What's better than a two-in-one beauty product? A seven-in-one beauty product! Less to carry around, easy application and more money saved, it's a win-win. New Zealand brand, OMni is channeling that philosophy, saving your hard earned cash with its range of multi-use products.
Made with botanical ingredients and essential oils that benefit the skin, these versatile little pots of joy are 100 per cent natural and perfect for use all year round.
BD spoke with OMni founder, Vanessa Morgan, all about the ways her products can be used, the ingredients behind the amazing formulations and what was important to her when dreaming up her own brand.
For those that aren't familiar with OMni, can you take us through the brand?
OMni is a brand that focuses on producing products that are 100 per cent natural, made from botanical ingredients and essential oils, all proudly made here in NZ.
It is a range of multi-purpose balms that are formulated to look and feel beautiful, smell delicious, and of course benefit your skin. They’re nourishing, hydrating, soothing, toning, balancing, and there’s even a gentle exfoliating option - plus there are colour choices to suit all skin tones.
As a brand OMni aligns itself with the slow beauty movement - a philosophy that includes the use of natural ingredients, a gentle attitude towards ageing, being mindful and eco-friendly, and above all, being yourself. In many ways the brand is infused with my philosophies, and how I try to live my life.
How did you come up with the concept?
I started with a vision of a full skin care range, however the more I researched, the more I realised that in order to produce a beautiful product that didn’t require preservatives and was stable, with a decent shelf life, meant I had to start with balms.
The reality of trying to distil what was in my head into what you see today, producing a quality product that I am really proud of, was an evolving journey involving hours of research, sleepless nights and many steps along the way.
In many ways the multi-purpose aspect was an accidental discovery. Customers who were using one of the original formulations were telling me how they were using them on their brows and cheeks. I realised even I was unconsciously using them to moisturise my cuticles, hands and elbows.
And then I thought, actually we all need a multi-purpose balm in our handbags and bathrooms, and we all want to be smart with our money and minimise our environmental footprint right? It’s a win-win.
What was important to you when launching a brand?
Integrity and honesty are key. Being able to say the balms are 100 per cent natural is so important to me. Then it’s knowing they are really beautiful products to wear, they feel and smell delicious and they actually benefit the skin.
And I of course wanted them to look fabulous and feel luxurious. I call them my little pots of joy.
We love a multi-use beauty product, what are the different ways you can use the OMni balms?
OMni balms can be used on your lips, cheeks, brows, hands, cuticles, elbows, décolletage - anywhere that needs a little OMni love.
The Nourish balm you can use absolutely anywhere and everywhere, even to slick down your eyebrows. Just last week a 69 year old customer let me know she was using it as “gentle night cream” around her eyes and loving how her skin looks and feels in the morning.
The Blush and Radiant Zinc balms have subtle hints of colour that you can layer up or down, and are perfect for lips and cheeks, as a highlighter, and on your décolletage for that sunkissed glow. I have found that the Radiant Zinc balms also calm redness in my own skin.
The Polish balm is a great little scrub. Gentle enough for delicate areas like your lips, backs of hands, cuticles and elbows. And it honestly tastes delicious - coconut sugar and sweet orange oil.
The brand is based around balm textures, what attracted you to that type of formulation and how does it work with the skin?
The smell, texture and taste were all equally important to me, to ensure the experience would be enjoyed by everyone who used them.
As with any cosmetic product each of the ingredients has a purpose. Whether to aide absorption, provide scent, or having active properties that repair or nourish your skin. So it was a case of carefully selecting natural ingredients to achieve this, and then finding the right balance to create the texture I wanted.
A lot of the feedback is focused on the texture. The balms have a subtle sheen, and are smooth and silky on your lips without that oily or tacky feeling. People really like it, and it lasts.
Can you take us through the botanical ingredients used?
OMni balms are made of a proprietary blend of essential oils and other botanical ingredients designed to nourish and restore your skin, and each has its own specific action too, whether it’s to repair and rehydrate, soothe, balance or gently exfoliate.
When I was developing the range, the nourishing and healing capabilities of the ingredients were critical to the performance of the balms. Some of them have anti-bacterial properties, or the ability to reduce inflammation, promote the production of collagen, or repair dry, cracked or chapped skin.
The essential oils I use all have restorative properties and are mood enhancers as well - they’re uplifting with delicate fragrances. And there are the other oils such as avocado and sweet almond, plus a little honey, which all help condition your skin. Zinc has a great range of skin benefits too.
You can read more about the key ingredients on the OMni website.
What's next for the brand?
I have received fabulous feedback about the new range and I have a vision of at least one OMni balm in everyone’s handbag or pocket! And I have plenty of ideas for new OMni products in the pipeline.
I am incredibly grateful for the support I have. I am working with some wonderful people who believe in me and my vision, who are prepared to go that extra mile with me. I can’t wait for you all to try an OMni balm.
To view the OMni brand listing for more information and to download hi-res images, click here.
