Confidence and skin care | a behind the scenes look at Lumene USA's lifestyle brand campaign

When we are little girls, we have all the confidence in the world. We run around with our bellies hanging out, we tell our kindergarten crush we like them, and we pick out our wedgies in public, much to the embarrassment and chagrin of our mothers.

Somewhere along the way, something happens to destroy that little girl confidence we all start out with. Maybe its a constant diet of media images that reduce even the smartest of us into shivering heaps of insecurity as we scroll through internet posts with models whose waistlines are magically smaller than their heads. Maybe it's a hurtful comment or experience that erodes at our self-esteem and maybe its the fact that we were never really trained how to love ourselves, from the beginning.

Whatever it is, we are told from an early age that only single digit jean subscribers and flawless porcelain skin types are considered beautiful. But what if we stopped believing those messages?

Since I started navigating the muddy waters of learning how to love and embrace myself even the parts I consider flaws, there has been a nagging in my heart that tells me the world needs more rawness. More authentic beauty messages that women of all ages, skin types and bodies can relate to. So I was more than excited to put together a marketing campaign for Lumene USA that aimed to do just that!

The pitch wasn't about promoting another skin care cream that promised to minimize fine lines or hide your blemishes, but one that asked the question, what if we never lost that little girl confidence? What if we were never told we had flaws that needed fixing in the first place. What if we grew up loving our skin, our pours, and later our fine lines and wrinkles and all the wisdom, beauty, and stories they held within them and what if we championed every woman and every type of beauty as enough just as we are? What if our skincare routine was a reflection of self-care and self-love rather than the minefield of self-loathing mental grenades that go off every time we wash our face?

What would that campaign look like?

With the core message for the campaign pitch established the next step was identifying the visual direction for this shoot. In keeping with Finland’s lifestyle, and Lumene’s skincare formulations which draw upon precious organic and natural ingredients, including birch sap and pine bark, the mood board created for Lumene USA, reflected those raw and earthy vibes.

Next, and one of my favorite steps to my customized branding experience was coming up with a theme and concept for the shoot, sourcing props, curating the perfect vendor team to partner with, and scouting for the best locations to bring it all to life.

Scandinavian countries statistically rank on the top in terms of happiness levels. Happiness is obviously a result of a myriad of factors but a lot can be said for the Finns deep-rooted connection with nature and their balanced relationship to their bodies.

Inspired by the moody undertones and foggy nature scenes housed throughout Lumene's brand video and in an effort to mirror that imagery throughout the brand's messaging, the full crew and I headed to a place where our own footfalls were silent, and all that could be heard was the susurration of the leaves in the gusty wind. A little log cabin nestled in the woods of Amery Wisconsin proved to be the perfect scenic backdrop.

It was a weekend spent shooting and connecting with so many other incredible and amazing women. It was a weekend spent in honest conversation about the daily seemingly unimportant messages we see and believe and how they shape our sense of self-worth. And a weekend of Glow Reveal Peeling face masks and salted caramel hot chocolates complete with roasted marshmallows, hugs, and lots of laughter.

“ADS SELL MORE THAN PRODUCTS. THEY SELL VALUES, THEY SELL IMAGES, THEY SELL CONCEPTS OF LOVE AND SEXUALITY, OF SUCCESS AND PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANT, OF NORMALCY. TO A GREAT EXTENT, THEY TELL US WHO WE ARE AND WHO WE SHOULD BE.” -JEAN KILBOURNE

In an effort to deliberately choose to notice real beauty in ourselves and call out the same in those around us each image showcases the real women photographed for this campaign in their natural, un-retouched state.

Here's a comparison of what Lumene USA’s Instagram feed looked like and how the evolution into rich textures, moody hues, beautiful locations, and candid moments closely emulates the look, vibe, and feel of the organic skincare companies brand video.

Shooting and conceptualizing a beauty brand campaign with a message of empowerment with "real" women represented was an absolute blast and I couldn't have completed it without all the fabulous females and local businesses who rallied behind the vision that this little pitch started as.