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Spotlight on Alexis Wolfer: Beauty guru changing the industry with The Beauty Bean

posted by ChickSpeak
Monday, January 18, 2010 at 5:24pm CST

Full of sass and intrigue, one woman’s creation is aiming to make a revolution in the world of beauty and of women’s magazines.

Alexis Wolfer, a 25-year-old founder and CEO, created The Beauty Bean, an online beauty and health women’s magazine. Launched on January 1st to start off a new year of endless possibilities, Wolfer hopes The Beauty Bean will shape mindsets and perceptions of beauty, and help alleviate the stress women put on themselves to maintain an unrealistic view of female perfection.

Completely unfocused and against articles on weight loss, The Beauty Bean works from the insidie of a woman to the out -hoping to encourage a deeper sense of self and confidence. Additionally, The Beauty Bean gives back to the community, hoping to sponsor a new charity each year, starting with The Somaly Man Foundation in 2010.

Wolfer took some time out of her busy New York schedule to introduce ChickSpeak to The Beauty Bean and her hopes for the future:

ChickSpeak: What is The Beauty Bean? How did you come up with the idea?

Alexis Wolfer: The Beauty Bean is a glamorous online women’s magazine with an unparalleled focus on inner-beauty and health. What most sets us apart, however, is our use of models of various sizes and shapes and our no-weight-loss policy. You won’t see any articles here on how to lose 10 lbs in 10 days (because you can’t healthfully)! Instead, we offer our readers an insider’s look at the latest products, research, and trends in beauty, fitness, and wellness to help the modern woman lead a healthier and more beautiful life.

I first came up with the idea when I was in graduate school at Columbia University. While there, I wrote my Master’s thesis on the corporate social responsibility of women’s magazines to promote better body image and prevent eating disorders in women and girls. I knew there had to be a better, healthier way for us to get our fix of fashion, beauty, and fitness. And so the idea was born to create a free online magazine with all the perks of our monthly glossies, minus the all too common focus on unrealistic body ideals and weight.

CS: What is The Beauty Bean’s mission statement? What do you want readers to learn from the site?

AW: The Beauty Bean’s mission is for all women to feel beautiful, fit, and confident. I want readers to see that beauty is much more than a number on scale: that it is about beautifying, nourishing, lusting, sweating, and pampering (the categories on our site!).

CS: When did your love affair with beauty begin?

AW: At birth. With three older brothers let’s just say that Mom wasn’t shy about wanting to make me the girly-girl!

CS: Tell me about your background. How have past jobs led you to The Beauty Bean?

AW: I have always had both a strong interest in women’s rights as well as a passion for fashion and beauty. I was graduated summa cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis with my degree in women’s studies, I worked in Tanzania at a women’s empowerment group, and have my Master’s degree from Columbia University in Human Rights/Women’s Studies. However, it wasn’t until I was in graduate school, studying women’s body issues and interning at Lucky magazine, that I figured out a way to marry my interests. After I finished graduate school, I immediately began writing on beauty and health for a few websites before putting all my focus on The Beauty Bean.

CS: If you could only use ONE beauty product (makeup, hair, body or skin) for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

AW: Ooh, that’s tough for a beauty junkie! I’m going to say RMS’s Living Luminizer. Not only is it truly all-natural, but it really does do it all! You can dab it on the inner corners of your eyes to look instantly awake, sweep it over your cheek bones for a gorgeous glow, run it over the bridge of your nose to make it look thinner, use it as an eye shadow, highlight your collar bones or shoulders, or dab in on your lips instead of a gloss! Plus, it’s not glittery like most other luminiziers. (But I have to say that Aquaphor and Trish McEvoy’s Classic Eye Pencil in Black were a very close two and three!)

CS: How can college-aged women change media perceptions of what’s considered beautiful?

AW: First of all, I think we all need to stop buying into the stereotypes, literally and figuratively. We need to stop supporting publications that portray unrealistic body ideals and we need to stop comparing ourselves to the images we see. Then you can make an effort to support companies, like The Beauty Bean, that make an effort to change these ideals.

CS: What advice do you have for girls who dare to dream about a career in publishing, public relations or beauty?

AW: Hustle! It’s all about hard work and perseverance. And don’t be afraid to ask for help - the worst they can do is say no (and you never know, it could help you land your next job).

CS: What are your goals for The Beauty Bean? What are your personal goals?

AW: With The Beauty Bean, I hope to reach as many women as possible and to influence the way in which they experience their bodies. I want all women to feel fit and healthy and beautiful without comparing themselves to the airbrushed models they see on the covers of their monthly glossies.

Personally, I hope to travel to Cambodia this year to help support The Somaly Mam Foundation,The Beauty Bean’s 2010 philanthropy. I also hope to out-source a bit more and put myself back on my priority list - starting a business can certainly wear you thin!

CS: Can you give ChickSpeak the scoop on some hot new products for spring 2010? What can savvy chicks be looking out for?

AW: Expect the rocker girl trend to stick around into spring, but with a feminine twist. I love what Stila did for Julie Haus’ Spring/Summer 2010 show: pink-toned rocker eyes, heavy mascara, and gunmetal nail polish. (An article on how to get the look will be up on The Beauty Bean soon!)

CS: How can college women be part of The Beauty Bean? Are there opportunities for involvement?

AW: Well, first, you can sign up to receive our weekly newsletter at TheBeautyBean.com and you can spread the word! The more women who support The Beauty Bean, the further our message can go.

We are also always looking to add fresh voices to our mix. So, if you’re interested in contributing to The Beauty Bean or interning for us, please email intern@TheBeautyBean.com.

CS: What’s the last song you downloaded on iTunes? What blogs do you read every single day without fail?

Alicia Keys’ “Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart”
Sara Shandler’s Ophelia Speaks still gets me every time, as does Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged.

I have so many “bookmarked” because it is essential that I know everything going on in fashion, beauty, and fitness, that I kind of peruse them at random. But I have recently been into New York Magazine’s The Cut.

Lindsay A. Tigar is the Editor-at-Large for ChickSpeak and freelances for The Beauty Bean, Engagement 101 magazine. Lindsay believes a girl can never beautify, pamper, lust, sweat or nourish herself enough, and encourages readers to jump on board with The Beauty Bean. While in college, Lindsay created a video encouraging girls to change traditional stereotypes of beauty, view it here.