EMMA LEWISHAM 'Being different is a great thing!'
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ|June 2023
The Kiwi skincare queen opens up about her humble beginnings, her determination to break the mould and her struggles with infertility.
JUDY BAILEY
EMMA LEWISHAM 'Being different is a great thing!'

Emma Lewisham has a personal endorsement from legendary conservationist Dr Jane Goodall, and her self-named skincare products have been snapped up by Hollywood glitterati like Margot Robbie and Julianne Moore. Gwyneth Paltrow has added the Emma Lewisham brand to her Goop website and she’s been featured in Vogue magazine.

Hers is the world’s first certified carbon-positive and circular-designed beauty brand. Her products are natural and the packaging is completely refillable. Emma Lewisham is one of Australasia’s fastest-growing beauty brands.

It’s surprising, then, that she launched just under four years ago, without a traditional background in the beauty business. And she achieved it all right here in New Zealand.

“We underestimate the knowledge we have,” the 38-year-old insists.

It’s been quite a journey for the farm girl from Morrinsville, another high achiever from that small Waikato town. Morrinsville’s other famous scion is former prime minister Jacinda Ardern, which delights Emma. “It’s great that we’re both from there.”

Emma didn’t come from a privileged background. Her parents were “incredibly hard-working”, she says. “Dad was a livestock manager for MAF [Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry] and he was also a sharemilker. He would get up at 4.30am and milk the cows. Mum stayed at home with us kids during the day and worked at night. I’d go with her to her cleaning job at the local bank. Nothing was below her. That instilled a sense of humility in me.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S WEEKLY NZView all
PRETTY WOMAN
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

PRETTY WOMAN

Dial up the joy with a mood-boosting self-care session done in the privacy of your own home. It’s a blissful way to banish the winter blues.

time-read
3 mins  |
July 2024
Hitting a nerve
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

Hitting a nerve

Regulating the vagus nerve with its links to depression, anxiety, arthritis and diabetes could aid physical and mental wellbeing.

time-read
5 mins  |
July 2024
The unseen Rovals
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

The unseen Rovals

Candid, behind the scenes and neverbefore-seen images of the royal family have been released for a new exhibition.

time-read
2 mins  |
July 2024
Great read
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

Great read

In novels and life - there's power in the words left unsaid.

time-read
2 mins  |
July 2024
Winter dinner winners
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

Winter dinner winners

Looking for some thrifty inspiration for weeknight dinners? Try our tasty line-up of budget-concious recipes that are bound to please everyone at the table.

time-read
3 mins  |
July 2024
Winter baking with apples and pears
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

Winter baking with apples and pears

Celebrate the season of apples and pears with these sweet bakes that will keep the cold weather blues away.

time-read
7 mins  |
July 2024
The wines and lines mums
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

The wines and lines mums

Once only associated with glamorous A-listers, cocaine is now prevalent with the soccer-mum set - as likely to be imbibed at a school fundraiser as a nightclub. The Weekly looks inside this illegal, addictive, rising trend.

time-read
10+ mins  |
July 2024
Former ballerina'sBATTLE with BODY IMAGE
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

Former ballerina'sBATTLE with BODY IMAGE

Auckland author Sacha Jones reveals how dancing led her to develop an eating disorder and why she's now on a mission to educate other women.

time-read
7 mins  |
July 2024
MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN

When Alexei Navalny died in a brutal Arctic prison, Vladimir Putin thought he had triumphed over his most formidable opponent. Until three courageous women - Alexei's mother, wife and daughter - took up his fight for freedom.

time-read
8 mins  |
July 2024
IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO START
Australian Women’s Weekly NZ

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO START

Responsible for keeping the likes of Jane Fonda and Jamie Lee Curtis in shape, Malin Svensson is on a mission to motivate those in midlife to move more.

time-read
5 mins  |
July 2024