I sold at corporate events, business luncheons, speaking engagements and everywhere in between. Here are pics from some of those events. This is around 2011-2012:
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I sold at people's homes:
I even had a kiosk in the mall:
I've sold nearly everywhere, except consistently in stores. I got my first in-store start at Gables Beauty Supply in South Florida. While the feedback has always been great on our products, what's that old saying about life getting in the way? It did. Babies, work and life caused me to pull back on Play Pretty Beauty over the years. It literally sat on a shelf. Then came 2020. The pandemic and a family health battle really made me re-think my life and what I'm passionate about and to do that! I'm proud to say Play Pretty Beauty is now carried in all 20 Chamberlins Natural Foods, Akins and Earth Origins Markets in Florida, Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas! Here I am at our Grand Opening in Lake Mary, Florida a couple of months ago:
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Take a peek at our website to see if there's a location near you! I'd love to see you in store and of course online at playprettybeauty.com. As I look back over the years and these pictures (and the amazing family and friends who support me!) I realize it doesn't matter how long it takes you to get wherever 'there' is for you. What matters is that you get there, no matter how long it takes. There is no hard, fast rule for success or one 'right' way to achieve it. Just don't quit. Too often, people quit just before their breakthrough:
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I didn't want to be the person in this picture who gave up right before my breakthrough to success. What's your passion? What have you always wanted to do? Do you feel like it's not going to happen? That's usually when the breakthrough is about to happen! Don't give up! Keep going, trust yourself. All that hard work, the late nights, the early mornings, sacrifices, anxieties and discipline will pay off! Like the Drake song ' Started From The Bottom Now We're Here,'🎵 I can say I "Started From The Markets Now We're Here.' And there's so much further to go and I'm here for it. The road isn't easy, but it's so worth it!Â
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❤DanielleÂ
]]>But remember everybody's different. What works for you may not work for someone else. Overall though, jojoba oil has proven itself to be the real deal. You've gotta be if you've gone through what it did and still has something special to offer the world. And no matter how painful our own journeys are, we all have something to offer. You might not think your story matters but it does. There's somebody out there needing to hear it.  And somebody who will heal because of it. Amazing what an unassuming plant can do. Amazing how resilient we really are.
Photo: Thinkin' bout the changes to come... :)
Hi there,
Play Pretty is a passion project for me. I'm passionate about my family, television news (I'm a news anchor, too!), natural beauty, design and decor, let's see, what else...so much! So, I've decided to "marry" all those passions into a new an improved Play Pretty Beauty experience. We'll still have our core beauty products, of course, but adding some new, fresh offerings we know you'll love. Things like throw pillows, candles, design pieces and other "pretty" things that encompass the multi-faceted and dynamic halves that make us whole. So, as we say in the news business, "Stay Tuned!"
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Danielle
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]]>Save 30% off your entire Play Pretty Beauty order this Cyber Weekend only!
Just use code "thankful" at checkout and the discount will apply automatically.
That's it.
It's just our way of saying thank you for Playing Pretty!
Offer expires Dec, 1, 2014 at Midnight.
]]>Introducing my All Aglow Brightening Face Wash and All Aglow Brightening Face Toner! As some of you may know, I spent a couple of years developing my All Aglow Brightening Face Butter and All Aglow Brightening Face Serum. I’ll admit, like much of this line, I developed these products out of a personal need – I was getting discoloration and dark spots from (adult) acne and I was not having that! I wanted a natural solution, something that would CLEAR and BRIGHTEN my skin, NOT LIGHTEN it. The butter and serum work amazingly well in this respect. But I wanted to develop more of a cleansing and brightening “system,” a natural line people could use every day without having to mix and match brands. Voila! The face wash and toner were developed. The process wasn’t as long as it was with the butter and serum because I knew what I wanted. Something simple, effective and natural. Something that would complement the butter and serum perfectly.  I also knew I wanted a lovely, light natural fragrance, since these products are for the face. I didn’t want to overwhelm your senses with too much fragrance! The wash and toner work especially well for those with sensitive skin. And as far as the toner is concerned – sometimes, on my “no makeup days,” I’ll just swish on the toner (which is a gel, by the way, not a watery liquid) and go! I keep a bottle in my purse to use throughout the day after my workout, for example. It removes any excess dirt, oil and grime gently.
If it sounds like I put in a lot of research, time and effort into my products, I do! I believe in natural, effective skincare products that work. Oftentimes, a product will be natural, which is great, but it won’t work that great! Or the product will work well, but be full of chemicals. That’s not happening here. I source globally for the best, nature-inspired ingredients that truly WORK. Enjoy
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P.S, This is a pic of me working. Used to be I'd have to slather on the concealer and foundation to achieve this look. But this look is very minimal makeup - just a dab of foundation, no concealer, expect around the eyes. Because of my All Aglow system, I don't have to wear very much foundation on air at all. Saves tons of $$ on foundation, lol. In fact, I've been using the same bottle of foundation for nearly a year! I used to work overtime to cover the blemishes and dark spots, but now I don't have to! :)
]]>When I started my company, I began with body butters because of my son's eczema. But since I was dealing with my own skin drama, I started researching natural ingredients that would brighten and even my skin tone, NOT change it or lighten it. My reporter instincts kicked in as I dug deeper, exploring natural ingredients that could diminish discoloration, ease fine lines and bring back a healthy, beautiful glow.. What I found was that fruits like blueberries and cranberries are amazing for ridding skin of dark spots. That sugar cane derived  glycolic acid is an awesome exfoliator. That niacinimide,  a potent vitamin B3 helps younger skin with acne and aging skin with fine lines and moisture.  And that a funny little ingredient called  Indian Gooseberry (Amla) can help with premature aging and brighten dull, lifeless skin. Jackpot! The challenge was combining all of these ingredients, along with other natural wonders to make a face butter everyone would love.
It took about a year and a half of R & D, working with my manufacturer, testing, retesting and many focus groups before it was ready. Â And because I'm a small company without a big budget, I really had to make sure I didn't screw this one up!
All I can tell you is our Brightening Face Butter is the truth. We've had such great feedback on it that it's a bit overwhelming. What this tells me is that women want, need and crave top notch, natural products that really work. I've used natural products that, while they're natural, Â don't really DO anything for my skin. I don't see a change. I wanted to create a product that combined nature inspired ingredients with efficacy. So the next time you use our Brightening Face Butter, you'll know there is a real face behind it. A face that suffered from dark spots, discoloration, acne and uneven tone. But not anymore. I'm Playing Pretty, now. :)
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 Play Pretty Beauty Founder & CEO, Danielle Knox Ross
]]>The best advice?  Read ingredient labels and do your due diligence. What can you live with? What should you live without? Our body butter, for example, is what the industry considers 99.9% natural. We don’t put that on our packaging because there is no federal regulation on the word “natural” and it’s tossed around so freely with companies using it as a marketing ploy, that it loses its efficacy. Here's what we do say: We believe we use the best ingredients on the planet to make all our products. We source globally to bring you ingredients that are good for you, free of harmful chemicals, parabens, sulfates, phalates, petroleum and propylene glycol among other things. And of course no animal testing, ever. If that makes us natural, sign us up!
]]>I started this business because my son has eczema. So do I. So does my sister. And actually, it didn't start out as a business. It started out as my sister and me trying to come up with solution for skin and hair woes. Long story short this personal need grew into a business that I incorporated, but really didn't understand required much, much more than having a good product. So it sat on a shelf, as an occasional hobby. My sister, a wife, mother and someone with a full time job who needs to support her family, went back to her "life" and I went back to mine - until I was downsized (the day before I gave birth to my 3rd son, no less, but that's a whole 'nother blog)! Boy, that'll make you pull something off the shelf quick, won't it?
So I sold Play Pretty everywhere I could. At craft fairs, women's conferences, home parties... even out of the back of my car! You name it, I've pretty much done it. I humbled myself and told myself countless days to 'hang in there, you will break through.' What I began to realize is the product resonated with people. From the name, to what's inside the jar, to our attention to our customers - the feedback has been fantastic. It's what's kept me going. So kick your feet up and stay while. I'm glad you're here and hope you'll like what you see.
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