Gender-neutral clear magnificence skincare by make-up artist Dillon Peña.
Leland Francis
Dillon Peña had simply left his put up at Bobbi Brown cosmetics when he began growing his personal merchandise, starting with a face oil. Seven years later, he has a clear skincare vary that displays his learnings of almost 20 years within the magnificence enterprise—and he’s aiming to make it plastic-free and appropriate for women and men of all pores and skin tones.
Born and raised on a farm in Oklahoma, Peña pays tribute to his roots, naming the corporate after his nice grandfather, Leland Francis. “To me, that’s an extension of who I’m. It’s my Mexican roots and being raised in an atmosphere that’s centered round nature,” he says.
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In 2015, as a star make-up artist, Peña made just a few bottles of a face oil that he would reward purchasers. He had no ambitions then of constructing an in depth skincare line. Whereas working in New York although, he dropped off a bottle of his product at Brooklyn-based Shen Magnificence, a well-liked spot for clear magnificence manufacturers, to get some suggestions.
“Thirty minutes after I’d dropped off the bottle, I obtained a name whereas I used to be at lunch, they usually instructed me they’d like to purchase some bottles to hold within the retailer. I didn’t even have containers but, or an organization correctly arrange,” he remembers.
With that first order secured, Peña not solely registered his enterprise, Leland Francis, however began fascinated about branding, packaging, and dealing with extra unbiased retailers. He chilly emailed dozens; many rejected him.
But, he saved at it, doing make-up for artists, fashions, and musicians as his day job and dealing on Leland Francis in his private time. It was a ardour turning right into a enterprise as a result of Peña realized that to get the clear, recent, dewy look that so lots of his purchasers have been after required having a wholesome base — and that started with skincare. Plus, lots of the fashions he labored have been acutely aware of what they have been placing on their pores and skin. “They’d typically flip across the bottle and skim the elements. So I knew that clear magnificence was necessary to them.”
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The pandemic performed a pivotal function in his enterprise. As shoots have been canceled, and filming and reveals got here to a cease, Peña needed to hit pause as a contract make-up artist. As a substitute, he used that point to develop Leland Francis.
Utilizing his financial savings and earnings, he invested in additional stock, and a small crew of consultants primarily to assist him scale up the corporate. With sustainability and clear magnificence changing into increasingly more common over time, Peña felt that his enterprise was extra related than ever.
“As a make-up artist, you see the quantity of plastic that’s generated by the wonder trade. And I’m the form of one who doesn’t wish to convey any plastic into my residence. I keep away from it if I can. So I did the identical with Leland Francis despite the fact that it’s meant larger prices on packaging and extra work on our half, looking for the perfect suppliers.”
The corporate’s merchandise are all packaged in glass with aluminum lids, if wanted, and thus, the containers are reusable, and delightful. Packaging is saved to a minimal with simply the necessities, coupled with a observe about Peña’s Oklahoma’s roots. It’s a traditional, luxe method to wash magnificence, which is what Peña was striving for. “Once I first began out creating Leland Francis, I observed that almost all clear magnificence manufacturers might solely be discovered within the Complete Meals magnificence part, which is nice. However they didn’t have that luxurious expertise that I wished to supply my purchasers and prospects.”
He’s additionally not keen to compromise on the sustainability of his packaging. As an illustration, the corporate’s Physique Radiance product was delayed by two years as a result of they might not discover an eco-friendly answer to place it in.
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As well as, Peña, being Mexican himself, was extra aware of how his formulations would sit on women and men of colour. Working with a chemist who’s a girl of colour herself, he says, has helped immensely. “I ask her to strive the merchandise on herself as nicely and if it’s not working for her pores and skin, we don’t proceed with it. I need this model to be for everybody, not only a choose group of people that’ve already obtained many choices to select from.”
Until now, Peña has declined funding, and but leaned on his mentors, which incorporates Bobbi Brown herself, to create a curated number of merchandise that’s premium, he says, however not fully “unaffordable.” But, with elevated prices throughout covid, he admits, he’s needed to increase his charges to mirror the problems in provide chains, like many companies.
Tamanu oil options closely in his line. “It’s a flexible ingredient that works for thus many various functions,” he explains. “It’s brightening, it helps with readability, clearing away blemishes. It’s simply an all-around great ingredient for the pores and skin.”
Peña refers to his assortment as plant-based. A lot of the clear magnificence trade, he says, is unregulated as a consequence of lax authorities restrictions, so prefers the time period “plant-derived” or “plant-based” and this is applicable to his latest addition: fragrances and candles. Most perfume manufacturers, he argues, don’t disclose elements in true transparency: “They’re unlikely to record all of the elements, and the names of every of the scents. We use simply pure oils and natural sugar cane alcohol.”
He has extra merchandise within the works that may enable him to share this make-up data additional. However he’s not eager about stepping foot within the main cosmetics retailers across the nation simply but. He likes his small enterprise method and prefers to assist mom-and-pop companies himself. “I similar to the concept of supporting one thing small made with thought and kindness. I attempt to be type myself. And I believe that’s an necessary worth in enterprise immediately,” he says.
NORMAN, Okla. — Freshman Jeremiah Fears finished with 20 points, Duke Miles scored 19 and Oklahoma cruised to an 84-56 victory over East Texas A&M on Thursday night.
Fears used 7-for-10 shooting to turn in his best scoring effort thus far for the Sooners (4-0). He was 1 for 4 from 3-point range and 5 of 6 at the free-throw line, adding five assists and four rebounds. Miles hit 7 of 13 shots with three 3-pointers.
Glenn Taylor Jr. came off the bench to sink four 3-pointers and scored 16 for Oklahoma.
Scooter Williams Jr., Josh Taylor and reserve TJ Thomas all scored nine to pace the Lions (1-5).
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Miles had 14 points in the first half and Fears scored 11 to guide the Sooners to a 38-33 lead at intermission.
Taylor buried all four of his shots from distance and scored 14 in the second half to help Oklahoma double up East Texas A&M 46-23 after the break.
The Sooners shot 47.5% overall and made 10 of 32 from beyond the arc (31.3%). The went 18 for 22 at the foul line.
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The Lions shot 37.7% from the floor, hit 7 of 32 from distance (21.9%) and 9 of 17 foul shots.
Oklahoma heads to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis, playing three games in three days. The Sooners open the event on Wednesday against Providence.
Denton Guyer four-star quarterback Kevin Sperry flips from Oklahoma to Florida State
No. 7 Alabama looks to strengthen case for College Football Playoff spot vs. Oklahoma
Find more college sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Find more Oklahoma coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
OKLAHOMA CITY – A proposal to open Oklahoma primaries is drawing criticism.
Earlier this week, supporters announced State Question 835 that seeks to obtain 172,993 signatures to get the issue on the November 2026 ballot.
Under the proposal, Oklahoma primaries would be open to all voters with the top two vote getters advancing to the general election.
Supporters said they expect a challenge to the measure.
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Gov. Kevin Stitt on social media voiced his opposition.
“Oklahomans made decisions at the polls that these third party groups don’t like – so now they want to upend the way we run our elections,” Stitt said. “Open primaries are a hard no in Oklahoma.”
Likewise, Lt. Gov Matt Pinnell, former Oklahoma Republican Party chairman, opposes the proposal.
“At best, the push to mandate open primaries is a solution in search of a problem, and at worst, it is a thinly veiled attempt to weaken Republican voters in choosing the nominees to represent our party,” Pinnell said. “Oklahoma is a conservative state, and Republicans hold all the statewide and federally elected positions and super majorities in the Legislature for a simple reason: our values and principles represent the will of our state voters.”
But not all Republicans have panned the idea.
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Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, a former Republican state senator, embraced it.
He said the system in which a mayor is elected allows all residents to vote.
“Our voters get to see all the candidates and our candidates have to face all voters,” Holt said. “As a result, our leadership delivers unity and consensus outcomes that are clearly moving us forward.”
The state question is being backed by Oklahoma United, a nonpartisan organization that says the change will increase voter participation, reduce polarization and force candidates to be responsive to all voters. It will also benefit independent voters, who can’t vote in Republican or Libertarian primaries. Democrats currently allow independents to vote in their primaries.
The idea is not new.
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In 2017, the Oklahoma Academy recommended a top-two election system. Its report said a top-two system could increase turnout, reduce partisanship and “eliminate fringe special interest involvement in campaigns because candidates would be forced to respond to more moderate, general voters rather than play to the extremes of either party.”
The Oklahoma Academy is a nonpartisan group that works to educate Oklahomans about public policy.
Republican political consultant Fount Holland said he doubted Oklahoma voters would approve the proposal should it make the ballot.
“At the end of the day, it is about moderating the Republican primary,” Holland said.
He said the Republican Party takes things to the extreme, which is not the best way to govern.
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Holland said no one enters the Republican primary as a moderate or very few can survive campaigning as a moderate.
“They might be moderate, but they don’t campaign that way,” Holland said.
He said he tells his clients to run to win.
If approved, the measure would be advantageous to Democrats or people who want a more moderate group of elected officials, Holland said.
Republican Superintendent Ryan Walters is considered by many to be ultra-conservative, while his predecessor Joy Hofmeister was considered a moderate member of the GOP, said Holland, who worked on her two successful races for superintendent.
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Walters has focussed on putting Bibles in the classroom and removing some books from schools, while Hofmeister prioritized across-the-board teacher pay increases and boosting counseling services in schools.
Hofmeister ultimately switched parties and made an unsuccessful run as a Democrat for governor.
“If you hate politics the way they are, then you need to be on our team, because we want to change it and we want to make it better,” said Margaret Kobos, Oklahoma United CEO and Founder.
She was asked about the partisan reaction to the proposal.
She said it misses the point because the issue is about people and not political parties.
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Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Del City, supports the measure, saying it takes power away from the political parties and gives it to the people.
“Every voter. Every election,” he said. “That is the way democracy is supposed to work.”
Americans now have telehealth as an option and they like it! Buzz60’s Keri Lumm shares the results of a new study conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Kaiser Permanente.
Buzz60
Oklahomans living in areas with limited internet access soon will be able to receive help with virtual doctor’s appointments at their local library.
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An initiative from Arkansas-based Heartland Forward, a “policy think-and-do tank,” and a grant from the James M. Cox Foundation is making this possible.
Here’s what we know.
Librarians receiving training on supporting telehealth visits
With the help of a $25,000 grant from the James M. Cox Foundation, the nonprofit and philanthropic arm of Cox Enterprises, Oklahoma librarians will be trained on accessing and preparing for a telehealth appointment using the Telehealth DigitalLearn module, according to a news release.
Librarians can then use the module, which was funded by the Ford Foundation, to help community members learn more about telehealth.
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Why Heartland Forward is targeting Oklahoma, Arkansas for telehealth access
According to the latest benchmark from the Federal Communications Commission, broadband or high-speed internet is defined as receiving 100/20 mbps download and upload speeds.
The latest FCC broadband map shows just over 91% of Oklahoma homes and businesses are covered by broadband, not including satellite technology, which Engagement Director Nicholas Camper, with the Oklahoma Broadband Office, said amounts to about 450,000 Oklahomans without high-speed internet access.
According to the Oklahoma Broadband Office’s interactive map, there are more than 100,000 locations in Oklahoma that could receive broadband that have not, and more than 80,000 locations that are underserved.
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In addition, a Heartland Forward study found that 25% of counties surveyed in the region had a population-to-primary care physician ratio more than double the U.S. average. Telehealth can help bridge this gap, but only for those with access to the internet.
The new initiative will allow libraries to connect Oklahomans to “critical health services,” Education Secretary Nellie Sanders said in the news release.
“Libraries are often the first place community members turn to for resources and support, especially in areas where healthcare access can be limited,” Natalie Currie, director of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, said in the release. “By training librarians to help Oklahomans navigate telehealth technology, we’re opening doors to essential healthcare services and enhancing the well-being of our communities.”
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