A New Canadian Beauty Accessory Brand To Swoon Over

Toronto’s Swoon Skin offers multitasking beauty tools and accessories designed to simplify and elevate a woman’s everyday routine. We chatted with founder Suzanne Rappaport about what makes her beauty baubles so swoon-worthy! —Noa Nichol

Hi Suzanne! Please tell us a bit about yourself/your background to start.

I am a mom of two boys, born and raised in Toronto. For the past 15-plus years I’ve worked in PR and communications, helping beauty and lifestyle brands tell their stories. After a surprise cancer diagnosis in 2019, I decided it was finally time to pursue my passion and turn a love for all things skin care and beauty into a business. Today, I am cancer-free, enjoying life with my husband and family, sharing my story, and excited by this new adventure.

When and why did you launch Swoon Skin? What niche were you aiming to fill?

I launched Swoon Skin in the summer of 2020 because I recognized that there were not enough beauty tools and accessories that not only worked well, but helped simplify, not complicate your routine. I have always loved beauty and skin care but, after having my kids, I had less time for self-care. I wanted products that felt luxurious, like a special treat to use, and looked beautiful, but that were affordable for every day and helped to streamline my routine without adding extra steps.I also wanted to create products that were unique! Gorgeous and giftable small multipurpose luxuries that you couldn’t easily find anywhere else. I try to add a creative spin and a personal touch to everything we do so both the products and the experience is special.

What products/services do you offer, and what makes those unique?

Swoon Skin is all about multitasking tools designed to simplify your everyday beauty routine. Every product we create is intended to be multi-purpose, from our best-selling Cleansing Kit that functions as your makeup remover, everyday cleanser and exfoliator, to our new Heavenly Hair Towels that work as a rapid dry hair turban, satin head wrap and shower cap in one, every Swoon product is made to slip seamlessly into your routine and elevate your self-care. Our products are suitable for all ages and skin types, which makes them great for any beauty lover.

When it comes to simplifying beauty, what are some of your top tips?

I think the key to simplifying beauty is to find products that do more with less. Look for multipurpose items that can pull double duty and save you time and money. I love a great multi-stick that can function as both a blush and lipstick, or a beauty oil that I can use on my skin, hair and nails. It’s really about power products that streamline your routine and that you love to use every day in multiple ways. Another great way to simplify your beauty is to regularly edit your makeup and skin care, ideally seasonally. Getting to a place where you only have products you enjoy and can see everything you own, much like your wardrobe, helps to keep things simple and makes the morning or evening routine less stressful.

How does sustainability play a part in your business?

I believe in simple swaps that can make a big difference. When I educated myself on single use makeup wipes and how they have quickly become one of the top three contributors to pollution on the planet, I knew it was a no-brainer to start there. We launched our Complete Cleansing Kit as a sustainable alternative to makeup wipes and a simple swap you can make in your everyday beauty routine that can have a massive impact. Just one of our reusable cleansing pads replaces thousands of wipes so it gives you all the convenience without the waste. They’re also non-toxic so in addition to being better for the environment, they’re better for your skin as well! We also ship all our products in a reusable laundry bag. It keeps your items looking their best for longer and helps to eliminate plastic waste at the same time.

How does Swoon support/give back to the community?

After the incredible care I received at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, I was compelled to include helping other women battling cancer as one of the core pillars of the business. Today, we donate a percentage of sales each year to The Princess Margaret Foundation, and I hope to be able to make a difference as we grow. Supporting other women entrepreneurs and sharing their knowledge and expertise with our community is also a key part of who we are. There is so much to learn from other female founders, and I wanted to create a platform to share that value and be able to inspire and educate others. Swoon Series is currently hosted on Instagram, but I hope to be able to grow and extend that part of the business as well to include a podcast, blog and more!

If you could only do one step daily in your skin-care routine, which step would you absolutely never skip?

A: I would never skip cleansing. In the mornings, I do a quick water refresh with our reusable cleansing hearts. Super simple. At night, I rely on our cleansing hearts to remove my makeup, sunscreen and all the impurities from the day. My other never skip step is sunscreen! I tend to burn easily and have a history of skin cancer in my family so I’m incredibly diligent about wearing SPF every day, even in the winter.

swoonskinshop.com

Win! A Swoon Skin Prize Pack!

Congrats Rebecca W. of Vancouver, B.C., who will receive a Swoon Skin prize pack, including a Complete Cleansing Kit and two-pack of the Heavenly Hair Towels! Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadaily.ca. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding.