Today on AOBF, we introduce you to Sasha Plavsic, founder of ILIA Beauty. I met Sasha through a mutual friend and instantly, I liked her. Not only do I respect that she is married (to a multiple gold medal winning Olympian) and a mother to two girls, but she is also the powerhouse, business minded, beauty and brains behind ILIA Beauty, a leading cosmetic brand in the clean beauty space. I love her approach to clean and holistic living which parallel into many areas where she and I see eye to eye. It has been exciting to watch ILIA’s business grow tremendously just in the time that I’ve known Sasha. I love cheering alongside her path to continued success. Her mission is meaningful. She was one of the very first to rethink beauty, to take a stand and make a mark in the cosmetics industry disrupting the status quo of unhealthy and toxic ingredients, demanding a better way with transparency with ingredients that are not only safe, natural and organic but also ensuring the product actually works. I’ve been on many editorial shoots in the last few years only to hear the models and makeup artists bring up ILIA with love and admiration and I was able to proudly tout that my friend is the creator. To create a beauty line with integrity at a time when no one else was, that makes women feel and look good, is a huge success and definitely requires characteristics that make up what it means to embody the art of being female; bravery, determination, intelligence, integrity, drive, hard work, creativity, ingenuity, perseverance, goodness, love, patience… Get to know Sasha and ILIA below and fall in love with both.
-xx, Alatheia
Born in Vancouver and raised in a rural, ocean-side setting just outside the city, Sasha has always been close to nature. Her younger brother and now business partner, Zac, suffered from acute asthma and allergies as a young child. Her mother, a true pioneer in health and wellness at that time, sought out homeopathic remedies to help heal her son. This included co-founding an organic food co-op with several families in the area, as organic food did not yet exist in the grocery stores. Through trial and error, Zac was healed primarily through diet, and went on to compete in sailing in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. This was an amazing accomplishment, especially after the doctors had predicted he would never be able to play sports.
Sasha’s interests fell into design, studying Typography in London and New York. She found herself in Los Angeles in 2006 and spent several years working as a branding executive within the fashion and beauty industries. After moving home to Vancouver for a brief sabbatical, her mother encouraged her to read the ingredient list on her favorite lip balm. Sasha was shocked to discover many of the ingredients were not safe, and it’s something she used daily. The challenge was set – recreate her favorite lip balm so that it would be safe, effective and natural. And so the story of ILIA begins.
What does The Art of Being Female mean to you?
The Art of Being Female is what it says – it’s an art, one of multi-tasking, balancing and being a woman in today’s world. It is something that carries clout and is for the most part respected.
Clean beauty. How has it felt to be a forerunner in this space?
It’s a great feeling to be part of a growing category. Ten years ago, clean beauty didn’t exist and to be part of that beginning is very special. It used to be only ILIA and a couple other makeup brands. Now there are so many more and I am reminded that without these brands we wouldn’t have a category.
How do you define “clean beauty”?
Clean beauty is where natural and conventional collide. They are a hybrid of one another, where conscious choices are made to select safe, effective ingredients that truly work and deliver a product that performs.
What are other clean beauty brands you like to pair with ILIA?
For skincare I love Youth To The People, for haircare – Briogeo. There are so many to choose from today, it’s a great time for the clean category.
Are you holistic and natural with your approach to all aspects of your life? How important is it that we consult with nature first:)?
I do take a more holistic approach to life, and those were areas I explored prior to my concerns around beauty products. It’s important to have balance though and do live by the 80/20 rule. Meaning that if you choose to give clean beauty a go, take it in stages, as trying to be perfect and over analyzing every detail can lead to disappointment.
| What does the name ILIA mean? ILIA is a family name and belonged to my great grandfather. He was a shoe designer in Belgrade a long time ago. He took great care into ensuring he made quality products. It is also my brother’s middle name. Where can we purchase ILIA? Sephora, Credo Beauty, select speciality retailers and iliabeauty.com What are your favorite products? My all time favorite product is our Limitless Lash Mascara. We won Allure’s best of beauty as well as Glamour in 2019 for best natural mascara. It has a cult following and am blown away at how much of the exposure came from word of mouth. |
| You have a new baby and another little girl. What is your 5 min makeup routine? It’s quick. Our True Skin Radiant Priming Serum as a base. Followed by True Skin Serum Concealer to even and smooth. Color Haze Multi-Use Pigment cheek and lip. A quick coat of mascara to finish the look. If I am lucky I can do this routine in 3 mins! What’s a great piece of advice for someone running their own business and having a very active and demanding season of family life? (New babies, young children, hectic travel) My best advice to busy working moms is to learn to let some things go and not sweat the small stuff. Also to have a clear line between time at work and time with your kids. When the two worlds collide it can be especially challenging. It’s something I prefer to keep separate so each can be given full attention at different times. What’s the best part about business and the most challenging? The best part about a business is the constant learning that comes with it. The most challenging usually involves time, and learning how to manage that with your team, family and loved ones. Time is the one thing we never get back. |
How do you stay present when you’re home and with the kids? I find it hard sometimes also being a working mom not to be distracted on my phone answering emails and texts… do you have any good tips on how to stay mindful and present but also GSD?
In order to stay present at home when I am with my kids, I don’t work from home. There is the odd time this has to happen, but usually I do my best to wait until after they are in bed.
You have chosen a husband who, like you, also has big dreams and aspirations and is super talented…(gold medal Olympian), tell us how important it is to find a partner who supports your goals and dreams and the other way around.
It’s really important to find a supportive partner. Having my husband believe in me and vice versa makes all of this worth it.
What is one thing you know for sure?
Life is very short, and we never know when our time is up, so let’s make it a good time as much as we can!
Tell us what’s next for ILIA. What can we expect in 2020?
2020 marks the ten year anniversary since I designed the brand. In honor of that we have rebranded with a whole new look. Also next month we will be launching an innovative complexion product that will protect and heal your skin over time. In 3 words: skincare-powered makeup.