MORE THAN SKIN DEEP.
The glow up is everything. Which, is something that Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Gores Ireland know a bit about.
As bloggers, the Summer Friday co-founders @laurengores + @marianna_hewitt have tried, tested, masked and mud bathed, just about every product on the market. And yet, even with all that beauty bag swag, bins and boxes full of every type of treatment, they were still in search of a skin care routine with good-for-you ingredients that gave their skin an immediate selfie-worthy glow. Like a Lumee in a bottle, baby.
As such, they've launched Summer Fridays believing that women deserve "it." They deserve to feel confident in clear, beautiful skin. Plus a little glow never hurt anyone.
Shine bright and learn more about the friends and co-founders below.
Names: Marianna Hewitt & Lauren Gores Ireland
Instagram Handles: @marianna_hewitt + @laurengores
Business Instagram Handle: @summerfridays
The launch of Summer Fridays is very exciting! How did to come to be? And tell us the goods! What's it all about?
Marianna: We have literally tried every product t there and had never found the perfect mask, so we decided to make one for ourselves. We're a line of luxe facial masks with good for you ingredients with super fast results, because who wants to wait 6 weeks to see if a product is working or not?
Lauren: We wanted to create something that could make you look and feel great- from home or a hotel room or even mid-flight. We are big believers in taking care of your skin first. We started with masks because we found they’re a super- fast game-changer for beautiful skin. And to be honest, there wasn’t anything out there that we truly loved.
Why was it time for each of you to launch your own line?
Marianna: My readers really come to me for advice on what to buy or use and skincare is the first step in your beauty routine so I knew I wanted to create a product that made women feel more confident so that they could go makeup free or so their makeup could look even better with great skin as a base.
Lauren: The remarkable part of social media is being able to connect directly with my followers. We wanted to support our amazing community and give them what they have been asking for: clean and effective skincare products that build confidence. We are doing this with our community as much as we are doing it for them.
How did you know the other was the right business partner?
Marianna: We mirrored each others lives --two Libras, from the Midwest, who went to school for Broadcast Journalism who grew up wanting to be Oprah. We started our blogs at the same time and through our years of friendship, we always related through our goals and aspirations. So we joined together after knowing each other for so long and it has been an amazing partnership.
Lauren: Marianna is not only impressively creative, but she is also strategic. She knows exactly how to create something that will resonate with her massive following. I wanted to work alongside her because she brings magic and meaning to everything she touches.
What's most exciting to each of you about the launch?
Marianna: I'm so used to doing things instantly posting content online so I'm really excited for my audience to see what we've been working on since 2016.
Lauren: We are so proud of this product and so passionate about this project. We are so excited to finally share it with the people who inspired us and who have gifted us with the incredible opportunity to do what we love.
Respectively, what does beauty mean to you?
Marianna: Feeling confident in your skin.
Lauren: To me, beauty is confidence. Confidence stems from so many elements of my life, but certainly feeling good in the skin I’m in is a huge part of it. We want our masks to make others feel confident in their own skin.
"Beauty means feeling confident in your skin."
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Again respectively, do you remember a moment when you first felt beautiful?
Marianna: When my skin looks good, I feel my best. I feel like I am glowing and confident and when I feel confident I can take on anything that comes my way.
Lauren: I’m really grateful that I have a mother who made me feel beautiful through instilling self- confidence. That’s really stayed with me as I’ve become a new mother myself. Even with no makeup and very little sleep, I’m reminded every day when I look at my son experiencing the world for the first time that happiness is what makes me most beautiful.
Even with no makeup and very little sleep, I’m reminded every day when I look at my son experiencing the world for the first time that happiness is what makes me most beautiful.
Marianna, you share so much with the world! What's something you'd like people to know about your career and day-to-day that they probably don’t?
It isn't as glamorous as it looks on Instagram.
Lauren, in your opinion, how can we stay original when we are so saturated by other people's work?
I think a lot of what is important to people now is to evolve and develop. My brand has changed as i have personally changed and I’ve found that my audience is responsive to that genuine growth.
What are your biggest fears about running a business?
Lauren: I think there is always some fear in taking risks and that’s a natural part of starting a new business. The biggest fear stems from not taking those risks and limiting ourselves because of that.
What about your individual careers make you feel the most complete?
Marianna: When I meet a reader or follower who has taken something I've shown or taught them to affect their lives in a positive way. That could be a product that makes them feel good, an outfit they got for a first date or life advice that made them take a risk that they were afraid to.
Lauren: What makes me the happiest in my career is when I know that what I’m creating is giving people a moment of joy in their own lives. Our world can often feel chaotic and I relish the moments that I can offer some solace even in the smallest way.
Our world can often feel chaotic and I relish the moments that I can offer some solace even in the smallest way.
What about doing this together adds to that feeling?
Marianna: We both have the same goals in mind for our company. We have Summer Fridays and our consumer at top of mind, so we work together really well to always stick to that goal. We know that our brand will build a community of women and give confidence through skincare.
Lauren: We really trust each other, and we are open to making changes. It’s really important to have a partner who is flexible. One of our top goals is to create an inclusive community around Summer Fridays that can grow and develop as we do.
If you had to trade jobs with anyone else in the world, who would it be and why?
Both: Oprah!
At what point in your careers did you find the confidence to really take charge and become the women you are today?
Lauren: I think that’s an ongoing process. It’s a journey and a challenge, and by finding things I am passionate about I aim to be continuously inspired to continue. There are days you feel completely con dent and days that you question everything, but the important part is to keep trying.
"The important part is to keep trying."
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Marianna: I think its something I have always known. Being from Ohio, I had big goals and aspirations that many people in my town did not. I think it was something I was born with and was going to work hard to achieve it.
What's the best advice you've ever been given? Or your favorite piece of #realtalk?
Marianna: Be nice. It sounds simple but often people really forget.
Lauren: My dad always told me, “Most of the time you regret the things you didn’t do, not the things you did. Keep on doing.”
When you hit a big bump in the road, how do you find a new road or a detour?
Marianna: Sometimes a detour is supposed to lead you in a better direction, so I am a roll with the punches kind of girl and just go with the ow instead of against it.
Lauren: When I feel frustrated that something is no longer working, I’ll take some time (whether it’s days, weeks, or months) to pause and process. I try to look at things from a new perspective and understand that things are constantly changing. Old habits that were once successful may not always work and I have to be open to change.
"Old habits that were once successful may not always work."
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What song do you each sing in the shower when you’ve had a bad day?
Marianna: Baby It's Cold Outside!
Lauren: Mariah Carey!