5 Questions with a Vendor – Karen McIntosh owner of Glamorous Spa

5 Questions with a Vendor – Karen McIntosh owner of Glamorous Spa

Today we are chatting with Karen McIntosh, the owner/operator of “Glamorous”, an all-service beauty boutique serving clients in Durham Region at her location in Ajax, or yours!  She also works out of Oshawa’s Tranquil Garden.  Karen is passionate about making women everywhere feel like the princess they are, using her exclusive, private brand of products. 1. Good morning!  Tell us what got you started in your business? When my daughter was born I got a new insight into what my time is worth.  I had been working in spas for more than 10 years, and I saw that there was a need for flexibility for my clients, as well as for my family. I’ve always had passion for enhancing natural beauty; as a little girl I was already making over my dolls!  So this was a perfect fit for me. 2. That’s awesome that you are living your calling!  What inspired you to develop your own makeup line? It was the realization of a dream to create a line of cosmetics that help and benefit all women.  I found that I wanted a more natural product that would benefit my skin instead of just sitting on it. I found that whatever brand I tried, my skin was irritated and I’d break out.  I designed my makeup line to work for your skin, giving you many benefits including beauty. The foundation has natural SPF in it, the lip glosses have Shea butter in them and the eyeshadows are very pigmented so you need less, which makes them last longer. 3. Wow – talk about passion!  I love that.  So what...
5 Questions with a Vendor – Manuella Tollis, Florist

5 Questions with a Vendor – Manuella Tollis, Florist

We are chatting with Manuella Tollis, a Toronto-based freelance floral designer, currently working at King West Flowers, a trendy flower shop at King and Bathurst. Manuella creates unique designs for every occasion and budget. Today she is sharing with us her passion for her craft, and how it has enabled her to find her bliss. 1. Good morning! Tell us what got you started in your business. I used to be a wedding planner and while that started off to be a fulfilling job, over time I realize that it lacked a creative outlet and I found myself slipping into misery because of it. I made the decision to find something that would make me smile every single day. I took a course in floral design, loved it, and decided to try it as a profession. I feel more fulfilled and more thankful than I ever thought possible in a career and I will do this until it doesn’t fit anymore, which I hope is never. 2. I hope so too, because your work is amazing! As a florist surrounded by beauty every day, you must have the best job; there must be no stress! Flowers are used to convey a million emotions, and as a florist I have to channel each of those emotions as they’re being felt. No matter the occasion, I have to choose appropriate combinations of colours and textures to impart the right feeling, but there is so much more to it than that. For example, with sympathy flowers, it’s about honouring and thanking the person for the life that was lived and all the...