Korres – a special event!
On Wednesday, January 23, 2013, I was invited to attend an extraordinary press event hosted by the Zoï Agency in honour of Greek Cosmetics brand Korres who celebrates their 15th anniversary this year, and where it was my extreme privilege to meet co-founder Lena Korres. This event was held at Montréal’s Canadian Centre for Architecture, a museum of architecture and research housed in the Shaughnessy Mansion originally built in 1874, with many of its impressive architectural details now restored to their original state by the Centre.
EDIT: I wanted to add that Korres will actually be celebrating their 17th anniversary this year, and not their 15th as originally stated.
We were greeted by Lena Korres herself, who subsequently took the podium and entertained us with interesting details of the Korres brand’s history, beginning with the dream of “making creams” that founder George Korres originally wished for at 8 years of age. Fast forward 15 years later, and not only has that dream been realized, but this brand is quickly becoming a worldwide force to be reckoned with, as their reputation for providing organic & effective products, spreads. They’ve certainly come a long way from the production of their first product, a naturopathic cough syrup (see opening image).
Following the presentation, we then served a buffet-style luncheon consisting of traditional Greek fare with modern touches: moussaka, kebab skewers, salad with feta cheese, and several more dishes besides. The tables of the beautiful dining area, located in rooms of the original mansion with all details lovingly restored, were decorated with simple & elegant vases of vibrant red amaryllis blossoms. Finally, we were treated to desserts in the same traditional Greek style, with an assortment of mini baklava, loukoumia – powdered & jellied Greek delicacies, and cups of fresh Greek yogurt sprinkled with Greek honey, pomegranate seeds & walnuts.
I was fortunate enough to be able to spend some quality time with Lena Korres, and it was an absolute pleasure to be able to converse with her in our native Greek – it somehow made the entire event so much more personal for me, and it felt like ‘home’. As the brand’s spokesperson, they could not have chosen a better representative: eloquent, gracious and brimming with positive energy are just some of her attributes, but it is her flawless complexion that literally keeps you riveted: I want my skin to look like that! A few quick questions revealed that the only products she does use are Korres, naturally, with an emphasis on the Wild Rose daytime moisturizer, the Yoghurt range, and the Quercetin & Oak anti-aging regimen.
All too soon, the event wrapped up and saying goodbye with hugs & kisses (we are Greek – that’s what we do!), I gave Ms. Korres my word that I would definitely look her up on my next visit to Greece for that personal tour of the plant we spoke of. As a final token of appreciation, we were presented with fabulous gift bags containing an assortment of Korres products as well as a lovely glass container with a porcelain cover, which I have already put to good use on my vanity. It’s a given that I’ve already made inroads on the products we were gifted with, which happen to be some of my personal favourites.
I hope you enjoy the following photos showing some of the highlights of the day!
Canadian Centre for Architecture
Guest of honour: Lena Korres at the podium
founder George Korres at eight years old
George Korres (center) and members of his creative/development team
original pharmaceuticals/botanicals at the Korres archives
still image of upcoming 2013 product launches
fireplace with original scrolled detail mantle, luncheon anti-chamber
a view of the spectacular architecture in the dining area
original sculpted ceiling medallion in the dining area
stacks of coffee/tea cups!
artful display of mini baklava treats
Greek yogurt cups sprinkled with Greek honey, pomegranate seeds, and walnuts
A Greek delicacy: Loukoumia – jellied dessert cubes
Korres products vignette – Wild Rose
Korres products vignette – Yoghurt
Korres products vignette – Quercetin & Oak
Korres Products vignette – assorted best sellers
invited guests enjoying the atmosphere & delicious lunch
… with my after-lunch coffee!
the simple & elegant amaryllis blossoms decorating the tables
with the charming Lena Korres – a woman of substance AND beauty
the contents of the generous gift bag – already putting everything to use!
Final thoughts: I want to say a heartfelt thank you to Maria and Denis at Zoï Agency for including me in this event, as well as extend my delight in meeting an admirable woman such as Lena Korres. It was also wonderful getting to meet a few other bloggers from my home town and spending some time getting to know each other. This was a truly special & memorable occasion that I will cherish forever!
Korres boutique in London, England
I am soooo jealous, not for the beauty products but for the food! Is the Loukoumia similar to Turkish Delights? Because I love Turkish Delights!
They are exactly like Turkish Delight treats, but as I’m Greek (and if you know your history, you’ll understand the ingrained antipathy we experience towards any Turkish connotation), we never refer to them that way. Plus, these are Greek made!
Amazing, Eugenia! I love that you got to attend this, particularly with your heritage – I can understand how you’d truly get a special treat out of this entire event
Thanks, Toya! It was such a happy day for me – didn’t know what to expect, and I was pleasantly surprised from the word go!
Lovely! I had no idea that Korres was only 15 years old. Got the feeling that it was much older for some reason and that it was only “new” to North America.
I actually added a quick edit: the brand is in fact 17 years old, and not 15 as I stated. It’s been a huge presence in Europe since its inception basically, and they’ve made major inroads in the Asian market as well. Now with their Johnson & Johnson partnership for distribution in North & South America, I’m fairly certain they will reach a whole new level!
Ohh looks amazing!!! So jealous haha for both the beauty products AND food!!!!
Hahaha! Thanks, Eileen! I had a wonderful time!
The Yogourt body butter is a thing of beauty. Its smell never fails to remind me of visiting my friends in Thess.
Amazing as an after-sun skin-quencher. I hope the Johnson&Johnson business leads to more balanced pricing; it always irked me that a Korres face mask costing 12€ at a pharmakia goes for about $40 at Sephora (shipping charges are one thing, but JEEZ)…
Yeah….I’m not a fan of crazy fluctuations in pricing either. I’m fairly certain that the partnership with J&J can only be positive – it has to be, right?! As to the yoghurt line, it was actually because of its effectiveness as an after-sun balm (Greeks swear by applying yogurt to a sunburn for instant & long-lasting relief — it actually works!) that this was created … and it’s been a top seller since!
Fabulous! I’m glad you got to experience that, looks like fun and lots of yummy food! You looked lovely, as ever!
Thank you, Linda! I had a blast and while I didn’t do full justice to my lunch (too busy blabbing, lol!) I almost inhaled the yummy yogurt dessert!
Lucky you! I’m a Korres fan, although they seem to have downsized their North American offerings compared to what it used to be.
I feel very blessed, that’s for sure! Sephora is carrying the line, and depending on where you live & which store of theirs you visit, you should find a pretty large selection. Also, in Canada, Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix stores also carry the line, although it varies from store to store. Now that the brand has teamed up with Johnson & Johnson for the North & South American markets, expect to see more visibility & availability from them!
You’re so beautiful. I’ve not had luck with Korres products, but I’ll definitely look into the new releases — especially the yoghurt!
Awww….thank you, Duffi – what a lovely thing to say! I sure hope you do find the Korres product that works for you, because it’s truly a great range!
Looks like an amazing event! And I just learned that loukoumia is Turkish Delight, which I love. Now I know what to look for when in Chicago’s Greektown.
To be fair, both Greek & Turkish cuisines lay claim to this treat “loukoumia” in Greek (not to be confused with “loukoumathes” which are deep-fried puff pastry) and “loukoum” in Turkish (aka Turkish Delight) – either way, they’re pretty yummy! Enjoy!