About Us - Puce Beauty

Kristen

Hi, I’m Kristen.

I started Puce Beauty with two goals in mind:

To share what I learned about skin care with as wide an audience as possible.

And to be part of the worldwide movement that recognizes the beauty in everyone.

If I can empower you to feel more comfortable in your own skin, I’ve done my job.

I was a pimpled kid from California that struggled with self-esteem. As I pursued my esthetician license, I witnessed a transformation.

My own.

Until then, I was at the mercy of others who dictated how I should manage my skin. But as I studied and practiced, I gained the knowledge and experience I needed to fix my own problems.

My acne disappeared, and so did my eczema. For the first time ever, I felt confident when I looked in the mirror.

Finally, I felt comfortable in my own skin.

I have my cosmetology degree and my license, but what matters most isn’t the paperwork. It’s the excitement I feel supporting others seeking their own personal transformation.

I want you to have all the knowledge you need to be your own beauty expert. The power is in your hands, and many solutions are only a click or two away.

I hope you visit often. I’m continually researching the newest beauty products on the market. Then, my team and I frequently post reviews to keep you up to date on skincare trends.

Feel free to leave us feedback, ask us questions, and share your experience with using the best skincare products. We’d love to know what’s working for you.

Sophia

It all started when my mom taught me how to braid hair. I was five years old.

Soon, I was charging my friends a quarter to do their hair before school.

By high school, there was no doubt that I would be a stylist. But I wasn’t satisfied when I finished cosmetology school.

I enjoyed cutting hair and writing part-time for a beauty magazine. I just couldn’t deal with feeling helpless. Many clients had problems with their hair and scalp, and I really wanted to make it better.

I had realized that treating hair loss was just as important as knowing the latest hairstyles. Then, my dad was having a midlife crisis about going bald. He couldn’t afford expensive hair transplants.

Those were the reasons why I left my home in Minnesota to attend school again. I got a certificate in trichology, and I helped my dad with all that I learned.

At the same time, I opened shop as a trichologist who specializes in hairstyles that minimize the appearance of hair loss. It’s been a lot of fun working with hair extensions and innovative hair growth treatments.

When I met up with Kristen one day for lunch, we reminisced about our cosmetology days together. She shared her dream of starting this site and invited me along.

Now, it’s exhilarating to reach so many people around the world.

My dream is to give everyone the tools they need to have gorgeous hair. New treatments for hair loss come out almost as often as new hairstyles. Check back soon as I’m always sharing what I’ve learned.

Mia

I’m Mia, I’m from Florida, and I love makeup, doing nails, and tanning. Oh, and I’m the site’s editor.

I hate introducing myself, but Kristen and Sophia insisted. They brought me on board as their resident beauty blogger. They said they needed someone who could help them express themselves in the written word.

I suspect it’s also because I love international beauty products. I’m kind of an expert on K-beauty and Japanese skincare. You can blame it on my family background.

Anyway, I’m supposed to tell you more about my qualifications. I don’t have a cosmetology degree like they do. But I am a licensed nail tech.

For 2 years, I worked at the Paintbucket in Brooklyn. It’s the coolest nail salon you’ll ever visit.

I would’ve stayed longer, but I had to leave New York to come home and help my family. Long story short, I got a job at a tanning salon.

Up till then, I’d always slathered sunscreen on my skin when I went outdoors. Tanning’s incompatible with the Asian ideal of beauty, you see.

But I found that I love tanning. My parents were horrified and insisted that I attend a local college. They thought that a degree in English with a minor in computer science would steer me in a new direction.

Little did they know that I’d soon be able to blend all my favorite things into one job.

Now, I get to write about tanning lotions, nail polish, and makeup from around the world.

Even better, I get to try out new skincare products and hair care trends, thanks to my brilliant coworkers.

I hope you enjoy the work we do here. I know I sure do!

Our approach

At Puce Beauty, we have a philosophy that everyone should have access to the information and tools they need to feel and be more beautiful.

We take a two-fold approach. Skin and hair problems deserve both immediate and long-term solutions.

Therefore, we want you to know about effective treatments as well as ways to hide the things that make you uncomfortable.

For example, we might share reviews of the best cushion foundation and concealer. At the same time, we’ll post about serums and moisturizers that clear up acne and fights signs of aging.

In that way, you can tackle both challenges at once. Over the long term, you can improve your complexion. Meanwhile, you can step out of the house confidently without waiting for the treatment to complete its magic.

How we choose products

Anyone who’s been to the mall or even a drugstore knows there is an immense number of beauty products out there. There’s no easy way to sort them because it’s impossible to rely on price or publicity as an indicator of quality.

That’s why we pick the best beauty products based on 2 essential criteria.

First, we go off personal experience with as many products as possible. Whenever possible, we test them ourselves. Sometimes we rely on the expertise of other trusted reviewers.

Second, we check for fake reviews to sort out the real gems from the duds. And we take special care in cross-referencing ingredients and brands against trusted databases and sources.

We want everything that we recommend to be a product you can rely on to perform as advertised.