Season 5 Real Beauty with FD: Creating an innovative business on a Brooklyn Rooftop featuring CEO & Founder Liana Blomquist Rooftop Botanicals

PART 2 - Liana Blomquist 

such an incredible episode loved every second speaking with liana. 

Reminder: BR Botanicals Rose & Chamoline Gel Moisturizer is such a good buy highly recommend. 

any questions/comments hit me up @choosandfashiondoos

Transcript

0:03

Welcome to real beauty with FD. This is part two of my awesome conversation with Leanna, who is the founder and CEO. Of Brooklyn botanicals. And I just wanna kick off this. Episode. So it's currently labor day. So I hope everyone has had an awesome day off. My gosh, it's been needed. Um, last week was definitely. Testing from a work perspective. So I'm glad I'm going into new week. With a clear had. But I mentioned that I've been having some issues with my skin. So I also wanted to. Just say, that I have been using the Brooklyn botanicals, rose and canal gel moisturizer. For the past couple of months. A tiny bit goes a long ways. So. My routine is. I will cleanse tone. Then I will use the house of wise, C B D facial serum. And then I give it some time. And then I apply the Brooklyn botanical. Botanicals rose and county gel moisturizer. And I know I mentioned it in the episode. But what I love is the consistency. Sometimes creams can feel kind of heavy. but I just adore the gel. Consistency. So I highly recommend it. I'll put some notes into the footnote of this episode, so go check it out. And the other product that I just wanted to give a shout out to. And I swear my skin we'll get back to normal, so I won't constantly just be talking about how I can treat it. But just when it was kind of bad, I was trying to find a good. Coverage, without kinda loading up wearing like a heavy foundation, which to be honest, I don't own any. But I'm just very conscious of what, what I put on my skin. So I was recommended actually from another blogger. To try the Laura. Galler, It is the baked balance and glow. Illuminating foundation now I bought it in light. I will say, and I actually have it just in front of me. It is like, it's definitely not light.<laugh> and I have been using kind of self Tanner on. My skin as well, just to kind of give it a bit more of a kinda Sunkissed. Look, and kinda all. All year 10. But if I maybe had one shade down, It would probably be perfect, but anyway, The coverage is incredible and it feels so. Light. Um, so I highly recommend, I'd actually never heard of this brand before and I bought it just on the whim. Um, cause I really like love this blogger and definitely trust like every. You know, kind of product recommendation. So. Anyway, I just wanted to kind of pass that on. And then the other thing, just kinda knowing that we have a four day work week. Thank goodness. but also we. Kicked off fantasy football. So we kind of hosted it at Ohios. House this afternoon. And I generally tried.<laugh> to know. And like, know the players this year and not kind of go into it so naive. So I found this amazing website that gave me. All the player recommendations, depending on the pick you were. So anyway, I'm happy with my team. I'm ready for this season. Last season I came dead last<laugh>. But I also didn't work out until halfway through the season. Well, my girlfriend said to me, That you're supposed to change up your team. Who knew no one told me. So anyway, this year, Is definitely gonna be different. So. There you go. I will stop chitchatting. I just wanted to kind of recommend those products. And I will dive. Straight back into, part two. I. Loved talking with, Leanna and I hope you enjoyed this episode. And I'm super pumped about the future episodes of season five.

francene: 4:22

I can't imagine how hard it must be to kinda do the majority of this yourself.

liana: 4:27

Yeah, no, exactly. I mean, I have, I have help. Um, and I think that's also where actually my, my, my large corporation experience helped is actually to manage people and to work with cross functional teams and to really link and to, and to connect people together because, you know, I'm able to now work with some other people. Um, I do have a few interns. I do have some other. Um, consultants who are helping me here and there with some things. Yeah. So it's, it's been a, it's helped me to manage that in, in a, in. In a clear and efficient way, but still I'm still all over the place. So it's like, cause I'm just always fast paced so, I mean, you can ask them at some point, you know, is Leon doing a good job managing you guys? I hope

francene: 5:12

sure they will only say great things. Um, so you mentioned at the star, um, where you're from in the south of France, that. Uh, big into, um, perfumes and fragrances. And I know from your career that you helped like celebrity fragrance lines, um, is this an area that you considered, or do you think that this could be an area, um, that you would kind of move into at some point or in

liana: 5:44

fragrances? Yeah. Oh, yeah, absolutely. I love fragrance. I'm obsess. I mean, me

francene: 5:49

too. That's why I'm asking. Cause I'm like, and especially for me, I actually prefer like, um, I know you have like roses in this, but I'm addicted to roses. Like I love that smell like vanilla and just like, I feel like I'm very kind of simple when it comes to perfumes, but those raw smells mm-hmm and that's kinda why I was thinking about it. I was like, oh, I'm sure that this is an area you've considered.

liana: 6:12

Yeah, no, absolutely. Um, so currently I don't grow enough of the botanicals to actually get essential oils. Yeah. So when I do, when I do hydrosols there, there are obviously fragrance oils and essential oils and, you know, volatile oils inside of the hydrosol, but it's just not enough to actually separate it. Um, but if I'm able to grow, um, and get a much, much larger rooftop or rooftops, then I can kind of grow, um, some specific things in a larger bulk. Yeah. Um, I would be able, yeah, I would be able to get some of those, um, those oils then create some fragrances and I, I would definitely want to. I would also definitely want to add FRA those fragrances in some of my body products, um, you know, to, to have that. So that have that like story as well, because right now I'm, I'm just creating extracts, right? I'm not actually using any of the essential oils of the fragrances. So even though there's rows and Camile in the product, um, in this first product, the gel moisturizer, it's not the fragrances, so that's fragrance free. Um, yeah. So I think that's just something I have to kind of like mention to people cuz they're like, oh, there's rose and CA meal, but doesn't smell like it. I'm like, yes, cuz it's the extracts, not the fragrances yeah. Um, but yeah, I would, I would love to definitely, um, you know, use some oil, some, some of the, the fragrance oils in, in body products. Um, yeah, for, for me, like just kind of, I wasn't clear in that sense, but for. Um, you know, I, I think fragrance in skincare products are extremely sensitizing to skin, so that's why like on face, I stay clear, but for body products. Yeah. And for, you know, just like a little bit of a fragrance here and there. Um, you know, I think it's very, um, therapeutic, uh, you know, and, and there is a lovely, lovely memories and stories to be had with fragrance. So, you know, I definitely enjoy that and think it's. It's very lovely in, in body products and hair products, but again, skin, no

francene: 8:10

no, I, I hear you. And that was actually one of the things I thought was refreshing about this is because there wasn't a scent and from like sensitivities of your skin. But, um, also I remember when I was, um, pregnant, I now have a four year old, um, I had really bad sickness. It was, I mean, any smell that I loved before it was so sensitive and I found that like the majority of my beauty products would make me like gag yeah. And they all smell good, but I didn't have that a thing that was unscented, to be honest. So it's actually nice to have a product that it's, you know what I mean? It's like, okay. There's no, it's

liana: 8:54

impartial. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's still like an interesting smell. Like, I don't know what you think it smells like I've had like oatmeal or like, what did I have else? Um, somebody said it was like, yeah, just like mostly oatmeal and like, yeah, I can,

francene: 9:10

I, I can get the oatmeal, but, um, I mean, there's definitely, there's definitely a smile. Um, and it's a good smile, but you're right. Like, it's not like perfumed.

liana: 9:20

No. Yes. You don't. That's the right subscription fragrance. Yes.

francene: 9:24

Fragrance. Yes Um, so I know you worked in London, um, for a while. So how did you find, cause again, I'm from the UK, how did you find moving from London to New York? Cause, I mean, they're both big SAS, but um, both very different. Like how, how did you find.

liana: 9:46

Well, I mean, I, I also lived in New Jersey, um, for a part of like my teenage years. Um, okay. Okay. So I wasn't too far from New York. I was like an hour away. Um, okay. So I was already used to New York. I already knew how crazy it was. Um, and in my university years I did internships in New York. Oh, amazing. And I'm am I am American? So I'm half American, half French. Yeah. Um, and yeah, no living in London. Uh, again, I lived in London also when I was like a child so I'm like between, it's very complicated. My story, more like, wait, watch can give you the whole like timeline, but it gets long. Um, so, you know, then moving back to London then, you know, as, and having my first role at Elizabeth Arden, um, yeah, for me, it was, it was lovely because I, I was going back to like a place where I grew up and yeah. And I think I, I really loved London. It was a little bit more, um, bustling than, than Paris. Definitely. Uh, and you could sense like the, the real entrepreneurial spirit of like the companies there, like lots and lots of, obviously it was the, it is, and I'm sure if it is anymore, I'm like, I keep reading things with Brexit and all that, but, um, you know, the financial capital or financial, um, capital of Europe and, and just lots of businesses there for, for me, it was like really exciting being there and having my first job there. Um, and it was, you know, definitely more busy than France and Paris. Um, but I knew how crazy New York was. And, but yeah, when I left, I was like, okay, this is really the time for me to do New York, you know, and, and push my career a little further. Um, cuz I was 26 at the time when I left. Which was a perfect time. Um, you know, and I was just ready to have like, just push my career, go further and see what, see what would happen. So, um, yeah, and I just wanted to have the different experiences in different cities. So

francene: 11:42

that, that's awesome. You're living my dream right now. I would give anything to move to New York. Um, but I, my husband always say to me, he's like, yeah, you would move to New York, but your closet would be different compared to. Living in Texas. Yeah. Yeah. About, I dunno what I do.

liana: 12:03

uh, yeah, my closet is also my husband's closet and it's literally just a hole in the wall, so

francene: 12:10

yeah. I, I feel like that that's what I would struggle with, but, um, did you find, um, and I know you've kinda. Previous roles were in the beauty industry as well. But did you find that your

liana: 12:22

beauty

francene: 12:23

routine changed, you know, from like Paris, London, New York? Um, oh yeah. It just like age as well, right? Like, cause we start kind of using what we actually need for our skin. Um, but how has it

liana: 12:38

Evolv? Oh, yeah, it's changed like 360. It's crazy, actually. Um, so I mean, I, cuz I started as a teenager wearing makeup and using beauty products very at a very young age. Um, my mom didn't even wear that much makeup, to be honest, don't even know where it came from, but. I don't know. I think one day she saw me like trying to put on makeup and I was like, I, I was maybe like 11 or 12 and it was, and it was obviously not doing a good job. So she, she gifted me. Did you ever have the Bobby Brown, like book of beauty, like back in the early two thousands?

francene: 13:16

No, I, I know, uh, I know who you're referring

liana: 13:19

to, but no, I didn't. Yeah. So I, I feel like a lot of people had that book, um, or it was like a bestseller at the time. Um, and Bobby Brown was like booming at the time. So she gave me that book to like, help me understand makeup and how to wear makeup and all of that. And I was like, wait to start me off on Bobby Brown at the age of like 11. I know. Right. Or 12 I'm like, geez, mom. Um, so, you know, I got into, you know, with, with that, I got into beauty a little bit more, and I actually worked in a little boutique, um, in New Jersey, uh, when I was like 15, 16. Yeah. Um, and I, I sold products like lame, Kai NAS love. TA, um, Lama was like completely brand new at the time. So it was like still expensive was like$110 or whatever, but like, it's so expensive, but compared to now, I'm like, holy

francene: 14:13

crap. yeah, it's definitely premium product for sure.

liana: 14:18

Yeah. Um, so I was like, you know, using all the makeup there, you know, getting a lot of samples all the time. So like my makeup like got really intense, like I was wearing. Full face of makeup. Like every day, just like I would wake up and like do my hair and my, my makeup for like an hour and a half every day go to, oh my gosh. School. yeah. I had like heavy makeup every day. Um, and yeah, and it, you know, it looked good. I don't think I looked like bad, but because of the Bobby Brown book, obviously. Thank you, Bobby. taught me all the ways. Um, and so, yeah, and then, so when I moved, so I lived in New Jersey and a suburban town, you know, it was quite affluent as well. So then I moved to Paris, obviously with all my makeup and. All the girls were looking at me like, what the hell? like this chick has so much makeup on. Like, and I have pictures of myself at the time, like walking around, like, you know, with my friends and like my other American friends. Um, I had a friend who was like obsessed with self Tanner. So she, at the time it was very. So she was like orange and, you know, and you know, I was an orange, but she was like, seriously, seriously orange. So we were like, we were like a freak show in Paris. I think it's like, I didn't even know where we came from. Um, and yeah, basically like over the four years that I lived in Paris, like I really toned it down. Um, like I stopped wearing so much makeup. Like I was still wearing like, Basics, but, you know, I was trying to be more natural. Like I was barely doing my hair was very like flow, so I became like more French looking, more natural. Yeah. Yeah. Um, and yeah, my beauty in terms of my skincare products, I think I was still. I was still kind of using good stuff. Um, I don't, you know, the cold clean movement, the whole natural, uh, movement wasn't really big. So it was mostly big brands that I was actually using at the time. Um, and then moving to London, I still had a similar kind of beauty routine. Um, and, and my makeup routine, it was still, you know, fairly natural, but I feel like in London, like you're, you know, at the time then it was like playing more with colors. So I was like wearing brighter and bold eyes and lips and things like that. Um, and yeah, still from a skincare perspective, I wasn't, I was still like using big brands or whatever was kind of like new in the market, testing out different things all the time. It's not that I was like, wasn't I wasn't brand, um, what's it called? I wasn't brand, uh, Uh, what's the word? Uh, I wasn't just using one brand, basically. I was just like mild. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, brand loyal. Oh God, you think? Branding person remember brand loyal? Um, so I was just jumping around all the time. Uh, and then moving here, um, in the beginning as well, like I was kind of not brand loyal, using a bunch of different things. Um, But actually I was moving more towards like French brands back to French brands. I was using like Lepo, um, yeah, bio songs and all these different things. Um, and so I was like, kind of like, there was that whole French, um, skincare movement that was that kind of ripping people. So I was going more towards that. And then as time went on and I kind of gotten to what I'm doing now, I've just started reducing more and more of what I'm using. Of course, I am a formulator now. Right. So I formulate my own product. So I basically use what I make now. I use my gel moisturizer. I make, I make my own cleanser. I make my own shampoo. I make my own conditioning bar. I make, oh, amazing. I make my own cheek and lip tint. So, you know, I'm wearing way, way, way less makeup. Like I basically just wear, you know, a little bit of like concealer here and there. Some mascara cheek and lip tint and like that's. um, so I've gotten like more and more natural, I guess.

francene: 18:15

but isn't that amazing? And you also know what you're putting on your skin. Like, I love that.

liana: 18:21

Yeah. Yeah. And so

francene: 18:22

hate it. How cool.

liana: 18:24

Yeah. So I, I make everything. Yeah, it's crazy again. And it's great knowing exactly what the ingredients are like, how they're made. Yeah. Um, and where exactly the ingredients were grown and all of that. It's, it's. Fulfilling for me.

francene: 18:38

oh my gosh. I can only imagine when your friends come over, they're like, Hey, what are you experimenting on? Can I try it?

liana: 18:45

I can only imagine they do. And they're like, oh know, can I like take one home? I'm like, no, unfortunately

francene: 18:52

this is my one.

liana: 18:53

Yeah. Yeah. But like, I feel bad. Like I do wanna have like a little formulating session with my friends at one point. So they all can like try something out and bring something home, you know?

francene: 19:02

Yeah. That's amazing. And even just to get, um, like feedback, like direct feedback from like people, you know what I mean? You trust like your friends will always like tell the truth. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. No, that's amazing. Um, well, one of the questions I ask every single person, um, I interview is what does BT mean to you? Wow. That's

liana: 19:27

a deep one, actually. I've never really even thought about that recently.

francene: 19:31

I'll that the big one for the end? I'm like ever

liana: 19:36

um, I don't know, beauty for me is just feeling completely happy in one's skin. Um, and feeling like your best version of yourself. So from the inside out, so being happy with how you're feeling and being from. Internally physically, emotionally, psychologically, but also, you know, in hoping that, you know, the internal side is also showing on the outside, you know, it's like this holistic approach to how you're looking and how you're feeling, I think, um, because that's then gonna dictate how you're then gonna kinda show yourself out to the outside world. If you. Feeling great inside and you're not eating well, you're not drinking lots of water. Like, you know, you're mentally struggling or whatever, stress, psychological issues, anxiety, depression, it's gonna affect the way that you're looking outside because it's, you, it's gonna show the stress and strain. So I feel like it's, it has, for me, it's a whole holistic approach. Um, you know, and, and just making sure that you're taking care of yourself from the inside out to look and feel your. I love that.

francene: 20:41

That is great. Yeah, no, I, I love that. Um, I think, um, I mean, I know if I'm not feeling my best and whether it's, you know, time of mom blowing, I've not been eating well, it's crazy how much that affects. Everything around me. Like even what I wear, how I think I look like the way I hold myself, I'm more reserved. It, it is so crazy how all of it, you know, ties together. And it's not just like anyone can put on makeup and, you know, wear a fabulous dress to try and hide. But really, I, I feel like, um, You can always tell, you can always tell if they're radiating

liana: 21:25

or not. Yeah.

francene: 21:27

yeah. Or not feeling the best. It's always, when I start holding my stomach, like my hands or, you know, cross that I can always that's when I'm like, okay, I'm not feeling, I, I don't wanna be center of attention today. yeah, no, totally get you. Well, I usually do a quick fire round. Um, so if you're open to this, um, just say the first thing that pops into your head.

liana: 21:51

Okay. Okay. So I gonna favorite I, somebody else that is to me recently. And I was like, ah,

francene: 22:00

always, when you forget, like, you know, you get off the phone afterwards, you're like, oh my God, how did I not know? Like X I say this all the time. Um, it's hard when you're put in the spot. Um, so favorite cocktail. Um,

liana: 22:14

uh, what's um, of course I know this one, uh, Singapore sling. That is

francene: 22:21

a great one. God, I've not thought of that in ages. It's

liana: 22:24

a really good drink.

francene: 22:25

yeah, it's a great drink. Um, okay. I need to have that the next time I go out, um, cinema or home movie,

liana: 22:34

home movie, home movie.

francene: 22:36

Love that. Um, most used

liana: 22:38

emoji. The laughing one gen, Z's gonna hate me for that. like the crying, laughing one. I'm like, oh God, I'm such a millennial.

francene: 22:51

oh my gosh. Well, I mean, back in the day when we didn't have emojis, it would've been long. And it took me forever to work out what that meant. I used to think he meant lots of love and someone told me it was laugh out loud. I was like, oh my God, this whole time, I was like, why'd you keep on saying lots of love to me.

liana: 23:08

Oh, my God. That's another, like, there's one where it's like, I, it, like, if, you know, you know, like I only, I, I only figured that out one way recently, I was like, what the hell is this? Iki or whatever else you're Googling. You're like,

francene: 23:25

oh, if know, you know, damn it, well now, you know, now

liana: 23:29

I know I'm like now, but I still see it. Like Y Y

francene: 23:36

that's what I'm gonna think of now, when I see it um, if you were a sex and state character, who

liana: 23:41

would you be? Oh, I've changed over time. I used to be Rachel, um, Sorry, Rachel Charlotte. I just, if you wanna talk about friends, like, I literally, you not Monica wrong, wrong show. Um, no, I used to be a Charlotte. I think I'm more of a Miranda now. Oh yeah. Mm-hmm

francene: 24:06

I feel like I'm definitely the Charlotte route, but I can imagine theand from like the organization prioritizing. Yeah. Being professional

liana: 24:16

yeah. So it's like organizing life and like being the girl boss, you know? Um, yeah. Hell yeah. Like I was Charlotte, like back in the day, just cause I was such a goodie two shoes, but like I've kind of that's the,

francene: 24:32

you only pick two skincare products, what would

liana: 24:36

they be? To what to use in like for my entire life or yes. Yes. If you could only grab two. Well, I would say my gel moisturizer, um, course, and then my, my, my cleanser, which will be coming out soon. S cleans

francene: 24:58

love it. Do you have like a launch night?

liana: 25:01

Um, we're still trying to figure it out right now. I'm still kind of. Battling out with some ingredient suppliers trying to get some information from them to make sure that I'm like a hundred percent happy with them. yeah. So like I said earlier, it's kind of difficult when your ingredient suppliers are like, not clear on what's going on. Um, okay. Yeah. So I'm just trying to like, make sure, like, I'm happy with whatever they're providing with me, but there's lots out there so I can still find some more things. Um, But, yeah, I'm hoping like by, by July, um, oh my gosh, you cannot wait. The extracts themselves are already in testing. Um, they go through like a whole battery of testing. Um, and the longest one is just like a, a, an, a microbial. Prevention test. And that takes like eight weeks. So it, it should be done within the next like four or five weeks. Um,

francene: 25:54

yeah. Oh my gosh. I will be all over that. And I'm just about to run out my cleanser, so great. like, yes. Um, okay. If you could anyone for, for one day,

liana: 26:07

who would you be? Oh, man, this is a question like I've always ha yeah. This was one. I never could answer because like, I could never wanna be anybody else literally, like, I don't envy other people I like love my little life. Um, that's

francene: 26:26

that's a great way to be let's that's what you wanna for,

liana: 26:31

right? Exactly. Exactly. No, I like, I couldn't be a celebrity. I couldn't be another person. I couldn't be like another friend or anything. I'd have to just be me. Like, I couldn't be anybody else.

francene: 26:43

That's amazing. I feel like my response wouldn't necessarily. Someone in particular, but I would just wanna have so much money to just go on like a crazy like shopping screen, but I'd wanna be able to keep it after that day. I'd be like, OK. 20 hours. Let's go. Um, you can tell, I don't see a love shopping.

liana: 27:06

Um,

francene: 27:06

okay. And last, um, last question. What is your life motto or phrase that always kind of keeps you going.

liana: 27:18

Um, I think there was something that I said in Forbes that keeps, keeps coming up for me. Um, it's you can't really change the past. You can't go back and change like what you were and what you were doing. Um, so start, stop thinking like the, what ifs you can only start. You can only start really from where you are now. So even if. 20 minutes ago yesterday, or whatever you like hated what you did. You burnt production, you don't, uh, productive. You weren't liking who you were or whatever, or you didn't like, you know, a certain interaction you had, you can always start from now and change that. Um, and keep going. So that's great. It's always that always starting from zero basically. no,

francene: 28:01

that that's great. I feel like, um, more of us need to do that. If we have a bad day, something happens. It's like there's all this tomorrow,

liana: 28:09

right?

francene: 28:09

Yeah, exactly. Um, well, Hey, thank you so much for taking the time and answering what I feel like was a lot of questions. So you can tell I'm interested in this brand um, but I really. Really appreciate it. And I cannot wait to see kind of what the future holds, but I will be all over that cleanser bar bar. For sure.

liana: 28:30

Amazing. Yes. No, thank you so, so much for having me love chatting with you. Super fun. good. Um, yes, I will definitely let you know when the cleanser bar is and everything else launches. Um, so you can just, oh my gosh.

francene: 28:45

Oh, please. I will be all over this. Um, so thank you so much again, and for everyone listening, um, please go check out Brooklyn rooftop, mechanicals on Instagram, on the website. Um, and I know you have a couple of like great articles with Forbes in New York posts. So please go check out them to get more information, but thank you so much again, and we will hear from

liana: 29:07

you soon. Yes. Thank you so much, Fran. Thank you. Have a nice evening.