THE SKINCARE SECRETS OF A BEAUTY ENTREPRENEUR
Shout out to all you badass women out there!
As we close out Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating our dynamic co-founder, Sonia Khemiri. A busy entrepreneur who shares her New York home with her teenage daughter and mom, she personally tests every product before it can be featured on Beautyque.nyc. These are her secrets …
⏰ It depends on the day, but I usually get up between 4am and 6am. I like the morning – that’s when I’m in the zone. It gives me time to relax, to read, to get inspired. I don’t get into the work right away – I need my mind to be prepared for the day.
6am The first thing I do is drink my protein. It’s like a meal replacement with all the vitamins. I also take a cocktail of supplements – fish oil, vitamins for the hair, Vitamin E, B12, D3.
6.30am I’m not a gym person, but running makes me feel good, so I go for a run – not a long one, maybe just half an hour. I won’t wash my face, but I’ll apply L’Odaites’ Well Aging Radiance Mask, so that all the benefits will be absorbed while I run.
7.15am Back home and in the shower, I’ll use a very light cleanser on my face – Detox Cleanser +3 from Liftlab. It’s a great mutli-tasker because it works as a cleanser, gentle exfoliant, and oil balancer.
My hair is long and curly, so I don’t wash it every day. But when I do, I use Saints & Sinners Velvet Divine Moisture shampoo and conditioner, which is perfect for me. It ensures my hair stays fantastically shiny and moisturized, while keeping any frizz at bay.
And on my body, Priori’s 2X Exfoliant Peel and Scrub does double duty, cleaning and exfoliating at the same time.
7.30am After showering, I’ll moisturize – my current go-to is Laflore’s Daily Defense. And I don’t just do my face – I moisturize my neck and sometimes even my shoulders, my chest … everything! And I use a wonderful eye cream from Virginia Stone, which is specially formulated for different skin tones.
I have a little psoriasis, so I have to make sure my body is well hydrated and moisturized. Right now, I’m using my precious oil from Sunia K with an all-in-one repair cream from Desert Harvest.
7.45am I always dress up. it doesn’t matter if I’m going to meet anyone. I put my make-up on, shoes, sometimes even heels … I’m always ready to go out. It makes me feel good to see myself ready for my day. Dressing up is an expression of how I feel in the moment.
8.15am I never calendar meetings before 9am, so that I can take my daughter to school, and have that time with her. After I’ve dropped her off, I like to have coffee in a coffee shop near my home. It gets me out, it’s a way to see people. I’ll usually have an espresso macchiato, a little piece of cookie if I feel like it, and I’ll be at my desk for 9am.
9am It depends on the period, but right now work is all about strategy. I’m preparing to pitch to investors, so I spend a lot of time reading and analyzing the metaverse and technology to understand the future of business. Then there’s all the logistics of making sure the everyday tasks are taken care of – orders from the website, the marketing calendar, emails, reports, looking at new brands for the pop up.
12.30pm I’m not a big eater, but I love food. At lunchtime, I’ll eat some lean protein – maybe chicken, bison, rabbit or fish – with vegetables and rice. I’ve eaten like that for more than 20 years, not because I want to be skinny or anything – my body just enjoys it. Also, I don’t have too much time to cook, so it keeps everything quick and simple.
But drinking enough water? That’s always a challenge, so I keep a bottle of water next to me at my desk to remind me to hydrate.
1pm If it’s the middle of the day and I’m outside, I’ll apply a little of Priori’s Tetra tinted moisturizer, for maximum protection from the sun. My other must-have at the moment is Evio’s Velvet Color Sticks. They come in four colors and multi-task as eye, cheek, or lip color for a quick, middle-of-the-day freshen up. They’re incredible!
And I always keep Nakd’s crystal deostick in my purse in case things get steamy. It’s 100% natural, neutralizes the bacteria that causes odor, dries instantly, and leaves no nasty white residue (which is perfect, because I almost always wear black!).
2.30pm I love technology. In my office, I have two huge screens, plus my Oculus. I became a gamer on Oculus because I really want to immerse myself in this environment. In the 2D space there’s a disconnect. But in 3D, the kind of spaces we can create are infinite.
And I couldn’t live without my phone. It’s like my butt! I put it in my pocket and it’s with me all the time. I can do everything on it – spreadsheets, documents – any platform I work with on the computer, I can use on my phone, so I never feel disconnected if I don’t want to be. And when I need to take a break, I go for a walk and switch off.
3.30pm I recently moved, so I’m in a new house in a new environment, with my mother and a teenage daughter. In the beginning, it was a difficult transition. I didn’t know how I was going to deal with it. My daughter pushes my buttons. My mother pushes my buttons. I was like: “Is there anyone who doesn’t push my buttons?” But I had to learn to adapt. So I asked myself: “What do I like in this new environment? What can I do that will be enjoyable to me?”
All my life I’ve wanted to ride motorcycles, but I’d never had the guts. So I went to buy a motorcycle. A sports one, not a Vespa! Also, there are a lot of farms near me, so I’ve started horseback riding at weekends. It’s a way to find a balance between work and the family.
4pm My daughter comes back on the bus and has activities a couple of times a week.
6pm I cook for everyone three or four times a week at night, then I go back to work. For me, work is not work. It’s creating. It’s what drives me.
8pm If it’s the weekend, I might meet up with my girlfriends. I came to New York in 2015 and knew no one, so this little group is very special to me. We go for dinner sometimes, or go to a play, maybe dancing. I love dancing! We empower each other, and bring out the qualities of each other.
9pm It relaxes me to be in the water, so I’ll have a bath. It’s also an opportunity to test some of the products from my wonderful brands. I have so many favorites, but right now I’m double cleansing, first with Priori’s gentle cleanser or Elevate CBD Charcoal Cleanser, then LaFlore’s Enzymatic Cleanser. I’ll leave the product on the skin for a moment, then remove it with a hot towel.
A couple of times a week, I’ll use a mask – I’m loving the ones by Elevate CBD cosmetics, Liftlab, and Pili Ani, which really go deep, getting to grips with problem skin and the signs of ageing.
And I’m Mediterranean, so I exfoliate with a special glove, or a dry body brush like this one from Ida Body Care.
Once I’m dry, I soak my body with cream and oil – the same combination as in the morning – and go all over, including my feet (my current go-to foot cream is this fabulous one from Desert Harvest, which is loaded with vitamins, aloe vera, coconut oil, and shea butter).
For my face, I’ll use the live probiotic, super concentrated serum from LaFlore mixed with WOW cream oil (which I’m testing right now and will be added to the platform soon) and Sunia K oil. My eyes are treated to L’Odaites’ wonderful eye serum, which is rich in chlorella to stimulate blood circulation and cell metabolism. It’s my secret weapon for beating wrinkles while I sleep!
BEAUTYQUENYC is so much more than a beauty store. We’re a community of independent thinkers who don’t follow trends and know that beauty is a state of mind. Thanks for being part of the movement. We’d love to hear about your life. Get in touch and we might feature your skincare secrets in our next newsletter.
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