Issue 24 / Beauty Meets Adventure: Moov Cosmetics is the Travel-Inspired, Vegan Nail Polish Brand [Q&A]

by Rosemina Nazarali

Beauty Meets Adventure: Moov Cosmetics is the Travel-Inspired, Vegan Nail Polish Brand [Q&A]

Nov 18, 2015

Moov Cosmetics takes the spirit of worldly travels and infuses it into vegan nail lacquers.

There seems to be a common misconception among beauty novices and gurus that product lines labelled vegan, all-natural or eco-friendly are lesser in quality, from staying power to pigmentation. That misconception is slowly being torn away by new brands that are creating formulas that are high-quality, while upholding the ethics and morals of the people behind them.

One such brand is Moov Cosmetics. Created by three women who met as flight attendants, Shivani Kumar-Chohan, Rachel Lane and Wan Lu, the brand of nail lacquers was built on the philosophy that provides quality polishes inspired by travel and remains vegan, cruelty-free and seven-free. That means that the products do not include any animal byproducts, are not tested on animals and are free of chemicals like toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resins, dibutyl phthalate, camphor, parabens and xylene.

I had the chance to catch-up with Kumar-Chohan, Moov's Creative Director, and Lu, Director of Operations, about Moov Cosmetics. They told me about their philosophy, how they create the unique product ranges inspired by specific countries, and their must-have Moov products.

^{Shivani Kumar-Chohan and Wan Lu, co-founders of Moov Cosmetics.}
^{Photo Credit: Moov Cosmetics}

What compelled you to start a cosmetics brand that is vegan, cruelty-free and 7-free? (It's not often you see a brand that does all three!)

SKC & WL (collectively): Moov Cosmetics was launched as a greener alternative to traditional nail polish. We met as flight attendants and as part of our uniforms, we had to wear nail polish on a daily basis. Over time, our nails became very brittle, discoloured and quite weak. After doing some research on nail polish, we were shocked to discover the numerous carcinogenic ingredients in what we were wearing on our nails. In addition, many nail polish companies used animal by-products or tested on animals, which did not align with our lifestyle and ethical values. Moov was launched to fulfill the need, initially for flight attendants like us, for a healthier alternative to conventional nail lacquers that wouldn't cause damage to our nails, our health and our planet.

When people see natural or vegan, they often think the formula won't stand up against the salon products we always reach for. Tell us a bit about the Moov Cosmetics Products. What is the formula like? How is its staying power?

SKC & WL (collectively): We are extremely happy with our eco-luxury formula. Because of the wear and tear on your nails of being in the galley, it was rare for us not to have chipped nails after working one flight. We made sure that the polish is creamy and easy to apply and, most importantly, it didn't require touch-ups every day. We spent a lot of time tweaking the ingredients to ensure maximum staying power — it can go as long as seven to nine days without chipping when applied in only two coats. Even longer if you use our base and top coat.

^{Moov's array of colours.}
^{Photo Credit: Moov Cosmetics}

Each of the Moov Cosmetics products are infused with UV inhibitors. Can you tell us a bit about how this protects nails, and why it's an important feature for nail lacquers?

SKC & WL (collectively): Being up in the skies so frequently, jet-setters are exposed to increased levels of UV-radiation. We wanted a product that has a UV-inhibitor in it so that it can prevent the yellowing and discolouration of nails caused by UV-radiation. It also prevents the colour from fading as quickly so that your nails can enjoy that freshly done look for longer.

The spirit of adventure is a strong force for Moov Cosmetics. What goes into the process of putting together each unique collection? What country is the most inspiring to you when it comes to colour and beauty?

SKC & WL (collectively): This is a tough question. Designing each collection is an incredibly fun but much debated process for us. We believe that there is beauty everywhere and the world is a great inspiration for us. Our colour palette seems to be ever-growing, so it's often difficult for us to pick the final colours in a collection. We get a lot of help from our peers.

As for which country is the most inspiring to us, we are a bit biased with our own, beautiful Canada. We wanted to have our first collection be our Canadian collection, because it will always be our staple colours and, essentially, our home base.

WL: I recently returned from Istanbul and loved the beautiful mix of colours, cultures and stunning architecture. It was such a vibrant city with amazing hospitality as well. Every tile there is a work of art, so we have a lot to work with for the next colour inspiration.

SKC: Paris has always been an inspiration for me. The style and fashion sense of Parisians combined with the mysterious history of the city makes me want to design a colour collection for the well-heeled, sophisticated jet setter.

^{Moov's polishes

Photo Credit: Moov Cosmetics}

Moov Cosmetics currently focuses on nail lacquers. Will you expand to other areas of cosmetics in the future?

SKC & WL (collectively): We are so grateful and excited about the positive response to Moov from our community. Although we are happy to focus on nail lacquer at the moment, we definitely would love to expand Moov to include a line of high quality colour cosmetics that are vegan and do not test on animals.

If you could choose just one product to own from the Moov Cosmetics range, what would it be and why?

WL: A great manicure starts with healthy nails. A strong foundation for colour is important, so I would choose our unique base coat with garlic extract ($17.99 CDN). This helps to ensure healthy, strong nails, and the garlic also protects against nail fungus. My must-have product!

SKC: True North ($14.99 CDN) is my favourite colour and I believe that every girl should be able to rock bright red nails. It is a beautiful true red and is flattering on every skin tone. I'm a believer that red nails can transform any outfit from drab to fab! We both standby [the idea that] nails are the period at the end of a sentence.

Moov Cosmetics’ nail lacquers retail for $14.99 each. You can learn more about their product lines by visiting them at www.moovcosmetics.com.

^{Main Image Photo Credit: Moov Cosmetics}

Rosemina Nazarali

Author

Rosemina (@RoseminaN) is a writer and content strategist who has a special place in her heart for beauty. She’s always on the pulse of current trends and loves trying new products -- especially if they are brown-skin worthy! When she’s not playing with makeup, she’s travelling, going to concer...