How Evelyn Ginossi’s European Travels Inspired Her Clean Bodycare Brand Marine + Vine
When you try Marine + Vine's eco-luxury bodycare products, from their Tahitian Oil, which smells like a tropical vacation in a glass bottle, to their oh-so moisturizing Nomad Rose Hand cream, you can just tell they're something special. That was founder Evelyn Ginossi's intention from the very start.
Evelyn was actually an attorney before her travels throughout Europe introduced her to incredible green beauty products that she simply couldn't find back home in the U.S. She was inspired to create her own bodycare brand built around environmental awareness, while still being genuine and personable, and thus, Marine + Vine was born. We've been fans of the brand for a while, and we had the opportunity to learn all about Evelyn herself, and learn precisely what Marine + Vine means to her.
Name: Evelyn Ginossi
IG Handle: @marineandvine
Hometown: Manhattan Beach, California
Fun Facts:
1. Evelyn started developing products at home back in 2017.
"I was spending my summers in Europe in the south of France where it was so easy to find beautiful, effective green beauty products. At the time, back in the U.S. it was difficult to find the same level of beautiful body care that I saw in Europe that was also "clean" (void of the 1300-plus chemical ingredients that are banned in the E.U.). In particular, I fell in love with the ingredient monoi oil (Marine + Vine's hero ingredient) and wanted to give it a home in a beautiful and effective body care product that would remind me of my vacations abroad."
-Evelyn Ginossi
(Image courtesy of Evelyn Ginossi)
2. A big defining moment for Evelyn was seeing Marine + Vine's Tahitian Oil samples in their stunning glass containers for the first time.
"It had taken me two years to develop Tahitian Oil, and seeing the product come to life, and then launch at a trade show where we received awards and special placement back in 2019, was a new level of accomplishment and pride in my work that had eluded me up until then. It's been difficult, but developing the type of authentic, effective body care that Marine + Vine has been known for has been an incredibly satisfying pursuit."
-Evelyn Ginossi
(via Marine + Vine)
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3. Before Marine + Vine, Evelyn was an attorney—and the skills she learned in the trade definitely helped when it came to developing her business.
"I think at the core, developing critical thinking skills has been the most helpful. Training as an attorney (both in law school and the actual practice) helps to develop problem-solving skills. To be able to look at an issue, pick it apart, apply what you already know and then develop conclusions that would resolve the issue is a skill set that I use daily. I can't think of how I would have developed in the same way had I not been an attorney."
-Evelyn Ginossi
4. At the moment, her one, must-have bodycare product is Marine + Vine's Nomad Rose Hand Cream.
" It's super versatile, moisturizing, hydrating, has powerful anti-aging ingredients and smells great. If I am traveling with limited space, I take it with me and use it all over after showering."
-Evelyn Ginossi
(via Marine + Vine)
5. The name Marine + Vine has various meanings.
"Firstly, they are two separate cross-streets of places where I lived for many years in Los Angeles. Marine + Vine also represents a crossroads of influence for the brand—the beaches of where I'm from in Southern California and the vineyards of the south of France, where I spent a lot of time when developing the brand."
-Evelyn Ginossi
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6. Marine + Vine is all about effective, sustainable, eco-conscious, travel-inspired bodycare that reflects authenticity as well as a timeless style.
"We develop eco-conscious body care with a story and personality—an authenticity that many big eco-conscious brands lack. Our customers like the memories and connections that they create to our products. I can't think of many other brands where products also evoke such memories, emotion and connection. When customers connect with me—they tell me stories of where they used my product, what it reminds them of—I love that so much."
-Evelyn Ginossi
7. The best piece of advice she ever got came from an improv teacher at The Groundlings in West Hollywood.
"One of my instructors would yell, 'Commit!' in the middle of my scene when I wasn't making a decision on stage with confidence. When your message and action don't come out with confidence and conviction, it buffers the impact, and your audience isn't convinced. Sometimes when I'm not doing something as well as I could be, that pops into my head, and I put a little more energy and intentional direction into what I'm doing."
-Evelyn Ginossi
8. Her morning workouts—particularly when her energy is low—are one big habit that has helped her get to where she is today.
"Even if it's just a super mild workout, I always feel more energized, positive and accomplished. I'm also always listening to music, and sometimes it gives me that the little push I need to get motivated to finish a project. What I listen to varies greatly—it can be anything from a Zumba song that I Shazamed to the late '90s punk rock I listened to in college at USCB."
-Evelyn Ginossi
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9. Her top bodycare tip is never to forget the hands and arms as part of your anti-aging skincare routine.
"Hands can show signs of aging before your face, since people constantly use their hands and expose them to the elements and different working conditions. I started with putting my face cream on my hands years ago, and then I realized developing a fun hand cream with the same ingredients I was using on my face, like hyaluronic acid, was the way to go."
-Evelyn Ginossi
10. Evelyn is a first-generation Chilean-American.
"My connection to my heritage means more and more to me as I get older. During the past year, my mom's health and memory have declined rapidly, so there have been a lot of times where I've taken a deep dive into our relationship and family life to make sure I preserve those connections to her and to her home country of Chile. On a fundamental level, I appreciate the sacrifice my mom made in raising a family here, since it created so many opportunities for me as a woman that she didn't have growing up in 1950s Chile. Last year I met two of my cousins for the first time and we spoke a lot about what it was like for mom and her sisters to grow up in Chile—you get a new appreciation for life when you hear about what others have gone through, that's for sure."
-Evelyn Ginossi
11. Humor is really important to her.
"If you have a bad joke, always tell it, because likely I am the person who will laugh."
-Evelyn Ginossi
For more from our favorite entrepreneurs, click HERE to read our interview with Kara Turner Newmark of Sweetology.