FKHC: You’ve been focused on creating beautiful tomorrows for yourself and others for a while now. Are you an optimist that subscribes to some level of positive thinking or were you always working towards a “greater independence”?
DV: I launched my first business in 2015, a beauty boutique in NYC called Vivrant Beauty. I can't say that I was chasing independence at the time but I was definitely chasing passion. I was so excited by the brands that I saw popping up in the beauty industry to cater to Black women - at the time they were mainly in the natural hair space. While running that boutique, I was inspired to fill the unfortunate void of skincare options catering to women of color and the seeds for Hyper Skin were planted. There's a big myth about how much freedom entrepreneurs have - I probably work harder than ever and worry more than I ever would for anyone else's operation. But I've found that I'm much more in control of my lifestyle and that has way more value than I ever realized.
FKHC: In its own way your product is providing some semblance of a beautiful tomorrow to its users. It feels like there would be a sense of optimism/hope attached to selecting and actually purchasing a beauty product. Do you ever find this to be true?
DV: I've never thought about it but yes there's a lot of optimism built into buying a beauty product. There are a lot of emotions wrapped up into the process of selecting a beauty product - curiosity, hope, connection and yes, often optimism. I created Hyper Skin's first product, Hyper Clear after being pregnant with my daughter and struggling with hormonal acne and the hyperpigmentation, or dark marks that follow. The formula brought my skin back to life and my friends and colleagues gave me amazing feedback on how glowy and clear their skin was after using it for weeks. I recall struggling with the story that I would tell for Hyper Skin - would we share pretty pictures of citrus and smiling faces or would we get real and talk about the issues that so many of us struggle with, especially women of color. I decided on the latter because that's what's missing from the beauty conversation. But of course, that puts a lot of pressure on us as a brand for the products to deliver. The expectations for our products to perform are high but, yes, so is the sense of optimism surrounding them.
FKHC: About 3 years ago you embarked on what some might call the “eternal” tomorrow when you had a baby girl and have since had a beautiful son. How do you balance the rigors of entrepreneurship and motherhood? Also how do you feel about what tomorrow holds for your children?
DV: Well, this time, in the midst of a global pandemic, might be one of the strangest times to think about what tomorrow holds for my two young kids. The near future is weird and uncertain but I am still incredibly optimistic about the long-term. In my eyes, I'm giving them the tools to live full, happy lives - so every decision that I make is rooted in optimism. I feel so fortunate to be both a mother and an entrepreneur - it's the life I manifested but it's far from balanced. The two roles are both incredibly consuming and you never feel like you're doing enough with either. My main goal during normal circumstances is to try to do one at a time instead of doing both half-heartedly. Of course that advice doesn't work well when we're safe at home caring for kids and growing a business without our usual communities of help. I've got absolutely no advice for winning during this unique period - I'm just trying to get past it. Lol.
FKHC: What is a “Beauty Junkie”?
DV: A beauty junkie is someone that’s always on the hunt for new beauty products. I prefer the term beauty enthusiast because customers are making incredibly informed and emotional decisions when purchasing beauty products and not just buying anything in sight. There are so many brilliant innovations, newly discovered ingredients and intriguing founder stories in the beauty market that make it very exciting to explore new products and brands. From our customer base, as a brand that offers results-oriented products we also see a unique consumer that might at first glance be categorized as a “beauty junkie” but is really a consumer on the hunt for a solution. I get emails daily from customers and prospective customers that detail how long they’ve been looking for products to heal their hyperpigmentation and the list of products that they’ve tried before they found us. What I’ve learned is that no one is thoughtlessly buying beauty products. Beauty purchases are usually a result of a great deal of research and connection.
FKHC: In terms of the beauty industry -as a maker and a consumer- do you feel that there are any conversations that need to be initiated? Is there something that you would like to see being done differently in this space five years from now that isn’t in effect presently?
DV: You hit a nerve with this question. Perhaps it’s the current political environment, but I am so over conversations. The beauty industry loves a panel, an article, a report, a conference but like many multi-billion dollar industries it is slow to initiate action. I’m excited that there is currently a lot of attention being paid to diversity and inclusion on all levels from product offerings and shelf-space for person-of-color owner brands, to who is in the C- suite at major brands and media companies. We’re past the conversation stage though. It’s time for setting measurable goals and deadlines.
Creative Direction and Photography: Marc Williamson
Follow Desiree on Instagram @gethyperskin and visit her online store gethyperskin.com