It’s the new year, and that means, everyone is feeling inspired to do better this year than the last. That could mean getting into shape, saving more money or reading more books. A lifestyle change I made last year was to start living more sustainably. I’ve made several changes, including detoxing my makeup bag and even switching to a Diva cup. I discovered Eluxe Magazine when researching what clean beauty brands were out there, it’s the first publication wholly dedicated to sustainable luxury. With that, I feel deeply privileged to have gotten the chance to interview Chere Di Boscio, Founder and EIC of Eluxe Magazine!

Interview with Chere, Founder of Eluxe Magazine

Pin it Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

1. Could you share with us your story, what you did before Eluxe Magazine and what was the critical driver that pushed you to create Eluxe Magazine?

I edited glossy magazines in Paris and Dubai for several years. I was always drawn to writing and loved creating beautiful publications and working with ultra-creative people. But eventually, I became more and more irritated – at times, disgusted – with what constituted ‘luxury.’ My husband was working in the mining industry, and I knew how horrible it could be, so diamonds and gemstones lost their appeal.

I’ve been vegan since I was a child, so I was never into promoting leather and fur. And the whole concept of ‘excess’ being ‘luxurious’ was just too much. I started to really resent some of the clients we had at the magazines I worked for, and I knew that wasn’t good. My husband suggested I find an ‘eco-luxury’ magazine to edit, and finding none, and I decided to create my own.

2. Eluxe Magazine is the world’s first ever publication entirely dedicated to sustainable luxury – What responsibility do you feel in creating this space?

It’s definitely my responsibility to point out greenwashing when I know it’s the case. I mean, it’s never easy to be fully ‘green’ – in fact, it may well be impossible on some level. But I know which companies are really, genuinely making an effort – I’ve spoken to designers and beauty brand owners who agonize over ethical sourcing of ingredients and materials, packaging, etc. And I know which ones know how to use marketing as a gimmick to make themselves look ‘green’ – Vivienne Westwood is a great example of someone who will undertake, say, an ethical bag making project in Africa and publicize the crap out of it to convey the notion her label is eco-friendly, but the reality is 99% of what she produces isn’t sustainable, or even ethically made, on any level at all. I feel consumers need to know such things.

3. What are three pieces of advice you would give to someone that wants to start living more sustainably?

Well, stop buying unnecessary stuff, first of all. And essentially, fashion is unnecessary. It’s perhaps ironic saying that, since the whole point of magazines is to sell stuff. But I am hoping people will stop shopping ‘for fun’ and will only purchase things they need – Eluxe’s function is to give information on companies that are creating things more sustainably and ethically so that when people DO need to buy something, they can make better choices.

Secondly, don’t be duped by greenwashing. It’s so easy for companies to control our thoughts with clever marketing. Just slapping a picture of a forest or flowers or putting on a label like ‘bio’ or ‘earth friendly’ on a product’s name is often enough to make someone buy it – read the ingredients and do your research! (reading Eluxe can be part of that).

Finally, say NO to ‘convenience’. For example, make our own food instead of ordering takeaways. If you’re at a fast food place, refuse the straw, the serviettes, all the extra packaging. If you’re grocery shopping, take your own bags and refuse to accept any plastic. If you’re in a hotel, don’t use the slippers if they’re a one-off thing (they often get thrown out), and don’t accept a newspaper at your door just because it’s free. At home, put a NO junk mail sign on your door. Don’t take flyers, brochures or other paper that just ends up in the bin. Etcetera.

4. What is the hardest part of your job?

Well, since I moved to Peru, I’ve been missing out on some core networking experiences! But I moved here, at least in part, to live a more organic, wholesome life, so I guess that’s more important. It’s also been super frustrating as of late because as sustainability has become more popular, I’m now competing with mainstream media like Hearst, Conde Nast, and corporate media, who are just now jumping on the bandwagon.

5. What was the most valuable thing you learned this past year?

You don’t need to work 14 hour days to be successful. The pace of life here in Peru is way different to that of London. I work much less, yet the success of the magazine has remained steady.

6. What’s the best piece of advice that you were ever given?

A boss should not be a friend. It sounds cold, but in order to manage people well, you need to be friendly and understanding, yet maintain some professional distance. I have a tendency to be ‘too nice’, but over time I’ve learned more about professional and personal boundaries.

7. Knowing what you know now, what advice would you have told yourself when you first started?

I made a lot of mistakes with IT people. That’s my weakest area; I’m an editor above all and knew very little about SEO and tech stuff when I first started. As a result, I got ripped off a lot – I had no idea of what ‘normal’ costs for IT help were, and ended up getting overcharged – in one case, outrageously so.

8. What’s currently in your makeup bag right now?

In the countryside, I only wear Lovera SPF 50, tinted lip balms by various brands, and Juice Beauty mascara. Sometimes, I use Ilia’s tinted foundations. I have an eyelash curler, nail file, and Dr. Bronner’s lavender hand sanitizer. That’s it!

9. What’s next for Eluxe Magazine?

We’re doing luxury retreats now in Peru! Our first one is a yoga retreat with Lululemon Ambassador Tara Good, and our second one will be a vegan retreat, in conjunction with LIVEKINDLY magazine. We also have the Eluxe Awards for Sustainable Luxury coming up in February 2019 – this is our third year. Oh, and our next paper edition focuses on Gen Z and comes out at the end of January.

10. Lastly, how do people find out more about you and Eluxe Magazine?

Just visit www.eluxemagazine.com or find us on social media @eluxemagazine

I genuinely enjoyed this interview, not only did I learn more about Eluxe Magazine, sustainability, Chere also shares valuable career advice too! Let me know your thoughts comment section.

Thanks for reading,
Michelle