True beauty from The Tru Brand

SaraJane Lynch, owner and founder of ‘the tru brand’ is one of the most infectious, fun, ‘true’ people I’ve meet for a while. There’s no BS with SJ, just as there’s no BS with her brand.

I met the 27-year-old earlier this year for a coffee and was intrigued by her story. A single mum of one, from a small East Lothian town was not perhaps who you would imagine would have a beauty brand stocked in Fenwick’s department store.

But why not?

It’s that sort of attitude that SaraJane admitted spurred her on. “If someone tells me I can’t do something, I’ll do the opposite,” says SaraJane, laughing.

She’s infectious, larger-than-life, completely committed to her ‘tru brand’ vision, and she’s wearing a leather skirt and trainers when we meet and has just had the ends of her hair ombre’d purple to match her product’s packaging.

 What’s not to like?!

SaraJane has spent the last ten years getting her brand to where it has now. And she’s not always done it the conventional way.

“I went to London and I rang the buzzer of Vivienne Westwood’s offices, and asked if I could go in and give her some product,” she recalls. “I honestly think they had no idea how to handle me. I suppose people just don’t turn up these days. But I just felt that I wanted to take the opportunity whilst I was in London.

“I dropped some off at Agnes Deyn’s model agency as well. I am sure all the people I met thought I was mad, but I did receive a letter of thanks from Vivienne, so there you go.”

Her beauty passion came from her own experiences of skin condition, eczema. She wanted to create a brand that wasn’t full of chemicals, didn’t hurt sensitive skin, and yet was, at the same time, effective, glamorous and luxurious.

“I did a beauty therapy qualification, and then I did a business degree,” she says. “I’m not sure how much that helped to be honest, I think I have done everything a completely different way from the way I was taught, but that’s fine by me. Everyone can achieve whatever they want – they just have to find their way of doing it.”

The tru brand has three key core products, with more to launch soon. All of the ingredients are listed on the packaging, and the products are free of all the usual skincare ‘nasties’.

“I have been working with a talented team of biochemists and skincare experts for the last two years developing a range of products,” SaraJane explains. “Each one is free from skincare nasties but rich in natural oils and ingredients which feel luxurious to use, yet are gentle on the most sensitive of skin. The products we have created have surpassed my expectations! Not only do they perform amazingly well but they look and feel how luxury skincare products should; decadent, glamorous and a real treat to own.”

tru Ultimate Deep Cleanse (£25), tru Toning Treatment (£28) and tru Holy Grail Facial Moisturiser (£42) are the ‘tru holy trinity’ available now.

The Toning Treatment is my favourite. Banish all thoughts of old-school toners out of your mind and embrace this fresh, hydrating, softening spray, full of lovely things like Orange Blossom, Green Mandarin, Comfrey, Petitgrain and Liftonin, to calm, balance, hydrate and firm the skin.

The Cleanser contains Coconut, Bergamot, Lime and Wild Pansy and is gentle and effective. The moisturiser is full of enriching oils – Safflower, Camellia, Rice bran, Chia seed and Frangipani, and it has Sodium Hyaluronate for excellent hydration.

The tru brand is available in Fenwick stores in New Bond Street London, Leicester, Brent Cross and York, or online at thetrubrand.com