Gretchen Christine Beaute by Gretchen Rossi from The Real Housewives of Orange County

I recently had the pleasure of talking to Gretchen Rossi this week to discuss her makeup line, Gretchen Christine Beaute. Along the way we ended up talking about her journey to get to this point and all the great things she’s done, and is yet to do.

As the nation watched Gretchen fought the fight against cancer with Jeff, and ultimately watched him lose the battle. Before Jeff passed, they would spend time together reading her poetry and writings. While the writing was a therapeutic thing for Gretchen, Jeff knew all along that someday she would be in the studio recording beautiful music. So when she found herself recording the song she had written after losing Jeff, she knew that he was smiling down on her. Her inspirational song titled, “Nothing Without You” can be found on iTunes. A portion of the proceeds of the debut single will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) in memory of Jeff Beitzel.

Much of Gretchen’s grieving was done privately while she was attacked repeatedly in the public eye. But through it all she remained true to who she was, and stayed away from the negativity. Although she had the same platform as those who were attacking her, she decided to use it for something positive. As an intelligent career woman she saw a need, used her experiences, and created Gretchen Christine Beaute.

Naturally I wanted to know how GCB came to be. She shared that during a time in her life where she was struggling financially, she got fed up with having to spend a $100 on a bottle of foundation that lasted her a month. So she woke up one day and decided to do something about it! Being a self described “girly girl”, she knew exactly how to create something that was beautiful, and worked just as well as those products priced much higher. She recognized the struggle the country is facing with the economy, and she hit the pavement running, creating GCB.

Her vision and her choices were put to the test when her online store opened. While she did strongly believe in her product, she never expected to run through her 3 month supply in 3 weeks! Soon after her orders shipped, came the emails and hand written notes of testimonials from her fans. They shared how happy they were to be able to get Gretchen’s look and a quality product, all within their means.

Her most popular item has been the eye shadow palette. Each palette was created by Gretchen herself, and comes in a user friendly package with a built in mirror. The compact contains 5 colors that effortlessly go from day to night, and are what I like to call “Idiot Proof”. The colors in each compact are very cohesive, and can be worn in a multitude of ways. I was very happy to hear that Gretchen was taking that philosophy to the next level by creating kits. This is going to be a great tool for women who have a hard time putting a look together, and especially for those who are intimated by a giant makeup counter and don’t want items that they won’t use pushed at them. I put Gretchen on the spot and asked her to pick one item that someone should start with. She had a hard time picking one with so many favorites, but she ended up choosing the Color Swirls from her line. She says that a little color and depth will really open up a face, and that every woman needs a little extra glow.

Being that she always looks like a million bucks I was sure her wardrobe cost close to that. I wanted to know who she wore, and who she loved. While she loves Roberto Cavalli, Prada and Escada, and would wear them on a daily basis in an ideal world, for now she can’t. So her daily wardrobe is filled with BEBE and BCBG, and she finds that she can’t walk out of either store without doing some damage.

In line with her makeup brand, another project in the works for Gretchen is, ‘Gretchen’s Closet’. It’s no secret that Gretchen’s style is one that is followed closely by her fans. Her photos are posted on many sites, with people asking who and what she’s wearing. Unfortunately for the fans by the time the show comes on, those items are long gone. Motivated by her fans and their desire to get her look, she decided to launch ‘Gretchen’s Closet’ in order to give her fans access to her looks first hand!

I wondered what inspired Gretchen to pursue these ideas, and led her to be this career woman. When I asked her what made her the woman she is today, Gretchen, without hesitation, said her upbringing. Her parents’ support and love, and her faith have played huge factors in her life. She knows that she’s here for a purpose and will get through whatever comes her way. But for the time being, she’s busy making the world a more beautiful place, one GCB product at a time!

Next week I’ll be going over some of my GCB products with you, and will let you know which ones you need to get your hands on for Summer!