Born
by candle light on the Island of La Palma to vagabond parents, Nieves doesn't
remember hitchhiking across Europe as a baby--but her nomadic youth is
unforgettable. For the better part of her childhood, Nieves traveled the West
Coast with pack donkeys alongside her father, a folk musician and renegade
intellectual. Because of her upbringing in the counterculture, Nieves' became
acquainted with alternative therapies at a young age. Her earliest career goal
was to become an herbal healer, and in her teens she became interested in
aromatherapy. She has now been in the natural products industry for 19 years.
She
began her career with V'tae Perfume and Bodycare, managing a scent bar. Here,
she blended essential and fragrance oils to match clients' requests: from
matching and inventing perfumes, to creating room sprays and aromatherapy formulas. She transitioned into a position with Zia Natural Skincare, where
Nieves educated consumers, marketed and developed products, including the Body
Butter fragrance.
Nieves
continues her education, she has taken cosmetic chemistry courses from Rebecca
James Gadberry, pesters Mollie Jensen for advice and is honored to study perfumery with Jeanne Rose.She loves researching essential oils,
skin care and over-all health, pursuing information sources in modern
science and traditional folk remedies.
When
her knowledge of cosmetic ingredients made finding products that she wanted to
use herself increasingly difficult. She decided to take matters into her own
hands. Abiding by the very simple philosophy that products can be made
using only beneficial ingredients, she developed a line of products using
wholesome time tested ingredients in unique formulations. Happy with the
results she started sharing them with friends. She now owns and operates By
Nieves, a natural handmade body care line produced with organic ingredients and
served with a twist. She is delighted to be making a living doing what she
loves.
