Model and beauty blogger Aysha Sow on loving our new Sage + Oat Milk Candle, and other rituals that keep her glowing.
– KEYS SOULCARE
Model and style blogger Aysha Sow knows her way around a beauty counter. Just ask her 156K — and counting — Instagram fans who follow her for the latest outfit ideas, natural styling techniques, and clean beauty finds.
So when we heard she was loving our new Sage + Oat Milk Candle, we reached out to talk all things ritual — from how she’s weaving it into her day, to the ways she honors her spirit, body, and time. Read on for the “little things” that keep her radiant, both inside and out.
What does soulcare mean to you?
Soulcare applies to my life, specifically, in doing little things that spark joy for me. It’s not really related to things like makeup. It’s as simple as making a hot cup of tea. I love tea for just winding down and being able to sit with myself in that moment. I practice that almost every day.
You recently checked out our new Sage + Oat Milk Candle. What did you think?
Oh my God, I love candles, for all times of day. In the morning, while I have Alexa play an 8 a.m. playlist by Snoh Aalegra. And then later, while cleaning my apartment. When I declutter my space, I declutter my mind, too. I’ll light the candle after cleaning, and it just makes me feel so good on the inside and so calm and at peace with myself.
What about some of your beauty routines?
I do love my little skincare routine — more so at night than in the mornings. In the mornings, I just rinse my face and keep it moving. But at night is really when I get some “me” time and go in deep — applying my moisturizer, a serum, having fresh sheets, and just smelling really good — squeaky clean — so I can relax into bed.
That totally coincides with what you said about decluttering our environment to declutter our minds. It’s so hard to start from a place that’s good when our senses don’t feel good, right?
Exactly! I love that Keys Soulcare highlights taking care of yourself and isn’t only focused on offerings that might promise to make you feel that way. It feels like you’re saying, “We want you to look at yourself first, and take care of you, and consider getting into our offerings.”
How do you show up for yourself within your beauty rituals?
I love putting on face masks on days where I feel overwhelmed and need a break. They seem to be the one thing that really do it for me. So I’ll be like, “Okay, I had a really rough week… Sunday is going to be “me” day and I’m going to sit on my couch with a face mask and that’s it.”
When do you feel the most beautiful now in your life?
No makeup. Honestly, putting on makeup nowadays is a haunting feeling. We’re quarantined and then the sun goes down at 4 p.m., and I’m like, “Oh, I gotta wash it off ‘cause nobody else is going to see this!” So for me, when I feel the most beautiful, honestly are the days with no makeup, in some comfortable clothing. No crazy outfits, no layers on top, just a hundred percent me.
You’ve lived all over the world, and seem so well-versed in the beauty products that work for you. Has your idea of self-care evolved?
It has definitely evolved. I grew up in Europe. And at a younger age, you don’t really know what self-care (or even self-love) is you know? And when you’re a teenager, all you care about is going to school and acting out with your friends. I didn’t even wear makeup until I was probably 17.
It wasn’t until I developed into womanhood — around the age of, I would say 24, 25 — that really started looking into it and the idea that people do things to “take care” of themselves. With age, I began to explore that and incorporate it into aspects of my life.
Has your perception of your own body — your physical self — evolved too?
That’s a great question. I wouldn’t say I really struggled with body image growing up to be very honest. I never was very conscious about it up until being on social media, where everything is like out in the open. You see everyone’s getting work done, and you’re absorbing so much. It makes you kind of like, look at yourself and you’re like, “Oh. Oh my God, maybe I should…? Or, maybe I shouldn’t…”
I’ve grown to understand that our bodies do so much for us. We never really understand how much our bodies, right now, even, are working to keep us alive. Why would I taunt my body for the way it looks on the outside when it’s doing so much work on the inside? For all I know, my body is fighting to keep me safe from something that I can’t see on the outside. And here I am worried about how my waist looks, you know what I mean? I want to be healthier on the inside and feel stronger so that it’ll translate to the outside.
We’re inspired on so many levels — and inspired to show more reverence for the unseen work our bodies are doing too! What resonated with you most from our chat with Aysha?
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