Regina Gale is the definition of a one woman show. She has been a fashion model, fashion buyer, and pharmaceutical sales representative. Now, she even owns her own business. Regina Gale Cosmetics is a line of homemade makeup, perfume and skincare products that are designed to enrich a woman’s life. She is also in the process of launching her own inbox magazine, Beauty Begins at Fifty. She shows us that it’s never too late to explore your options or to pursue different ventures.
Erica for Her Campus (HC): You’ve had many careers over the years and you’ve even gone through many years of schooling. What were some your aspirations as a child?
Regina Gale (RG): I’ve always liked clothes and fashion, especially at a young age. When I was in high school, I did some modelling and that was what I wanted to do. I wanted to go to New York when I graduated from high school, but my father said no. He said I had to either stay in El Paso for school or I could go to school in California, where I have relatives. Therefore, I opted to go to California.
HC: What was it like to be a model and how did you go about pursuing it?
RG: When I got to California, I enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. I was going there and I was also meeting people from there. I decided to model with a couple of different modelling troupes in the area and different designers. Some of the designers went to FIDM and it kind of started this way.
HC: What type of modelling did you mainly do?
RG: I was strictly a runway model for live fashion shows. I did that on and off for a while and then I migrated into other things. I got involved in groups that were more interested in the music industry, so I was with the Quincy Jones Workshop. I was involved with music for a while. I did a lot of different things.
HC: What did you do in music?
RG: I was actually with a group and we were called Love Nest. In fact, I might have a picture that is black and white of us performing on a show.
HC: What did you major in at FIDM?
RG: I was in the one year program at the time and fashion merchandising was what I wanted to do. My goal was to be a buyer and eventually I was working at one of the major stores called Broadway. It was bought out and part of a Macy’s chain. I was young and I ended up working in a buyer department of a shoe department. I really loved it. It got to the point where they wanted to appoint me to the assistant buyer program. However, I found out that they wouldn’t be able to tell me when I was able to be a buyer. They said it could take me years, and even then, it may not happen. So, I decided to change careers. I worked at a checking company.
HC: When did you decide to go back to school to do your undergraduate?
RG: I didn’t do my undergraduate until I was married, therefore I was about 28 or 29 when I finished. I was working full time at Clairol as a sales representative and I wanted to be able to go up the ladder and I knew I needed a degree. Therefore, Clairol decided to subsidize my undergraduate degree.
HC: What did you major and where did you go to school?
RG: I went to St. Mary’s College in Mirada, California and my undergraduate degree was in business administration management.
HC: How did you transition to being a pharmaceutical representative from there?
RG: After I got that degree, I got call from a head hunter. They had heard about me from working with Clairol and they wanted me to interview me for a job in pharmaceutical sales. I had no interest in science at the time and I said I wasn’t interested. They told me to come down for an interview anyway to see what it was about. So, eventually I did. I was hired by a company of the name of Hoechst. They were a major company at the time. I considered doing it because I realized that regular people didn’t understand medical reasons behind taking medication due to the medical jargon that doctors used. I recognized this when I asked my grandma about some of the medication that she was taking. I really wanted to be able to help my family in making better choices and being more knowledgeable about health and choices.
HC: What was one thing that stood out to you when you worked as a pharmaceuticals rep and how did that turn you towards owning your own business, Regina Gale Cosmetics?
RG: I worked in the field for 20 years. Even as a sales representative, I partnered with doctors and pharmacists and nurses and made a difference in the health of others. I didn’t have the hands on with the patients, but I was responsible for the information that the doctors got to give to the patients from the nurses and pharmacy as well. It made me feel good to help others with their health. Basically, a lot of times people’s health aren’t as good as they could be. The information that I learned helped me a lot as well. I found it rewarding and enriching. Through that experience, I became a specialty representative and one of my specialities was calling on plastic surgeons and dermatologists to teach them how to work with skin. We had a line of Aqua Glycolic and MD Forte. We were teaching women how to keep their skin beautiful. I learned a lot about skincare. Therefore, it led me to Regina Gale Cosmetics. I make makeup, perfume, and cosmetics. I believe that everyone can have good and healthy skin. Skin that can look refreshed.
HC: What are some of the special ingredients you use in your products?
RG: My philosophy on skincare is “do no harm to the skin”. I try to use healthier types of products, but that doesn’t mean they are all natural. People think that the healthiest skincare are those that are natural. However, some people are allergic to natural ingredients as well. So, I really base the products that I use or the ingredients are based on scientific evidence that show they work. I believe that anyone who spends any money on products, wants result. People spend hundreds of dollars, but they don’t see change. I was one of these people and I would be disappointed when there weren’t any results. I make products with that in mind. Everything that I make, I use and to give to anyone I care about. I can’t tell you all the ingredients, since it depends on the products, but I always focus on whether they work.
HC: What are some of your favourite products from your line?
RG: When I made my ReggieD perfume, I was going through a tough period in my personal life every day. However, I had to be on every day training with doctors and doing things like that. I had a son and I didn’t want him to know that I was worried about things. I decided to turn to aromatherapy and make a perfume that would make me feel good and give me the confidence to go out there and do it. That’s what the perfume is about, encouraging them and going through the day no matter what.
HC: You’ve recently started your own inbox magazine, Beauty Begins at Fifty. How did this happen?
RG: I kind of stumbled into this. I really wanted a voice for women who were like me, who are older, but still feel beautiful and vibrant. The difference is, now that we’re older, we start realizing that some of the things we wanted to do, we may never get the chance to do. We need to take the time to do it. There were a lot of women like this and I wanted a forum that celebrated women like that. They have so much information they can share with young people and others, so that maybe people will see what it’s like.
HC: What is your advice for young women who want to own their own business one day?
RG: My advice is follow your dreams. If you have a dream, don’t let anybody or anything stop you from pursuing it, because it’s your life. You only get one life, so make it work and be happy.
For more information on Regina Gale, visit Beauty Begins at Fifty at http://www.beautybeginsatfifty.com/ and Regina Gale Cosmetics http://www.reginagalecosmetics.com/. Photos In This Article Were Provided By: Regina Gale
Note: The author works for the Beauty Beginsat Fifty Campaign.