With the growing number of organic baby products cluttering up store shelves it’s easy to become overwhelmed, which is why Enamour is a breath of fresh air. Created by Montreal-based Marie Custeau, Enamour is a minimalist’s dream: a 100 percent all-natural and plant-based (all ingredients are sourced and made in Canada) body line for baby and mom, housed in sleek, black and white packaging and apothecary-type bottles. “I didn’t want to see pictures of ducks on products in my bathroom,” she says. “Marketing tells us what to use on our babies, but really, you should be able to use one product on everyone in the family.”
A beauty addict since she was young, Marie started making her own skincare potions with coconut oil when her kids were born. But don’t call her a hippy. The end result is a finely edited collection of multi-purpose products sure to suit any modern mama.
Enamour’s starter kit. For Marie it was love at first thought: “When I started thinking seriously about Enamour I had butterflies of excitement — like when you fall in love. Of course, there was a part of me that was quite scared but another part of me that was saying that this is going to happen whether I like it or not.”
SHOP TALK WITH MARIE
What was your aha moment with Enamour?
I was searching for products that were a bit more luxurious, made of great quality and would last longer so we’d consume less. And, I didn’t want to bring into my home baby-focused product with cartoons all over them. This coincided at a time in my life when I was going through a purge. I wanted to make our lives, and our house, less complicated. A lot of the stuff we buy is unneccesary and afterwards for us, there was always this feeling of emptiness.
How have you incorporated this ethos into Enamour?
Our goal is minimalism and responsible consumption. That’s why we offer a small range of quality, multi-use body care products for kids and adults. For example, the diaper cream — our first product — is made up of coconut oil, shea butter, lavender, vitamin E and essential oils so it’s great for a baby’s bottom but can also be used to heal chapped hands and dry cuticles, or used to soothe little scratches or scrapes (thanks to the tea tree oil and neem oil, both which are antibacterial and anti-fungal). It was also important to me that it smelled wonderful and could provide moms and dads with a bit of a pause — something for them.
Enamour’s best-selling diaper rash balm. Enamour.co ships throughout Canada and North America, and can be found at a few, stylin’ brick-and-mortar shops like Mini Mioche in Toronto, Chill Bay General in Victoria, 101 Artisans in Montreal and Verde Organic in Hong Kong.
How has Enamour lived up to this environmentally and socially-conscious beliefs?
With the products, a little goes a long way so they’ll last longer. All packaging is recyclable. You can remove the labels (BTW: they won’t leave a residue) and reuse the bottles. Two percent of our sales goes towards the Women’s Centre in Montreal. We really believe in their message which is helping women to help themselves, like providing childcare while they’re out of work so they can go back to school.
Has this desire for minimalism and responsible consumption affected your home life?
I was tired of being overwhelmed and surrounded by all this stuff. You waste time cleaning, sorting and moving things around the house. On the days when I was supposed to be working, I instead spent it organizing the house — I needed to have a clean house so I could have more success in business.
How do the kids feel about consuming less?
Ha, ha. Just the other day, Oscar my five-year old asked me, “Why don’t you buy me any toys except for on my birthday and Christmas?” I told him that we choose to put our money towards trips and experiences instead of buying things that will last two minutes, break and then make them upset. Just play with what you have.
Marie’s son Oscar was obsessed with lip balms and wanted to carry one in his pocket everyday so she created one. The recipe is inspired by the South of France and uses hemp seed oil, cacao butter and calendula. Available in Mint + Lime, Lavender and Peppermint + Lemongrass.
Describe your life before Enamour?
I was a digital product manager at the CBC. When I was pregnant with my second son I knew it was going to be hard having two kids while working — and so close together (they’re 25 months apart). The company was so supportive. I was lucky to be able to take six months more after my 12-month maternity leave but I still wanted more. When I had this idea of Enamour, my youngest was 2.5 and I knew it was time to make a big change.
Do you feel like you’ve given up anything?
We’ve made certain lifestyle choices that allow me to spend time on my business. You have to think outside the box. It’s a big deal. I’m excited by my professional state right now. I don’t know what to expect in 10 years, but it’s really exciting to me. If it fails, I will never regret it because I’ve learned so much and met so many amazing people. I feel like I’ve done my MBA without going to university. I don’t see failure. “I feel very privileged to be able to do what you love. Proud to be building this brand with values that are so in line with what I believe in.”
What’s up next for Enamour?
We will be launching a new product late Fall called Linament. It’s to help with cradle cap and can be used as a zero-waste diaper-change lotion or rich hydrating lotion, and for moms, it can be used to remove eye makeup.
HER #MOMLIFE IN PICTURES
“Most mornings my husband and I both drive the kids to school and preschool, but with my flexible schedule I usually do the evening run — lots of taxiing going on.”
“I admit I need to be better at taking time for myself every day. Of course, feeling overwhelmed can slow you down — even make you paralysed and you don’t know where to start. But that’s normal. It’s never going to be perfect. I have to remind myself to shake myself out of this state and just jump back in!”
“As a business owner (and only full-time employee!) I wear a lot of hats. You need to have passion for your business because you’re going to be spending so much time with it (here I am at a trade show in Montreal) and it has to be in line with your values and excites you.”
Since its debut in November 2015, Enamour is growing slow and steady, cropping up in homes of health-conscious and stylish moms. (It also helps that the brand has been featured in Elle France and French Glamour).
Marie favours a mainly black, white and grey (with a little pink thrown in) wardrobe so that everything goes with everything. “I have less things but better quality.”
Marie and her brood sport matching neutrals (natch) for a family photo. Photo by Matte Vonée