The “Beauty Meets Business” pop-up by Ready to Beauty was the event to attend. Hosted within The Salon Project by Joel Warren, 12 beautifully decorated stylists’ chairs depicted every category of beauty. Allowing for these multicultural brands to demonstrate their products as guests sampled them, sipped champagne and/or ate hors d’oeuvres.   

As a self-proclaimed beauty enthusiast, I was in my element…able to navigate with ease, despite the crowd. The event was very successful and although I did not get to chat with all the brands, I was able to meet with some that left an impact on me as a woman of color. It was my first time walking through the floors of Saks Fifth Avenue NYC flagship store, and also the first time I saw brands that were made for women like me, at an iconic location. Go Saks!!

It was the first “think tank” dedicated to multicultural brands. Showcasing emerging brands of African American, Native American, Asian, Hispanic and Mixed-race markets. It was an exclusive beauty experience for literally ” Every Shade of Beauty”.

One of my favorite brands was in attendance, Botánika Beauty. It is a haircare line designed by fellow curly-girl and social media influencer, Ada Rojas. The line was inspired by the Botánica stores within LatinX communities fusing older beauty traditions with modern hair elements. I have been using her products for months and it has done wonders to my textured hair. Ada is a favorite among our LatinX community. She started as a blogger and built a cult following due to her open and loving nature.  She truly is someone that has paved the way for many natural hair Latinas, and Latinas, in general, to dream a little bigger and show that it can be done. We are rooting for her success and to see her name within the Saks doors was a win for us all. 

I checked out the Baby Tress Edge Styler. I am guilty of using a toothbrush to lay my edges, but NO MORE! This 3-in-1 tool is thoughtfully designed to slick your favorite edge gel, a swooping side to create swirls and a pointed tip for the perfect finish.  

Another interesting brand in atendance was PearNova.  It is a fashion-forward nail lacquer created by entrepreneur Rachel James. PearNova was designed in Chicago, the “Windy City”. The line is cruelty-free, vegan-friendly and 5 free (no formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor, toluene, and Dibutyl Phthalate DBP). During the event, they provided free manicures, which I missed, but fellow beauty bloggers were very impressed with the quality and shade range of the nail polish. 

I had a chance to chat with Nyakio, owner of Nyakio Beauty. She personifies everything a skincare brand should be. Nyakio is gracious, flawless and possesses authenticity. Which is why her clean and green products are so great and a favorite among Hollywood A-listers. While speaking to her, I learned about the origin of her beauty line. Inspired by her grandfather, a Kenyan coffee farmer who also extracted oils from natural resources to treat the skin. As a young girl, she would visit her family in the summer igniting her passion for skincare. What we love about Nyakio is that shes a first of its kind. She relates to the girl who draws inspiration from her origins but also incorporating the new. We were so happy to see her there sharing her perspective on beauty. 

As the event came to a close I gravitated towards Joban Beauty, they created a deodorant that conceals and color corrects your armpits. Its transfer-resistant, water-resistant, sweat-proof, full coverage, color correcting and deodorizing. It is the ultimate clean beauty innovation. It includes no aluminum, no parabens, vegan, and non-irritating. They offer 5 shades that blend and adjust to your skin tone. How cool is that? No more white residue on my brown skin!

One of my highlights was meeting Corey Huggins, Global CEO of Ready to Beauty. It was a tremendous honor, mainly because he is paving the way for entrepreneurs to design their businesses while offering resources to start and grow. This event also announced groundbreaking initiatives that allow further expansion for the company.  

Were excited to be part of the movement and be here to support these brands that are moving the needle forward in beauty. There has never been a more important time for brands to be connected with consumers embracing diversity and offering authentic approaches. The multicultural beauty consumer base is simultaneously growing and demanding more sophisticated products, so supporting small brands is essential to our communities.  

My key takeaways from the attending Ready to Beauty at The Salon Project by Joel Warren is: 

1. As consumers, brands are listening to us! 
2. We must support multicultural brands so they stay alive and scale!  
3. Authenticity is a key driver in running a successful business so, Transparency is KEY! 

Featured Beauty Brands: 

https://www.botanikabeauty.com/ 

https://babytress.com/ 

https://www.pearnova.com/ 

https://www.nyakio.com/ 

https://jobanbeauty.com/

Support, Follow them, and of course Purchase! 

Nyakio and Ada Rojas founders of two Multi-Cultural Brands changing the way we see beauty.

Entrepreneur Rachel James. PearNova was designed in Chicago.

The Set-up at ” Ready to Beauty” Images by abeautyanalyst

 Written by: Arianna Guzman, abeautyanalyst

Images courtesy of Nyakio, The Bonita Project and IG @abeautyanalyst