Celebrating 20 Years: A Conversation with Miriam + Celene Gee
Miriam shares how her passion for beauty began, how it shaped her daughters, and why confidence is the greatest gift you can give a woman at any age.
Legacy, Self-Worth & Ageless Beauty
Celene: Do you remember your first beauty memory?
Miriam:
It started with a red lip.
That's what I remember. Red nails. Red meant glamour to me when I was a little girl. The clothes didn't matter to me, I would look at peoples faces, their makeup. I was curious. I would imagine how I would do their makeup, and even at that time, I could see how I could help them improve their makeup, how I could help accentuate their beauty. How to bring out their features, even if that meant less makeup. Makeup meant a woman took time for herself, or had the luxury of time for herself. I guess what self care is now. Marilyn Monroe. Elizabeth Taylor. Jane Russell. These women were iconic for their beauty.
Celene: So that early curiosity and instinct became your craft, and eventually, your vision. How do you think your approach to beauty shaped the way you influenced us?
Miriam: I think probably in the time spent preparing yourself, taking care of your skin or getting yourself ready to go out. To me its almost the most fun part. Going out to a party, or even your workday, it starts with the getting ready part. Planning your outfit, your look, its part of my creativity. So I love sharing that with my girls. Presentation is important. I would lay out your clothes on the floor of their bedrooms the night before, and me too! Putting your best self forward, representing yourself - this is a sign of self-respect to me, and to the way in which I show up for people - my team, my clients, even my family. Good hygiene, good self care, good regimens, good skin plans.
For me, getting ready is a ritual, it's major!
Miriam Gee
Where It All Began
Celene: Where exactly did the idea to start Gee Beauty come from?
Miriam: The seed for Gee Beauty was planted on set. As a self-taught makeup artist, I became known for giving models more than just a great glow — I gave them the perfect brow. They even started coming to our house for appointments. Do you remember that? In the late 80's early 90's, you weren't going to "get your brows done" like you did with your nails. From what I saw, no one was really connecting great brows with effortless makeup. The right brow shape can have transformative powers! I tucked the idea away and went to work in beauty editorial.
At the time, the beauty world didn’t look like it does today. But we had a vision. Inspired by creative spaces like the Delano Hotel in Miami, or your chic neighborhood beauty studio in London where everyone knows your name - we wanted to create something fresh, modern, elevated, and inviting — a studio where beauty felt effortless, personal, and empowering. And after years of talking and dreaming about it, Natalie really said to me 'Mum, let’s do this.’ And we did. We sat around the kitchen table in the evenings and weekends writing the business plan for a year while we worked during the day. I was 55 when Gee Beauty opened its doors.
On Confidence, Growth & Being “In Your Prime”
Celene: I love that you were 55 and you were just getting started in some ways. It's incredibly inspiring to us. What does being in your "prime" mean to you?
Miriam: For me, being in your prime has nothing to do with age — and everything to do with mindset. It’s about staying open to new ideas, trying new things, and growing with confidence. Prime is openness, its growth. It's staying curious, passionate and excited. It's all how we perceive it.
I was at my prime five years ago. And I’m in my prime now. As I evolve and age, I feel more clear, more passionate, more capable. You do things better with experience. You've learned from your mistakes. There's a confidence that comes with that clarity.
Miriam Gee
On Legacy, Luxury & Living Well
Celene: What is luxury to you?
Miriam: Uninterrupted time with my family. A great facial. Fresh, ironed bedsheets. Getting into cozy pajamas straight from the dryer. A bath by candlelight. Manicures, pedicures. That’s real luxury to me.
Celene: How do you feel personally about Gee turning 20?
Miriam: Grateful. I think about what impact I want to have — on my family, on this community, on every woman who sits in my chair. I'm reflective of my upbringing, my heritage, and my responsibility to share my energy, my skills, my love.
I want to keep growing, creating, and helping women feel confident in their skin. That’s the gift.
Miriam Gee
Stay tuned for more in this series as I sit next with Alan Gee a master marketer, entrepreneur and creative mind. XX