About Celeste
Why this site exists, and the experience behind it.
After more than two decades working in the beauty industry, I realised there was a growing disconnect between how beauty products are marketed and how consumers actually experience them.
Where the perspective comes from
I have spent my career viewing the beauty industry from nearly every angle. As a licensed aesthetician, makeup artist and nail technician, I developed a deep understanding of skin health, nail care, cosmetic ingredients, product formulation and professional treatments.
As the owner of a salon and spa, I worked directly with clients on real skincare and nail concerns, building recommendations around individual needs. Later, as a college educator, I taught future beauty professionals — emphasising product knowledge, professional ethics, critical thinking and evidence-based decision making.
As a beauty retail manager, I have spent years helping thousands of customers navigate one of the largest selections of beauty products available in Canada, working closely with prestige, dermatologist-recommended, professional, indie and mass-market brands from Canada and around the world. I have seen how products perform beyond the marketing campaigns, learned directly from brand educators, and watched innovations enter — and sometimes disappear from — the market.
What I have seen
Some products earn loyal followings because they genuinely deliver exceptional results. Others become overnight sensations because of clever marketing, celebrity endorsements or viral trends, even when performance did not justify the hype. Over the years I have watched ingredient trends rise and fall, “miracle” products come and go, and marketing claims become steadily harder for consumers to navigate.
The average consumer deserves better. That is why I created Beauty Beyond the Counter.
What this site is for
My goal is not to tell you what to buy. It is to give you the knowledge, context and honest evaluation you need to decide for yourself.
While I am proud to be Canadian and will feature Canadian beauty brands wherever possible, this is not only a Canadian beauty site. Great products come from every corner of the world, and so does my experience with them. You will find Canadian discoveries alongside internationally recognised brands, always evaluated by the same standards regardless of where they are made or how famous they are.
Whether a product costs $12 or $120, comes from a small Canadian company or a global luxury brand, it has to earn its recommendation.