Interview with Antonia Knox, Head of Brand and Spokesperson for Aurelia London

Hello Antonia, first of all, thank you for giving us some of your time. Could you introduce yourself to Standards Magazine readers?

You’re very welcome! It’s a pleasure to speak with you and thank you for having me. I’m Antonia Knox, Head of Brand for Aurelia London. I started working with Aurelia in 2013 when the brand Founder Claire Vero had just started the company to assist with marketing, PR and customer services and my role quickly evolved to leading training for retail staff as well as managing the brand tone of voice. Joining Aurelia in its start-up phase meant that I have gained invaluable knowledge and experience of the brand and products from ideation stage all the way through to launch, with so many other elements in between.

What beauty secrets have you been given?

I was inspired by beauty from a very young age, when I would sit mesmerised watching my mother getting ready for a party or event. She had a less is more approach, enhancing her naturally beautiful features with subtle accents and delicate colours, and always finishing every look off with a touch of Chanel No.5 scent. She taught me to embrace my natural features, without overloading on heavy makeup (we won’t talk about my teenage years when I definitely experimented with far more makeup than I needed!). She also taught me about the importance of sunscreen, and her lovely skin speaks for itself so I’m religious in applying factor 50 to my face and neck. Through my experience working with Aurelia and the knowledge I gained from Claire, I always avoid using foaming sulphates on my face as they can be drying and stripping, and cause an imbalance of natural oils. I prefer to use the creamy Miracle Cleanser which leaves my skin feeling clean but balanced.

If you were to introduce Aurelia London to someone who is not at all into the beauty world, how would you describe the brand?

Aurelia London is a natural yet highly scientific skincare brand that cares for your skin from the inside out, with a unique range of both skincare and supplements that are suitable (and effective) for a whole range of skin types and concerns – from sensitivity, ageing or dryness to rosacea, acne or pigmentation.

Aurelia London’s PROTIDA™ probiotic technology makes the brand truly unique – it works by calming the natural inflammatory response which can be overstimulated by factors such as pollution, sunlight and stress. PROTIDA™ in turn reduces the damage that inflammation can cause to collagen, elastin and healthy cells, which causes the skin concerns just mentioned, and helps to maintain the skin’s natural equilibrium. Not only this, but we have a strict sustainability promise from our formulas to our packaging, adding another important value to the brand.

Tell us about your favourite products.

I adore the Cell Revitalise Day Moisturiser and always have! I’ve used it every day since I joined Aurelia, it’s just gorgeous; so hydrating without being heavy, smells divine and it’s the perfect base for makeup. I also can’t live without the Miracle Cleanser which leaves my skin feeling balanced, clean and smooth. I’ve got really into our Beauty & Immunity Support Supplements too, and take them religiously every day. I’ve noticed my skin is more hydrated and glowy which I love. When it comes to body care, I can’t get enough of the Firm & Revitalise Dry Body Oil. Firstly, the blend of oils we’ve used to fragrance this dry oil is incredible, with notes of neroli, lavender, rose and mandarin it smells like the perfect, natural perfume and leaves my skin nourished and supple. It’s multi-use too so I use a little in the ends of my hair or on damp skin post-bath or shower to really lock in moisture.

What are some of the things you’ve learned as the new director and spokesperson?

For me it’s about dispelling the myths that you’re often told when entering the professional world. The first being ‘the more senior you become the less work you do’ – which is a total myth! Honestly, the hard work never stops. Just because you are more senior it does not mean that you don’t still have to work hard and remain hands on. This may come from my startup mentality, but it’s a clear theme across the business. All senior leaders are so passionate that they want to ensure they’re involved to make every project a success. The second would be that the ‘senior team thinks they are more important than everyone else’ – again, absolutely not true! A good leader appreciates the work of their team each and every day and we are very keen to ensure we are not being hierarchical in our team. Everyone is part of the process – everyone is as important as each other. Having a good relationship with my team is so high on my priority list and I think it’s important to be open and embrace these relationships, instead of avoiding them. In my opinion, this just makes the team stronger and more motivated. The last myth would be that some people are just lucky’. I’ve heard people say this so many times and it’s just not true – you make your own luck and it’s important to be passionate about what you do and work hard. 

What advice would you give to women to help them thrive in the professional world?

I think first and foremost is passion – you really need to be invested in the success of the business you’re in to make success happen. Knowledge is also so important – taking the time to understand the brand or business and why you should be passionate about it. I’m lucky to know the Aurelia brand inside out, but the most amazing colleagues I’ve had are those who take the time to learn and understand the products and the science. And that’s another fundamental – eagerness to learn! It would be easy to think once you reach a certain point you ‘know it all’ but honestly, that is just not the case. I learn all sorts from my entire team every single day – one day our NPD team is teaching us about an amazing new ingredient and the next our interns are educating us on a new TikTok trend. Everybody’s knowledge is so valuable and you have to be so open to ensure you’re still taking everything in and learning. Finally I would say that confidence is absolutely key. Confidence in yourself, your team and your decisions is a real key to success.

And finally, do you have any exciting upcoming projects?

We’ve got some beautiful new products in the pipeline that we can’t wait to share with you! They are sadly under embargo for the time being but I can say that they are highly requested and will be beautiful additions to our probiotic skincare range. We’ve also just had an incredible press launch in New York for our latest product, the Conditioning Eye & Lash Cleanser, where journalists were treated to a brow shaping treatment after having a gentle yet conditioning eye cleanse. The multi-use makeup remover is amazing because it helps to enhance brow and lash growth with a natural ingredient called maca while removing all eye and brown makeup. It’s genius!

www.aurelialondon.com
@aurelialondon