As Vice President of Sales and Promotions for Chantecaille, Alex Chantecaille has to travel the world as part of her job. We're sure it's not all glamorous jetsetting, but still. Sounds pretty fantastic! She also has a passion for practicing and promoting stewardship of our planet's wilderness. It's a trait that runs in her family-all of whom happen to play parts running the company started by Alex's mother, Sylvie. And because it runs through the family that still runs Chantecaille, it also runs through the brand, which is known for raising awareness of important environmental concerns.

Alex Chantecaille took some time to tell us about the favorite places she discovered during a recent journey to Turkey and share information about how we can all get involved in protecting our natural resources; she also doled out tips on wearing Chantecaille's most recent collection and (because we couldn't resist asking) show us her adorable rescue pup, Ella.

Alex at Hagia Sophia in Istanbul

What's the best advice you've ever been given?
"Do what makes you fly"-from my mom.

That and "start swimming; stop running"-from a friend's dad who is an ortho (it saved my knees!).

As a beauty expert, what's the one question you get asked the most, and what do you say in reply?
Which cream/serum/eye cream do I use for night and which do I use for day? As we don't specify Day or Night on Chantecaille skincare products this comes up a lot. The answer is: it depends on your skin type, needs, and where you live/will be using these products. Climate affects our skin a great deal; we often forget about that when buying a cream. It might be perfectly moisturizing while you're in Scottsdale, Arizona for a golf trip, but too rich once you're back home in the humidity of the Northeast.

Depending on your skin type, some creams are ideal for day, giving a boost of hydration and relaxing wrinkles; however, if you're younger and oilier, this type of cream may be too rich for you. I'm always coaching my team to look and listen to the women in front of them. They need to address the very specific needs of that person and customize a personal regimen for her.

Chantecaille is known for its commitment to using high-quality botanicals as well as raising awareness of important environmental concerns. Can you tell us a bit about this new collection dedicated to protecting the wolves-why you chose this cause and its importance?
We chose the wolves because we understood how vital a role they play in maintaining a harmonious, healthy balance in their environment. When the wolves thrive, plants and animals thrive along with them. We created this collection to help prevent them from being eradicated from our land again. They are gorgeous pack animals that have a really complex family structure, and they deserve our respect and protection.

Chantecaille Protect the Wolves Collection

What's your favorite way to wear the 'Protect the Wolves' Eye Shade Trio?
For day, I smudge a bit of 'Evergreen' at my upper lash line (the Eye Perfector Brush is great for this) and then sweep 'Timberwolf' across my lid. It's warm and golden on my skin.

At night, I like a little more drama. I press 'Evergreen' with my fingers directly onto my lids-the entire roundness of my lids-to have a more sheer effect but still with depth.

What other products are a perfect match for the Protect the Wolves Collection?
The 'Patience' Lip Chic Lip Color is a pretty soft nude lip that balances the darker shades of the palette. It also works well for a more neutral all over look when wearing just the 'Timberwolf'. This look is really pretty when you're still sporting an end-of-summer tan.

Alex, her brother Phillipe and father Olivier at Yellowstone National Park Five percent of the proceeds go to Conservation Northwest; what else can people do to help? And, in addition to Conservation Northwest, are there other foundations and resources out there doing important work for the environment that you think everyone should know about?

Yes! The NRDC (National Resources Defense Council) is amazing-they even host trips to Yellowstone where you hike the park and track wolves as well as other wild animals. It's like camp for adults. In the evenings, you learn from scientists and naturalists about the cause, and during the day you're outside in the splendor of Yellowstone actually seeing what you've studied.

NPS Yellowstone Photo by J Schmidt

In terms of direct things one can do:

Contact your representatives, whether they're commissioners, state legislators, Congressional reps, etc., and let them know you care about wolves and other large carnivores. Zack Strong at the NRDC is more than happy to connect with people interested in helping, e.g., how to talk to legislators. Here is his email: [email protected]

You can also visit Predator Friendly to learn about and shop for predator-friendly products. It's this wonderful woman who started a business after years of ranching out west-hand-making wool and leather accessories from sheep and cattle raised around predators without killing them. Basically, these ranchers implement traditional, protective measures for their cattle, like cowboys/girls that ride with the cattle, guard dogs and fladry along electric fencing.

Dispelling the almost folkloric misconceptions about wolves also helps. They don't kill people, yet we have this fear of them-"Satan's dog/a wolf in sheep's clothing/big bad wolf/a good wolf is a dead wolf, etc". The truth is, there have been no human deaths by wolves in the lower 48 states for over 100 years-yet we think they're "out to get us". I've literally heard people say that wolves wake up with the sole intent to kill. It's ridiculous-a wolf hunts to eat and to feed its family like any animal needs to do. Humans are the only species that hunt for sport.

Like ours, your company is family-owned and -run. How do you think this differentiates you as a brand?
I think it means we're more human and understanding with our employees and customers. Having a warm and close relationship with my parents and siblings extends to my colleagues. We operate more like one large family. Obviously it's more than just a job for us (the family), and that passion and hard work extends to our employees. It's a lifestyle for all of us. Plus, it's more enjoyable working with your family-there's more joking around and being yourself.

You're an avid traveler. What's a recent place you've visited that you'd love to show to someone who's never been? What five things would you take them to see?
Istanbul. I went there this summer on a solo weekend trip (although the Turks are so friendly you're never alone for long). I fell in love with it.

Only five is tough! There are so many amazing things to see, eat and experience there-but here goes...

1. The Topkapi Palace: The home of the Sultan for thousands of years-it's lacquered in the most exquisite Iznik tiles with elegantly spaced courtyards with flowering trees. Really splendid.

2. Aya Sophia and the Blue Mosque: Of course the inside of the structures are like none other, but a rather special moment for me was sipping fresh pomegranate juice while listening to the 5 o'clock prayer call in the Aya Sofia Park amongst the two massive domes. Pigeons and seagulls were floating above the palm trees as if dancing with the rhythm of the call between the two turrets.

3. Kiliç Ali Pasa Hamami: Centuries old, it's a super-chic, whitewashed brick and white-marble Turkish bath that is redone and more private than the ones in the Old town. Except they left me on the marble slab for too long, and I almost cooked all the way through! Make sure they move you along to the scrubbing station stat. ☺

4. The Karaköy neighborhood: For an evening drink-it's an old warehouse area chock-a-block with cafés and bars, each one super well designed. The streets are narrow with a trellis of trees above with little lights, which makes it feel very festive and intimate at the same time.

5. Mama Shelter: The rooftop terrace is perfect for dinner, with a great DJ and a fun scene complete with foosball and comfy couches to lounge. Istanbul comes alive at night, and there is no better way to see it than from the very active roof decks in the pleasant warmth of the evening.

Last question! We heard through the grapevine that you might just have the world's most adorable pup. Can you tell us about her (and share a picture!)?
Yes-Ella! She's a rescue from the Carolinas, and she couldn't be more sweet or elegant. We are literally stopped on the streets five times a day getting asked, "Who is this beauty??"-or people passing by saying, "That is exactly the dog I want to get."

I got her through Gimme Shelter -this amazing organization that brings unwanted dogs out of kill shelters from the South. They find foster homes for the animals until they find their "forever home". So they're never in a shelter for too long, but always in a loving home.

She comes to the office every day, so we honored not only her hard work but also her inspiring beauty and connection to the wolf family by naming this season's cheek shade after her.

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-Jeff Powell