Last night, the Cut gathered at Nordstrom’s flagship store in Manhattan for a live “How I Get It Done” panel. The crowd of fashionable guests sat on plush white couches as Nordstrom’s national beauty director, Autumne West, greeted the crowd. “I flew in all the way from Seattle for this,” she said. The beauty-focused panel, moderated by Cut editor-in-chief Lindsay Peoples, featured three women we admire from across the industry: Pattern co-CEO Christiane Pendarvis, content creator Simi Muhumuza, and Purlisse and Yensa founder Jennifer Yen. In addition to the usual conversation topics — how they manage to get it all done, the advice they would share with their younger selves, lessons learned as they’ve dealt with criticism and failure — the three shared their most-used beauty product, which we immediately added to our carts. Below, read each woman’s standout quote from the discussion.
Christiane Pendarvis, co-CEO of Pattern
On what draws her to a new role: “When I look at new opportunities, I look through a filter of impact and legacy. So when I learned about the role at Pattern, those were the first things I was thinking about. What Tracee Ellis Ross and the team have created in this brand is really about celebrating Black beauty and Black joy. We say that hair does not have a gender or race, which is true, but we’re also very authentic about celebrating Black people because we haven’t always been celebrated in the beauty industry. The impact of what this brand has already done, and looking at the market to see what the brand can do, really checked those two boxes for me. And once I got to meet Tracee, I learned she really is as fabulous as you’d expect her to be. So if you fangirl over her, you should.”
On the product she’s using to the last drop: Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil. “It is the holy grail, the best product. I am loyal to the last drop.”
About Pendarvis: She is the co-CEO of Pattern Beauty, where she oversees all aspects of the business alongside founder and co-CEO Tracee Ellis Ross. Before joining Pattern, she was co-president at Savage x Fenty, and she has worked with such brands as Old Navy and Victoria’s Secret.
Simi Muhumuza, writer and content creator
On the importance of her morning routine: “The wellness culture has really got me in a chokehold. I’ve been trying to wake up earlier and do things like actually eat breakfast and not just drink coffee. I also like to go to the gym, write in my journal, and do my affirmations. I really prefer my morning routine to my night routine. I haven’t mastered that yet, and I don’t know how to have a bedtime. But the morning is my time for me to take care of myself.”
On the product she’s using to the last drop: Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray. “This has changed my skin, especially if you’re a gym person or you sweat a lot. I always have a mini-bottle on me.”
About Muhumuza: Known as Simi Moonlight online, Muhumuza is a full-time creator, writer, and style and beauty enthusiast with a background in psychology, which impacts her work. Based in Brooklyn, she works across multiple platforms like Instagram and TikTok to connect with her 500,000 followers.
Jennifer Yen, founder of beauty brands Purlisse and Yensa
On what she’s learned from failure: “I launched my first brand in January 2008, and with the global financial crisis, I lost everything ten months later. I felt like I was a real failure, but as we’ve said, those are lessons. Going through that and overcoming it wasn’t easy, but never giving up and having this unwavering belief in yourself is critical. When you do overcome those situations, that’s where the magic happens because you’re winning from within. I’ll never forget those tough days, but those hard days also make you extremely grateful for what you have today. There are no shortcuts to success; you have to work through the process. In Chinese, there’s a quote, ‘You have to suffer through the process,’ and it’s true. There’s no overnight success.”
On the product she’s using to the last drop: Yensa BC Foundation. “Sorry for the shameless plug, but I have to say it because I really do use this every day. It’s great coverage and has SPF and superfoods for skin-care benefits.”
About Yen: After years of acting (and a well-known role as the villain on Power Rangers), she took her own struggle that came from wearing heavy makeup on set and decided to step into the beauty world. She first launched Purlisse, and years later, after the birth of her daughter, started a second line called Yensa. Both brands are rooted in Asian practices, and together include skin care, scalp and hair care, and color cosmetics.
Brooke LaMantia , 2024-06-13 20:36:26
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