Almara Beauty with Wendy Llorente feature #23 of Together Talks
- KLS
- May 9, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 14
"Together Talks" feature # 23: Almara Beauty presented by KLS, freight company
Some Background on Almara Beauty
Today's edition of "Together Talks" campaign, KLS was joined by Wendy Llorente, Co-Founder of Almara Beauty. Almara Beauty is small group of working moms that appreciate the true beauty of our skin and the importance of keeping it safe and well cared for. After thoroughly researching the products they were using daily, it was evident that many of them contain harmful ingredients that have long-term negative effects on our skin. They decided to take control. The objective is to create self-care essentials that not only are beneficial to your skin's health, but make you feel pampered and nurtured. This little hobby then became a dream which led to the birth of Almara. Almara is a family-owned skincare company based in sunny Florida. Their goal is one: to help you feel confident in your own skin.
Formation
The company was started by three women and is proudly family-owned. Wendy Llorent ; her mother, Rosemari Scorpo ; Jennifer Scorpo, her cousin "sister". 8 short months ago their dream became a reality. Wendy told us that for years they talked about the products they used and why there weren't better alternatives out there. Rosemari is Brazilin, Wendy and Jennifer were born in New Jersey but grew up in South America. Given their diverse upbringings and backgrounds they were aware of other products and ingredients not being used in cosmetics. Specifically, she had mentioned ingredients from Bolivia for starters. Wendy and co decided to take action.
The entire team began taking classes to learn about ingredients, processes, and manufacturing. She gathered as much info as she could initially. Then the team began creating formulas within her household. They immediately started trying their products on themselves and their families knowing they were safe due to the immense research they had done.
Wendy told us that to them they aren't just cosmetics, but they truly believe they are in the health and wellness industry, striving to create beauty for others.
Their Passion
Wendy said that when the trio decided to create this brand there were two main objectives.
All natural 100%
Affordable
Many companies say they are completely natural, but if you look at the ingredients that can be easily disputed according to Wendy. Once again they took the time to do the research and make sure their products included only healthy, all-natural ingredients.
The other critical component was pricing. "A lot of people don't understand you can have a good routine and it doesn't have to cost you hundreds of dollars. We knew we were making a healthy and safe product that would provide results. We also knew we wanted it to be accessible for everyone." Given how the company was created and how Wendy told us over and over about their mission to help people feel beautiful, it is easy to believe!
"We want every woman, wait no, every person (we don't exclude men, our products work on them as well!) to feel good at a price point that is sustainable." Wendy told us that they say most skin care routines require roughly six weeks to notice a difference, but it is suggested to go a full twelve weeks for the full results. By being an affordable product their consumers can continue coming back to restock after they see the results.
We asked Wendy to explain the differences she noticed once she started using their products, of which they currently have 9 total.
"I suffer from basically delicate skin, which is stress induced...but I've always had patches. Immediately I noticed they were clearing up from using our body butter. Face looks better, it feels better, I have less dark circles (we can attest it was a video interview!), wrinkles aren't as visible, I feel hydrated." Inquiring about their products if they are still being reworked, tinkered with, modified she told us the products are final and they are thrilled with them. They do offer some differentiating as they use essential oils instead of fragrances so each season they can change the scent to give it a fresh feel.
The company will be releasing NEW products to celebrate their 1st birthday, stay tuned!
Staying the Course
Wendy described the culture now and in the future of Almara as "Sharing our secret with the world". She told us they are fortunate to have experienced different places all around the world that helped them create the vision and ultimately Almara. Sharing their knowledge and products brings them so much joy. Like their motto says, "Embrace your own beauty!"
The company currently sells everything via e-commerce, but also attends local fairs and markets. As 2023 continues, they are looking to expand their presence and hopefully attend a trade show as well. Wendy told us how their company is different based on their approach and process. "We will be at a fair or trade show and someone will come up asking about a product and I can tell them every ingredient we use, why we use it, and what benefit it offers. We hand make every product, hand package, we use glass containers. Getting people to give us a chance is the toughest obstacle, but when it happens the feedback is unbelievable."
We could feel the passion come through the screen when we asked Wendy about the favorite part of the journey so far and she told us it is making products, watching the industry, and finding new avenues to grow the business. She also added that "I'm a huge believer in God and believe signals or signs are always sent. So anytime I am discouraged or there are hurdles or whatever negative thing is occupying my head, we get a random review or feedback. Or an out-of-state order and wonder how did they find us?!?! Or we will work a fair all day long and it is grueling, but having those interactions with potential customers lights a fire in my soul. It reminds me we are on the right path and realigns everything to focus my perspective once again."
We ended by asking Wendy, what are the goals for 2023 and beyond? She held back her enthusiasm, or tried to! But gave us their hopes:
2023: Get into more local and regional shops
3 years: Be in bigger markets and enter the retail side
5 years: Possibly owning brick and mortar
"We believe in our vision and brand so much, we are excited to see what it brings us. BUT we understand we have to walk before we can run."
In Closing
They were recently featured in an article on NBC News, highlighting "250+ women-owned brands to support." This is how we found them! :)
Use '"togethertalks" coupon for 15% off your first order from their website!!!! :)
A beautiful new company looking to help others feel good. Thank you Wendy and Almara Beauty for sharing with KLS for this week's "Together Talks" feature.
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