Beauty Boss: Barb Stegemann, Founder of The 7 Virtues, Chats About Her Clean Fragrance Line, Beauty Secrets, and More
Barb Stegemann. Courtesy of The 7 Virtues
Our latest Beauty Boss is Barb Stegemann, Founder of The 7 Virtues—a clean B-Corp certified fragrance that draws from the stoic wisdom of great philosophers. The line exclusively features sustainably sourced ingredients and a wide range of scents that are unique, fun, and playful. All of The 7 Virtues’ products are vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free, in addition to being hypoallergenic and safe for sensitive skin.
The brand officially launched on International Women’s Day in 2010 and supports farmers around the world by sourcing ingredients directly from them. They are also one of Sephora’s bestselling clean fragrance brands and are built on the idea that business can be a force for good.
Also an author, Stegemann published her bestselling book The 7 Virtues of a Philosopher Queen — A Woman’s Guide to Living & Leading in an Illogical World in 2008, which is now in its ninth edition. The book empowers women to harness their buying power and voting power to reverse issues of war and poverty.
We chatted with Stegemann, who shared the inspiration behind the brand, secrets for success, best advice, favorite wellness tips, and much more.
The 7 Virtues is one of Sephora’s bestselling clean fragrance brands built on the idea that business can be a force for good. Courtesy of The 7 Virtues
When was The 7 Virtues founded and what’s the meaning behind the name?
The 7 Virtues was founded in 2010. The name comes from a book I wrote, The 7 Virtues of a Philosopher Queen: A Woman’s Guide to Living and Leading in an Illogical World.
I chose four Stoic virtues used by Churchill and soldiers during times of strife to navigate: truth, courage, justice, and wisdom. I added three more for women: wonder, balance, and beauty.
Beauty is your power and your dignity. Never hand them over and you will find your way to a good place.
I then brought the thesis of the book to life by sourcing sustainable essential oils to create clean perfume. From the beginning, we built the brand on conscious business principles and became a B Corp, taking care of the planet, and paying our people well.
What inspired the creation of the brand?
I promised my best friend, who was wounded serving in the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan, that I would continue his mission of peace. I began sourcing sustainably sourced oils from countries rebuilding after war, creating opportunity and dignity through business.
From the beginning, we built the brand on clean principles. Our perfumes are made without phthalates or parabens and meet Sephora’s clean standards.
The 7 Virtues Buttercream Haze Eau de Parfum ($94) features notes of buttercream icing, maple caramel crème, and whipped vanilla that melt into tonka bean. Courtesy of The 7 Virtues
Do you have a hero scent?
Vanilla Woods is our hero. It has a cult following in the best of ways. It was one of the first clean vanilla fragrances, and all of our scents last 24 hours because we double the industry standard for perfume oils in all of our scents. It has notes of caramel, pear, and a pop of rose. It’s sexy, sweet, and comforting.
What’s your favorite scent from the line?
I love them all, depending on my mood or the feeling I need from the aromatherapy. Vanilla Woods is my daily ritual. I also love blending Cherry Ambition with our Santal Vanille and Buttercream Haze. They all share vanilla and sandalwood, and together it smells like a very expensive spa or hotel.
Where are your products sold?
We are sold exclusively at Sephora in over 2,100 stores across 19 countries worldwide, and online at The 7 Virtues website. We are also Leaping Bunny certified, clean, and vegan.
The 7 Virtues Candied Lychee ($94) combines sugary pink lychee and juicy orange, which softened by peony and wrapped in vanilla and crystal amber. Courtesy of The 7 Virtues
Future plans for the brand?
To continue designing perfumes that layer together to create entirely new, bespoke scents. All of our perfumes contain the Harmony Molecule™ that guarantees they will layer beautifully and create a brand new fragrance. This molecule also ensures you are grounded in the aromatherapy benefits, all written on the back of each perfume bottle.
I opened our first perfume atelier in my home city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, where you design and name your own perfume, inspired by the style of Grasse, France. We are opening another in Toronto and one in New York in the coming year, and I plan to continue growing these experiences.
Who inspires you?
I am inspired by people who redefine themselves on their own terms, harnessing their challenges and even their perceived deficits into superpowers.
I was raised with humble roots by a single mom, and it gave me the gift of empathy. I was born with a hereditary hearing impairment, so I learned to read body language and can truly hear what someone is saying. I also have a sensory “deficit” where I can smell things others can’t, and that allows me to create hero perfumes. These are all my superpowers.
I want to see that in others. Let’s look at our gifts and lift one another.
The 7 Virtues Strawberry Jam Eau de Parfum ($94) is jammy, juicy, strawberry-swirled gourmand perfume that spreads joy with every spritz. Courtesy of The 7 Virtues
Secrets to success?
Work hard. Do what you love. Ensure you have a mentor. Follow the smart people and seek what they seek. Follow your instincts.
Best advice?
Ask yourself, what does life require of me in this moment, right now?
Beauty secrets?
I’m pescatarian and rarely eat sugar, it makes me hyper. I drink decaf, no caffeine. I eat lots of fish and greens, and your skin stays young from the inside out.
I wear sunscreen every day. Have a signature perfume, like no other, that becomes your trademark. I only wear clean beauty without harmful chemicals. Get your sleep.
And if you are in menopause, talk to your doctor. HRT seriously saved me. In the past it wasn’t spoken about enough and I suffered needlessly. I don’t want that to happen to others. It’s finally starting to be more talked about.
Also, be with the one who loves you. I’ve been married to my husband and business partner for 16 years, and I still feel like I’m his girlfriend. He makes me laugh, he’s my best friend, we flirt, and he still makes my heart flutter. I had never experienced that before. If you are in an unhappy partnership, as we both once were, move on. Don’t miss the person who sees you as the beautiful, purposeful, valuable and lovable person you are.
Stegemann is also the author of The 7 Virtues of a Philosopher Queen — a woman’s guide to living & leading in an illogical world. Courtesy of The 7 Virtues
Wellness tips?
Move your body every day. Listen to new music. Sleep in a cold room. Walk fast. Do what you love every day. Learn something new.
I’m teaching myself how to play piano. I love music notes and perfume notes. I have children’s stickers on my baby grand piano to follow along and learn, which is very cute. My husband loves listening, which makes it even more enjoyable.
How do you like to relax?
I swim for an hour each morning beneath the palm trees at Soho House in Miami. It’s my everything. I listen to new music on my Bose Ultras and move through the water doing the breaststroke.
For more information about The 7 Virtues, visit their website and follow on Instagram: @the7virtues
[Images courtesy of The 7 Virtues]
Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk