Hey Glow Gang!

This week’s newsletter is packed full of goodness!

On a personal note, I’m out of office for the next 3 weeks. I’ve got a (big, fat Indian) wedding (not mine!) coming up in the US and am so excited to be spending some quality time with family and friends for a few weeks.

Glowreel will be back to lighting up your inbox when I’m back. We’ll still be doing our thing over on Instagram so follow along there!

Let's get glowing

-Shilpa

P.S: I’ll be in LA in July and would love to meet you! If you’re keen, hit reply to this email and say hi!

News Of The Week

6 News Stories That Will Make You Smile 😄 

Glowreel Recos

What we’re loving this week:

Read: Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock by Jenny Odell. Ok this book is a MUST READ! Jenny Odell explores how we got to the current state where time is money, and offers us new models to live by ⌛

Watch: Never Have I Ever Season 4! It’s here! Please binge watch it so we can talk all about it 👀

Make: Semur chicken by Nornie Bero, aka the founder of the iconic Mabu Mabu restaurant in Melbourne. The dish holds special meaning in Torres Strait Island culture and is 🤌🏽 🤌🏽 🤌🏽

Support BIPOC Women Owned Businesses

Shop your favourite BIPOC woman founded brands in Glowreel’s Little Purple Book! This week’s recommended product: Abundance Skinsplash by Anoma Beauty.

$32 (USD, ships worldwide)

Trailblazing Woman Interview

Anoma Beauty: Making Beauty An Extension Of Your Identity

Sai Menon has a background in the tech industry. Her dream job was always to be on the tech engineering side of Sephora - reflecting Sai's passion for beauty and makeup.

The idea for Anoma Beauty came to Sai when she was shopping for beauty products for her wedding. Sai couldn't find the products that she needed, that would work for her . The whole process of beauty shopping was overwhelming.

During lockdown, she decided to launch her business, with a mission to simplify beauty routines, for everyone.

Glowreel caught up with Sai to hear more about her journey behind building Anoma Beauty, how she balances her business with a 9-5 and her top tips for how you can blaze your own trail. Let’s go!

Sai! We’d love to hear more about Anoma Beauty. When did you come up with the idea for it?

I actually thought of it when I was trying to shop for beauty products for my wedding. I was looking for certain palettes and I had to go to 6 different Sephoras to get a particular makeup look that I wanted. I remember thinking to myself, 'How is this so hard?'. There are so many different brands and options, which I found extremely overwhelming. That was the eureka moment for me! The concept of solving issues that myself, friends and family were experiencing became the core of my vision for Anoma.

Who is Anoma Beauty for and what do you hope to achieve through your products?

At Anoma Beauty, we believe that beauty should be an extension of your identity. With Anoma, I want everybody to feel part of the narrative. Whether you have thick lips or thin or no lashes, dark skin or light skin, sensitive skin or combination skin, you should feel seen by your beauty routine, and shopping for products that cater to you should be easy. Customer led and community focused, the brand is and will continue to be inspired by real people.

Sai, you’re a mum who also has a 9-5 and runs her own business. Wow! How do you juggle it all, and how do Anoma Beauty products support your lifestyle?

I think it is more important to be happy than to find balance. During Covid, we all were forced to reassess our lives and truly understand what really matters. I started to follow a rule, every year I declutter, which includes things in my house, people in my life, and activities I do. If I don’t enjoy it or I am not happy doing it, I slowly reduce it and eventually cut it out. When you do that, I swear you will have a lot of time that opens up in your calendar.

I also have an amazing support system - My husband. If I am busy he takes over and vice versa. Understanding each other and trusting each other is very important especially when you have a baby.

Anoma products immensely support my lifestyle not only because I'm constantly on the go but also because Anoma's products are completely safe to use on my baby. As a mom, I know it's difficult having to make sure you always check the ingredients in a spray, cream or gel before applying it on your baby - but Anoma's clean ingredients make our products 100% baby safe, which takes a huge weight off my shoulders when I'm going about my day.

What have been the biggest challenges and highlights of building your business?

One of the biggest highlights was when my soft launch of 500 bottles of travel-size Skinsplashes sold out in less than 2 months. That gave me the belief I needed to fully commit to my vision for Anoma.

A challenge has definitely been navigating the launch process in post-covid times as many people, including myself, have faced uncertainty.

What’s next for Anoma Beauty?

Our upcoming launch is set to revolutionize the beauty industry by capturing the true essence of what sets Anoma apart. We are thrilled to be solving another challenge faced by consumers based on the concept of color theory. Introducing our new line of nude lipstick shades that cater to a wide range of skin tones. Traditional beauty brands often overlook the diverse spectrum of skin tones, leading to frustration and wastage as consumers engage in a tedious process of trial and error. Stay tuned for our upcoming launch, and much more exciting news.

Final question! What is your top tip for women of colour on how they can blaze their own trail?

Believing in oneself is crucial for blazing your own trail. There are so many women of color who are doing such incredible work now. So ask yourself, if they can do it, so can you.

Another important aspect is the power of reaching out. Don't hesitate to connect with others who inspire you or who are already successful in the areas you aspire to excel. Whether it's through LinkedIn, email, or other platforms, reaching out to individuals can open doors to valuable connections, mentorship opportunities, and collaborations.

Lioness Thoughts

Nominate A Shoutout

Tell us about someone doing cool shit.

It can be you, your friends or family or someone else you know. Whether you’ve just started a book club, are creating artistic makeup looks for fun, or are doing some research and want to hear from women of colour. We want to share thing cool things you’re doing with a community shoutout!

Please send your nominations to hello@glowreel.co or DM us on our socials :)

This week's email was brought to you by Shilpa Bhim, founder of Glowreel. You can see more of her work at www.shilpabhim.com or follow her on Instagram @shilpa.bhim

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