Welcome to FACES of Atlanta! We are so excited to launch this weekly feature! Each Monday we will introduce you to amazing women of Atlanta. To launch our series we welcome (PLĀ) Beauty founder Stephanie Green-Bass.
Where did you grow up and what brought you to Atlanta?
Atlanta has been part of my identity my whole life. I grew up in Fayetteville about 25 miles south of Atlanta and fondly remember quick trips in for dinners, theatre, shopping and those
fun teenage concerts. My husband and I moved to Vinings from Midtown in 2003 and to this day, I am proud to call Atlanta my home.
What led you to start (Plā) Beauty?
In June of 2004, my husband and I had our first precious daughter Bella. When she was just shy of being 3 weeks old, Bella became very sick from an infection, which, days later, her body could not sustain. We lost the battle. As the years went on we were blessed with our second daughter, Ava, who is now 7. After going through personal devastation and desperately trying to reinvent myself time and time again, I woke up one May morning in 2009 and I knew that was the day to claim MYSELF again. I jumped with both feet and begin building on a dream that had been brewing inside of me for so long: to build something that would give back and make a difference. This was a promise I made to Bella.
Why did you decide to begin a makeup company?
Makeup was the one thing that always made me smile, and weekly, I would find myself at my favorite makeup counter searching for that feeling of outer beauty validation because the inner was so broken. From that, (PLĀ) Beauty was born. Now I am able to show Ava a woman can do anything she puts her mind to.
A portion of all of your proceeds is donated to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Why did you decide to make giving back part of the (PLĀ) philosophy?
Being raised watching my mom give her time selflessly to help others, I learned to give back and help others by being shown. So when I began to volunteer in 2003 with the VININGS FRIENDS of Childrens’s Healthcare of Atlanta organization, it was natural. However, it wasn’t until I had Bella and she was taken to Scottish Rite that I learned what a gift it is to have such an amazing hospital in our own backyard. It is hard to find the words to express, but when you are faced with the most devastating news of your life, being surrounded by people who give you hope so you can go on, or who write a note years later to say they still remember your child means the world to a Mom who only had 18 days with her daughter. The staff, nurses and doctors at Children’s actually did this for me. For that I am always grateful and I will give back and make a difference, as they did in my life.
What is your favorite product from your line?
Tough one, but I would have to say my (PLĀ) ALL DAY Mineral to Liquid Foundation, because I have melasma – dark spots on my skin caused from my hormones in my pregnancies – and it always gives me a perfectly smooth finish.
If you are running out the door, what is your 15 minute makeup routine?
In just a few minutes I can throw on my mineral sheer tint (PLĀ) Beauty foundation that gives a gives a natural glow, a dab of mascara and always my FAVE lip gloss BELLA.
What is your favorite technique for changing your look from day to night?
I LOVE taking a darker eyeshadow color like PURPLE RAIN or GROOVEY BABY and smudging it over my liner and then blending it up to the outer corner of my eye. It is a classic smokey eye!
Where is your favorite place to eat dinner in Atlanta?
I love Atlanta dining, and to narrow it down seems impossible, so I will I have to give love to not only Taverna Fiorentina’s, because of the amazing lemon risotto dish, but also Rathbun’s Steakhouse because of the talent of the amazing chefs!
What books can be found on your bedside table or kindle?
Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell, can’t live without it. It gives me balance
What is your favorite way to celebrate the holidays in Atlanta?
I love celebrating the holiday season with my family. Being raised in Atlanta, we always had our traditions, such as riding the Pink Pig or shopping at certain malls, but now it is even more wonderful to share the same memories with Ava. Our newest tradition is ice skating at the beautiful St. Regis hotel. Besides the fact it keeps me in stitches laughing at myself (because ice skating at age 41 it is not the most graceful thing I have ever done), it helps me LIVE in the moment, and that is what the season is all about… Really, that’s what life is about.
What are you most looking forward to in 2013?
To continue the gift of staying healthy and well-balanced. Without either or just one, I cannot do what I love to do, and that is making people smile. (PLĀ) Beauty has become so much more than I ever dreamed, and I am blessed to hear women open up and tell their stories once they hear mine. I created a campaign that honors women who have faced adversity and have become stronger, hoping to remind women we all have our own story, whether it is a loss of a child or just the loss of ourselves because we do carry the weight of the world on our shoulders.
What is the greatest piece of advice you have been given?
This too shall pass…I say it often.
What can be found on your bedside table?
My (PLĀ)2GiveBack lip balm, that Tao Te Ching book and a framed card with a picture of 3 handcut roses that my husband gave me after we had been dating for 3 months, which always makes me smile.
Name three things you can’t live without (besides God, Family and Friends):
EASY… Lip gloss, mascara and smiling!
Thanks so much Stephanie! To learn more about (PLĀ), visit the website: https://plabeauty.com. (PLĀ) Beauty is available at Woo Skincare and Cosmetics.
We would also like to introduce our talented FACES photographer Amy Lesesne! Visit her website, as well, for more information: www.amylphotography.com.
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