One year together?! Can you believe it? It feels like no time at all, and yet like so many years with all we have done together!
As we approach our one-year anniversary together, it dawned on me that in all the busyness to get Summerland birthed and out into the world, we never really introduced ourselves to you!
Better late than never, right!
Hind-sight is 20/20 and looking back, it feels like it's all been building up to this. I just didn’t know it when it was happening, but each little seemingly insignificant job, blip, and bit of life experience has found its way into the essence of Summerland Skin.
Part 1 : Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself
So, to introduce myself…
Hi, I’m Aleisha Kalina, creator of Summerland Skin here on Vancouver Island, Canada. I wear many hats, and for that reason, I’m very grateful my grandmother always said "there isn't a hat that girl can't pull off" 😉
From the formulating to fulfilment, to photography, marketing and branding, and of course sales, customer service and what ever else the dream desires!
But that all works out for me, because, at my core, I am a creative.
And for a long time, that manifested in only two major expressions: acting and music. I have been writing songs since before I had an instrument to work with. I’ve been putting on shows since I could hold someone's attention, and in my early years of adulting, that meant a slew of odd jobs that simply supported the ability to pursue those artistic expressions.
Naturally, the restaurant/bar industry was the first place I collected a paycheque. The hours were long and hard when I worked, but forgiving when I booked a gig.
My first serving job was at an Applebee’s… in Canada.
It wasn’t sexy, it wasn’t cool, and worst of all, they made me do improv at my job interview (in front of all the other people getting interviewed on the patio I might add).
A strikingly uncomfortable memory. But it was all worth it in the end.
I met lifelong friends, cut my teeth in the industry, and it was the stepping stone that would lead me to a ton of places that would deeply influence where I am today.
From there, I was lucky enough to be poached by the people I waited upon, and it wasn't long before new (and at least a littler cooler) jobs were offered to m.e
The head of HR for the Fairmont Empress in Victoria BC insisting I join the banquets team was an exciting one. The hours were WILD but I adored the level of commitment to excellence they had and their dedication to creating memorable moments. I learned a ton, and it was a lot of fun.
A very quirky family who owned a Private Label Haircare and Skincare facility was another highlight. It seemed so far out of my wheelhouse when they asked me to work there. But I learned sooooo much about skincare, haircare, production and it took me all over North America.
I worked all three jobs at once. Private Label by day, Applebee’s by night, and Banquet Serving at the hotel from 3 am to 9 am.
At one point, I didn’t sleep for three days straight.
After that, I continued down a path of skincare and makeup, alongside my creative pursuits. I worked at a Beauty Boutique, which was always fun but I truly adored the retreats the sent us to. We would get to dive in deeper and learn about new products, brands, and how to better serve people and their skincare needs.
There was special high I got when someone came in looking for a solution, to a skincare woes and seeing them light up when I sady "I have just the thing" to fix them up. Seeing the hope flicker back to their eyes, the relief move across their body and then when they would come back a couple weeks later to say let me kow that 'they finally feel at home in their skin again', is something I never tired of being a part of.
And then, my band was chosen to be part of a very exciting competition that took us to Vancouver, where I went even deeper into the beloved music and service industry. We soaked it up for years. Late nights. Great drinks, even better shows. Long hours at the restaurants, but tons of time to soak up the city after the fact. I adored every moment of it.
Fast forward to 5 years later… This is where life catches up to me.
I had begun to feel like I could see life wearing on me, and my body made it clear it wanted me to notice it.
I started waking up like this.👇
Ow.
(Yeah ...it feels pretty much like it looks.)
Eczema had started spreading across my eyelids and lips. I had a truly endless list of new food allergies that either made my face balloon up or caused stomach pain that would knock me out for the day.
Then, to top it all off, I learned our apartment had been hiding an alarming amount of mould we had been living in—the worst. (you should see the video! 😳)
I felt like I was watching my vitality, youth, and radiance leave my body like the hocus-pocus witches sucked the souls from children. It sucked.
So - *cue the research* we’re in a pandemic, I’ve got time, the internet, and an endless supply of stubbornness to find a solution.
After 2 years of research, trial and error, testing, expanding, learning, and growing, Summerland, as we know it, was born. Absolutely PACKED with all the most incredible ingredients I could find and combine.
And it changed the life of my skin. And then my boyfriend’s… And then my mum’s… And then my friends. As the list grew, and I saw the accumulating results myself, I realized it was time to share it with the world.
Part Two: Welcome to Summerland Skin
If I’m being honest, the purpose of creating Summerland Skin is selfish.
I created it because I wanted the best possible product at a price that wouldn’t break the bank (*cough cough* those $120 dollar bottles of oil that have some unpronounceable ingredients in them) And this ratio was critical to me. It needed to do more, have better ingredients, and yield better results at a price I could keep returning to.
It needed to:
- Reduce inflammation and redness.
- Even out my skin tone.
- Make it ✨G-L-O-W✨
- Make it plump, smooth and glassy.
- It needed to push back on the conditions that plagued me, and give my skin a real fighting chance.
So, my original idea of one product - became two. So each could take its job description very seriously and deliver.
If you take a peek at the Day Shift ingredients you'll see - It's like a smoothie for your skin.
It's packed with fruit oils to hydrate and tone your skin and deliver high amounts of essential vitamins like A, C & E boost radiance and protect. Along with carefully selected essential oils that balance your complexion, aid in reducing hyperpigmentation, balance your skin's oils, and invigorate your day.
Night Shift, on the other hand, is like a salad for your skin.
Broccoli, Chia Tomato, Hemp, and Cucumber seed oils pair with dark, rich fruit and berry oils like plum, black currant, blueberry, black raspberry, and Maqui to deliver skin-plumping fatty acids and vitamins to reduce inflammation, help support your skin barrier’s health, and help soothe conditions like irritated skin like eczema and psoriasis.
The essential oil blend is not just in there to ease and calm you mind before bedl it also helps minimize skin damage from free radicals, reduce breakouts, and slow signs of aging.
I had seen such incredible results from Day and Night Shift that soon I wanted something specific to treat my delicate eye area. And of course… you probably guessed it.... I wanted it to do it all.
It needed to:
- Get rid of my lifelong battle with dark circles
- Slow signs of aging and fight free radical damage
- Banish puffy under-eye bags (and in my case puffy eyes from allergies)
- And to top it all off - (if we’re in the eye department) it needed to make my lashes grow.
And so I put together a gorgeous group of all-stars to do it all and Doppio was born.
I like to think of it like coffee for your eyes.
Green coffee bean, and castor oil help reduce puffy under eye bags and grow your lashes. Cooling cucumber, soothing Marshmallow, line plumping and reducing plum and chia hydrate and protect the eye area. While turmeric and bergamot banish dark circles.
I was hopeful, but to be honest, I couldn't believe what an incredible product Doppio Eye & Lash Serum Oil turned out. And the messages you all send me tell me you are experiencing the same thing.
I was over the moon about these game changing products but it was so important to me that their quality didn't remain 'in the bottle.'
As a creative, money has not always been around. So what I spend my money on needs to count.
The experience needed to start from moment I locked eyes with it then how it feels... how it smells.... the culture (can I get obsessed and excited about it?) the energy, and most importantly the results.
The experience, head-to-toe matters. Maybe it's all those team activities as a kid, but I need the whole thing to get me fired up.
I’d like to think you can feel the amount of care, passion, and intention we have put into each of those moments together. Your messages, reviews, and kind words say are constant reminders that -that is true. And for that, I am endlessly grateful to be apart of your daily life.
And don't forget that sharing your experience (in reviews, posts, stories or videos) helps others get the same joy you’ve found! So leave a review or tag us so we can give those looking for their skin fix, a one-way ticket to paradise.
Part 3 : For Those Who Live Fully
Being a creative is hard. Who am I kidding... just being a being a human can be hard! If we’re not our own worst critics, the comment section is. Sometimes, it can be hard to make a sound for fear of what someone might say or, sometimes, even worse, what our inner critic will say.
Yes, Summerland Skin is a skincare brand, but is also a daily touchstone for intentional living, healing, inspiration, and going 'big'. It's here to be a north star and a twice daily reminder to live each day the way we want to.
Fear and doubt are the opposite of how I want to live. (I am done letting them live rent-free in my head for years - it's time to evict.)
I don’t want to make choices in opposition to what my life is. I want to make choices based on exactly what I want. And I needed something that reminded me of that. I guess you could say ‘it's the most functional vision board ever.'
Summerland Skin is for those of you who want the same thing. Its not only here to make you glow on the outside, but glow from the inside. So that every time you care for yourself and the gorgeous skin you live in- you are also reminding yourself that today is YOUR day. Whatever that looks like to you. Each drop in you hand cheering you on!
So.... Welcome to Summerland my friends.
Where paradise, is living in your own healthy, happy and radiant skin.
Where you glow from the inside out each day.
Where you connect with your highest, healthiest self.
Where you experience a life lived fully.
xo
Aleisha
If you enjoyed our blog, let us know your thoughts! We love connecting!
