Meet the vibrant and bubbly, Shelby Kho! Founder of *bisou* bonbon, doctor, and a modern day entrepreneur who literally makes her own beauty products using natural ingredients. From perfumes, to lip scrubs, and balms to help you de-stress and to focus on work, Shelby Kho is one woman that’s certainly an inspiration to us.
Q. Good morning, Mademoiselle Shelby Bisou! Could you tell us a little about yourself? We really want to get to know you a lot better ( interests, quirks, pet peeves, favorite band, favorite scent, etc.)
Bonjour! I’m Shelby, 31-years-old and I own *bisou* bonbon (all-natural handcrafted bath and body care) and *bisou* rose (handmade accessories and other whimsical items). I’m a non-specialized (freelance) medical doctor who is currently pursuing a Master’s in Anti-Aging, Aesthetics and Regenerative Medicine. I enjoy sweet treats, themed tea soirees, unicorns and beautiful things. I am very fascinated by fashion and cult beauty products. I’m currently wearing Le Labo – Another 13 (1 of the 500 units ever produced globally). It’s musk like you’ve never smelled before. I’m obsessed with Hello Kitty to the extent that once I insisted that the family buy a certain Downy fabric softener because it was a Hello Kitty version. It is my one of my dying wishes to attend a Weezer concert circa The Blue Album / Pinkerton. My pet peeves: hypocrites and ice-skating! I collect Mark Ryden exhibition books and am obsessed with morbid TV series like Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU. I’d absolutely love to have my own home decor talk show ala Nate Berkus! Last but not least, I love to eat!
Q. What prompted the birth of Bisou Rose & Bisou BonBon, and how did the name come about?
First and foremost I adore the colour pink. Also, I am very much a Francophile, hence my deep penchant for all things French , and that includes fashion, beauty products, cuisine and desserts, lifestyle, and men. *coughs*
My favourite French word is ‘bisou’, which means kiss. I just felt it was such a sensual yet cute, with a touch of whimsy. It was inevitable that I placed ‘bisou’ and ‘rose’ (pink in French) together for my label. I called my bath and body care range, an extension to *bisou* rose, *bisou* bonbon (meaning candy) as I hope my all natural handmade products to be kisses and treats for the body.
Q. What inspired the packaging of your products. They’re obviously so adorable!
I design and curate the labels and packaging of all my products except my soap wraps which are designed by the uber talented Lisa of oxoloco.com. *bisou* bonbon are meant to be kisses and sweet treats for the body and I try my best to keep the packaging true to the name. Think Marie Antoinette (the movie), Laduree macarons, Paris Fashion Week (Spring/Summer) , tea parties, Fortnum & Mason, unicorns, Hello Kitty, Penhaligon, Nurita Harith etc. I want each product to have a cadeau-like nature so any *bisou* bonbon product alone makes a presentable, if not whimsical gift.
Q. Is there anyone you look up to for inspiration when starting up Bisou BonBon?
I’m inspired by Neal’s Yard apothecary approach to using herbs, plants and flowers as an alternative remedy to everyday illness and Joshua Onysko of Pangea Organics who is tremendously committed and devoted to social sustainability. I’m inspired by my parents who started out in the city with nothing but a rented room and is now able to provide a comfortable future to myself and sister.
Q. How did the entire process of starting up Bisou Rose go?
*bisou* rose actually started out as a platform to sell my preloved clothes and accessories to raise money to throw a party for an orphanage. When that was done, I started looking for an alternative source to continue growing that revenue. Soon I realized that I could sell my handmade lip balms and take a percentage off the profits to continue raising money for charity. I named my bath and bodycare *bisou* bonbon as an extension of the *bisou* family.
I personally have always been a fan of beauty products and learning to make them myself has offered me a chance to concoct mixtures to hopefully remedy my skin plights. Turns out I’m not alone in the skin problem department! It is the greatest feeling in the world when a customer tells me that I’ve helped them in a small aspect of their life i.e., their battle with mosquitoes, a rash that could never resolve with topical medications, an affordable body scrub.. no matter how little the problem may seem.
*bisou* rose’s Little Joys collection on the other hand, is an inspiration taken from Carrie Bradshaw’s (Sex And The City) wedding. I made them for myself and my bridesmaids because, like Carrie, I wanted a little avant garde to the wedding: a bird in my hair! The wedding had a small feature in Wedding Guide Asia and I received some enquiries to make them for sale. Ever since then Little Joys have been a part of the *bisou* rose family. They are wonderful for parties, weddings, showers, gyaru dress up, the Royal Ascot or just a whimsical day out!
Q. Did you encounter any challenges on the way?
I believe every business person share similar challenges when starting and developing a business. For me personally, not coming from a business / accounting background was a real challenge because I’m abysmal with keeping track of expenses (especially the little ones that add up to alot!) and balancing debit/credit. I am still very helpless with Adobe Illustrator, which I’ve yet to learn, and still design my labels using Adobe Photoshop. Competition is inevitable in any business but when it comes to the extent of imitation, it does pain me to see someone come up with a spin off *bisou* bonbon products sometimes just a week after release! Another real challenge is when customers do not comprehend how much time and care that goes into my work and demand for a discount / ‘better’ price. It puts me in a difficult position because with selected imported ingredients and a workforce of my two hands (and brain), a further discount would affect profit immensely. There are times when people forget that we are earning a living.
Q. Does your medical background help with the creation of your products?
You’ll be surprised that it is the other way around more than not. As a doctor I dispense mainly synthetic remedies while in*bisou* bonbon, we are constantly searching for a botanical alternative… a little more of an apothecary-like approach. Creating my products have made me more aware of what goes in a jar rather than just dispensing something that came in a tube. It’s also a more personal experience. It is nice when both fields complement each other.
Q. What are some of your proudest creations on Bisou BonBon & Bisou Rose?
I really am proud of everything I’ve ever created but I’m most proud of my Lip Balms (the first born), Body Scrubs, First-Aid Salve, Shh-Sleep Balm and Little Joys hair accessories.
Q. Is there a mantra you live by everyday?
Currently its: Be Yourself. Unless You’re A Unicorn, Then Be A Unicorn!
Q. What’s in the plan for Bisou BonBon & Bisou Rose in 2013?
I’m most thrilled to continue developing new products for *bisou* bonbon and Little Joys 2013 collection! Also I hope to improve my Etsy store shelves soon. I have recently used *bisou* bonbon’s charity fund to finance some chemo caps and pillowcases for HKL’s pediatric cancer patients and hope to be able to find another worthy cause to support this year. I’ve recently opened an Etsy + Facebook supplies shop selling ribbon bows and rosettes so I’m excited to see how well this turns out. Here’s hoping for much progress and success in *bisou* bonbon & *bisou* rose books this year!
Find out more about *bisou* bonbon & *bisou* rose here:
Blogshop: http://bisourose.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/
Blog: http://shelbybaby.blogspot.com
Instagram: instagram.com/shelbybisou
