It all started with a test tube! Truly Aesthetic was born out of my love of science and holistic living. I earned my degree in Biological Sciences from NC State (Go Wolfpack!) and I had the pleasure of doing scientific research for nearly a decade in top notch laboratories. Due to my background in scientific research, I developed a true appreciation for the beauty of science and nature. I’ve always been very creative while at the same time a very tactile person, so performing experiments always gave me a sense of joy. It was during my time in research that I began to truly understand the types of chemicals that are in most of our body care products and it made me redirect my thoughts on what we are putting on our skin as well as how it affects us at a cellular level. Also during this time, holistic living became a core focus in my life. The connection of the mind, body and spirit are key factors in living a balanced life and I knew that I wanted to make a difference not only in my own life but also in the lives of others. I was amazed to discover the positive effects that pure essential oils, herbs and naturally occurring substances have on the mind, body and spirit. It was such an enlightening moment! Due to this enlightenment, I knew it was my duty to bestow the gift of holistic eco luxury bath and body care to the world!

A day in the life of Truly Aesthetic is all about being authentic and being led by an organic process. The day begins with being thankful for the ability to create as well as pure happiness for the fact that I am getting ready to dive into a day of designing and researching novel bath and body concepts for Truly Aesthetic. Music has a significant impact on what inspires me to make amazing products, so I always listen to my favorite DJs by turning on the Midnight Mauradaz podcast by DJ Don-Ray or I’ll stream DJ Anthony Valadez from KCRW in order to get my creative juices moving for the day ahead.

While the music is flowing, I’m wearing multiple hats and doing things such as researching ingredients, sketching out new ideas/designs, writing for my blog Aesthetic Anthology, making up product to fill orders, having email conversations with clients, photography sessions, developing new combinations for Bath Affirmations and the list goes on and on! With all of that, I do try my best to treat myself to a good time during the day in order to maintain balance, so that means I’ll go out for a bit to explore Durham, enjoy some sunshine with the love of my life or spend quality time with a great friend and enjoy a meal together.

One of my favorite parts of the day is lunch time! I love to cook (and eat too, om nom!) so there’s nothing like cooking an amazing lunch and then packing it up to go in my little basket to eat at a park such as Duke Gardens. The freedom to do this still blows my mind and I’m so thankful.

As the day comes to a close, I put down my essential oils or leave the computer so that I can rekindle the bond with my couch by playing some video games (yes I am a geek, go team #nerdland!), catching up on tv, reading an exciting new book or just passing out if the day was intense. The best part about all of this is the aspect of tomorrow...because tomorrow I get to do it all over again and living my passion brings me the greatest sense of joy that I could ever imagine!