"As Seen In: 10 Questions with Our Founder, Hannah Sutton"
Interview with Hannah Sutton the founder of ReverieLuxe
"Originally featured in Chic Style Collective"
From Blogger to brand founder: How Hannah Sutton built ReverieLuxe on her own terms. Hannah Sutton’s story is a testament to the power of reinvention, resilience, and radical honesty. After years of experimenting with wellness trends—first as a curious consumer, then as a Huffington Post blogger—she found herself at a turning point. Sobriety, second chances, and a lifelong obsession with holistic living collided to form the foundation of ReverieLuxe, a brand that blends science-backed performance with soulful rituals.
What makes Hannah’s approach so compelling isn’t just her eye for beautifully curated wellness tools, but her unwavering commitment to authenticity: if she wouldn’t recommend it to a close friend, it doesn’t make the cut. From her time in Hong Kong, where she discovered K-beauty before it hit the mainstream, to launching a business in her fifties, Hannah’s journey defies convention—and invites women to reclaim their own timeline.
In this exclusive 10 questions with interview, she opens up about the real meaning of beauty, navigating recovery and ADHD, and why she believes the future of wellness is both intelligent and deeply personal.
1. What was the defining moment that led you to create ReverieLuxe?
Any friend of mine will tell you that over the years, I have tried almost every wellness hack and product—from the overhyped to the ones that work and to the downright weird and wonderful—all in pursuit of better health, beauty, sleep, energy, and spiritual balance. At one point, I was a blogger for The Huffington Post, writing about the different and latest must-have treatments I had explored.
So, basically, I had been running ReverieLuxe my entire adult life, just without a shopfront or a name. When I got sober for the second time in 2021 (Rewind – the first time was in 2013 _ I remained sober until the lockdown, where I relapsed for 2 years), I decided to finally turn my lifelong obsession with wellness, beauty and lifestyle into a business. BUT with one rule: I would only recommend what I had personally tried and believed in. If I wouldn’t suggest it to a close friend, I wouldn’t sell it.
Living a sober life isn’t optional for me, so I want to make it as happy and healthy as I can. ReverieLuxe is a natural extension of that.
2. How do you go about curating products?
I don’t see science and soul as opposites. To live soulfully, you need to feel physically, mentally, and spiritually good. Today’s innovation means everything we use on our bodies and homes is evolving to be more effective and evidence-based.
I love the mix: I meditate daily (it has been life-changing), but now I use a VR mask and grounding mat to help transcend into a deeper state. A perfect example of how science-backed performance can enhance my soulful living. I burn incense and Palo Santo, but I also use an indoor air purifier alongside them, because I care about the quality of the air I’m breathing. I never realised they could affect the quality of the air. That’s precisely what I think ReverieLuxe stands for: blending soulful rituals with intelligent choices.
3. What standards must a product meet before making the cut?
The starting point of ReverieLuxe was to share the things I had discovered in my quest for wellness, encompassing beauty and lifestyle. I then began to explore other things. Everything I sell, I have used myself before stocking. Things I truly believe work.
But I’m not arrogant enough to believe I know it all. I draw on recommendations from others and experts in the field, whom I have been fortunate enough to encounter over the years, who offer me advice and guidance. After all, just because something works for me doesn’t mean it will work for everyone.
4. How have your past experiences shaped your definition of beauty today?
I grew up in the ‘90s – think a diet of cigarettes, Diet Coke, and vodka tonics – full-on Kate Moss era. Despite all the partying in my younger years, I was always a gym bunny and loved my regular beauty treatments. But looking back, it was all quite conventional and functional – beauty was something you did rather than felt.
Everything changed when I moved to Hong Kong in 2008. At the time, London was obsessed with being bronzed – I couldn’t live without my San Tropez fake tan. But in Hong Kong? You couldn’t find fake tan for love nor money. There, pale porcelain skin was the ideal. It made me realise how culturally shaped our standards of beauty are – what’s considered beautiful in one place might be the opposite in another.
Living in Asia for nearly a decade, I was introduced to a completely different approach to beauty – one that prioritised internal health and emotional balance. I immersed myself in Chinese medicine, Tai Chi, alternative therapies, and a new kind of wellness that wasn’t just skin-deep. I began to see beauty not just in how you looked, but in how you lived.
It was also in Hong Kong that I discovered Pilates – at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental’s Oriental Spa, a true sanctuary. They had a state-of-the-art studio equipped with Gyrotonic towers and reformer equipment, which changed how I moved, felt, and connected with my body. It became my therapy.
For beauty products, my go-to was Sa Sa store – a wonderland of skincare I’d never seen in the UK. That’s where I discovered Korean beauty, long before it hit the Western mainstream. Anyone serious about ‘tweakments’ or skincare went straight to Korea.
Whilst living in Hong Kong, I also opened my vintage boutique, Reverie. At the time, vintage fashion was well-established in the UK but was relatively new to Hong Kong. In a culture where designer labels and visible wealth were the norm, Reverie offered something different: character, history, and soul.
I worked with many beautiful models on fashion shows, and I quickly realised that even these stunning women-the ones everyone else admired—were often racked with insecurities. That shaped my understanding of beauty on a much deeper level. We are all flawed. We all have self-doubt. But we’re all human. And in all our weird, wonderful, imperfect forms – that’s what makes us beautiful. Embracing that is, for me, the true definition of beauty.
5. What would you say to women who feel like it’s too late” to start something new?
I may have looked my best in my 20s and 30s, but I didn’t feel my best until my late 40s, and now I’m 52. That’s when I finally got to know myself.
Looking at my daughters now, I see how young and beautiful they are, but they don’t see it. That’s the cruel joke of womanhood – you only realise how fabulous you were in hindsight. Perhaps one day we will have a pill we can take that makes us look physically in our 20s but with the mindset of a woman in her 50s.
I spent too long caring what others thought. The truth is, most people are too busy worrying about their own lives. My advice? Be brave. Go with your gut. If something doesn’t make you happy or you don’t love it, it won’t work.
I lived the life I thought I should rather than the one I wanted. So what if you fail? To be honest, nobody cares. What matters is that you get up and try again. That’s what they remember you for. I love the poem “Warning” by Jenny Joseph, which begins:
“When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.”
It’s a humorous and defiant ode to ageing with individuality, flair, and freedom. It’s often quoted to celebrate older women embracing their true selves—boldly, unapologetically, and with a touch of eccentricity. So, to your CSC readers navigating reinvention in their 30s, 40s, and beyond, I say “wear purple” – in other words, let’s reject societal expectations of how women should behave as we age!
6. You’ve spoken openly about recovery, anxiety, and ADHD — how have these challenges influenced you?
One of the hardest questions I had to answer in rehab was: “What has addiction cost you?” The list was long, including my health, looks, spirit, and mental health. But I also started to understand the link between my addiction, anxiety, and my (very late) ADHD diagnosis. No excuses, but a better understanding of why.
Today, self-care encompasses managing both my physical and mental well-being. I can’t use substances to escape anymore – I have to sit with myself and my feelings and deal with whatever comes up. As hard as it can be for me, that’s where true wellness begins. I now approach self-care as a whole. I am kinder to myself, which involves taking care of my body, health, and mind.
7. What do you hope they take away from watching you build ReverieLuxe?
I always wanted to raise strong, independent girls because I never felt that way growing up. And trust me, they challenge me daily!
But more than anything in building ReverieLuxe, I want them to see what resilience looks like, finding your power and pursuing happiness. I hope they respect me not just as their mum, but as a woman who dared to build something later in life—someone who got up after setbacks, put one foot in front of the other, and was brave enough to follow her dreams regardless. Oh, and of course, the best things involve hard work!
8. How do you define luxury wellness in 2025?
To me, wellness itself IS a luxury—and not something I’ve always had. I feel very passionate about this. And not everyone has access to it – whether it’s time, money, or education. I’ve been on both ends: from total wellbeing to the depths of addiction and anxiety.
The industry sometimes sells wellness as if it were a fix-all. Take this supplement, drink this smoothie, buy this gadget. However, I believe real luxury wellness is comprised of small choices and daily habits. It has to be realistic and personal. It’s not one-size-fits-all. Do what genuinely makes you feel good. Not what the latest Tik Tok trend tells you to try!
9. What are your current hero products that truly reflect the ReverieLuxe ethos?
Probably the Vaion NAD+ Pen. It’s the best NAD I’ve ever tried and has endless benefits. More energy, improved skin, anti-ageing at a cellular level – and so convenient as it comes in a handy, easy-to-use pen.
Quite boring and far from trendy, but something that has made an enormous difference to my life – the HA500 Indoor Air Purifier. I was putting everything in my body and on my body, but hadn’t considered the cornerstone and foundation of all wellness – the very air we breathe, every second of every day.
Like everyone I was well aware of air pollution and its dangers (living in Hong Kong there were days my children could not go to school as the lever of air pollution was deemed so bad it wasn’t safe) but I never considered indoor air pollution – I was horrified when the HA500 indoor Air Purifier showed me in real time the quality of the air I breathe in the place I spend most of my life – my home. But within minutes, it cleaned the air for me. And something I wasn’t expecting was an improvement in my psoriasis. I never knew indoor air pollution was detrimental to those suffering from skin conditions like me.
And for pure luxury, it’s got to be the MONK Smart Ice Bath. All the benefits of cold water swimming, but in the comfort of your own home. The company was founded by a woman, which makes it even better in my mind!
10. What does real beauty mean to you today?
Real beauty, to me, is kindness – to yourself and others. My beloved Nana “Choo Choo” (we called her that because she came to visit on the train!) used to say, “You get the face you deserve.” If you’re bitter, angry, or jealous, it shows. But if you’re kind and happy, it shines through. We all age. We all change. But a positive spirit can give you a look no cream or treatment can.