Living Pretty, Naturally’s Kate Murphy On Balance, Brand Partnerships And The Possibility Of Branching Out To Skincare
Beyond the sheen of an Instagram feed, Kate Murphy of Living Pretty, Naturally makes it very clear her life isn’t all cozy Norwegian adventures and tropical vacations. She juggles running a chess company, yoga instructing, and sharing beauty, food and wellness suggestions on digital platforms, and still manages to squeeze in trips to farmers markets to scour brands. “As an entrepreneur, your work is your lifestyle, so it is important to find ways to combine or blend these together,” says Oslo-based Murphy. Beauty Independent caught up with the busy influencer to learn about cookies (the digital kind), the impending outgrowth of Instagram, the issues with big companies entering the natural segment and the possibility of branching out to a skincare line.
How did Living Pretty, Naturally come about?
My curiosity began at a young age, thanks to my first healthy inspiration, my mom. She is a true natural beauty. Having worked for a naturopath in her earlier days, she kept things clean and healthy for our family. Her knowledge and natural cures first got me into the natural mindset, and I took it a few steps further into the cosmetics and beauty realm. My inquisitive nature led me to ask more questions about what I was putting on my skin. I began doing my research on products and testing methods, leading to a lot of holy sh#* realizations and coming to the realization that cosmetics were being tested on animals. I wanted a place to share this knowledge. So, Living Pretty, Naturally was born.
How do you feel about being an influencer?
I am deeply grateful that I have a platform on which I can share the things I learn and share the things I love. I don’t think so much about being an influencer, but I take great responsibility in that which I share and talk about on my channels. It means the world to me that I am able to make a positive impact, and that is what I feel best about.
You run a chess company and work as a yoga Instructor in addition to creating digital content. How do balance your professional responsibilities?
When you have a lot to do, you must recognize the need for balance and the importance of self-care. One of the things I hope my readers can relate to is that I’m not living a life jumping from one tropical location to the next and skipping the realities of daily work, stress and time pressures. I live the same life as most do, and I try my best to be honest about how I manage and balance it in order to live a more full life.
What is your favorite way to discover new brands?
My favorite way is at farmers markets since you meet the makers of these small home-operated, often one-woman or one-man businesses. I love seeing the fire in their eyes and the passion for what the creators are doing. It is my favorite because it is so true and authentic. You can ask specifically, “Where do you source the ingredients from?” Often, the creator will be able to tell you from which farm it was harvested and when the plants were processed into the ingredients they use. That being said, to discover bigger brands, I love finding them at small boutique shops that locally curated from their own country, province or state.
How do you identify brands to partner with?
A great deal obviously comes down to ingredients and ethics. I want to know that the brand understands and has the same values that I do. Brands that are taking their ingredients and how they are sourced seriously are not difficult to spot. They tend to be very open about their stories. I love speaking with founders to get a feel for what they are passionate about, and that helps me gain more insight and interest in their brands.
What do you wish brands knew about working with Influencers?
I can’t count the number of times a brand has said, “We will send you free product for a post.” These days, it is important to recognize that influencers take time with brands, not just testing them, but also photographing them, writing about them, researching ingredients, understanding sourcing methods and talking about them on their social media channels. It’s important for brands to understand this takes time and work. For me, I test skincare products for one to two weeks and makeup for a few days. It is important that brands understand that influencers are doing this authentically and should be compensated for their work. Free product is not seen as payment. It is a valuable service that influencers provide.
How do you work with brands, and what do you charge?
Like most things, it depends. I don’t charge for everything. Oftentimes, I find and purchase something on my own and post about it without the brand reaching out at all. For varying projects, whether it’s Instagram, a blog spot or video clips on Stories, it’s all about what the brand is looking for and what I feel is valuable for my audience. It’s priced accordingly.
What has been your most successful partnership with a brand, and why?
My most successful partnership has been with a California brand that does both beautiful products that are extremely pure, and she also fairly compensates me for the work I do with promoting the products. When new products are out, the affiliate team is great about sending it right over, and compensating much above the 10% to 15% industry average. Further, there are no cookie limits. So, once a customer has come through me, that is seen as my account, and I will earn for their loyalty, too. Customers are loyal because I am. I think other brands could learn from this. I have worked with this brand the longest and most frequently in my posts.
Which of your posts seem to get the most attention?
Hair posts seem to do really well as well as specific top 10 tips or favorites. When I write on something that is easily Google-able or easy to digest, I tend to see higher attention and more hits.
What changes do you see in the industry due to the indie beauty movement?
I have been watching this industry for the better part of seven years, and what is happening now is more and more big brands are buying out the indie brands and also launching their own. The issue here is that they are not upholding the ingredient standards and finding ways to slip synthetics and chemicals into naturally-branded products. Goliath brands like Unilever launched their new naturals line, only for us to find artificial fragrance in it. If that’s what you use, say it.
It’s going to be more and more important for smaller brands to be transparent, while the big box brands convert more people to thinking about natural. In a sense, they do the indie industry a favor since, before big box brands launched, these new sectors many of these customers would never have sought it out. This grows the market rather than shrinks it, but it isn’t necessarily truthful.
How do you feel the indie beauty movement in Norway compares to the states?
In Norway, it’s still growing. I feel like, [in] the last four years, it has become more apparent alongside the growth of yoga, organic food and other lifestyle activities like newer and bigger spas. It has been a slow journey, especially if I compare it to my hometown of Vancouver, Canada, which is a mecca for green beauty and natural wellness.
What is interesting here is that Norwegians, by their very culture, are nature focused. They’re always hiking, swimming in the ocean and spending time with the earth. So, it is almost a natural extension of what the people are already passionate about. I have seen the growth of raw food cafes, smoothie bars and a few local skincare brands, but more opportunity and options would help.
Where do you see the influencer community heading in the next few years?
Tough question. One thing I know for sure: There will definitely be a shift. What that will look like yet, I am still not sure. Instagram will eventually morph and give way to other platforms. There will be a point when we reach some level of critical mass, and influencers will need to go beyond just posting pictures of brands and, instead, start courses or create other interactive experiences that give more value to the user.
What is on the horizon for Living Pretty, Naturally?
For now, I’ve been considering creating my own skincare line or partnering up with the right brand to create something beautiful together. I’ve also toyed with writing a book. My heart is feeling called to go into the wider space of wellness and growth spiritually and physically. Green beauty is a big part of that because it has to do with self-love and care. Beyond that, yoga, eating well and connecting to something greater than ourselves I think is an important growth trajectory for the brand.
