“I’ve been surrounded by fashion my whole life. My parents are in the industry, and I would go to showrooms with them growing up. My uncle started a big brand in the ‘80s called Rampage. I remember being in the warehouse and going monkey bar to monkey bar with the clothing racks. I naturally thought that’s what I wanted to do myself. Luckily, I was able to work in the family business, which dealt with wholesale fashion, but as I grew up, I realized I wanted something different for myself. I knew I didn’t necessarily want to be a designer but I still wanted to be in that realm, so I started my consultancy firm, Here Four You. I do everything from creative direction to marketing and brand strategy. When people ask, ‘What do you do?’ I always make a joke and say, ‘Whatever you need me to do. That’s why it’s called Here Four You.’ Alo Yoga was one of my first clients. I launched the first store 10 years ago with the founders, Danny Harris and Marco DeGeorge. Other clients include Bandier, Good American, FRAME, and Khy, Kylie Jenner’s fashion brand.
Working with all of these brands has been so helpful in taking my own hair company, Anablue, from bottle to market. I’ve really seen the level of detail needed to scale a company. In a way, I’ve been training for this my whole life. I grew up making my own hair concoctions with oils my dad gotten from Morocco. Meanwhile, my mom and I spent Saturdays making scrubs and lotions in our kitchen, and now, all three products—the Treatment Oil, the Scalp Cleanser, and the Hair Serum—are a direct result of those experiments.
SKINCARE
When you become pregnant, you have to take a look at every ingredient in your products because there are a lot you can’t use. You also get new skin conditions—I had melasma with my first pregnancy, and I’m dealing with it again now that I’m pregnant with my baby girl. I know there are all of these lasers to help, but last time, the melasma spots faded on their own, so I’m hoping that’s the case this time, too.
I pretty much always have the same skincare products on my shelves. I love the Image Ormedic Balancing Facial Cleanser. It soaps but it’s not foamy and it makes me feel really clean. SkinCeuticals’s C E Ferulic was one of the first products that I learned about when I was building a more ‘adult’ skincare routine, and I’ve loved it ever since. It makes me very glowy. It’s definitely expensive, but it lasts.
You know how the dad in ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ uses Windex for everything? Avène’s Cicalfate Restorative Skin Cream is my Windex. If I have a zit, I put it on. If I pick at a blemish, I put it on. Scar? Burn? Put it on. I don’t even really know what it’s actually for. I have just used it my whole life. Weleda’s Skin Food Cream has been more of a ‘recent’ discovery for me—I like to wear it overnight. It’s funny because when I told my friends about it, they were like, ‘Oh. I use that all the time.’ I was like, ‘Why didn’t you tell me!?’
Rhode’s Glazing Milk is the one product I definitely use if I know I’m going to put on makeup because it gives you this really smooth base. It’s also really great when you’re traveling because it’s so hydrating. And then I’m in love with everything from OSEA. I always have their Hand Cream by the side of my bed. I keep one in my purse, too. It’s really the best. The Undaria Algae Body Oil is especially great because it absorbs into your skin pretty quickly. I’ve tried other oils that made me feel sticky for hours, but I put OSEA’s oil on right as I get out of the shower when my skin is still moist and then I can put on clothes within five minutes. Since I’m pregnant, I’ve been adding an extra layer of moisture with the TYBalm. It’s made by my friend Tyson Solomon. It’s so good and made with all organic and vegan ingredients.
And then I’ve tried a lot of different sunscreens, but the one that I love the most is Acure’s Radically Rejuvenating SPF Day Cream—it’s not sticky at all and goes on super smoothly. For my body, I like Avène’s Mineral Body Lotion SPF 50.
MAKEUP
The goal with my makeup is always to enhance what I have and to look like I’m glowing and have my shit together. My features are pretty dark and I have a lot of freckles, so the second I put on too much product, I feel like I’m just painting over my face and I hate it.
I do have melanoma patches that need some coverage, but I try to be as light-handed as possible. I love the Kylie Power Plush Concealer in 3N and 4W. It gives you full coverage without having to use a lot of it. I always dot a little under my eyes with my fingers and buff it out with a Kylie Concealer Brush. I don’t like beauty sponges. They absorb too much product, and no matter how hard I try, I can never get them fully clean. If you think about it, it’s kind of gross. They’re also not cheap.
Chanel’s Les Beiges Bronzing Cream is a fan-favorite for a reason. The formula is super dewy and really melts into your skin without feeling heavy. It’s so good. I love to use shade Soleil Tan Bronze on my eyes actually. I don’t love when my eyes look too dark or too shimmery, but I do put a bit of the Chanel Multi-Use Glow Stick in Sculpting or Dragée on top of the bronzer. My eyes are naturally really big, and I feel like this combination opens them up even more. I fluctuate a lot with mascara, but Maybelline’s Great Lash is amazing.
I also love everything from Charlotte Tilbury, but especially her Cheek To Chic Blushes. I like to put Pillow Talk Original on my nose and my cheekbones and blend it up, kind of into my forehead. I love that the color is not too pink. It looks really natural on me. In the summer, I might add a second blush for intensity. Kylie’s Pressed Blush Powder in Winter Kisses is great. It’s easy to carry and really lasts. If I’m walking into a room and feel like I need to have a little something on my face, I’ll dab on some of the powder. Oh, and I also put a little bit of the Chanel Glow Stick on my nose and blend them together for a shimmery pink look.
Charlotte Tilbury’s Lip Cheat Lip Liner in Pillow Talk is a bit darker than the natural color of my lips, so it really helps create the illusion that my lips are a little bigger than they actually are. It also lasts forever without bleeding or getting sticky—makeup artist Mary Phillips taught me how to line them. And then I love all of Rhode’s Peptide Lip Tints, but I especially gravitate towards Toast and Espresso. The formula isn’t sticky at all. I’m constantly reapplying it because I love the way it feels on my lips. And I always have the original Peptide Lip Treatment in my purse. It’s so hydrating and light—I’ve put my husband on it. I’ve put my brothers on it. It’s amazing.
HAIR
I treat my hair the same way most people treat their face. The hair industry is all about repair, but I’m all about prevention. To that end, I’ve never dyed my hair. Growing up, it was instilled in me that my hair is tied to where I come from, my family, and my Moroccan culture. My dad would have killed me if I had dyed it or fully cut it off. My mom is also Moroccan but she’s blonde, and she would always tell me, ‘You have the most beautiful color. Never touch it.’
I get a haircut every six weeks. My hair grows pretty quickly, but I’m also a big advocate of getting regular cuts; I think it’s the only way to prevent split ends. People are so scared to cut it—and I get it—but they don’t realize that trimming it won’t change anything besides giving them healthy hair. I have this beautiful stylist, Rita Gili, come to my house. She was actually my husband’s stylist first, but she really understands my hair.
Prior to founding Anablue, I was constantly trying to find the best products on the market that were ‘clean.’ When I began formulating my line, I wanted to start off with the perfect three-step routine that covers your basic necessities. All of the products have argan oil, which helps with hair hydration and scalp health. I always start my routine by putting the Treatment Oil on my scalp all the way to my ends. Sometimes I leave it overnight—or longer—and rinse it out in the morning, but you can leave it in as little as 30 minutes. Then I use the Scalp Cleanser to wash out the oil. It gently exfoliates your scalp to encourage new hair growth. Our scalp truly is like our skin; if you don’t exfoliate it, you’re going to have dead skin and clogged pores. I recommend using the Cleanser once a week but no more than twice. I don’t love using my fingers to wash my hair honestly; I just feel like I can never get every part of my head with my hands. I really love my Scalp Massager. Massagers in general are great for simulating blood flow in your scalp, which promotes hair growth. I use it all of the time, both on dry and wet hair. And I don’t use conditioner after since the argan in the Treatment Oil acts as a natural conditioner.
Your hair is so fragile when it’s wet, so I use a Reverie Good Detangling Hair Brush, which has the same prongs as my scalp massager. It doesn’t pull my hair at all. That said, I never really use it on wet hair. Since my hair is wavy, I want it to settle into its natural pattern. If it gets knotty, I add in our Hair Serum to smooth it out. You can really have fun and use it anytime you want. And it doesn’t have silicone, which makes me very proud.
If I’m styling it or need to put my hair up, I love Emi Jay’s Big Effing Clips and Slip’s Skinny Silk Scrunchies—silk-anything is better for your hair overall. I also have Slip Silk Pillowcases to prevent dryness and even fallout. They’re a great little addition to your hair care routine.
NAILS
I don’t have time to get my nails done once a week and I can’t stand showing up somewhere with my nails undone, so the easiest thing is to get a gel manicure every couple of weeks. I’ve been going to Long Tran at Nature Nails for 10 years. He’s traveled from salon to salon, and I’ve followed him everywhere. I wear a pair of UV protection gloves when I see him. I have them cut really short right now. Actually, it’s so funny because Long made fun of me when I cut my nails. I had the longest and pointiest nails when I had [my son] Snow, but then I had this ‘aha’ moment where I realized, ‘Wait, this is kind of gross.’ Like, washing dishes felt wrong with long nails all of a sudden. I was also worried that I was going to poke him in the eye. Long now looks at me and goes, ‘You’ve changed ever since you had your baby.’
FRAGRANCE
I don’t really use perfumes. I didn’t grow up seeing my mom use them so they never became a part of my daily routine. But I love the smell of flowers in my home—especially gardenias. I want people to feel like they’re walking through a garden—maybe with undertones of citrus—when they visit me. Diptyque makes beautiful floral-scented candles that aren’t so intense. Roses is a classic. It’s also a great gift. The same goes for Flamingo Estate’s Night Blooming Jasmine & Damask Rose Candle. It’s floral but refreshing at the same time.”
—As told to Daise Bedolla
Photographed by Brittany Bravo in Los Angeles on February 1, 2024
