Beauty: Who's the Boss? with Bosstan Charles

He’s a global citizen with a heart of gold. He's now Sydney based, so if you're lucky enough to be in that beautiful city, maybe you’ve seen him burning it up on the cosmetics and fashion scene at a VIP event, surrounded by his loyal fans. Or maybe you’ve spotted him on the treadmill next to you at your local gym, or perhaps you’ve noticed him working the room at a corporate soiree in the heart of the CBD. He’s the PR guru and business-developer with an international conscience, specialising in cosmetics, image-consulting and communications/events and he’s set to take things to the next level in a city near you. Welcome to the uber-inspiring world of Bosstan Charles. (portrait at left) Christina Morrison: "What initially attracted you to the field of makeup, beauty and image-consulting?" Bosstan Charles: "This is such an interesting question because I finally realised it’s because of the turbulence I went through as a twelve year-old. I had difficult skin and spent two years dedicated to changing my diet and researching skin care methods such as homeopathy and so on. I didn’t want to go the path of regular medicine per se however I DID ask a doctor to take a sample of my skin to see what was happening. After we discussed his analysis of the results, I took antibiotics for two weeks and my skin cleared up completely. That said, the secret to KEEPING it healthy, I discovered, was by being fit and healthy, thus creating great skin from the INSIDE as a first point of reference. This realisation created positive and lasting changes on my life. From seven years of age however I actually HAD wanted to study Law but after this experience later on with my skin and the journey it took me on, I decided to veer in a different direction that would ultimately be more fulfilling and, quite frankly, fascinating for me. So image consultancy and makeup artistry have formed a key part of that journey." (below: Circular Quay, Sydney, Australia, where Bosstan is currently based.)

CM: "You’re a born networker and can work the room like few other true socialites/fashionistas can. When we’ve mingled with you at fashion or beauty events, we’ve noticed that you seem to deeply understand what makes any dynamic fall into place. So we’re curious as to whether you’ve personally done any event-management of your own and if so, what was it like?" BC: "I have done some event management and, it was amazing. My first event was held in a Starbucks cafe when I was around sixteen or seventeen and I happened to be working there as a shift manager at the time. I was also involved with the fashion industry and a lot of my friends were makeup artists and beauty therapists, so I became quite interested in getting involved with backstage preparation and runway shows. I noticed around this time, in the news, that there had actually been a devastating natural disaster in Nepal. I was discussing this news-item with my boss at Starbucks and as we were talking, I suggested that we could perhaps conduct a fashion-orientated charity-fundraiser to assist with the situation in Nepal. Quite frankly, at that particular Starbucks location, we really did have the luxury of possessing the LARGEST floor plan of any Starbucks in New Zealand so we really had the option of utilising the space to its fullest capacity. Put simply, it was the perfect setting for a fashion event of the kind and scale we were envisaging.

Alongside that, we were fortunate enough to be in a location where we attracted a really top-notch type of funky clientele and at that time among our loyal coffee-fans and self-confessed caffeine-addicts was one particular gentleman who’d just created a line of ready-to-wear fashion garments. Being a regular at our Starbucks cafe, this designer would often chat with us over their counter about his creations and his work in general and when we ran our Nepalese fundraiser idea by him he actually offered to showcase his collection of fashion-wear at our fundraiser, as a preview for his main show. I had previously completed a Media/Promotions certificate at a technical college which had prepared me somewhat for the realm of event management so I’d had a little experience in how to put a night like this together effectively." (below: organising successful events is second nature for Bosstan Charles.)

"During my studies, I’d arranged an event which comprised an auction of a couple of pieces of clothing that were personally signed by the world-famous international explorer, Sir Edmund Hilary, so with the memory of that success under my belt, my colleagues and I organised the Nepalese fundraiser at our Starbucks store with quite pleasing results, really. Once we’d scheduled the models to come in and so on, plus all the guests and countless other details, our event for Nepal raised about five thousand dollars for those affected by the natural disaster. To be honest, in New Zealand at that point in time, five thousand dollars was really quite a sizeable chunk of cash and what was equally satisfying was that we garnered a lot of support from the community. It was really inspiring. Since then, along the course of my career, I’ve had other opportunities to do Public Relations activities, including arranging the opening of a top restaurant. It's gone onward from there." CM: "Did anyone inspire you to get started on this track in life?" BC: "One of my dear friends was working in the makeup and beauty industry when I was seventeen. She was 27 at the time and if you can imagine the connection that evolved between us it was really something of an ‘older-sister-younger-brother’ dynamic, in terms of mentorship, because she really inspired me to follow my true inner-feeling and develop my true sense of creativity. She also helped me become more connected as a person which is a really beautiful experience to have had." CM: "What would your advice be to someone hoping to start in your industry?" BC: "My best piece of advice is: Have a goal. That said, as time goes by and as you tread along your path TOWARDS your goal, if you sometimes find that you’re faced with dealing with occasional people that may give you a hard time, my tip is this: Be responsive; don’t be reactive. Within any industry, with any clients you get, you have to have your wits about you and also have a bit of a shield around you and protect yourself when you’re tackling constantly interfacing with the public. However, no matter what happens, the bottom line in dealing with your clientele and colleagues, as far as I’m concerned, is this: Remember you’re in this to be of service to others."

CM: "Do you have an idea of what the future may hold for you? For example, is there anyone you would really love to work with? Or any place / city / company you’d like to try?" BC: "In my career only recently I’d have said that among the greats that I’d love to work with is a particular person and that’s actually the US-born Doctor Nicholas Perricone. http://www.perriconemd.com/category/the+doctor/philosophy.do

Dr Perricone (above) (who was actually born back in 1948) has written a slew of great books which I’ve read and really recommend if you are serious about learning the science of “beauty from the inside out.” What I love is that Dr Perricone has also developed his own patented formula for skincare based on his philosophy of diet and exercise, plus the idea of approaching skincare from the viewpoint of understanding how the WHOLE of the body’s functions, cells and so on working TOGETHER. I’ve learnt so much from Dr Perricone’s body of research and when I had the opportunity to work for a company which promoted his products, I am happy to report that I became their number one salesperson, based largely on the fact that I’m passionate about the philosophy behind the products themselves. As time goes by I can see how this has directly informed my viewpoint on the science of skincare. I’d LOVE to meet Dr Perricone and basically, who WOULDN’T love to go to NYC?! I also have other projects and clients for whom I'm proud to be an ambassador." CM: "Goldrush Magazine heard a rumour you may one day be starting your own company…Fact, or Fiction?" BC: "FACT. And that’d be something I would develop in the future, when the time is right, in the realm of skincare, for sure!" CM: "What are the key makeup trends you're noticing in men’s AND women’s beauty arenas?"

BC: "We are seeing a lot of eyeliner and really, it’s always going to be a trend."

"What’s fascinating these days is that it’s the style of eyeliner that’s changing. It’s becoming a case of ‘less is more.’ We’re seeing looks with no mascara, complemented by clean, porcelain skin, plus a dramatic batwing-shaped liner and faded brows, OR a look with brows in a bold brown, with a fresh dewy skin with a bold lip-colour and again, no mascara. These are looks that are embodying the keywords: clean, elegant and chic, because skin is in this year as a statement part of your look. We’re also going back to the glitter-box; really, we’re seeing a lot of glitter coming through at the moment and so those colourful hues are still on trend and we have some nice warm shades that are now very in."

CM: "Are most Aussie guys REALLY ready for makeup? Is it becoming more popular for them? Are you noticing any changes in the demographic of guys who purchase makeup since, say, the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 (after which people became, through necessity, more aggressively image-conscious in competing against other candidates for jobs?)" BC: "It’s true that men’s grooming is becoming the norm and that makes sense because you want to always present yourself as well as one can and look as good as you are able to in today’s corporate climate. We're also being photographed more now, than at any other time in history (with social media and so on) so, we in the spotlight more often, as it were. People are hoping to really maximise the opportunity to present themselves at their best in that regard. So, I have male clients that want to get a bronzer and eye powder or something light like that; however not every straight man is coming in by the droves as yet. That said it’s clear that going to the gym and using spray tans is definitely more on-trend than ever for many guys but really, I would prefer to encourage males and I would prefer to encourage males and females to firstly, look at food, skincare and exercise as the most important aspect of their grooming routines."

BC: "The industry should not be about covering the skin. I’m interested in finding solutions first and THEN we can look at makeup. It’s a misconception that males are not as conscious about covering any imperfections they may feel exist; let’s face it: our bodies are another way that we communicate a certain ‘message,’ if you will, to the world and we are constantly sending subtle messages about who we are and what our self-concept may really be, so our skincare should reflect that and convey the message we WANT to send by CHOICE."

CM: "Please describe yourself in five words." BC: "Driven, passionate, loyal, spiritual, and creative." CM: "What do you like to do in your free time to stay balanced, inspired and to feed your creative soul?" BC: "I like to read; I like to go to the gym, I like speaking with like-minded people about the world and about the universe. I find that through these activities and during these discussions, I often come up with ideas about creating new businesses and new systems and about running things more efficiently. I really enjoy this process, particularly coming up with new ideas. I find that really stimulating. I love spending quality time in conversation with inspiring people and to be honest, I would rather be conversing with people more than anything else, really." To contact Bosstan Charles, email info@goldrushmagazine.com and we will forward your queries directly to him. (Copyright, GoldrushMagazine.com)