Want to Know If Your Self-Tanner is Vegan-Friendly? Ask The Good Buy Girls
Brook Roberts and Tara Gray are former pageant queens, current co hosts of Direct Shopping Network and besties forevermore. On June 5 they will add to their professional repertoire stars of TLC’s new reality series The Good Buy Girls premiering at 10 p.m. in all its tanned glory.
As trained gemologists, Tara and Brook began selling rare and precious jewelry over a decade ago on Direct Shopping Network, the broadcast network for buying diamonds, gemstones and all things shiny. After their recent upgrade from a run-down studio in Glendale to a much nicer venue in Orange County, they’re taking advantage of this fresh start by pulling together pageant secrets and their ongoing interest for locally made beauty, health and fashion merchandise to help small businesses in Los Angeles.
If you’re a frequent DSN shopping, fear not. They have no plans to stop selling jewelry. But they’ve expanded their interests. Besides making sure the goods they choose to showcase are environmentally friendly, economically sound and safe to use, they also care very much about whether the creators behind the merchandise are sincere and ethical people who care about those to whom they are catering.
“You can go online to get pretty much what you want. The thing that’s lacking is truly testing the product,” says Tara. “We go out and we put these products to the test. Do we like it, is it fashionable, are they good people the people who produce it.”
On top of their list of made-in-L.A. products that meet above criteria are a mud mask line by Glam Glow, vegan friendly self tanner via Colour Couture, the all-color accommodating Gleam, Model in a Bottle for those with sensitive skin, and unique homemade jewelry by Micha Jewelry Design. There. Your Christmakkah list is now complete.
“Everything that we sell happens organically. We’re trying to fill a need in our lives,” says Brook. They research by speaking to others, experimenting with products they find online or whatever has been sent to their front door. Whether it relates to them personally or not. “Once you see how Brook and I have a handle on children, you’ll see why we don’t have them,” says Tara on dabbling in mommy and child care products.
So what’s stopping them from making all of our dreams of doggy treadmills and menopause pajamas come true? Everyone — at least according to their new reality series. From owner and ringmaster Art, to heir to the DSN throne Gorgeous Grant, to colleagues Marlene and Ping, no one is interested in Team BT’s impassioned ploy to rebrand DSN as a multifaceted channel where Arctic Chill Towels and zipper panties (yes, they exist and will change your life) can be sold to an audience that’s used to tuning in strictly for rare gemstones and high-end jewelry.
Oh, and the occasional prepubescent caller tuning in to ask if Tara and Brook happen to be lesbians. (Seriously, can’t two grown women take a relaxing vinegar lemon bath together without having their sexuality questioned?)
Fortunately, Tara and Brook are not afraid of failure and even less afraid of entering uncharted territory for the sake research.
“What would be hard for either one of us is if someone wanted us to sell something we’re not behind or have not tried,” says Tara.
Or products that may have a hard time selling on the Home Shopping Network, like, say, feminine wipes. Which raises the question: What to do with a lifetime supply of vaginal wipes sent to your front door? Keep it in your car for non-vagina related grease and grime removal they suggest. (We were told not to use it as make-up remover from your face. Duly noted).
“That’s just not something we’re going to talk about on air,” says Tara. While Team BT is a great supporter of female-driven products, they have not neglected the eager male consumers who have waited long enough for their version of Shapewear and a line of sexy man luggage with dog carrier that’s less Paris Hilton and more Vin Diesel.
In addition to helping men cheat their way into slimmer bellies and bringing sexy back into travel, these ladies will also delve into some more familiar items like bow ties, undershirts and sunglasses. All of which will be male tested, girlfriend approved.
But if you’re looking for a good girl-on-girl fight, you will not find it here. The Good Buy Girls are all about female empowerment and camaraderie. “Be a good girlfriend. Don’t tear other women down just to get ahead,” advises Tara. “We want to be the anti reality star,” adds Brook. “We want to prove to people you can be on TV and be quirky and smart and beautiful. We definitely have moments that are not pretty.”
While they’re all business, they’re not afraid of having a good time or sticking their hands in someone’s batch of fresh lemonade just to get rid of a bad spray tan. That’s love and dedication, people.