CORY OLIVER // Actress + Beauty Expert
CORY OLIVIER //
Actress + Beauty Expert
What was your aha moment in creating Beverly Hills Balm?
My best friend of 40 years, Tara Broida, and I dreamed that one day we would work together building a brand. When my television series “Beverly Hills Pawn” ended production, Tara and I decided to take my lipstick/lip balm addiction and create the ultimate lip and body balm. After a year in the kitchen experimenting with various ingredients, Beverly Hills Balm was born.
What challenges did you face while launching your business?
I think the real challenge was creating a product that really worked. As a hair and makeup artist, and as an actress working in front of the camera, I have experimented with countless brands. Of course, I have my favorites. For Beverly Hills Balm we wanted to create a product that would hydrate and repair as well as being healthy for your skin. We test marketed our product and received great feedback from both men and women.
What advice would you share with those looking to launch a beauty line?
Do your research! Take your time creating a product that has ingredients that will support your brand’s mission statement. Be honest and transparent and listen to your customers. My step dad, who owned a pharmacy, once said, “Put your money into the ingredients, not the packaging.” We worked to create a product that supports whole natural ingredients. It’s important for us to be as environmentally conscious as possible.
What continues to inspire you on the entrepreneurial journey?
As you know, being your own boss has its benefits. Working with my best friend has been a fabulous experience. Through the years, we have faced several personal and professional challenges, and we have learned to approach them with joy. Our motto is “if it sparks our joy, we are in!” It’s not about whether you win or lose. It's the journey that has brought us both happiness.
Final advice for those looking to move forward in launching their own product line?
My daughter called me from college last year and wanted to change her major. She asked me “what should I do?” I replied with my favorite quote by Mark Twain, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” I love what I do, and it is never about the money. It’s about following your dreams. I also quote Walt Disney, “if you can dream it, you can achieve it.” It is not always easy, but chasing a dream is worth it. Just work hard and stay focused. Surround yourself with positive people, and never let anyone tell you that something is impossible. The word itself says, I’m-possible!
About CORY OLIVER Actress, Beauty Expert, Entrepreneur
Cory Oliver is a multi-talented actress and beauty expert who is best known for starring in the feature film "God's Not Dead" as well as starring in the original series "Beverly Hills Pawn" for the REELZChannel. Behind-the-scenes she has been a licensed make-up artist and hairdresser for Hollywood's A-list, which led to her developing her own beauty balm skincare line "Beverly Hills Balm." Currently, she is co-hosting "Hollywood Westlake," an upcoming streaming lifestyle series with Ryan O'Quinn, premiering in February 2020 on Apple TV, Roku, Instagram and Facebook.
Cory was born and raised in the Northern California town of Redwood City. She is a small-town girl at heart but knew from an early age she always wanted to go to Hollywood and pursue a career in the entertainment industry. While in college she studied cosmetology and advanced to master stylist within three months. In nine months, Cory earned her cosmetology license from the accredited Dons Beauty School. Cory also attended the Van Mar Academy and the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in the 90’s and studied with some of Hollywood's prominent acting Coaches, Joe Salazar and Howard Fine.
Upon graduation, Cory moved to Los Angeles with $400 dollars in her pocket (first month's rent) and a car filled with big dreams and everything she owned to begin a career in entertainment.
Cory began working as a hair and makeup artist in film, TV and editorial shoots where she was fortunate to create the flawless face look on many celebrities including Kirsten Dunst, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Isabella Rossellini, Kris Jenner, Betty White, Dustin Hoffman and Mariel Hemingway, to name a few. Her work has graced the covers of magazines such as Vogue, People, Hype, Shape, Women's Health, and many more.
Thanks to Cory's hard work behind the scenes as a make-up artist, perseverance and devout faith, she finally landed a talent agent who would open up many new doors of opportunity for her in front of the camera. The next day he booked her on the television series "Silk Stalkings."
Cory continued to act in television and feature films including landing one of the lead roles of Mina in the international box office hit "God’s Not Dead," which earned her a Grace Award nomination for her leading role opposite Kevin Sorbo. "God's Not Dead" went on to win top honors at the 2015 MovieGuide Awards, receiving two awards, including its selection to the Top 10 Movies for Families and the Epiphany Prize for the Most Inspiring Movie of 2014.
Cory has worked with some of Hollywood's finest filmmakers and producers, including David Zucker, Tom Everett Scott, Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Her other feature film credits include "Dead Man On Campus," "Chairman of the Board" and "BASEketball," among others. On the small screen her credits include "Pacific Blue," "Weird Science," "Beverly Hills 90210" and the hit CBS soap opera "The Young and The Restless." Her 'Bud Light' Super Bowl commercial earned top-25 commercials of all time in 2000.
Cory starred in the hit reality series "Beverly Hills Pawn" on the REELZ channel, where she and the team at The Dina Collection buy and sell rare collectibles and Hollywood memorabilia. She has always had a passion for "Old Hollywood" and enjoyed researching items from different genres.
In addition to acting, Cory is an award-winning screenwriter and 2020 has her focusing on the production of her screenplay, "Jack and Jill." Currently in development, the screenplay took 2nd place in Scriptapalooza, top ten in Nevada Film Festival and semi-finalist in Francis Ford Coppola’s "American Zoetrope contest."
Cory also has a strong faith in God and a ministry for marriage, and among her many talents is singing. As an extension of her faith, core beliefs and incredible heartbreak, she wrote, recorded and released the inspirational single "I'm Somebody's Daughter" in June 2019, featuring Jordan Smith, Priya and Lily Carson. It is available for download on iTunes and Spotify.
Outside of work, Cory is a dedicated mother to her daughter Ariana and her golden retriever Bailey. Additionally, she is an avid supporter of the Tourette Association of America and continues to support Boot Campaign, a military non-profit.
When she isn't working in front of or behind the camera, Cory has more than 20 years of hair and makeup expertise in the entertainment industry, and recently started developing her own skincare products. Cory joined forces with lifelong friend and business partner Tara Broida to bring her unique line of luxury beauty balms to market, now available at BeverlyHillsBalm.com.
Online Cory Oliver can be found at Instagram @coryoliverone, Twitter @CoryOliverOne, and Facebook @CoryOliver. Beverly Hills Balm can be found at www.beverlyhillsbalm.com, on Instagram @beverlyhillsbalm, Twitter @Beverlyhillsba1 and Facebook @beverlyhillsbalm.