Today, I’m chatting with Toshia Baker, the founder of ButterMeUpGoods. Toshia’s brand offers luxurious skincare and body care products made with plant-based ingredients. She began building her company in 2011 when she was going through personal evolution. Toshia decided to go vegan, which led her to pay closer attention to the body care products she was using. Ultimately, this led her to start her skincare line. During the episode, Toshia opened up about growing up in a small town in Alabama, turning her passion for skincare into a brand recognized by influencers like Jackie Aina, and her pla ..read more

Today, I’m chatting with Barbara Jacques, the founder of Jacq’s Skincare. Barbara’s journey began in 2010 when she learned she was pregnant and had an ovarian tumor. Her diagnosis set her on a path to learn more about what she was putting in and on her body. That’s when she discovered the glaring fact that products marketed to black women contain more toxic chemicals than those sold to other women. Ultimately, this inspired her to launch her vegan skincare line for women of color. During the episode we chatted about what it was like transitioning from being product-obsessed to a more intentio ..read more

Today, I’m chatting with Tisha Thompson,  a veteran in the clean beauty space. She started as a makeup artist in the early 2000s and spent most of her career working with PÜR Cosmetics in Atlanta. Tisha started with the brand as a marketing manager in 2007 before becoming vice president of marketing and innovation in 2012. While she was there, she was committed to diversifying clean beauty and was the driving force behind PUR Cosmetics' 100-shade foundation collection. Throughout her career, Tisha has noticed this perpetuated myth that clean, non-toxic ingredients, deep shade ranges, and ..read more

Today, I’m chatting with St. Clair Detrick-Jules, an Afro-Caribbean-American author, photographer, and activist. She’s joining me on the show to talk about her photojournalism book, My Beautiful Black Hair: 101 Natural Hair Stories from the Sisterhood. The book debuts today, and it is the most beautiful love letter to Black women and our hair.  St. Clair specifically created the book for a special little girl in her life, her sister Khloe. We dive deep into the backstory during the episode, but to give a bit of insight, when Khloe was four, she came home crying because her classmate ..read more

Today, I’m chatting with Nickie Nougaisse, the founder of Curls Dynasty. When Nickie decided to transition away from relaxers, she found herself in the kitchen trying to concoct things that would help nourish her hair. Her efforts were successful, and it wasn't long before her family and friends took notice. After getting consistent requests from co-workers and friends to make products for them, Nickie realized she had something special, and Curls Dynasty was born. During our conversation, Nickie talks about the journey from just selling her products to her inner circle to opening an Etsy sho ..read more

Today, I’m chatting with Bernard and James Bronner, who are a part of the legendary Bronner Bros. family. The brand’s history dates back to 1947 when Dr. Nathaniel Bronner, Sr., his brother, Arthur Bronner, Sr., and their sister, Emma Bronner, began teaching cosmetologists at the Butler Street YMCA in Atlanta, Georgia.  In the years that followed, Bronner Bros. became known for iconic hair products like SuperGro and their International Beauty Show, which is usually based in Atlanta. Bronner Bros. is one of those brands that is so connected to Black culture and Black beauty culture. My m ..read more

Today, I’m chatting with Brittaney Trent, a brand marketing expert and aesthetician. Brittaney has worked in editorial roles at companies like AOL, Yahoo, Buzzfeed, and TULA. She’s covered everything from sports to entertainment, but she found her true passion in beauty storytelling and skincare. During our conversation, we chat about the lessons she’s learned while navigating her career in journalism, how her love for skincare led her to pursue her aesthetician license and her tips on building a skincare routine. Keep listening to hear from Brittaney, and I hope you enjoy the episode! Have ..read more

Today, I’m chatting with Jamila Powell, who is the founder of Naturally Drenched. Jamila has an incredibly interesting story—she’s an attorney turned beauty entrepreneur. Her official debut into the beauty world came after she became a mother. After having a conversation with a friend about weaves and haircare, she decided to open up a natural hair salon in Florida called Maggie Rose. This year, Jamila decided to deepen her footprint in beauty by launching a vegan hair product line called Naturally Drenched.  During our conversation, we talk about her journey from salon owner to beauty b ..read more

Today, I’m excited to be chatting with Shontay Lundy, founder of Black Girl Sunscreen. During our conversation, Shontay discusses what it’s been like building a better sunscreen for Black people. She talks about how she started by doing some very simple Google searches like “sunscreen for brown skin” and “sunscreen for black skin.” The results she saw offered nothing that spoke to her. So, from there, she hit the ground running to develop what we know today as Black Girl Sunscreen. The brand's products offer sun protection sans the sticky, white residue many SPF products leave on melanin-rich ..read more

The Hue Report is back! I’m kicking off season two with a chat with Maya Smith, founder of The Doux. The brand is known for its affordable salon-quality natural hair products that have a Hip-Hop flair. We talked about running a natural hair salon in Germany in the early 2000s, growing her Hip-Hop inspired natural haircare brand The Doux, and the future of the natural hair care industry. Press play to hear from Maya Smith ..read more