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The Founders of DuWop Beauty Products

Women of Style: Cristina Bartolucci and Laura DeLuisa

You know the products. The Lip Venom that gives you bee-stung lips, Hands2Hair that doubles up as hair slicker and hand lotion and I gels that save face big time from puffy eye drama. DuWop beauty products always give a little something more...

Cristina Bartolucci and Laura DeLuisa bring you such products. Find out about their signature style (each with her own unique look), the life lesson Christina's daughter teaches her (to balance life and business) and Laura's foresight of the successful company, including the biggest tip for women entrepreneurs (it's simplier than you think).

And, with 2004 revenues at $5 million and projected revenues of $10 million in the next three years, it's undeniable that these two savvy entreprenuers really have something....products that are as unique as they are.

FACTIO MAGAZINE: Describe your signature style.
CRISTINA BARTOLUCCI: I have a very soft personal vibe. I don't know why. It's just a fact, so the style that works the best for me is a little well...butch because it evens it all out. Good jeans, sensible shoes, vintage tops and blazers. I have one pair of Mui Mui's that I throw on when I go out. I like open collars, bold accessesories and
anything that smacks of artsy power dressing.
LAURA DELUISA: Laid-back and trendy: Seven Jeans with layered James Perse t-shirts.

FM: Define the style in LA.
CB: LA is all about personal expression. There is a little bit of a "hippy free spirit" thing going on but there is also that frosty lipped, fake tanned super sexed up thing that really annoys me, a kind of a porn aesthetic.
LD: People in LA are not afraid to express themselves through their clothing. Like everyone always says, anything goes in LA. Jeans are fine at a 5-star restaurant.

FM: According to you, which lady (past or present) has impeccable style and
why?
CB: Cate Blanchett hits it right everytime.
LD: Charlize Theron always wears classic cuts. I love her choices. Women in New York always look so put together. Maybe it's the all-black thing but whatever it is, they always appear perfectly styled.

FM: Do you think money and style go hand in hand or can style never be bought?  Is it something you just have?
CB: Money can actually be a deterrent to good style. You get lazy if you can just order whatever you want. Time and thought is what good style takes and unfortunately time is even more scarce than money.
LD: When it comes to style, you either have it or you don't. You can put incredible outfits together at vintage shops and thrift stores, so it really doesn't depend on money. Of course without money you can't buy a perfect
pair of Manolos.

FM: What key fashion pieces do you always have in your wardrobe? What items have you bought for spring '05?
CB: Well cut trousers...so flattering and sexy. I just bought a fantastic long gold chain that I loop around and around my neck with a plain white tee.
LD: Jeans! I can always dress them up and down so a good pair of jeans is crucial. I still wear my old Levi 501's from years ago.

FM: What is your biggest fashion vice? What are your favorite shops worldwide?
CB: One word: Cashmere. I prefer Italy for shopping to anywhere else. My favorite store in LA is called Scout.
LD: Shoes. I don't even know how many pairs I own. Barney's New York is my favorite place to shop for shoes.

FM: What's a fashion no-no when attending special events, galas and more? Any tips for getting ready for an event?
CB: Do not overdress, especially in LA.  One tip for getting ready is that even if you match your foundation to your skin tone exactly, you have to remember to bring it down onto your neck. Your neck is shaded by your chin and it is always lighter.  You will look two-toned if you forget.
LD: Trying too hard, which is obvious. You should just relax and enjoy the process of getting ready.

FM: What would people be most surprised to know about you?
CB: That how a person looks is like last on the list of what I care about.
LD: That I only wear makeup when I have to.

FM: What are your own personal standards of beauty?
CB: Confidence is so alluring. I struggle a lot with feeling OK about projecting
confidence. It feels arrogant and yet when I see a confident woman, she is
automatically beautiful to me.
LD: It doesn't matter what style or look someone is going for, it's if they are
pulled together. It's the entire package that I look at, not one particular
thing.

FM to CB: As an "individual" with many passions, many things on your plate in the
business world and as a high-profile wife and mother, what tips would you
give women to be well rounded, balancing out life and business?
CB: Sometimes my four year old will start doing everything she can to push my
buttons, hanging on the shower curtain, playing with permanent markers on
the couch. I used to secretly think she was doing it because she wanted to
destroy my last grasp on sanity. Now I realize that she is telling me to
stop my obsessive goal focusing and just be with her for awhile. When I
manage to do this right in the moment; she stops the behavior. Instead of
messing with me, she is actually teaching me a huge life lesson.

FM to LD: With that savvy business mindset you have, did you know when you founded
DuWop with Cristina that the company would rise to the success that it has?! What advice and inspiration can you give women entrepreneurs?
LD: a-Yes, I did, because I don't believe in giving up.
b-See above.

FM: Now, I know you are crazy for every item in the DuWop collection, however, do you have a favorite and one that you carry with you at all times? What's next for DuWop?
CB: The products are not like my children. I have favorites for sure. I am never without buttercream lip balm and most mornings I use hands2hair.
LD: Buttercream Lip Balm-it's the best lip moisturizer around. We will be expanding our color line, yet each product will still maintain that unique twist that sets us apart.

For more info visit www.duwop.com.