The Marie Hunter brand is built upon one philosophy, “Confidence Speaks Volumes”. Confidence by definition is a feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities. The Marie Hunter Modern Muse is a woman who is a guiding spirit and source of artistic inspiration in life and business.

Today we’re featuring Blair Armstrong, Founder of Gilded. Gilded is a luxury body care and home fragrance company for your body, home and vanity. I had the opportunity to ask Blair 5 questions and here is what she had to say.

Q+A with MH Modern Muse Blair Armstrong

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself.

A: I'm the founder of Gilded, a Dermatology clinician, and beauty & skincare enthusiast. Gilded is a luxury body care brand, a melding of inspiration from my travels, love of art & architecture, and passion for skin care.

Our mission is to elevate the conversation around body care and to provide a high quality, effective option for women looking to add a body care component to their wellness routines. I want to help women to rediscover the art of body care.

A luxurious body care routine can be centering, restorative & rejuvenating. The other products in our range (the marble candle, marble body brush and makeup mixing palette) reflect my belief that the things we fill our lives and spaces with matter and that each decision we make is an opportunity to make a statement about who we are and the type of life we want to live.

Q: What was the defining moment that made you launch Gilded?

A: I decided to launch Gilded for two reasons:

1) After being asked hundreds of times in my dermatologic training and practice for recommendations for an effective treatment for dry body skin. After searching for and being unable to find a high quality body care product, I decided to create the product that I would feel confident to recommend.

2) After noticing the inordinate amount of time people spend caring for the skin on the face, often relegating body care to an afterthought.

Q: Who are 3 people that inspire you and why?

A: I am inspired by:

- People with resolve, fortitude and conviction to stand for what is right when it's not the popular position.

- Michelle Obama is the epitome of intelligence, grace and elegance. I enjoyed watching her as First Lady, thoroughly enjoyed reading her biography and find her life and work inspiring.

Q: How do you deal with resistance from those who do not share your vision?

A: There's no one size fits all in any aspect of life or business and not everyone will understand my vision. People often see things from their unique point of view. When this happens, I defer to my inner voice to quiet the noise.

Q: What do you love most about Marie Hunter Beauty?

A: I love so many aspects of the Marie Hunter Beauty brand. I love the range of thoughtful, luxury beauty and skincare products and adore the mantra of Boldly Empowering Wo(men) With Beauty, Confidence & Class.

Connecting with other female founded/minority owned luxury brands is no easy feat. When Blair and I connected via Instagram we instantly hit it off! Blair is a true visionary in the luxury beauty industry and it has been a pleasure to connect, learn and grow with her. Blair is a woman to watch and take notes from and for that she is a MH Modern Muse.

You can follow Gilded on the following platforms:

Instagram: @gilded

Facebook: @gilded

Website: Gilded