Some Updates (+ a BIG Beautycounter Update)

Hi friend, and thank you so much for reading this today.

I’ve been debating on whether or not to share updates like this on the blog, as sometimes I don’t think things need to be said (or maybe you don’t even notice? lol) when it relates to the frequency of an online presence from me.

I do, however, think that it’s important to be transparent when it affects content, life and especially brands that I have partnered with, love and stand by.

I shared alllll about this on video across Instagram and Facebook stories yesterday (you can watch the replay here or here), but I know some still prefer to read versus watch and might prefer updates here from the blog in your email inbox.

So here we are!

A quick life update

It’s no secret that content has shifted a bit since the days of producing short blurbs with workout graphics, recipes or a quick hack sprinkled into daily whereabouts.

Life In Leggings was created as a healthy lifestyle blog and platform to do just that – offer a space you can always search around in the archives for workout ideas, healthy eating tips, daily life musings and more.

Throughout the years, I have felt inclined and was excited to jump on the bandwagon with vlogging and blogging culture early on (2010!), and that is exactly what started this corner of the Internet that I called my home and full-time job for many years and seasons.

Fast forward to today, and we are still here sharing, but content has turned into less “life” with daily check-ins to more “leggings” with dedicated posts on health and wellness. Friday Favorites stay alive with sporadic recaps that include things to do in New York City and our travels around the world. But how can you not document those things, right? 😉

I’ve been in a funk for a while trying to figure out what I should be posting, how much I should be dedicating to the blog versus social media, and where the balance lies with how much I share about my family. Sharing it all and showing up everywhere was a big part of my life and this brand for many years, and I feel closely connected when you message me in response to a post or comment something like you remember when we were going through “x” or moving to “y” and have followed ever since!

It seriously melts my heart. (Thank you!)

Over the years, and especially since Skyler was born, I’ve realized that it’s not realistic for anyone to show up on all platforms all of the time, unless you have some help. And yes, many bloggers and influencers you see out there all.the.time who post consistently *do* have that.

Consistency isn’t easy, especially in a creative space, and especially if you’re also juggling the majority of parenthood duties, household duties and trying to find a way to unplug and be present around your kiddos and loved ones.

And this is where I’ve been.

I’m currently in a season of enjoying the present, letting go of silly expectations I put on myself, and being okay with deadlines that have to extend due to … well, life.

Sometimes visitors come into town and you want to make great memories with them. Sometimes you decide that traveling and experiences are more important than gifts for holidays and birthdays (me this year!), so you say yes and then document that experience over other planned projects.

After being here for a bit, I’ve realized that there is happiness and growth in being okay with letting go of something you loved, even if it’s something you loved *a lot* for a very long time.

And for me, that means an expectation to show up all the time and share it all. Right now, I’m popping in when it makes sense and sharing what feels right, and that’s where I’m at.

That’s the background of how we got here, so now let’s dive into some big news that rocked my world the last few weeks and what you need to know.

BIG Beautycounter update

As of April 18th, the site has gone dark with hopes of a re-launch by this October.

You probably already know that Beautycounter is the brand that introduced me to the concept of clean beauty and actually turning the labels around in skincare and makeup products. I learned the importance of knowing what goes into products, as it directly goes into what goes on our skin and once you know … you can’t unknow.

Basically, our country is highly under-regulated when it comes to safety in our beauty products. There is a big gap in what is banned in the European Union and what ingredients are allowed to be in the bottles and on the shelves of brands many know and love in America.

Truth is, it’s scary, and this is exactly how and why Beautycounter came about. The Founder/CEO, Gregg Renfrew, saw the need to not only create a line that anyone could trust for their family, but also educates on switching to safer products for long-term health benefits. The company has always been #cleanbeautymovement mission first, products second and has helped change and better the entire beauty industry for all by stepping up for product safety.

(You can read more about that on my Clean Beauty page.)

I joined as a consultant and partner back in 2019, after a few years of trying the products and knowing I wanted to be a part of the journey of switching to safer products for others. It blossomed into a great little side job, and I truly love sharing the journey of clean beauty with you still today.

So what the heck happened?

Back in 2021, Beautycounter was sold to a private equity firm called The Carlyle Group. Gregg was asked to step down as CEO not long after that, and ever since … things have fallen apart.

In February 2024, Gregg was then asked to step back in as CEO of Counter Brands and complied as an effort to reverse some of the damage that had been done. Upon her return, unfortunately, she was unable to fix financial strains that ultimately led to the company going into foreclosure.

All efforts were made to save what was left of Counter Brands, but the very best Gregg could do was form an entirely new company with new investors (G2G) and purchase rights to sell Beautycounter products in the future.

Since then, the site had to go completely dark in the time of transition, and we were told that there would be a new Beautycounter up and running on May 1st. All operations had to stop and that led to layoffs from Beautycounter Headquarters, the retail stores and some consultants. As May approached, we didn’t hear any news except to expect more delays. We received the news that a complete shut down would be taking place for several months in order to form a solid foundation for the new Beautycounter 2.0 to stand on May 6th.

There is a lot of work to be done from now until then, and we are told that a re-launch will take place in Quarter 4 of 2024, hopefully by October.

What does this mean for consultants, members and clients?

I don’t have all of the answers, but I can empathize with you feeling upset and like this came out of nowhere.

Even as an advocate, I didn’t have much heads up about how everything was going down until it happened. I didn’t have the opportunity to reach out to clients before the site shut down, and I wasn’t able to re-stock on products like I would have liked to do if I knew something of this scale was coming.

As members, any product credit left in your account won’t be transferred over upon the site’s return, as G2G is a separate entity of Counter Brands. We are told, however, that customer support will be working on as much as they can to compensate for this.

As a consultant, unfortunately, no commissions will be paid or earned during this off time. The structure of titles earned and teams will most likely look different on the other side. I think there are just a lot of unknowns, and Gregg doesn’t want to over-promise and under-deliver.

Some consultants have chosen to sign up with other clean beauty brands, and/or provide clean swap alternatives and suggestions while Beautycounter is down. I don’t believe consulting with another company is the path for me (at least not for a long while), but I am going to need to replace skincare, makeup and body products as I run out of them and will be sure to share the wins and suggestions with you along the way.

Overall thoughts

Like I expressed in the videos linked above, I am still optimistic that there will be another brighter side to the story at the end of this storm when everything re-launches, and I am hoping to be here to help you when that happens.

I fully stand behind the quality of the products and the mission that started Beautycounter in the first place — and that is to get safer products into the hands of everyone (whether you buy from the brand or not by stepping up to change our beauty laws).

That said, I do feel like how everything escalated down and quickly is horrible and that communication during the transition could have been better. My gut is telling me that Gregg did the best she could with what was left and was forced to make big moves QUICKLY, which ultimately led us to where we are today. So I guess we will all just have to wait and see how everything unfolds and develops.

We can only control what we can control, so I will be using the extra time I would normally spend towards my Beautycounter business working on that course I keep hinting towards – we’re finally making real progress there and that excites me!

I will most likely be using a mixture of Beautycounter and other clean swaps I’ve tried at this point, and I will continue to do that until I find a balance and confidence that everything is BACK and hopefully better on the other side.

(I dive into more thoughts and answer questions from some of you in the story videos, so you can watch more on that here or here.)

In the mean time, I am so sorry for any inconvenience that this down time is causing you.

Please, please (!!!) reach out to me if you have any specific questions or need product recommendations to fill in the gaps, and I cannot THANK YOU ENOUGH for being here and supporting me, this blog, my clean beauty journey and the movement towards safer products for all.

Much love to you and talk soon!

xo