Okoko Cosmetiques Skin Brightening L'ÉLIXIR DE CLARTÉ Review, Interview With The Founder Oyeta Kokoroko and A GIVEAWAY!

Hey Everyone!

If you have been following me on Instagram you already know how much I love this serum! I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to try this serum and today after using it for almost two months I am ready to review it for you guys! Please visit my YouTube channel to see the review of Okoko Cosmetiques Skin Brightening L'ÉLIXIR DE CLARTÉ Serum!

Oyeta the owner and founder of Okoko Cosmetiques was kind enough to do a special interview for readers of my blog! Thank you so much Oyeta for your kindness! Also stay tuned for an amazing giveaway coming very soon on my Instagram! So if you have not been following me there, I'd suggest you do it right away as trust me you DONOT want to miss this giveaway!

Enough of my blabbering, lets get started with the interview!

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1) Tell us the story behind Okoko Cosmétiques and what inspired you to start your own skincare brand?

My journey began while seeking a natural solution to my skin problems. My skin type is oily and acne prone and I got tired of not seeing the results that I wanted with my everyday generic skincare… So, I started reading food labels, skincare labels and researching ingredients. This led me to become more serious about the quality of products I put into my body and on my skin.

Since then, I have continued learning about natural skincare, ultimately taking advanced professional cosmetic formulation classes with one goal in mind: fresh, high-performance skincare using premium, natural and whenever possible, organic ingredients that work! My first mission was to help savvy, eco-conscious women who want to make smarter decisions about what they put on their face by using simple but luxurious, healthy skincare products that are effective. Mission accomplished. Okoko products were born out of a desire to help you exude radiance, look and feel sublime.

Also, I’ve always been a strong believer in “slow” beauty and beauty with a “conscience”, meaning, preferring a minimalistic, results-oriented beauty routine and doing good by supporting small businesses such as eco-entrepreneurs in emerging countries, women-lead initiatives and green and sustainable-oriented companies. I’m proud to say that we’re doing exactly that and we hope to be able to do even more as our company grows.

2) What sets Okoko Cosmétiques apart from other natural organic skincare brands in the industry?

First off, we are a small indie beauty brand comprised of a small team including my beloved partner. We work hard to create exquisite, effective radiance-enhancing skincare products to help you solve beauty issues, and look and feel sublime naturally. We use exotic, high-quality ingredients sourced from around the globe and they truly deliver. We do not outsource the making of our products; all of our ingredients are mixed by us in small batches to maximize the freshness and activity of our masks and serums…this keeps us quite busy!

What sets us apart is three things:

1- A MINIMAL SKINCARE ROUTINE: We offer a simple but powerful skincare line, using intelligent formulation, that addresses specific concerns such as skin clarity, fine lines, complexion and brightness. We believe in using only a few, intelligently crafted products to achieve your goals; thus we keep the number of products per collection minimal. What you get are wonderfully effective products that also promote sensual enjoyment, physical radiance and overall vitality.

2- OUR FORMULATIONS: We take the best of botanical skincare – combined with the best parts of scientific skincare – the scientifically proven active ingredients, to create our line of high-performance, high-end skincare that YOU and your skin will love. As I often say: we use only the finest ingredients for your precious skin. Plus, all our products are entirely vegan, raw and cruelty-free!

3- WE EMPOWER WOMEN: Finally, we are committed to helping and empowering women through our brand in many ways such as:

•            sharing this message, (which is also my motto): Exude radiance. Love your skin, celebrate your beauty. We want to promote the diversity of true beauty/inner beauty across cultures and society. All women, all people are beautiful…

•            through the transfer of knowledge and education on simple, effective and healthy beauty. As a cosmetics formulator, I love educating and sharing my knowledge to help others through skincare tips, tutorials and workshops. 

•            by offering economic opportunities to women-lead businesses and initiatives. A lot of our ingredients such as argan oil, baobab oil and marula oil are sourced from small community initiatives in emerging countries, we support them by engaging in a fair trade commerce. Other ingredients are sourced from a local “farm-to-skin” business here in Vancouver, Canada.

3) What is your take on the whole green beauty revolution we are seeing in the beauty and skincare industry?

I’m happy to see so many people becoming more conscious about what they put on their skin and in the quality of the food they eat.  People are making smart, informed decisions and embracing a healthier lifestyle in general. Even a small change in routine can one to see improvements and this develops a positive feedback loop that helps to continually evaluate and improve habits.

When we founded Okoko Cosmétiques, my partner and I wanted to help solve beauty issues while supporting slow "beauty" and beauty with a “conscience". Following “slow” beauty is about making conscious choice about your skincare such as preferring a minimalistic but effective beauty routine. We believe in using a few simple but powerful, all-natural skincare products in our daily routine. We are proud to be among a new generation of green indie beauty brands that allow you to rely on pure, natural, effective alternatives that produce results and rival conventional products on the market.

So this is an exciting time for us! And we are here to support our beautiful eco-conscious community make better, smarter choices and create the best products that we can, for you.

4) If there is one product which you could recommend to everyone from your line which would it be and why?

All our products are receiving a lot of praise! (a big thank you to everyone that has supplied feedback!) But right now with the heat of summer, everybody needs to grab our purifying face mask LA D'TOX NOIRE(the black detox cleanser). LA D’TOX NOIRE is a clay-based powder purifying facial mask made with rhassoul, bentonite and Canadian glacial marine clays, vitamin C, and the superfoods spirulina, chlorella and raw cacao. The clays and activated charcoal help to clean acne-prone skin, remove oil and deep cleanse pores. Cinnamon, ginger and cayenne act to warm and energize the skin. It does such an amazing job at purifying, fighting acne, and energizing dull and tired skin, ultimately revealing a more radiant complexion. If I can sum it up, you’re getting the benefits of a luxurious spa treatment, with professional results in the comfort of your own home. If you desire “The Divine Complexion”. I also highly suggest our brightening serum L’ÉLIXIR DE CLARTÉ (the clarifying elixir) which is amazing for exfoliating, hydrating and providing glow to let your skin’s natural radiance come out. Be prepared to: Exude radiance!

5) You have gorgeous flawless skin! Can you please share your skincare and diet routine with our readers?

First off, the secret to my skin has been using my Okoko Cosmétiques skincare line consistently everyday and living a healthy lifestyle. Taking care of yourself from the inside out resonates with me – it always has. I really like the holistic approach, along with the idea of plant-based skin care. I have always been a believer that beauty starts within; before creating Okoko Cosmétiques I studied holistic nutrition, botanical medicine and naturopathic medicine, which gave me the knowledge to make smarter choices and live a cleaner life. Here’s my few simple steps to beautiful bright skin:

1- Drink water, and more water, lots of it! Your skin will look plumper and more radiant and it will help your body to flush toxins

2- Add loads of COLOURS to your salad: Start with a green background (spinach + kale), then slice some carrots, add a couple red chunks, make it yummy with avocado and don’t forget to top it with antioxidant rich lemon juice! (See my detailed recipe below).

3- Replace unhealthy snacks with small fruits and blueberries. Add them to your salad, dessert or smoothie and give your skin an extra collagen boost! You can never have too much of these vitamin C rich goodies.

4- Nettle tea is something you need to adopt if you desire gorgeous skin. I drink a mix of nettle, turmeric and dandelion tea regularly to flush toxins out and help my skin shine. I’ve been doing this for years and I can say with the utmost confidence that it really works!

5- Lavender, geranium, carrot and lemon are some of my favorite essential oils for beauty.

Lavender is great for calming and healing inflamed skin, acne and scars (some people are sensitive to this so try it in a small area first). Geranium has astringent properties and helps tighten pores. I love adding a drop of lemon essential oil and carrot oil to promote a glowing, unified and brighter complexion. Plus, they help to keep fine lines at bay (They really work!).

If you desire more tips like this, make sure to sign up for our mailing list at www.okokocosmetiques.com to receive a free guide revealing 5 more important ingredients for glowing skin. Plus, you will also receive my exclusive expert’s tips to help you achieve your goals.

6) So what's next for Okoko Cosmétiques? Will you be coming out with new products? Can you please share few details with our readers?

There so much going on, where to start? First off, we’ve started developing an ebook called "the Radiant Skin Formula" with skincare tips for glowing skin + our first gift boxes. I can’t wait to release them and bring your unboxing experience to the next level! Also, we are launching a sublime, limited edition red melting balm soon. It’s a brilliant multi-purpose balm you can use to moisturize skin, enhance radiance and cleanse the skin. Then, in a couple months, we’ll be launching something new and beautiful to change the way you feel about blemishes, damaged skin, scars and hyperpigmentation. This new product has an unusual ingredient that I’ve been loving very much! Next step is to work on a purifying collection designed specifically for combination, oily and acne-prone skin types. I am over the moon talking about this. I would love to surprise you along the way, so make sure to follow @okokocosmetiques so you do not miss all our wonderful surprises.

7) It’s always fun to know - apart from your own brand do you use products from other brands when it comes to skincare, makeup and haircare? Can you please share few of your favorites?

My oily and acne prone skin is loving the Rare Indigo balm from Mahalo! I also enjoy using Yuli Cell Perfecto serum. It’s incredible! And my most recent obsession is the current Sappho Cosmetics line. I discovered the products during a beauty workshop by Jacqueline from Beauty Reawakened and seriously, I have to give it a huge 2 thumbs up!! I love how gorgeous this pure, natural, effective makeup line makes my skin look. I’m really happy to have found (Sappho’s) effective, high-quality makeup products that produce results and rival the conventional makeup I was using a couple years ago.

8) What are your favorite core ingredients which you like to use in your skincare and what are their benefits?

•            AHA (alpha-hydroxyl acid). These are natural citrus acids that exfoliate, brighten skin and unify skin tone

•            Vitamin C: I find it powerful for restoring glow and radiance and studies show it can help boost collagen and make you look younger

•            Rhassoul clay: A spa-quality mineral-rich clay that gently cleanses and improves the texture of the skin

•            Favorite oils: Prickly pear seed oil, seabuckthorn oil and argan oil. They are truly amazing for promoting healthy and radiant skin

9) What advice would you give to other young entrepreneurs who want to start their own brand?

1- Take the time to perfect your formulations, ideas, vision and brand before launching. You need to be knowledgeable about skin science, formulation, good manufacturing practice, preservation, laboratory equipment, legal requirements etc. If you’re unsure, take your time and get the right education to achieve your goals first.

2- Also, it’s important to have a vision and to make sure you know what’s important to you, what drives you, what you need to accomplish. And work on that until it resonates and that vision is solid in your mind because it will sustain you.

3- There will be challenges and hurdles; don’t give up and have fun with it: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”.

10) If there is one advice you could give to your younger self what it would be and why?

There’s surely more than one lol ;).

I would probably tell myself: Innovate. Persevere. Have a vision and believe in yourself. Always keep the fire inside you bright, strong and true. And ultimately, you will shine…

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Thank you so much Oyeta! You are so amazing! Lots of love and best wishes to you and of course Okoko Cosmetiques!

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this post, don't forget to check out Okoko Cosmetiques here, you'll receive 10% off on your first order! And follow me on instagram for an amazing giveaway coming up real soon!

Until next time, take care and stay beautiful!