Way before clean beauty was a buzz, this quiet but mighty femme advocated for toxicant-free ingredients within the BIPOC community. I’m thrilled she took the time to share a bit about herself and give us a peek into her self-care rituals. I hope you enjoy the read.

Tell us a bit about yourself – where you live, where you’re from and what you’re creating

Hi there! My name is Monique Cupid and I love to tell people I’m a Jersey Girl. Born and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey for the first 16 yrs of my youth. I migrated to Willingboro in South Jersey to finish out my teen years & kick off my  young adult years. Now, I’m back up the Turnpike adulting with my husband and son in Montclair, New Jersey.

Six years ago, when I began my journey into natural and nontoxic beauty, I noticed the lack of black women representing the clean beauty space. It was my mission to normalize black women using clean and safe cosmetics as well as bring awareness to brands that black women are not an afterthought and deserve to have more healthy beauty options. In 2015, I established Brown Skin Green Beauty, an online platform that advocates for nontoxic beauty and skincare for black women in hopes of encouraging and inspiring more black women to be proactive in finding natural and safe alternatives and transition into clean beauty one product at a time.

As I move into a brand new phase in my life at 50, I’ve expanded my platform to include a personal journey through midlife and celebrating the joys of aging with a new adventure in blogging. “Life In The Pause” blog coming soon.

Share with us some of the self-care rituals you practice

Daily

Consistency can be a challenge for me. But what I have been able to maintain daily is making gut care, a priority. Each day, on an empty stomach,  I drink a concoction of a ginger elixir and a shot of acv to help boost my immune system and nourish the gut. Either for breakfast or lunch, I’ll make a vitamin/ herbal  fortified smoothie to assist with my overall health. 

Weekly

For a good chunk of the day, I’m sitting at a desk and working on the computer which puts my body in a constricted bind. Though I do stretch during the day, it’s the evening restorative yoga class, which involves long deep stretches, that opens me up, relieves muscle tension and brings me back to center. I follow up with a hot shower using a nourishing and soothing body wash and oil, and a few drops of CBD in a glass of water to ensure an amazing night of sleep.

Monthly

Music and dance are my loves. Back in the day, I used to live for all the high school dances and weekend clubbing in my 20’s. Now that I’m 50 and living through a pandemic, the desire to go dancing has hit me hard. A friend introduced me to silent dance parties and they have been my  saving grace mentally and physically. Letting go and allowing the music to control my every move is so therapeutic. For 4 hours, I feel the freest and the most comfortable in my skin.

Annually

One of my annual highlights is a weekend trip with my girls of over 20 years. We book a house near the beach and spend 4 days connecting, catching up, and creating some interesting memories every year. Vacationing with these amazing women gives me permission to free my mind of the noise back at home, be present and be open to new experiences. By the end of the trip, I feel whole, and grounded. My feminine energy is super charged and ready to face the world.