear natural lipstick?
In short, for general health we slowly over a lifetime ingest up to 2kgs of lipstick so it best to ensure it is natural and healthy. If it is good enough to eat it is good enough to go on your face.
We have a client who made gift tags out of her old Karen Murrel boxes…and as we all move into more sustainable practises is there anything you can suggest we do with old lipstick cases?
What a fabulous idea. We have used the boxes to create a collage on the wall here in the office, donated to kindergartens for finger puppets, they can be planted in the garden to hold seeds or a bulb as they will slowly compost.
What brings a smile to your face?
Kindness seeing people do good deeds for others or people I care about achieving goals.
Whats the biggest challenge you’ve faced whilst building your brand?
My biggest challenge has been what I can rachism to ambition which is negativity towards success, I have had to learn to ignore but it saddens me it still exists.
Sometimes if we forget blush we’ve been known to use a little Karen Murrell lippy on our check bone, chin and nose.. What’s your favourite beauty hack?
I love playing with colours. I am one for statement makeup- I love a bold eye and have also been known to use a little Karen Murrell lipstick as eye shadow.
Morning or night person?
I am at my peak between 4pm-7pm so I would say night person.
Favourite Spot in New Zealand?
I love Lake Pupuke where I live. It’s beautiful, close to my friends, and I take my dog for walks around the lake or to the beach.
We think your brand exudes a happy natural philosophy, which ultimately must come from you. How do you remain healthy, happy and focused during these unparalleled times?
I am a happy person, but those that are close to me know my life has had normal ups and downs. Life is about your outlook and I believe that who you choose to associate with makes a big difference- birds of a feather.
How do you connect with your customers? Do they play a big part in your inspiration?
We connect in many ways- Facebook, We chat, Instagram, email ect but I am an old fashioned girl. What about a big smile on the street and saying hi?
Currently coveting?
Lessons for the Century by Yuval Noahharari
Describe a perfect day at work…
Laura and I head in together with Lucy, my teacup schnauzer. We discuss the day’s coming events and anything from the day before. Once at work my day can range from working with distributors of our lipsticks, new product development, or reporting which when running a company is a necessary evil. Owning a lipstick company is my perfect job so my days are perfect, especially since we just moved into my new dream office in Queen Street. I am a very lucky girl.
Describe Jim & Jane in one word.
Stunning (wish I could come over and shop)
Shop Karen Murrell Here