Sara Chappellet marches to her own drummer and is not afraid
to express herself, even if it may go against the norm, especially in the
conservative winery town of St. Helena.
But her vivacious personality and positive outlook on life are contagious, and
people are drawn to her. She moved to the quiet northern Napa Valley
town in 1998 after marrying Dominic Chappellet, son of famed winery matriarch
Molly Chappellet, owner of Chappellet Winery.
“We moved here so Dominic could go back to school,” said
Chappellet. “I thought we were moving to the Valley for two years. I fought
living here for awhile because it seemed so ‘unfunky’ here. I wasn’t
sophisticated and didn’t fit in at first. Some of my rough edges are smoother
now.”
Chappellet grew up in Maryland
to a “conservative midwest” family, but moved to Monterey Peninsula
when she was fifteen years old. As a middle child, Chappellet said she was the
black sheep in the family and was an outcast in high school. She left home at
age sixteen and lived in Big Sur, where she
said she experimented with who she was.
“Life was my stage and I could wear whatever I wanted as the
actor on the stage of life,” beamed Chappellet, eyes lighting up as she spoke. She
got the first of several tattoos she now sports, but also said the tattoo world
is not her identity.
“Each tattoo reminds me of a time in my life,” said
Chappellet. “My tattoos are pretty tattoos and I see them as permanent
accessories. It doesn’t make me scary.” Chappellet said the tattoos did cause
her conflict when she first moved to St. Helena,
but even her mother-in-law accepted her.
“I have a phenomenal relationship with Molly,” said
Chappellet. “She is my idol. She has accepted me, tattoos and all, even though
she doesn’t like tattoos. Molly indirectly helped me achieve my true potential
in life.”
“I believe if I can cultivate positive interaction with
people, hopefully the tattoos won’t cause me to be judged negatively.”
She and her husband are raising two kids in St. Helena, which Chappellet said helped her meet people.
She became active in the community. She taught herself to sew and started a
clothing company for vintage little girls’ clothes and purses, which she sold
at the Farmers’ Market. She made women’s garments as well, and has a degree in
residential planning, but her real passion is for the beauty industry.
“Ever since I can remember I have been playing with makeup,
experimenting with hair and accessories, pushing the envelope and taking
fashion risks,” she said. Her confidence in style and what looks good on women
has made it a natural transition for her as the new owner of Heaven and Earth,
a beauty store and salon on Main
StreetSt. Helena. in
Chappellet said she worked for the former owner, Peter
Schamoni, off and on for several years. “I would leave because I was frustrated
because I knew I could do more with the store, but wasn’t given the reins to
make changes and create growth. But Peter and I were friends and I always came
back.”
Peter entertained the idea of Chappellet buying the store
last summer. “The timing was right so I went back to Heaven and Earth and took
it for a test drive,” she added. “I knew right away I was going to buy it; I wrote my business plan and purchased the store
without financial assistance from the Chappellet Family. I feel proud to have
done it on my own. I feel like I am thriving now.
“I love helping women feel better about themselves and
seeing the inner beauty in them that we all possess,” she said. “We have the
solution to any beauty problems.”
Summertime in the Napa
Valley is filled with
parties, fund raisers, gatherings and special occasions. Chappellet encourages
people to bring in an outfit and her professionally trained staff can make
recommendations on makeup and accessories to complement any garment.
Chappellet said one of her biggest goals with the store is
to provide popular, high end, high quality products locally so her customers
don’t have to drive out of town to department stores. “Sustainability is
important to me,” she said. “If merchants provide what the locals want, then
they will shop locally, helping to maintain a local sustainable economy.”
“St. Helena is my home now
and I feel accepted here.”
Sara’s Beauty Tips
“If you can spend just four extra minutes in the morning,
you will feel better about yourself all day and still have that natural Napa Valley
look.”
Top Five Beauty Basic
Products
Sunscreen
Mascara
Lip Gloss
Little Blush
Light Foundation
Have a couple more
minutes?
Run a flat iron in your hair.
Use an eyelash curler to make eyes look more open.
Use products with light-reflecting particles to diminish
shadows on the face
General rule for party makeup: dramatic eyes and nude lips
or nude eyes and dramatic lips.
Self-tanner – Don’t discount this. Everyone looks better
with a little color, and it hides a multitude of “sins” or flaws on the skin.
Blush on the brow bone for a balanced natural look.
Heaven and Earth, 1317
Main Street, St. Helena,
707.963.1124
