Dear M-61 Fan,
We always say that we haven’t done our job unless we’ve taught our client a new tip or trick. How to take care of their skin, how to get a smoky eye, how to use a hair product to cut down blow-dry time. Five years ago, we noticed a significant gap in the products we were offering. Clients were coming in looking for natural products, but also wanting technical results and an uplifting sensorial experience. We were looking for a technical line that took the best technology from both science and nature. It didn’t exist.
The student in me sent me back to the chemistry books. I started researching ingredients, especially those steeped in science with detailed, proven research in dermatology journals. I also ventured out into the holistic world, trying to understand what herbs and ingredients from nature could do for our skin. My sister is a naturopathic doctor and is always sending me the latest information on the healing power of plant-based ingredients. I have always been focused on living an eco-forward lifestyle. I went to college at Berkeley and stopped eating meat in 1992. There had to be a way to achieve harmony between the scientific world and the natural world.
We all live our lives today with the dichotomy that exists between science and nature. We want the most up to date science, but we want it to be as natural as possible. We recycle, we try to eat vegan and healthy, but who can resist an omelette and french fries while chatting away on our cell phones? We struggle between living a relaxed, indulgent European life while balancing this with the American goals of aggressive achievement in this 21st century highly technical world. I surf the internet while drinking detox tea. What is the right answer?
M-61 is everything I want in a product line. It combines the best of technical skin science and power-packed naturals while stripping out undesirable ingredients. We took dermatologist loved super heroes (Vitamin C, Vitamin E, peptides, glycolics, salicylics, Retinol) and married them with heavily researched, naturopathic inspired healing plants. We learned from Bluemercury’s thirteen years of experience of performing nearly 100,000 spa treatments every year and blended that with input from our more than 300 makeup artists and estheticians in our stores. The result: a power-packed treatment line that provides maximum results with minimal time. M-61 is everyone’s DIY high tech, at home quick skin care pick-me-up.
MARLA BECK
In 2006, Marla Beck co-founded M61 Laboratories, makers of M61 Skincare, the world’s first highly technical, natural cosmeceutical brand. Ms. Beck also co-founded Bluemercury in 1999 with husband, Barry Jon Beck. Bluemercury is widely recognized as the nation’s largest and fastest growing luxury beauty products and spa retail chain, with locations from coast-to-coast. She leads Bluemercury’s merchandising, marketing, planning and store operations teams to drive growth and profitability. From 1999–2006, she served as Bluemercury Inc.’s Chairman of the Board of Directors. Bluemercury is widely recognized as the nation’s largest and fastest growing luxury beauty products and spa retail chain, with locations from coast-to-coast.
Ms. Beck is often invited to share her retailing, branding, and cosmetics industry expertise. She has appeared as a guest on CNBC, CNN and Fox Business News, and has also been a guest speaker for WWD’s Beauty Innovation Forum, HBA’s Global Beauty Conference, Harvard University’s Luxury Branding and Retail Goods Speaker Series, and Columbia University’s Lang Center for Entrepreneurship’s Distinguished Speakers Series. Ms. Beck was Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2005. Prior to founding Bluemercury, she was a consultant at McKinsey and Company. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, an MPA from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and a B.A. in Economics, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of California, Berkeley. She is on the Advisory Board of Harvard Business School’s Rock Center for Entrepreneurship and is a current member of the Young President’s Organization. She resides in Bethesda, Maryland, with her husband and three children, ages 9, 7, and 5
BARRY BECK
Barry Jon Beck co-founded M61 Laboratories, makers of M61 Skincare, the world’s first highly technical, natural cosmeceutical brand. He also co-founded Bluemercury in 1999 with his wife, Marla Malcolm Beck. Bluemercury is widely recognized as the nation’s largest and fastest growing luxury beauty products and spa retail chain, with locations from coast-to-coast. Mr. Beck oversees all aspects of Bluemercury’s operations including real estate and store expansion, product development, finance, and acquisitions. He also serves on Bluemercury’s Board of Directors, a position he has held since the company’s inception. Mr. Beck developed the original store retail model after his acquisition and development of the first Bluemercury store prototype located in Washington, DC more than 13 years ago. Mr. Beck currently sits on the Board of Advisors of Cornell University’s ILR School. He has also been the subject of numerous articles and books, and has appeared at Cornell University as a guest lecturer on entrepreneurial businesses and at Columbia University Graduate School of Business Distinguished Speakers Series.
Prior to Bluemercury’s founding Mr. Beck participated in the founding of Tower Systems, Inc., now known as U.S. Maintenance, a contract maintenance business serving national retail chains, which grew to more than $500 million in system-wide revenue. Beck pioneered Tower’s franchising concept, which led to the opening of over 1,200 franchised and company managed operations across the Continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. In 1995, Entrepreneur Magazine ranked Tower as the ninth fastest growing franchisor in the world. Beck received his Bachelor of Science from Cornell University. He resides in Bethesda, Maryland, with his wife and three children, ages 9, 7, and 5.