These three cocktails call for perfect water and there’s no better choice than Essentia Water. Mix them up in time for the new year!
Skincare brand Skinergy Beauty was designed to meet the skincare needs of women of color. Owner Priscilla Jiminian created the brand when she realized that as an Afro-Latina her own skincare needs weren’t being met by what was available. The Knockturnal spoke with Priscilla about Skinergy Beauty and being an entrepreneur.
The Knockturnal: At what moment did you realize you needed to enter the skincare industry?
Priscilla Jiminian: I was experimenting with products to achieve the “glass skin” look. As much as I found this notion of clear and translucent skin to be interesting, the products required too many steps – which took up too much of my time. I realized there had to be a simpler way to combat multiple skin concerns with less steps and less products in less time.
At the same time, I was already selling hundreds of Dark Spot Correcting Cream (which was formulated in the Dominican Republic in 2017) to my Instagram followers. That’s when it became clear to me that I should officially start Skinergy Beauty, and expand the skincare line. I knew there had to be a way to minimize the use of so many products.
The Knockturnal: What was it like building Skinergy Beauty from the ground up?
Priscilla: Building the business has been simultaneously exhilarating and stressful. When I entered the skincare industry, I was still working full-time in real estate. I invested most of my personal income to sustain Skinergy Beauty and legitimize it as a business. I taught myself everything by doing extensive research, and incorporating what I knew as a self-employed professional with a decade of customer service knowledge. As a creative, I also knew I wanted to bring my vision to fruition in the best way possible – and really capture the clean look and feel of the Skinergy Beauty product line. It was risky to take this route – without any outside monetary help such as loans – but it was a leap of faith that paid off and I’m thankful.
The Knockturnal: What has been your biggest challenge with creating your own skincare line?
Priscilla: Learning how to find the perfect work/life balance is always a challenge – whether you are self-employed or work for someone else. When you wear all of the hats, it is so easy to lose yourself or spread yourself too thin.
I have to constantly remind myself to take a mental break (and even take days off) to relax and enjoy other things. As much as I love what I do, it is still a job because I oversee and operate every aspect of the business. Sometimes, you can burn out. Balance is key.
The Knockturnal: Being Afro-Latina, what has it been like being a representative as well as an inspiration for young women?
Priscilla: It has been incredibly humbling to be a part of the representation of Afro-Latinas, because diversity and inclusion is lacking in the beauty industry. My hope is to continue to inspire all people and women of color to break the barriers, aim high and never let fear dictate your decisions. It doesn’t matter if someone else did it before you or if it’s unfamiliar territory you’re going into, we all have dreams and goals we want to attain. Persevere, and make it happen.
The Knockturnal: How were you able to create a skincare line that was inclusive of diverse skin types, tones, and needs?
Priscilla: It is a very personal journey, based on what my skin needed. I had the advantage of connecting with many other people of color via social media, and listened to what their skincare needs.
Reactive, sensitized skin requires simple, gentle, natural ingredients to help soothe and calm the skin. That was the basis when I expanded Skinergy Beauty to include a serum, moisturizer, toner and now a cleanser.
The Knockturnal: What advice would you give to someone interested in entrepreneurship?
Study the particular industry as much as possible. Align yourself with like-minded individuals that are in similar industries. The learning will never end – so buy the books, read the articles, watch the videos. Become well-versed and cultivated, become an expert. Execute the idea from start to finish. Study the competition. Learn basic accounting, the state laws that you may need to know as a business owner, and how to pay quarterly taxes.
Make sure to own your brand name; i.e.: trademark or copyright. Buy your domain, get the social media handles for your brand, and make sure that everything looks the same and is consistent across the board. Cohesion is vital for recognition and growth.
Finally, know your audience and customers – they are the most important factor in determining your success.
Photo Courtesy of Skinergy Beauty
Journalist Hilary Sheinbaum discusses the advantages of sobriety and what she learns through participating in the Dry Challenge. For Sheinbaum the lessons she learned through participating in the challenge have become a part of a greater philosophy and her annual practice. She has now written the book The Dry Challenge, which goes on sale December 29, on abstaining from alcohol for thirty days. The Knockturnal spoke with Sheinbaum about the new book, the benefits of sobriety, and her career as a journalist.
The Knockturnal: What inspired you to do the Dry Challenge?
Hilary Sheinbaum: My first dry challenge was decided on a whim and part of a silly bet! In December 2016, during the holiday season, I had dinner with one of my guy friends, Alejandro, and we briefly talked about Dry January — the act of giving up all wine, beer, and spirits for 31 days — but, I almost immediately forgot about the topic. Soon after, on Dec. 31, I tipsy texted him from a New Year’s Eve Party and challenged him to a bet. This was out of character for me because #1) I don’t usually make new year’s resolutions and, #2) as a journalist, I was writing a lot about celebrities as well as food & beverage — so part of my job was to report about drinks! The premise of our bet was to see who could last the entire month without drinking. The winner would win dinner, provided by the person who did not complete the dry challenge. In short: he lost, I won — and I won a lot more than dinner. My skin and sleep improved — and eventually, I wrote a book about how to successfully complete a dry month!
The Knockturnal: What was the biggest challenge with giving up alcohol for a month?
Hilary: One of the challenges I encountered that first year was not planning or thinking through what I was about to do. I’m usually a big planner, but I made a bet just before the ball dropped on New Years Eve, and my challenge promptly began at 12 a.m. on January 1, 2017. I didn’t clear out my liquor cabinet or have a script in my head about how the month was going to play out, or how I was going to communicate my challenge to friends or dates — because I was single at the time! I just went for it. I didn’t know this then, but making that spontaneous bet impacted my month as a whole and definitely the months and years that followed.
The Knockturnal: Do you suggest doing this challenge completely substance-free (i.e. no cigarettes, vape pens, and other substances)?
Hilary: To reap the benefits of a dry month, I would suggest going completely substance free — no vaping, no cigarettes — to see how you feel. Understandably, if someone is trying to quit smoking cigarettes, that can be a challenge in itself, and it’s not my personal area of expertise, so my best advice is to eliminate alcohol for the month and not use other substances as a replacement for drinking.
The Knockturnal: What are some popular misconceptions about dry January or Sober October?
Hilary: One misconception I hear about dry months is that they’re boring or it makes you anti-social. There are so many adventures, activities and things to do that don’t involve alcohol, whether it’s dinners with friends, working out, traveling — the possibilities are endless. In fact, you may find new, cool things to do with your time that you would otherwise have never found, rather than spending hours under the influence or hungover!
The Knockturnal: Since you have been doing this challenge since 2017 have you noticed something different each year you complete the challenge?
Hilary: The first year, in January 2017, I went into the challenge without a plan. Every January since then, or whenever I take on a dry month, I’m more aware of what my calendar entails. The most important thing is setting yourself up for success, so I try to figure out what’s coming up in my life. For example, if you’re getting married and want to enjoy Champagne on your wedding day, it might not be the best time for a dry month. But, if you want to be dry on your wedding — go for it! More power to you.
The Knockturnal: With your career as a journalist which requires you to be alert and able to multi-task. How do you feel the dry challenge impacted our work life?
Hilary: One of the best parts about not drinking is no hangovers, ever. As a journalist — or for anyone who has a job with tight deadlines, demanding turnarounds or the need to think quickly on your feet — being clear-minded and alert is so important. I find that when I participate in a dry month, I’m more motivated, well rested, and I can work more quickly and succinctly!
The Knockturnal: Similarly drinking for many is a social activity how do you feel like sobriety benefited your social life?
Hilary: I think my social life has improved from dry month participation. Instead of “going for a drink” over and over, it’s challenged me to find other fun activities with friends like hiking, workout classes and creative outlets that don’t involve alcohol.
Dry January even improved my dating life. In 2015, I met a guy at a party. We hit it off and went on dates over the course of a month. Four of those five dates involved alcohol — which isn’t a big deal. That’s how dating in New York is. At the time, I couldn’t gauge if we really fit together, so we went our separate ways. In 2018, this person came back into my life as a friend. In 2019, he participated in a Dry January with me and we got to know each other without the influence of alcohol. Almost two years later, we’re still dating, and we now live together. So, I think dry months have more than a few perks!
With only days away from reaching the end of this whirlwind of a year, one thing remains true; our WFH looks need a total makeover.
Preheat that oven ladies and gentlemen, because we have some recipes that you are not going to want to miss.
Sbe hosted the 4th annual Taste of sbe virtually this December and oh, was it a treat! The annual culinary event featured star chefs Dani Garcia, Masaharu Morimoto, Dario Cecchini, and Jose Icardi. Each chef was paired up with a celebrity guest for an interactive at-home culinary experience.
Attendees could purchase tickets to attend the 4 evenings of virtual cooking sessions, starting at $50 for all 4 sessions, and the proceeds helped restaurants and chefs struggling financially due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Each chef shared exclusive recipes to one of their signature dishes, and attendees were able to recreate the dishes in the comfort of their own homes (and probably pajamas.)
Celebrity guests included Nick Jonas, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Giuliana Rancic and Dutch designer Marcel Wanders.
We had the opportunity to speak with three (!!!) Michelin Star awarded chef, Dani Garcia, who was paired with Nick Jonas. Are we Jealous he got to cook with Nick? Yes, yes we are.
Check out the full interview with Chef Dani Garcia below.
The Knockturnal: What are you most looking forward to about the Taste of sbe?
Chef Dani Garcia: To be able to share our passion for food as well as our Mediterranean influence partnering with this great brand that is sbe and the celebrities they have partnered with. I hope one day we can also do a chef collaboration between all chefs that sbe has partnerships with. This is a crucial time and we are so thrilled to be able to highlight the cuisine of our restaurants through this virtual event.
The Knockturnal: Is there any particular celebrity you look forward to working with?
Chef Dani Garcia: If I had to choose I would say Nick Jonas, very talented artist and hardworking individual, and of course we are paired together. We had a blast working together on this.
The Knockturnal: What is your favorite dish that you will be making? Can you please explain the dish?
Chef Dani Garcia: Whole marinated Sea Bass. This dish highlights my roots from Malaga while also introducing the influences of my travels. Fish is placed in an ¨adobo¨ or marinated with a base of acidity and paprika for at least 24 hours, then is fried and placed over its own fried bones. Something I remember seeing for the first time in one of my travels in Asia. Very flavourful dish.
The Knockturnal: When did you begin cooking? What was the “aha” moment when you realized you wanted to become a chef?
Chef Dani Garcia: I´ve always enjoyed cooking, I remember being a young kid and seeing my mother and grandmother cook, but the moment that I truly decided to focus on it as a profession was at 16 years old. I began by studying in cooking school.
The Knockturnal: Which chef is your biggest inspiration?
Chef Dani Garcia: I have three main inspirations: Ferran Adria, Nobu and Robuchon. These are three chefs that are always looking to break barriers in their own way.
The Knockturnal: What advice do you have for someone that wants to become a chef?
Chef Dani Garcia: To follow their dreams, always. It is a very hard profession and there will always be moments and situations they will have to conquer. There are always naysayers and people with opinions, but the dream is always the most important part to conquer all.
Did you miss the event and the chance to see Nick Jonas in the kitchen? Don’t worry! Sbe will be streaming the virtual event for 30 days. So go grab your apron and get ready to check out the event here.
Check out our latest fashion editorial with some of the greatest personalities out of DC. The holiday is one of the best seasons for fashion, so naturally we had to showcase some of our favorite looks for a fun fashion editorial with some of our favorite things. Take a look after the jump!
What a year. What a year for the arts x 100.
Cryptograph has found a way to build the bridge between art and technology while simultaneously giving back.
Casio G-Shock’s 2020 Autumn & Winter watch collection contains several models under eight categories; Premium, Master of G, G-Steel, G-Shock Move, Fashion, G-Shock Women, Honda Racing Limited Edition Edifices, and Pro Treks.
Today Adidas announced their first limited-edition headphone release in collaboration with Kwasi Kessie, celebrity stylist and Adidas Runners Captain.
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