Photo by Jeff Buchin
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 late teens she became interested in aromatherapy. She has now been in the natural products industry for 27 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 have studied perfumery with Jeanne Rose. She loves researching essential oils, skin care and overall 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 handmade natural body care line produced with primarily organic ingredients and served with a sassy sincerity. She is delighted to be making a living doing what she loves.
