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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Hey Essies! I'm Akili King, Senior Beauty Editor at Essence Magazine, and we're back for another
00:06episode of Makeup Herstory, where we highlight amazing Black women in beauty making history in
00:12their own right. And today I am with none other than the Sabrina Alva, founder of Sable Labs.
00:20How are you? Pleased for having me. It's so nice to see you again. So nice to see you too.
00:25We love Essence and I did not know Essies was a thing, so that is so cute.
00:29Yes, you can say hey Essies. Yes, we're so honored to have you. You know I love you,
00:35so I'm excited to be here. Excited to talk about some newness and your journey,
00:41and you're looking gorgeous. Thank you. I'm actually proud. I did my own makeup today.
00:47Usually I'm like, what do I do? I'm texting all my makeup artist friends. Thank you.
00:53I feel like you ask someone and you ask someone else, they all say 10 different things. It's funny
00:58when I do my makeup, I'm always like, wait, how do you do this crease thing? But I can't take credit
01:02for mine today. Shout out to the glam team. Gorgeous. Holding me down. We love it. Well,
01:06you always look amazing, so yes. But let's get into a little bit of your journey to launching Sable Labs.
01:14For those that don't know, what inspired you to launch your brand?
01:18Yeah. I mean, it's been a bit of a long road. When I was younger, particularly my teenage years,
01:23I had really bad acne, and I grew up in Vancouver, Canada. I didn't have many friends who looked like
01:28me, particularly in my high school, that I could be like, why is this happening to my skin? Why is it
01:34when I have an acne spot, it's there for months, potentially even up to a year? Whereas all my
01:40girlfriends would be gone in weeks. And things like hyperpigmentation, these weren't words that we were
01:45using in that time. It went away for a bit. And when I got older, it kind of came back. And at
01:51this point, skincare education is more democratized, right? So I'm like, I got this. I could figure this
01:55out. I learned what it means to have melanin-rich skin and what hyperpigmentation looks like on
02:01melanin-rich skin. But still, I didn't feel like the wellness industry or beauty in general was speaking
02:09to me, not only as a Black woman, but also to my particular issues that I was experiencing.
02:15And the more I learned, the more I realized that it's not actually me who's the problem,
02:19but that the beauty industry and landscape as a whole doesn't let alone cater to Black women.
02:24They see us as niche. They see our issues as niche. They don't test on Black skin. And I think I just
02:30got this fiery charge to be like, that is not the way it should be. Because as I realized, our skin's
02:37more sensitive, right? Black skin is bougier. So if you formulate for us first, which is the most sensitive
02:43subgroup, you get product that's better for everyone. It's like using a dry, damaged hair
02:48shampoo. It's got a little bit of extra love. It's got a little bit of extra moisture. Melanin-inclusive
02:52skincare is the same. It's got ingredients that are just going to go that little mile further.
02:58Things like tyrosinase inhibitors to prevent your melanocytes from overreacting. I mean,
03:02these are things everyone can benefit from. They just show up more on us. And we're also more
03:06sensitive to these issues. So take care of Black skin first and everyone benefits.
03:10Absolutely. I love that. I love what you said about the importance of education
03:15and that has a little bit of extra love in it. And speaking of that,
03:19I feel like a lot of people don't realize that you are a trained esthetician, which is incredible.
03:25Which actually the last time we met, I think is when I graduated. Yeah, exactly.
03:29I think I'm just obsessed with skin now. I love skin. And also the feeling of giving a facial,
03:35like I can't explain, not only do I get to, you know, see the products firsthand on my clients,
03:40but also speak about their issues. And like, there's this transmission of love and energy,
03:46which is really nice. Like I feel I'm calming them down. And then in turn, they're calming me down.
03:51And there's nothing more fulfilling as a founder than hearing someone go, wow,
03:55I can see my skin changing. Wow. This is really working. Or, oh my gosh,
03:59I've never feel seen or heard. And you're making me feel like my issues are normal. I'm like, of
04:04course, like we're all going through it, you know? And so I just love, love getting to know clients.
04:09Yeah, absolutely. And it's just amazing to hear, you know, I feel like there's a lot of chatter
04:14about celebrity owned brands and people just slapping their face and name on something,
04:19but it's really beautiful to hear how you go the extra mile and you really caring or dedicated to
04:25the craft. Thank you. And it's particularly when we launched, like Elephant in the Room,
04:32there was like a celebrity brand every week, right? No, literally. I was like, what's going on?
04:36We all obviously had a lot of time during COVID. So, but I will say to feel like you've made something
04:43that didn't exist and was needed. And then to feel like you were being lumped into an oversaturated
04:49space, which was like celebrity skincare was a bit frustrating because like you said, like,
04:53you know, we self-funded this brand from the start. We didn't just white label,
04:57we're not a face to an investor. This is our brand and it was created out of our passion,
05:02myself and my husband's. And we just want people to know that we've put 100% of ourselves into this
05:07and every ingredient is, you know, seen and heard and approved by us. And the formulation has been
05:13tested on me on my skin as well, right? Like this is something I take very seriously.
05:18Absolutely. I'd love to hear it. And so speaking of hubby,
05:21I just peeped your new campaign for the Moringa lip oil together.
05:27So gorgeous.
05:27Oh, thank you so much.
05:30Yeah. He makes the pictures look good.
05:33You two together make it what it is.
05:36I appreciate that. It was so fun to shoot. It's also just like,
05:39you know, people always say, is it hard to work with your partner or your husband?
05:42And I was like, yeah, of course, it's not always easy. But when you get to share moments like that
05:48and come to the point of creation where you get to like, you know, be creative and he eats that up,
05:52like that's definitely where his contribution to the businesses is probably the point where
05:57he's more passionate about is how the creative looks and how we speak about the products.
06:02So it was so, so fun to like kind of direct something together. And that shoot was something
06:07that we directed and I'm so, so excited about the new product. So it was just fun to share it.
06:11Absolutely. No, that was beautiful. So yes, please tell us more about the new Moringa lip oil,
06:16which I'm loving. I love a lippy. So I love a lippy. A lippy is my desert island. Like people say,
06:23what's the one thing you would take with you? I know it should be sunscreen, but like,
06:28I cannot stand my lips being dry or cracked. So I was super, super, super picky with lip balms.
06:34And we created a lip salve. We wanted to create something because what I felt was missing was a lip
06:39that does a little bit more. There are tons of amazing lips for an aesthetic purpose. There are
06:44tons of great glosses. There are tons of great tints, but I didn't feel, and what I thought was
06:49missing was a lip that just went a little bit, you know, that extra mile, which is something we really
06:54care about at the brand as a whole. We always want our formulations to be maximum impact, you know,
06:58effective in so many different ways. So for us, the Moringa lip salve is kind of my solution.
07:04I also was like really self-conscious about my lips because they were always dry. I was always
07:09picking and like, you know, doing that thing where you bite your lip. And then that would lead to
07:13hyperpigmentation around my lips. So what you'll find about the Moringa salve is not only is Moringa
07:18healing and nourishing and a great antioxidant, it's castor oil based. So it's a vegan formula,
07:23really, really seals and locks in that moisture. It's 127% increase in moisture in just four hours in
07:29our clinicals. So, you know, the results are there, but we added enzymes and tyrosinase
07:33inhibitors like prickly pear, licorice root, marshmallow root, because I wanted lips to feel
07:39like brighter, more even replenished looking as well. So you'll see over time using the lip,
07:44you're like, Oh my God, I love the color of my lips. Like it really brings your natural pink out.
07:49It's just nice. I know, which I feel is a little bit different. So this is a lip salve. It's meant to
07:54heal. You can use it on your cuticles. You can use it anywhere you would use a salve,
07:57any dry patches, eczema patches, and, and the healing and nourishing benefits are seen right
08:02away. Oh, amazing. I love to hear that. I'm an eczema girly. So I need, I remember we spoke about
08:08this. Yeah. If you've got a dry patch somebody to let me know. I definitely have one right now.
08:12So there you go. Yeah. It is frustrating guys, isn't it? But I think like we spoke about a lot of that.
08:17And one of the reasons that we formulated the brand we did is because we wanted to eliminate
08:21sensitizing ingredients, drying alcohols, fragrances, all which can pre-trigger some of that.
08:26You know, eczema in particular is a really sticky issue. It's, it's, it's hard to get rid of,
08:30but there are things that you can do to not flare it up even more, get it angrier and eliminating
08:36some of those nasties as part of it. Yeah, absolutely. Okay. So I love this. So versatile.
08:41So obviously you're using this in the morning, throughout the day. Do you do like a lip combo
08:46with it or is it more so like your base? Oh, you can do, you can do anything with it. But what's so great
08:52about it is it will last. The only time I need to reapply it is if I eat or drink. Okay. So the
08:56moisture just really, really lasts. Like if I put it on at night, it's like eight hour where I wake up,
09:01it's still there. So it does feel like a lip mask, even though it is a lip treatment. Nice.
09:06Which is so nice because the last thing you want is to put a lip on and an hour later, your lips feel dry
09:11or cracked and you're constantly reapplying. And I do think because of the whole lip oil trend, lip oils
09:17are great. They look great. But I think people forget that oils doesn't necessarily mean it's
09:21moisturizing your lip. It can lock in moisture, but what's adding that moisture? So we have ultra
09:26filling spheres in the lip product, which not only attract water from the rest of your lip,
09:31but also hold onto it, can create like a plump effect. So you don't feel like you have to always
09:36reapply. Like that's so frustrating, right? It is. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Plus we got the little keychain hole.
09:40I love that. Can I stay with you? I was about to, you know, mention I saw the hole for the keychain.
09:46Which I love. I would lose mine. So I was like, you know what, can we just put a hole in it so I
09:50just won't lose it anymore. Yeah. Or you could put a little charm. Yeah, you could actually. I see
09:54people put charms on their lips. It's so cute. So cute. Yeah. The booboo. I was about to say,
09:58speaking of charm, I saw your post about the little booboo because literally... No, I was like
10:03kind of embarrassed. And then I was like, you know what? I love them. They're so cute. They're just so cute.
10:08I love them. And I think I was just in China recently as well. I didn't realize, okay,
10:12the booboo's are popular here. In China, they're like, they're everywhere. So like seeing
10:16everyone's different in the booboo. So I was like, where'd she get that one when they've got the
10:20pop-up? Outfits too. Outfits. The styling was so cute. Oh my gosh. I'm addicted. So I've definitely
10:25got one with a looboo on. Obsessed. Amazing. I'm going to copy you. Because literally the day before
10:30you posted that, I was like, I think I want one of these. Do it. Thank you. I'll support you.
10:34I will triple like that post. Thank you. That's what I mean. Servino's support for my looboo. You heard it here.
10:40Yeah. Amazing. So yeah. Speaking of all the travels you've been doing, you and your brand
10:47recently went to Ghana to support some of the women formulating your products and just
10:54shine light on their stories. So tell me a bit about that. That's amazing.
10:57One of the things, and thank you for saying that, one of the things we love at Sable is A-beauty.
11:02Yeah. I feel like we were one of maybe the first brands to really champion A-beauty,
11:07but growing up first generation African, like that's all I heard about at home. Like my mom
11:11was like mixing her turmeric and her vessel masks like every day. And I see this growing up. I don't
11:17think I appreciated it as much when I was younger. Like I think I was like, mom, you don't know what
11:22Sephora is. I don't know what you're cooking up, but it's not this. And now I realize like there's so
11:27much truth to what she was saying and that Africa has the best antioxidants. The conditions on the
11:32climate or on the continent can be so climate harsh and just like harsh climates in general that they,
11:37botanicals have to be extra resilient just to survive, which means they're loaded,
11:42loaded with antioxidants. And antioxidants are a great way to start any formulation because it
11:46protects skin from outside aggressors, which can then lead to inflammation. And when you're
11:50reducing inflammation, you're reducing things like hyperpigmentation, which happens post-inflammatory.
11:54Right. So we wanted to make sure that every product had an A-beauty staple in the formulation,
12:00a cornerstone of the formulation. You'll see a Qasel in the cleanser, Baobob in the moisturizer,
12:04Roybus tea, which a lot of us knew, in the micellar water, Blackseed in the toner,
12:09Qasel again in the mask, and Okra in the serum, and now Moringa in the lip salve. So it's like we
12:14not only want to just champion the African ingredients in the inky at the back, we want to put them on the
12:19front of the bottle so people get to learn them and know what they are. And the reason we do that,
12:23for one, is to help people relate African beauty with efficacy because I really want us to remember,
12:29oh my God, these clinicals are so great because they're African, you know, like I want A-beauty
12:33to really be championed. But also I wanted to reclaim some of the appropriated ingredients and
12:38stories. Like, you know, we see Baobob at a Whole Foods sometimes, but we forget that there are African
12:43faces behind that ingredient. We forget that it takes African women farming that ingredient to get it to
12:49our shelves. And I want to make sure that those stories, but also the people themselves are protected.
12:53So when we did this trip to Ghana, I wanted to take content creators and storytellers to see
12:58firsthand what rural women go through when they're farming ingredients for us. Like they should not
13:04be in unsafe working conditions. They should be getting fair wages. They should be able to send
13:07their children to school with economic independence. We're tackling things like land rights. And there's
13:12just so, so much involved. And I think people forget, you know, we talk about it with food and fashion,
13:17but people forget that in beauty, people can be suffering creating these products. People could
13:22be dying creating these products. And that's the last thing we ever want or to be involved with. So
13:26all of our supply chain is responsibly sourced and traceable. We know the farmers we source from,
13:31and that's why we brought people to go and see them. Also take part in some of the processes,
13:35like making shea is hard. Definitely. So I was fasting. It was Ramadan. The women in the region
13:42were also fasting. 30 degree heat, sweat dripping down their faces, working this shea. I barely had
13:48enough energy to take a video. I was like, how are they doing this? They're so strong. And that's
13:54also another way to change narratives because I think people assume sometimes across the continent,
13:59it's easy and they're also waiting for a handout. Like people want to work, you know, as long as the
14:03opportunity is there and we can invest in them, they want to work. They will work their bums off in this
14:08heat just to be able to take care of their families, you know. So it's about meeting them
14:12business person to business person, making a deal. I'd love to buy your ingredients. You can supply me.
14:17Right. And you know, so giving them that opportunity for economic independence.
14:20I love that. I love the transparency and just the humanizing of all the steps that it takes to
14:27create a brand. I love that you said humanizing. Yes. It's humanizing product in general. There
14:31is humans behind it. Exactly. Yeah. So you're doing the Lord's work. We love it. Yeah. Yeah.
14:36It's just forgotten. We just don't talk about it enough in beauty. And there's so many beautiful
14:40people behind our ingredients, beautiful faces, women that look like us. Let's champion them.
14:44Exactly. You know, and I think the continent deserves to be seen and heard. You know,
14:48the youngest billion who are going to want work. Yes. Going in the rural areas is a very viable
14:54solution for that to build business and enterprise. Yeah. There's enough arable land across the continent.
14:59There are enough people who want to work. And this is just a great way for the beauty industry to not
15:04only support its supply chain so that it's like, you know, mutual support, but also just build
15:08opportunity. Yes, absolutely. I think it's important to show, you know, how your company is working with
15:15these people and what it's actually like and what it actually takes. So yeah, I think that's incredible.
15:21Cool. Yes. Thanks. So on another note of traveling, you just got back from Cannes where you looked
15:27gorgeous. Thank you.
15:28Loved the red, the makeup, the hair. Thank you. So tell us a little bit about
15:33the inspiration behind that look. Oh, thank you so much.
15:37Yeah. Just where you're drawing inspiration from in general, right?
15:40Yeah. Well, you know, I, for the first day, so my carpet look, I wore this gorgeous white
15:44scaparelli gown and I loved it the second I saw it. And also scaparelli has the best accessories,
15:49right? So I was with gorgeous gold earrings, but the dress gave me like a vintage feel and I saw
15:55this amazing picture of Dorothy Dandridge, which I was saying to you earlier. And I just thought,
15:59I want to emulate that somehow. How do I bring a bit of that out? And I was working with Haas and
16:04Kelly. Haas is my hairstylist out there. And then he, he did this gorgeous sort of Dorothy inspired look.
16:10I loved it. And it was just like this cute vintage feel.
16:13Yeah. And then I found, there's this brand, Dallara.
16:17Okay. I haven't heard of it.
16:19It is a sexy brand.
16:21Yes.
16:22And they had this red dress and I was like, am I that girl?
16:24Can I wear that dress?
16:25You can wear that dress. You wore that dress.
16:27Thank you. And I was working with Haas again and Naima, who you know,
16:31yeah, she's so great. And we were like, let's do like kind of punky, rocky, edgy, like just own it.
16:37A good friend of mine, Jessica McCormick, she's a jeweler in London and she's sending jewelry.
16:42And she sent these cherry earrings.
16:44Cute.
16:45Cause I had just gone to the Usher concert.
16:47Oh my gosh.
16:48I saw that video.
16:50I know. I got cherry and I was like, oh my God.
16:53I know this is iconic.
16:54But it was so funny cause she'd sent these cherry earrings.
16:56And I was like, oh, that is hilarious. This is just, I've just got to own it.
17:00And I wore them with that red dress. And I just, it was, it was so funny.
17:03It was like an inside joke in my head, but I just, I did feel very sexy in that dress.
17:06And like, it's not something I generally, um, not that I don't embrace how that feels,
17:12but I definitely, maybe growing up in a more conservative family, I'm more modest.
17:17So it's sometimes fun to just be a bit branch out.
17:20Yes.
17:20And wow, it was so very classy, tasteful as you always are.
17:26And hilarious that you said, I got cherried like that as a term now is hilarious.
17:31I'm scared.
17:34No, no, it was very tasteful.
17:35I know she was such a great guy.
17:36Yeah.
17:36He was so sweet.
17:37And I'm so, yeah, it just was there and it worked out perfectly.
17:41And I did not expect him to stand up.
17:43I was like really standing up.
17:45It was so funny.
17:45I was like, okay, own it.
17:47Just embrace the moment.
17:49Date night.
17:50Date night.
17:50Yeah.
17:51Couldn't ask for a better date night.
17:52Literally.
17:53Yeah.
17:53Love it.
17:54Love it.
17:54Let's do a good evening.
17:55Yes.
17:56No.
17:56Amazing.
17:57Love it.
17:58Okay.
17:58So back to the products too.
18:01I meant to ask you, do you have a favorite out of all of them?
18:04I love the okra serum.
18:06Now I feel like I'm going to have the Moringa lip oil as my favorite.
18:10Yeah.
18:11Yeah.
18:11So it's so, so hard because I love them all.
18:15I love them all for different reasons, but I do always love my toner as well.
18:20And I go back to it a lot just because it's something I can also use throughout the day.
18:24So I find my relationship with it is a little bit different, but because it's got that holy
18:28grail vitamin C, E ferulic acid, black seed is so anti-inflammatory, but it's also antimicrobial.
18:34So if you have it on your office desk, you're like not only killing acne causing bacteria
18:38all day, you're adding this dose of vitamin C, which is ultra stable.
18:41It's not going to cause any irritation like some vitamin C products can.
18:45It's just such a great one.
18:46And I, yeah, I love spraying and I'm like, I finished my makeup with it as well.
18:50I also start my makeup with it.
18:52So I have such a good, well-rounded product.
18:55Idris loves it because it's got a chase.
18:57So it's got a slight exfoliating effect.
18:59So if he shaves his beard and then sprays the toner, it acts like an aftershave and prevents
19:04ingrown hairs.
19:05And that's like the great thing about the range is that it has so many multi-purpose
19:09aspects of the formula.
19:10Yeah.
19:11The lip treatment is, you know, salves and everything like that.
19:15So I love that.
19:17Versatile.
19:17Great for the girl on the go.
19:19Yeah, exactly.
19:21And to have less steps, it's just so nice, right?
19:23Yeah, no, for sure.
19:25Yes.
19:25So on the note of steps, like what is your current beauty and wellness routine like?
19:31Especially being so busy, you've been traveling a lot.
19:35What's keeping you centered like in the mornings?
19:37Yeah, I mean, I have been incorporating some sort of like practices that are rounded around
19:43calmness and good sleep.
19:46I love my range.
19:46I use my range day and night.
19:48I add a sunscreen and an eye cream, which we don't have at the brand yet.
19:53I've been using the Skin Rocks Caroline Hirons's brand, her eye cream.
19:57I really love that eye cream at the moment.
19:59And I'm using the Cicaplast Sun Care range because La Rochefa say Cicaplast stuff is so good
20:04and they turned it into a sunscreen.
20:05I was like, of course I've got to use that.
20:06So good.
20:06And then I'll use my routine in the morning.
20:09I'll just go with the rooibos micellar, but at night I'll do a double cleanse.
20:12Okay, nice.
20:13But the things that I've like finding that I'm adding to kind of help around sleep and wellness,
20:17obviously drinking lots of water does help overall.
20:20I got a grounding mat recently.
20:22I know.
20:23And I put it under my sheet and I am the last person to believe anything like this.
20:28But Idris was really adamant about it.
20:30I have had the best sleeps I've ever had.
20:33And I think it is because of the grounding mat.
20:34I also have endometriosis.
20:36Okay, wow.
20:37So I find it's one of the only things that's actually helped with like cramps and stuff.
20:41I was so shocked.
20:42So I'm now a believer.
20:43Wow.
20:44Okay, did I need this grounding mat?
20:46I actually think everyone needs it.
20:47So it's a theory where the natural earth...
20:50I can help me.
20:50Sound all fine.
20:51No, please.
20:52I'm a little Wooloo.
20:53So it has a current to it.
20:54Okay.
20:54I'll see ya.
20:56It has a current to it.
20:57And our bodies, of course, have a current.
20:59So when you are in contact with the natural ground, you're sharing that current, whatever that is.
21:06But if you're in a house and you're on ground that we've made, you kind of lose touch.
21:11So your grounding mat goes into your electrical socket.
21:13It's not electrical.
21:14It just has like a grounding plug and helps kind of reroute from the ground into your bed.
21:20Wow.
21:20Yeah.
21:21That's so interesting.
21:22I know.
21:22It's a little more complicated maybe than I'm making it sound.
21:25No.
21:25But it is a really cool concept.
21:28That and infrared saunas.
21:29I find infrared saunas.
21:30So I've got like one by my house that I do try and go to as much as I can.
21:35Has really helped overall just sort of feeling.
21:37I feel like it's made my skin glow more.
21:39And I use one with red light.
21:41So, you know, red light does have proven skin benefits.
21:43Right.
21:44But you just have to be consistent.
21:45Yeah, exactly.
21:46So I'm just trying to work in things that I can be more consistent around my routine
21:51and try to expand my wellness idea of wellness.
21:53Because I think it's really easy to find a range of skincare you love.
21:56Just put that on your face.
21:57Right.
21:58And you forget about all the other aspects of wellness.
22:00It's also what you eat, what you take in, and how you treat your body and care for yourself.
22:04Absolutely.
22:05No, great point.
22:06I love the grounding mat.
22:07That sounds amazing.
22:08I want to try it.
22:09And I love Asana, too.
22:11Yeah.
22:11Recently, I learned that it helps with dementia prevention.
22:14It does, yeah.
22:15So all the things.
22:17So many benefits, joint health as well.
22:20And it's funny because we forget that there's a whole other side to wellness.
22:22Because I'll hear people say all the time, oh my gosh, my acne is so persistent,
22:26or it won't go away.
22:26I'm using all this expensive skincare.
22:29I've bought all this stuff.
22:30Right.
22:30And I'm like, but what are you eating?
22:31Yeah, right.
22:32No, literally.
22:33And then gut skin access is so close.
22:35Yes.
22:35It's like, sure, you can treat yourself good on the outside.
22:37But if you're not treating yourself well on the inside, you're just kind of canceling that benefit
22:42out.
22:42Yeah.
22:42It's so important.
22:43Yeah, absolutely.
22:44No, so true.
22:46Yes.
22:46I feel like when I don't take my probiotics regularly, I'm like, oh, my skin is acting
22:53up.
22:53The U.S. has the best ones, I feel.
22:55Really?
22:55Yeah.
22:56There's one at, is it Trader Joe's?
22:58This chocolate yogurt.
22:59Oh, yeah.
23:00Probiotics.
23:00Yeah, I've seen that.
23:01I haven't tried it.
23:02I was actually like, can I take that on the plane back?
23:05I don't know.
23:05I just feel there's, there's no excuse in the States.
23:07There's so much stuff.
23:08Yeah.
23:09So much good stuff.
23:10No, absolutely.
23:11Okay.
23:11Love it.
23:12And then, so obviously you've been like busy, but is there anything you're excited
23:19about coming up or that you're working on that you want to share?
23:24Yeah.
23:24Well, you know, interesting enough, we had this amazing night last November where we
23:29wanted to explore the idea of creative wellness and we brought in artists and musicians, you
23:35poets, you name it, to kind of come into a space together and take an exploration of
23:40what that means to be in a space of creative wellness.
23:42Right.
23:43We had great conversation.
23:44We had performances from people we just really respect and admire.
23:48I mean, it was so good.
23:49It reminded me of like the old school Def Jam poetry sessions.
23:52Yeah.
23:52Which you know well.
23:53I remember you told me you used to watch things.
23:56Exactly.
23:56I used to keep those.
23:57You were a poet of your souls.
23:58I dabbled in spoken word.
24:00I did.
24:01Yes.
24:01And I, and I do just love the idea of writing and creating something and then giving
24:05that to the world, but then how do creatives get replenished, right?
24:09So we wanted to create a new frequency of self-care and a sonic exploration of the idea
24:14of wellness.
24:15So we have put together a project that we're going to be putting out with the lips to some
24:19people and I'm really excited to share it.
24:20And it is, I guess I could call it sort of like a compilation of music and ideas from the night.
24:27So I'm really, really excited to share that with the world.
24:29We called it no lip service because we wanted to really go into this idea of we don't just
24:33talk the talk, but you walk the walk.
24:36Also African beauty is rooted in oral tradition.
24:40African music is rooted in oral tradition.
24:42So this idea of that frequency showing and sharing self-care was like,
24:46it just felt so connected to us and made sense.
24:48Right.
24:48So I'm really excited to share that side of Sable with the world.
24:51I'm so excited.
24:52I feel excited.
24:53This is up my alley.
24:55You know, I'm a fellow poet too.
24:56I know.
24:57And you're going to come to our party, right?
24:59Yes.
25:00I'm perfect.
25:00Yes.
25:01Yes.
25:01I love, um, oh my gosh, I need to figure it out.
25:05No.
25:05And the hair is so good right now.
25:07I love this.
25:08And I tried, I tried to do this style furniture, but it didn't look as good on me.
25:11Like you are killing it.
25:12You always look amazing.
25:16That's so sweet.
25:16But no, I'm excited.
25:17I love record room.
25:18So yeah, it's such a good venue.
25:20I'm so excited to share that with the world, just to be able to, you know,
25:22the reason we called it Sable Labs was it was always meant to be a think, think
25:26tank, a place of exploration and creation.
25:29And that is very Idris as well.
25:30Like he loves creative exploration.
25:32Yes.
25:32He's a DJ too.
25:33Yeah, exactly.
25:34It just feels like a natural progression for us.
25:37He has a track on the album, which is beautiful.
25:40I'm so excited.
25:41I'm going to love it.
25:42No, no doubt.
25:43I'm excited.
25:43Amazing.
25:44Yeah, I'm excited.
25:45And then, so you also have a podcast of your own, Skin to Skin.
25:49Yes.
25:50Yeah.
25:50So tell me a bit more about that.
25:52We just wrapped season one.
25:54I have so much respect for people who podcast.
25:56It's a lot of time, scheduling and, you know, but I cannot wait for season two.
26:01And the reason I started it selfishly is, you know, the beauty industry, we're so lucky.
26:05So many founders and people, they're amazing.
26:07They're so nice and so willing and giving with the knowledge that they have.
26:11That should be able to share that knowledge.
26:13I mean, and I was like, let me sit down with them one on one.
26:16I want to learn as much as I can, not only as a founder, but as a woman and a black woman in this
26:21space, just to be able to broaden my knowledge and gain new insights.
26:24And I think people have really enjoyed it, which is really exciting.
26:28So I can't wait to start season two.
26:29No, it's amazing.
26:30I'm loving it.
26:31I've been tapping in and like, it makes sense for you.
26:33You're such an amazing speaker.
26:35Oh my God.
26:35You're so analogy though.
26:37So like, yeah, keep.
26:38You see why we're friends.
26:41Yes.
26:41We love each other.
26:42I love it.
26:43The Gemini Aries.
26:44Exactly.
26:44It's a perfect move.
26:46Yeah, exactly.
26:47Yeah.
26:48Is it because they're both air signs?
26:49Is that a thing?
26:50So Aries is fire.
26:51Oh, Aries is fire.
26:52So what's Gemini?
26:52Gemini is air.
26:53Yes.
26:54Okay.
26:54Got you.
26:54Wait, you would think that wouldn't work.
26:56Doesn't.
26:57Right.
26:57Yeah.
26:58Right.
26:58Air blows the fire.
26:59Yeah, exactly.
27:00But I don't know.
27:00We work together.
27:02My best friend's a Gemini, so.
27:04And Gemini's love Gemini's as well.
27:06So it's funny.
27:06I have a lot of like Gemini friends.
27:08Yeah.
27:08Gemini's with Aries and Cancer.
27:10Okay.
27:10Yeah.
27:10Do you have Cancer friends?
27:11Not a ton, but I do like Cancers.
27:13They're very sweet.
27:14I do too.
27:15Yeah.
27:15Very emotional.
27:15But this is a whole nother podcast now.
27:17Yes.
27:17Great.
27:18And we're starting our instant astrology.
27:19Astrology.
27:20Yeah.
27:20Love it.
27:21You know, it's wellness adjacent.
27:23It is wellness adjacent.
27:24Yeah.
27:25I would love to see someone create a line based on astrology.
27:29Wow.
27:29Yeah.
27:30Wouldn't that be interesting?
27:30That would be really cool.
27:31That would do well.
27:32You heard it here first.
27:33Yes.
27:34Wow.
27:34You need to maybe patent that.
27:38Must have tried.
27:39Yeah, for sure.
27:40For sure.
27:41Amazing.
27:41So obviously, you know, you're incredibly confident, glowing.
27:46I love that you think that.
27:47All the things.
27:49Tell us.
27:50I know.
27:51What are your comfort?
27:52I think we all suffer with like, you know, our own insecurities and stuff.
27:56But I actually think they lead to growth most times.
27:59Absolutely.
27:59And I do feel, you know, I'm 36 years old now.
28:03I've definitely come into my own confidence and in being happy with who I am.
28:08But I always want to be in a state of learning and like trying to understand how to be in
28:13a room with people who potentially have different opinions and different personalities.
28:16So I think life should always be a journey of learning, especially around other people.
28:21I think the best thing you can do is surround yourself with people who aren't like you.
28:25Right.
28:26And I only think that provides growth.
28:27And actually, in the last five years working on this brand, I know I have changed so much.
28:33And I know I own my knowledge so much more because imposter syndrome is a real thing.
28:40I think it's a healthy thing.
28:41But I also think it's a challenge that you should be facing head on every day.
28:45Yeah.
28:45And to walk in somewhere and say, yeah, I do deserve to be here, particularly as black
28:50women.
28:51Right.
28:51It's very easy to feel we don't, you know, and the seat's not always there at the table.
28:55And sometimes you have to create that space for yourself.
28:58And we're constantly having to like remove obstacles, which can, you know, limit you.
29:04And I just think it's so important that we always remind ourselves that the more we do
29:08that, the more we grow and the better it is for the people coming after us.
29:12So.
29:12Right.
29:12Absolutely.
29:13Yeah.
29:13And I love what you said about, you know, confidence stems from also just seeking knowledge
29:18and just owning that we're, we're still learning along our journey.
29:22And there's no like finite point.
29:24It's like, I'm just going to keep learning, being open.
29:27So yeah, that's a great point.
29:28Yeah.
29:29So true.
29:29Yeah, definitely.
29:31And then, so in the spirit of make up her story, which is all about women and beauty,
29:37thank you.
29:37Women and beauty making history.
29:39You know, what are you hoping your legacy will be as you're growing in your career?
29:45I want a beauty to be a household name.
29:47Yeah.
29:48I want that so bad for, for all of the women who farm the ingredients, but also for all the
29:52moms and aunties who have been talking from the top of their lungs about this knowledge
29:57for ages.
29:58I really want to see that for the industry.
29:59And if I can have any impact there, that would be a dream.
30:02Yeah, absolutely.
30:04Well, you are a dream.
30:06Thank you for you.
30:06You see, so this is so good to do this.
30:08Yes, I know.
30:09I love this.
30:10Thank you so, so much for having me.
30:12Absolutely.
30:12Thank you, Essence.
30:14I love being here.
30:15I'm at the office, which is so, so cool.
30:17Yes.
30:17Yeah.
30:17And it's such a vibe.
30:19We need, we need Essence.
30:20No, we do.
30:22We love having you.
30:23We're, we're so appreciative of my time.
30:25I appreciate you.
30:26Thank you, Essice, for tuning in.
30:27Thank you, Essice.
30:28And we will see you soon.