India please share your daily wellness routine with us…

I’m really big on meditation. I always start my day by writing in my Mastermind journal and then reading the daily affirmations in “Science of Mind” and “The Daily Word”. Things are so hectic for me all of the time that I need to start my day in a focused and centred way. I can tell when I don’t. Things that I cannot control bother me in a more acute way when I’m not centred. I do make a concerted effort to walk as much as possible and juice regularly, too. I’m not uber healthy, but I do pay attention.

What are the 3 things in your life that you simply cannot live without?                                                                                                                                                                                          

The three things in my life that I cannot live without are my family, my phone and a great breakfast.

What is your favourite beauty/makeup product and why?                                                                                                                                                                                                               

I absolutely love Radical Skincare Age Defying Exfoliating Pads, they are amazing. I’m blessed to have good skin but these are great for daily cleansing without drying. I am in love with them.

Do you have a favourite fragrance?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

I have two. For special occasions I wear Clive Christian X. It is divine and lasts for hours. My daily go to is Passage D’Enfer by L’artisan Parfumeurs. I like heavy oud, wood and incense-like smells. This one is perfect

How do you manage stress/relax?

I like to sleep. Its a massive de-stressing activity for me. I’m known for my naps. I find that when I’m tired everything is magnified by 1000.

Having had a successful career in the financial sector, what made you take the leap into the beauty business?

In addition to the economics of beauty and how well it performs as a category, I started the brand because I really wanted to do something for myself. I feel like I was always trying to be in a club to which I would never really belong. Though I became very senior in the banking sector, I didn’t  feel like I could be authentically who I am. I wanted the flexibility to enjoy my life. Life is short, on average we only get 25000 hours… it’s not a dress rehearsal. I wanted to be my own boss and the real master of my destiny. In  essence, I wanted to do it on my own terms.

Your brand ‘Only Fingers and toes’ is known for supporting projects that enable women-: what is the difference that you want to see?

I support women’s projects because I am a woman, I am a mother, I am a sister and I am a daughter. The list goes on. The difference I want to see is about equity. For me my work around   women’s issues is not about blaming  men, its about uplifting women. We are the mothers of the leaders of the future, so shouldn’t we be celebrated for the complex, wonderful beings that we are?

What is the key message that you want to share with the world via your brand? If I put it succinctly it would be that you should be who you are and that you can be whoever you want to be. Colour gives us the opportunity to do that. Colour is confidence, it is mood.

What’s been your most audacious business move, which took you closer to your vision? 

My most audacious business move was starting this company whilst I was still a Managing Director at one of the world’s biggest banks. I left stability for the instability of entrepreneurial life and whilst its been scary, it is the best  move I ever made.

Who inspires you and why?

Though there are certainly people external to my family that I admire, I  have a formidable family who have achieved amazing things against all odds.

India you are the epitome of business success & proof that you can be multi skilled and successful, with that in mind if you were giving a commencement speech what would be your core message?

It sound like such a cliche’ but it would have to be that you should be authentic: when you aren’t it shows through. It’s hard to trust people who don’t ‘show’ themselves.  As I said before, this isn’t a dress rehearsal so don’t waste time trying to project or be someone you aren’t  because you will regret it.

At wow beauty we love the shared story: are there any beauty stories or tips that have been shared with you either by family members or friends?

My grandmother used to clean her face using vaseline (no water) and I do it a lot when my skin is dry. Her skin was almost wrinkle free, somehow it didn’t block her pores and she did it forever!

Thank you so much India.

Only Fingers and Toes are stocked at https://onlyfingersandtoes.com/

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this interview, please leave a comment or email any questions to hi@wowbeauty.co