It’s hard not to be taken by Margaret de Heinrich de Omorovicza. When we meet, she’s in the midst of moving her family and all of their belongings into a new home a stone’s throw away from their longtime Kensington home. Rather than invite me to her office, she insists on having me in the house and is warm and personable in a way that’s rare from a woman in her position. As soon as I arrive, she signals me to join her on the sofa before launching into a discussion about everything from politics and women in work to the state of dating right now (connecting people is her favorite pastime) and her favorite topic of all: beauty. A one-hour chat quickly turns into three, and I walk away more enamored by her and Omorovicza than I was when I arrived.
The beauty brand she founded with husband, Stephen de Heinrich de Omorovicza is something of an insider’s secret despite the fact that this year marked it’s 10th anniversary. Don’t be fooled though, it’s under-the-radar cult status have neither damaged its cachet nor sales. At a time where mass-produced beauty lines are de rigueur, Omorovicza is the antidote. Those in the know have been lapping up is cleansing balm and gold-infused eye treatment for years. It’s Queen of Hungary Mist is an updated version of a revitalizing spritz said to date back to the 14th century and Queen Elizabeth of Hungary is said to have had the recipe written out in gold. A bottle is kept in the Louvre. Every product has a purpose, is rooted in heritage and is driven by technology.
What separates the brand, though, is that it’s built around Budapest’s thermal water. Any skincare you pick up is made up for at least 60 per cent water, she tells me, and Budapest happens to have the best in the world. It’s a known fact that the Earth’s crust is thinner there, which is why a high concentration of minerals absorb more effectively in the water. And it doesn’t end there. The brand also teams up with one of the world’s leading dermatological laboratories to make sure the minerals are transformed to guarantee optimal absorption into the skin. When you go Omorovicza, you don’t go back.
When we meet, we spoke about all of that and more; like her skincare routine, work as a diplomat and thoughts on the pro-age message…
ON FINDING HER PROFESSIONAL PATH: Growing up, my aspirations were pretty simple – I wanted to love what I did. I needed to love what I did as I knew early on that if I didn’t, I would never be as successful as I hoped to be. Discovering what you love isn’t easy so I did loads of internships at places like W Magazine, Late Night with Conan O’Brien just after he took over for Letterman, Time Magazine in London among some other wonderful places. I was lucky to be selected for Time’s graduate program where they select a handful of grads each year and expose them to editorial, marketing and publishing. After the training program was over, I moved into their web group right around the AOL acquisition, which was a really interesting time. All the experiences were special and I left with great insights into that line of work – it helped me focus on what I truly wanted to pursue. At Time in particular, I had some amazing mentors who were so wonderful to me – especially when my father was quite ill. I learned from them how important being ‘real’ and human was as a boss.
ON BECOMING A DIPLOMAT: At the time I got a call to become a diplomat, I was still at Time but doing PR for Blue Hill [restaurant in Manhattan] on the side. Even though I loved my job and working with Blue Hill – I so believed in what [chef] Dan Barber and his family were doing – I knew that moving to Budapest would be a remarkable, life changing opportunity. Things moved pretty quickly after that call – I spent the next 6 months studying everything I could about the country and had one amazing experience after another. I met the most extraordinary people doing incredible things. I was completely out of my depth but that actually added to the excitement. I can’t tell you how many times I walked into a meeting and had to take a deep breath and say to myself, ‘you can do this’.
ON HER ROLE AS CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE US AMBASSADOR TO HUNGARY: No two days were ever alike and I loved it. The Ambassador is a real powerhouse – incredibly capable and driven, not to mention super fun. I learned so much from her. A day might begin working on a healthcare initiative – when I was there we started the largest breast cancer charity in the country – and later that same day I might have found myself at the airforce base. In the evenings, there were always so many diplomatic gatherings with great casts of characters. One of my favorites homes to visit was the Dean of the Central European University. He would always have extraordinary visitors, artists, musicians, and scientists – a rather motley crew sitting around his kitchen table late into the night. This is where I learned to drink scotch, neat. It would be easy to think that it was simply the people that made these dinners so magical but I am convinced that Budapest in the backdrop is what really drew out the glamorous nomad in each of the crowd.
ON MEETING HER HUSBAND & BUSINESS PARTNER, STEPHEN: We met on a blind date – a wonderful mutual friend, Georg von Habsburg took us both out for dinner. Halfway through, he had to rush off as his wife was having a baby. Stephen and I talked all night and when he walked me home, we discovered that we lived literarily five minutes from each other. Funny to think now that without that introduction we could have spent years just walking past each other. This is one of the reasons I love connecting people.
THE BACKSTORY FOR THE OMOROVICZA BRAND: Stephen is Hungarian and when we first started dating, he was the one who really illuminated Budapest for me. He took me to all his favorite spots. At the top of his list were the Thermal Baths – in Hungarian they are called Healing Waters. I remember our first trip there together – 50 ft. tall ceilings, marble frescoes everywhere and because the waters rise up from deep within the earth, they are extremely hot so the steam rises up from the water which creates a beautiful dramatic scene. He told me how these waters were discovered 2000 years ago as the Roman Caesar Marcus Aureoles marched through the country and his wounded soldiers waded into the bubbling springs and their skin healed quickly. The Knights Templar in the Middle Ages built hospices on the same sites. As we were getting out of the waters, I saw a large sign engraved in marble and it said ‘donated to the Hungarians for their health and wellbeing, 1865, Johann de Heinrich de Omorovicza’. Turned out that Stephen’s relatives had so believed in the healing properties of these waters that they bought the oldest source in the country, worked with a famous architect and then donated it to the Hungarians. These stories were enchanting, but what drove my interest were the effects they had on my skin. I had always had horrible skin and had been on Accutane and other medication for as long as I could remember. The difference these waters made to my skin was what got me hooked. For Stephen, it was also these effects but his family heritage as well. What really got us moving forward, though, was a chance meeting with a Hungarian Laboratory of Dermatology, which was involved in the Noble Prize winning discovery of Vitamin C. Together, we were able to develop and patent a process making these mineral rich waters extremely anti-aging.
ON SAYING ‘YES’ TO UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITIES: My move to Budapest to start my career as a diplomat was definitely one of those moments. I said yes in a split second and I’m so happy I did. Taking the leap of faith to launch Omorovica was the same and an experience that continues to enrich me. Both decisions scared the ba-jezus out of me but have provided so much joy as well. I have never regretted jumping at unexpected opportunities – however painful they may have felt at the time. In fact, I would say it has been these decisions that have helped define my life thus far. Change is the spice of life. I love the power of reinvention. Actually, it’s not even about reinvention because when you embrace new things you take everything you’ve learned with you. I always like to think of my career as something that’s always in motion. I feel like I’m at my most beautiful when I’m moving, not when I’m stagnant and waiting to be judged. I feel my most powerful when I’m taking action and doing things and improving myself. I always say that beauty is when potential exceeds expectation. I think we’re all put on this earth to reach our potential. We all have set of expectations for ourselves so when we start something and push ourselves beyond that, that’s when the magic happens, not when we’re trying to fit within society’s ideals of the perfect linear. It’s more special when it’s bespoke and you’re truly achieving your inner potential.
ON THEIR FIRST FEW PRODUCTS: We started with eight – everything you need for a classic facial. The Rejuvenating Night Cream, Queen of Hungary Mist and Deep Cleansing Mask were all part of this group. The arguments we had about these were intense – not just the effects of course but the fragrance as well. All our fragrances are pure and have ingredients that benefit the skin. Stephen and I don’t always like the same thing, though. When we were developing the Rejuvenating Night Cream for example, he really pushed for Mimosa. I thought it was too Continental, almost too rarefied and sophisticated and not accessible enough. He pushed for it and it has always been one of our top sellers ever since – everyone loves the fragrance.
BEING A NATURAL BRAND: Interestingly Stephen and I did not set out to create a natural range – there simply was never any discussion that it would be synthetic. We were more inspired by the opportunity to innovate – excluding synthetics was just another way for us to push the envelope and reflect our values and how we lived our lives.
EARLY RELATIONSHIP WITH HER SKIN: I can name my beauty regime from the age of 12. I can tell you which products I used and why I used them. I can tell you when my skin was its best, what I was using that made it so good and also when it was it’s worst and the factors that caused that. I honestly have an encyclopedic memory of my skin condition. I’ve always been into skincare. I’ve been working and supporting myself since I was 15 and was always the person who would save to buy the best quality skincare. There would definitely be times where I’d gone out too much or I’d bought a pretty dress and I’d have to go back to standard beauty products, but as soon as I could I’d be back with my excellent skincare. I was always willing to pay more for quality skincare. It really meant something to me.
SKINCARE ROUTINE: I am always trying new things so it changes constantly but I’m currently loving our Cleansing Foam and Elemental Emulsion mixed with our new Oxygen Booster followed by a mix of our Miracle Facial Oil and Illuminating Moisturizer. On my body I use our Firming Body Oil and sometimes mix it with our Body Cream as I have super dry skin. I am also a huge perfume fan and douse myself with something we are creating. Come nighttime I keep it simple with out Thermal Cleansing Balm, Miracle Facial Oil and Rejuvenating Night Cream.
FIVE FALL SKINCARE TIPS: 1) Use an oil-based cleanser like a cleansing balm – the oil helps regulate the moisture in your skin, which can be quite tricky to do in the transitional seasons. Also, I love oil-based cleansers for all skin types as not only do they improve tone and texture, but also as oil dissolves oil, they’re also great for those with combination skin. 2) Exfoliate – one of the easiest and quickest things you can do to improve any dull complexion is to exfoliate. Dead skin cells that accumulate on the skin’s surface is a big reason people have lacklustre complexions. 3) Get a Facial – ideally, we should get a facial at least once every three months as the seasons are changing. Try to find someone you really like and keep going to them. They will become best placed to guide you on which products to use as the condition of your skin naturally evolves over time. 4) I am a big believer in targeted care – use products formulated to address a certain concern. Masks are a great way to target your skincare regime. Also, using masks are a great way to continue and maintain the great work done by facialists. 5) I love having the ability to personalize my skincare regime by using a facial oil mixed with my moisturizer. Especially at this time of year, I find I need an extra boost of nutrients and moisture that just a small amount of an excellent facial oil can deliver.
ON THE CONTROVERSY AROUND ANTI-AGEING PRODUCTS: On one hand you want to be like Dove and tell people that they’re beautiful just the way they are and that they don’t have to do anything. But I honestly think that’s rubbish. It’s a great message but the reality is that a lot of us actually need a lot of help. I truly believe that any woman can be beautiful without exception, but you’ve got to work at it. This is front line stuff! And it’s not about doing it for men. I want to look amazing and feel good for myself. A lot of people look at the beauty industry and think it’s not ‘serious’ and that, as empowered women we should beautiful just as we are. I think we all agree though, that when we walk out the door and feel like we’re looking good, it changes how we feel, it changes the way we walk into a room and our presence in a business meeting. It matters. I think that for women to feel like they’ll be diminished if they pursue that is very sad and a dialogue that needs to happen. I go without make-up all the time so being heavily made up every day is not what I’m promoting. It’s about making it okay for women to want to look amazing.
ON FEELING GOOD FROM THE INSIDE OUT: I tried having a trainer but we always ended up just talking about life…it made for a great hour but I didn’t get very fit! That is one of the reasons I prefer classes. I love doing spinning, Pilates and yoga and I also love tennis. I find when there’s a group, I work harder even when I’m on my own and don’t know anyone.
THE CHALLENGES OF RUNNING A BUSINESS: I imagine every entrepreneur says the same thing – you can never truly switch off. Even with a fantastic team, if it is your own business you have so many things swimming around your head and such a huge sense of responsibility and ambition. Years ago someone gave Stephen and I great advice about taking holidays. If you have your own business, you need to change expectations of what a holiday entails so don’t expect an email-free holiday – schedule whatever is needed so that one’s mind is at rest but be ruthless about the rest of the day.
BEING A WORKING MOM: On Monday I was going crazy because I had a ton of deadlines, Stephen was away, I had a son that was screaming his head off, a daughter who didn’t want to do her homework and I knew I’d have to go back to the office that evening. As women, we need to appreciate that we’re going to have bad days. So many of us read articles and think that these incredible women are juggling work and home so well and make it look easy when, if any of us are being honest, out of ten working days, we may have three really awesome days and five that are half and half. But that’s okay. There’s a lot of guilt, not just with about home but also at work but none of us can really be that ideal of perfection. Things have shifted from our mother’s generation. For them, your career was very black or white: you were either a mother or a career woman. I’ve built my life around Omorovicza. I scoot around in my high heels, dropping my daughters to school and then dash straight into a meeting. I love that my daughters and my sons see that I’m working. It’s tough because they want me to home but as a mother, I want them to know that things aren’t just given to you.
THE MOTTOS SHE LIVES BY: I love the saying, ‘It’s better to light a candle, than curse the darkness,’ and I’ve always loved this quote by Calvin Coolidge of all people: ‘Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.’