We are a
generous lot here at Team Fake Bake.
And whilst we are working away during this busy festive run-up, we have to say,
that when we spied our fabulous Victoria
Halliday on Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, we can’t say that we didn’t want to get on a plane and join her. But if you think she was there to shop, then you
don’t know our Victoria. As our Head of Business Development and Global
Celebrity & Influencer Outreach, she was there to represent the brand
and keep our global conversation going. During a packed schedule she managed to
fit in so much that we needed a sit down when we were loading up our Fake Bake Insta Stories.
So we caught
up with Victoria to ask her more about her Beverly
Hills adventure, networking, our latest photo shoot, working with the
fabulous Ladonna Sheridan and Fake Bake
USA, and a whole host of amazing brands, events and influencers.
We needed
coffee. And plenty of it……
Victoria, first of all, what was it
like being in Los Angeles again?
It was a
whirlwind but I loved it! I met up with our
Global Creative Consultant, James Harknett, for the first couple of days
there. Based at the W Hotel Los Angeles,
we met up with some up-and-coming names to get the Fake Bake name out there.
James and I also found time to fit in a tour of LA - you have to, don’t
you? I have to say, it was fabulous looking at the Regent Beverly Wilshire and all of the sights. But then - it was
back to work!
Ladonna Sheridan flew out to meet you
from the USA team - what’s all this about being Fake Bake Twins?
Ladonna travelled out with her family, and it
was so lovely to see a familiar face, as we worked together at the Stateside Beautycon earlier on in the
year. She’s an absolute joy to work with, and she raises my spirits and energy.
Plus, she is getting so good at the Scottish accent, that one of the drivers we
met gave us the Fake Bake twins tag!
As we are a
family brand by nature, it was lovely to meet Ladonna’s own family, and then it was straight on with the next
task, our exclusive photo shoot at the amazing Elyx House in the Hollywood Hills. It is absolutely breathtaking
and once we had got over the beauty of the view, it was all about the prep!
So much work
goes on BTS to get the models and
the location ready. I am noticing how much this is changing as time moves on -
gone are the days of using models who all fit the typical ‘model’ type. Now, we
use such a variety of talented people - and I love that Fake Bake as a brand continues to embrace diversity.
Absolut Elyx were so supportive of our work during
our time there, as were Spectrum
Collections. We teamed up with
Spectrum to launch our exclusive Christmas Gift Set and we are so impressed
with this youthful superbrand - the Spectrum
team made sure we were stocked up not just with their legendary brushes but also their super-popular cosmetics - Ladonna
and I both got to try them, too, and they really are gorgeous!
We can’t
wait to reveal the results of the shoot….
You also got to fit some exclusive
events in - please tell us more…
As a brand, Fake Bake always likes getting out
there and mixing it up. It’s the best way to find out what’s going on in the
world and genuinely touching base with other creatives. Social media is
brilliant, but face-to-face events still really matter to us. We were a sponsor
of the American Influencer Awards this
year and so we decided to throw a
pre-party, again at the Elyx House, to really connect with established
friends of the brand - and a few new ones, too!
Elyx House has a really opulent feel, and the Awards
were going to be about full-on glamour, so again, we made sure everything was
picture perfect for our guests. Ladonna
and I are lucky in that we had a supportive team to help us out. It was
such a great success and I am so proud of how well the brand is being received.
The American Influencer Awards - KKW
and Tyra Banks all in one evening? Not that we are jealous…
We really
understand the power of influencers, and here at Team Fake Bake we love supporting new names in the industry. But,
of course, we couldn’t wait to see Kim
and Tyra in real life. The Awards
took place in Hollywood’s infamous Dolby Theatre, which has a real sense of
tinseltown old-school movie glamour about it. As a result, the Awards show didn’t disappoint: Fake Bake were a main sponsor, too, so
it was really exciting to be a part of. Tyra
Banks, through her shows and her work, is all about encouraging new talent.
We all waited in anticipation for Kim,
though.
As the world’s original influencer she didn’t
disappoint, as she gave an award to her beloved
MUA, Mario, to recognise his contribution to the industry. His work is the
artistry that others in his field really follow and get inspired by.
Did you manage to fit in any down
time?
A trip to Disneyland - there is nothing more traditionally Hollywood, is there? It
was a real treat for me and as Ladonna
and her family accompanied me, it was a really fun occasion, as watching
young children as they see their favourite
Disney characters in action is just priceless. For Ladonna and I, it was a chance to make fresh memories. She does a
wonderful job with Fake Bake USA and
she’s such an industrious team member - I’d be lost without her when I go Stateside.
You’ve had quite a year - what’s
next?
It certainly
has been a busy time but that’s great news for me as it’s all about brand
building - which you can only do with the best products and the most brilliant
people. Fake Bake has got to
collaborate with some amazing brands, too. We do love developing a vibe with
like-minded people, and as a brand, we take our products seriously but we like
people who love Fake Bake to have a
good time.
As for 2020 let’s just say I’ll keep you
posted. There are lots of exciting plans ahead, and I can’t wait to be a part
of them.”
We are not
sure how our Victoria does it, but
she takes her positive attitude in life with her wherever she goes and, as a
team, she’s the person we all turn to when we need help and advice. We know
that she managed to grab a coffee on Rodeo
Drive before she flew home, and we hope she enjoyed her Julia Roberts moment in style. (No Richard Gere required in 2019, people!)
Every single
one of us has this on their festive list this year, and if our Victoria goes back to Beverly Hills next year, can the person
typing this be the one to help carry the bags, though?
Go on Victoria, because if you don’t, you
know what you’ll hear.
Big mistake. Big. Huge. I have to go
shopping now…..
A huge thank you to
Ladonna Sheridan and Fake Bake USA for their eternally warm welcome
You can follow Fake
Bake USA on Insta @fakebakeusa
You can follow Ladonna
on Insta @thefakebakeguru
Many thanks to everyone
at Absolut Elyx you can follow them on Insta @absolutelyx
We love working with
Spectrum Collections and want to say thank you for a fantastic year. Follow on
them on Insta @spectrumcollections
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