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Life with Marianna
Sabrina Elba on Empowering Beauty and Confidence, Building Her Brand and Embracing Self-Love
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- [00:00]
Mariana Hewitt
The following podcast is a Dear Media production.
- [00:08]
Sabrina Elba
Hi, it's Mariana. I'm the co founder of Summer Fridays and host of the Life with Mariana podcast. This week's episode is with Sabrina Elba. She's the co founder of Sable Labs, and I love getting to talk to her in this episode. I got to see her recently at an event and her skin is just glowing. And it's probably because of these incredible products that she's using. She is such a beauty lover. She really understands the formulas and ingredients and everything that goes into it. And you can really hear her passion for her products throughout this episode. If you guys want to learn from Sabrina, keep listening. And don't forget to subscribe to my podcast because I've got new episodes of Life with Mariana every Tuesday. Now let's hear from Sabrina.
- [00:44]
Mariana Hewitt
So when you were young, what did you dream of becoming?
- [00:47]
Sabrina Elba
Oh, my gosh. You know, it's really funny. I always thought I'd be a lawyer. It wasn't like my immigrant parents trying to plant that in my head. It was just something I want to. I'd love to argue. And I thought, like, my description of a lawyer in my head was somebody who'd, like, win an argument every time. And I did go quite far with it. Like, I did my lsat, but then I ended up deferring from law school, met Idris, moved to London, and I always thought, should I go back? Should I do it? But now looking at it, you have to, like, redo your lsat. You've got to update things after a while. So it's funny, I landed so far removed from where I thought I would be. And that's life, isn't it?
- [01:20]
Mariana Hewitt
But anything that you thought you might be a lawyer, does that carry over to today? Is there any of those skills that you're like, actually, there's still, like, inklings of this in what I do.
- [01:27]
Sabrina Elba
Interesting. I mean, I am like, Idris does call me the logic police. So I, like, always looking for things to make sense. I wonder if that's just. Or if I thought I want to be a lawyer from that. But I wouldn't say, like, corporate office. That's not something I aspire to be at the moment. Like, you know, I want to. If I'm going to do that, I want to work for myself.
- [01:47]
Mariana Hewitt
Yeah.
- [01:48]
Sabrina Elba
And have an end goal that shapes me as opposed to working for a business or a corporate firm or something like that.
- [01:53]
Mariana Hewitt
So, okay, you just talked about moving to London. Where did you move to London from?
- [01:57]
Sabrina Elba
Vancouver, Canada. Have you ever been To Vancouver.
- [02:00]
Mariana Hewitt
I've been to Vancouver before. I was going on like a winter trip, so I love being cold around the holidays.
- [02:06]
Sabrina Elba
Oh, interesting. I love Vancouver in the summer though, if you haven't been in the summer. Cause the beaches and then you can see the mountains in the background. Oh, it's so nice.
- [02:14]
Mariana Hewitt
And how is living in London now?
- [02:16]
Sabrina Elba
It's okay.
- [02:17]
Mariana Hewitt
Okay. How long have you been in London now?
- [02:18]
Sabrina Elba
Eight years, I think. I'm from Britain now. Right? Yeah, I love London. I just am a very social person. And London makes you want to stay at home and not go out. Especially where we've kind of relocated to. In London, people are never like, hey, we're in your neck of the woods. So I find myself being a home body. Whereas when I was in Mercur, so much outdoors, so much more often sunlight makes you go outdoors. That's something I've learned. If you live anywhere that's sunny, be thankful for, like the outdoor activities. Hey, let's go to community goods, grab some coffee. Do you know what I mean? Like, that's a sunny place thing.
- [02:48]
Mariana Hewitt
And now being in London, do you feel like your style has changed? Do you feel like anything's changed about you since living there?
- [02:54]
Sabrina Elba
That's so interesting you say that. When I first moved to London, I thought I had to, like, wear floral and be like, really, like, modest. There is a difference, especially in West London from where I was in Vancouver, Canada. That felt a bit more grown already. Like almost too grown for who I was. And I remember when I first moved, I was like, trying to force myself into some conception of what I thought Brits should dress like. And then I was like, why am I doing that? Just be yourself. Right? And that actually took me a while to learn. So it's so funny you asked that.
- [03:21]
Mariana Hewitt
And how do you describe your personal style now? Because I love seeing all your outfit pictures. I love what you share when you go on carpets. It's so good.
- [03:28]
Sabrina Elba
Likewise, babe. Thank you. I think for me now, dressing the way I want to dress means being comfortable and confident. Before, I was trying to fit myself. And actually Law Roach once told me when we had worked together and I was looking at this gorgeous Versace dress, and I was like, oh, my God, I love that dress. Should we do, like, this kind of dress? And he was like, but are you that girl? And like, phrasing it that way, making me think about the question that way was like, oh, yeah, I'm looking at it for her and the model and what looks good on her. And I'm not thinking about will that translate on me? And how will I feel when I wear that? And that is now how I approach everything. I'm like, do I. Will I feel good in that? And if I do, confidence is everything, right? And it shows. It shows in pictures. It shows when you walk into a room. So now I try to be like, if I feel confident, I know I look good.
- [04:14]
Mariana Hewitt
Yeah, same. I like to, like, wear things that I feel good in. And for me, it's like, always a little bit of comfort or ease.
- [04:19]
Sabrina Elba
So it's something that has like a.
- [04:20]
Mariana Hewitt
Little bit of stretch or it's fitted in certain places. But I never want to feel, like, stuffy. And so everything always has, like, maybe it's like the California in me and the Vancouver in you. There's like a little effortlessness even when you're, like, sexy and dressed up.
- [04:32]
Sabrina Elba
I can relate to that. And I have to be able to go to the bathroom.
- [04:34]
Mariana Hewitt
Yes.
- [04:35]
Sabrina Elba
Like, I'm not of those girls who'd be like, oh, yeah, I'll just sacrifice, like, not being able to move or like, no, like, I want to move. I want to be able to go. Yeah.
- [04:41]
Mariana Hewitt
There was something I was going to wear recently is in a jumpsuit. It was a full, like, if you go to the bathroom, you have to take off, like from top down. And I was like, I can't even wear this.
- [04:49]
Sabrina Elba
It's a big part of it. It affects your whole mental state for the night because then the first thing you're going to have to do when you sit down is go to the bathroom because you know you can't go. Exactly. Okay.
- [04:56]
Mariana Hewitt
So we talked about what you wanted to be when you grew up. You wanted to be a lawyer. What was your first job like? What did you start doing instead?
- [05:02]
Sabrina Elba
Oh, my God. My first job is really weird, so. Because I don't know, like, I'm tall and when I was a teenager, I looked so much older than I was. Like, it's just one of those kids that look older than they are and someone recruited me to be. And this is so crazy. Like, kind of like I would go to gas stations and ask to buy cigarettes and if they would sell it to me, then I would, like, file. Oh, this person sold it to me because I'm underage. I was like, a snitch.
- [05:27]
Mariana Hewitt
It is so bad.
- [05:28]
Sabrina Elba
I know. But it was, like, for regulatory and like, to make sure children were safe. That's what I'm justifying to myself, but I can't even believe I did that. Such a funny Random first job.
- [05:37]
Mariana Hewitt
I feel like everybody has, like, random first jobs, but at a young age, it probably made you comfortable talking to people 100%.
- [05:43]
Sabrina Elba
And then I served quite quickly. Like, I got into the service industry really quick. Did it mostly through uni, of course, working, like, at three restaurants and. And a Starbucks, trying to get through uni. Service industry has definitely shaped my personality. I always tell people, like, it's a great industry to go in because you're forcing yourself to speak to people. But also making sure people feel comfortable and being empathetic to whatever their needs are can actually help shape you in anything. And in business now, I'm finding, as you probably know, people is the biggest part. Like, trying to understand how your employees feel throughout the day and make them feel good. I mean, they're working their butts off for you. You want to make sure that there's a mutually beneficial relationship there.
- [06:16]
Mariana Hewitt
There's so many business owners and founders that I talked to that also worked in the service industry. So my first job, I was a hostess. In college, I was a server. So I think it's like a common theme that so many of us have.
- [06:27]
Sabrina Elba
Yeah, I think so. Getting to know people is everything, isn't it? Also networking, in that sense is a great skill that can be learned from the service industry, right? Because I remember I was working with so many actors, like, so many actors in Vancouver in service industry. And they'd be like, oh, no, you never know who you're talking to. That could be like a director or casting agent. And I was like, whoa. Like, everyone's, like seizing the day, like, quite literally, right? And I was like, oh, I kind of want to take that with me.
- [06:50]
Mariana Hewitt
And then from there, you started modeling.
- [06:52]
Sabrina Elba
I didn't actually. Funny you say that. So I did a little bit. But it's so funny when people say that to me because I've done, like, one or two things. I think it kind of stuck with me. And I did this beauty pageant, okay. And now I find myself sort of fashion adjacent, working with designers, sometimes doing shoots and things like that. But I never actually wanted to be a model. When you're tall and of a certain physique, people kind of always shove you in that. It was either, I'm gonna be a basketball player or I'm gonna be a model, Mariana. And people were always like, you should do it. You should try it. And I auditioned for this pageant. Cause someone came up to me in a mall. And I remember doing that, and that will never leave me now. Like, I did this Miss Vancouver pageant. And I always joke with people if I ever go missing, they're gonna be like, former beauty pageant winner Sabrina has gone missing. Like, it's kind of frustrating. But I do love and I have so much respect for models. I don't think I have, like, first of all, the psyche and the stamina to ever be in the fashion industry in that sense. Like, models work their bums off. I think people don't realize how hard that job is.
- [07:46]
Mariana Hewitt
So you have a skincare brand, which I'm so excited to talk to you about, and I'm so, like, happy for you, and I love seeing it. So what made you guys want to start this brand? Like, what was it about skincare?
- [07:57]
Sabrina Elba
Yeah, I mean, it's funny because we actually started from a podcast. Like, I don't know if you remember, we were doing coupledom and we were interviewing duos that we thought just got it right in life. It could be married, it could be familial best friends. Like, two people that were just, like, getting through life in a way that we thought, wow, that's really inspiring. And they're doing it because they're leaning off each other as newlyweds. Selfishly, we wanted to, like, learn more about the dynamic of a duo, but also we were exploring relationships in general and what that meant. And we were really fascinated about the idea of self care and selfless self care, because the consistent thread through all our interviews was, if you want to be in a good relationship, you have to have a good sense of self and a good sense of confidence. And at that point in my life, I was the most unconfident person. I started dating Idris. All of a sudden, I'm on red carpets, I'm doing shoots, and I hated my skin. And we started exploring self care. And Idris at one point to me was like, you're so frustrated. You're spending all this money on skincare. I think you'd probably save money starting a brand at this point. Or like, we had a joke about it. I was like, oh, but you know what? Why is it that everything I'm spending on and everything I'm buying into isn't working for me? And I realized very quickly that I actually am not the problem. It's more that the industry doesn't cater to melanin rich skin and the needs of melanin rich skin. So at that point, we're like, you know what? Let's be the change we want to see. Let's go out there and start something that we feel is a Unique thing to start in this market because it's missing. So we did it. And five years later, now here we are with save a lot of gosh, five years. I know, it's crazy.
- [09:23]
Mariana Hewitt
What was the most challenging part of actually just starting?
- [09:26]
Sabrina Elba
Ooh. You know. So we self funded the entire thing. We went to the labs, knowing our formulations, knowing everything we didn't want in them particularly. And I really, really wanted to incorporate sourcing our raw materials responsibly and traceably because it's something I do in my philanthropic work. So knowing the communities where the ingredients come from, meeting farmers one on one, grabbing ingredients from them and helping them get paid market wages. And this is a great way to like prevent things like child labor and forced labor, but also unsafe working environments. That transparency and traceability for us was everything. It took us a very long time to find a lab that would help us source our raw materials that way. Because as you know, in the industry, it's really hard. Like supply chain is, you know, it's not a very transparent thing. And we were like, how do we get around this? So that took us like a good two years.
- [10:10]
Mariana Hewitt
Wow. And that's how you got to five years already now.
- [10:13]
Sabrina Elba
I know. Well, we launched two years ago, but yeah, in that initial formulation phase, it was like getting the raw materials to the lab so hard. Helping farmers fill out safety sheets. At one point my mom had to go to Somalia. I know. To help this one farmer during COVID fill out a safety sheet for his hustle, get it on the European portal, which, you know, that's like. And I was just like, why are we doing this? Oh, yes. No, this is the right thing to do.
- [10:35]
The holiday season is starting and it's really easy to fall off my routine this time of year with just being busy, going to holiday parties, traveling. That's why I love having AG1 1 in my routine. And right now, AG1 is running a special Black Friday offer for all of November. AG1 is a Daily health drink packed with nutrients to help alleviate bloating, support sustained energy and whole body health. I love this because I've actually been taking and drinking this for so long.
- [11:00]
Mariana Hewitt
Every time I travel, I always have.
- [11:01]
Sabrina Elba
A little pouch with me. And I know I have one things that has all the added benefits of probiotics, prebiotics and adaptogens. AG1 can help combat the stress of holiday schedules while helping your digestion and supporting your energy. And when I travel, I have a package with me and I just mix it with cold water and I feel like it really just tastes best that way. I've been drinking it for a really long time and I feel like my hair and nails feel stronger. I can recover quicker from workouts and I just really have this great boost of energy. And because it's one thing that does so many great things for my health, I always find myself giving a package to a friend and I'm like, just try this with some water. And they all instantly love it the first time they try it. So this holiday season, try AG1 for yourself or even gift it to someone special. It's the perfect time to focus on supporting your body with an easy and surprisingly delicious daily health drink. And that's why I'm so excited to be partnering with them. And every week of November, AG1 will be running a special Black Friday offer.
- [11:50]
Mariana Hewitt
For a free gift with your first.
- [11:52]
Sabrina Elba
Subscription in addition to the welcome kit with the vitamin D3 and K2. So make sure to check out drinkag1.com Mariana to see what gift you can get this week. That's drinkag1.com Mariana to start your holiday season off with a healthier note while supplies last. So you guys might know that this holiday season for me is coming up on two years without alcohol. It was something that started for me. I was going through a health journey. I did dry January and it just kept extending. And what's been so fun about this process is testing and trying so many different de alcoholized drinks and different mocktails and cocktails and things that I can have and there are so many great options out there. So I want to tell you about one that you might like. Society de la Rossi is a de alcoholized sparkling wine. That means it's non alcoholic. It just means that the grapes are made in traditional wine and then the alcohol is just separated and removed from the wine. So it really retains the flavors and aroma and the mouthfeel of a traditional wine wine without the alcohol. It's made with 100 Chardonnay grapes and it's sustainably sourced in Spain and you can celebrate without compromise with less than 1.2 grams of sugar per glass. Exclusively for Life with Mariana listeners, Society de la Rossi is offering 15 off your order with the code MARIANA. Visit societydelarasi.com to place your order. That's societY-E-L-A-R-A s s I.com for 15 off your order with the code Mariana.
- [13:10]
Mariana Hewitt
And if somebody wants to try the brand for the first time, what's a good product for them to start with?
- [13:14]
Sabrina Elba
Ooh, you Know, I would say we love a beauty at Sable Labs. It's something we champion. I feel African ingredients have somewhat been appropriated for a long time and I wanted to like, reclaim their stories. Kassal is one that's so important to me. It's kind of hard to say qasl, but my mom used it every day growing up. And if someone was going to try something for the first time and kind of dive into a beauty, the Qasl cleanser is a really interesting cleanser. Like, it's a different experience. I promise you probably have never had one like it. Kassel is a natural soap. It comes from the gobs tree. So our surfactants are just the Hustle o amino acids and the kaolin clay. You get a really gentle cleanse. But because of like rice brown oil, shea butter, you feel super soft and not stripped after. And it's really antibacterial, so it's great for acne.
- [13:54]
Mariana Hewitt
You're just really selling me on it. It sounds very good. I need to try it. When I gave you a hug at the CFDA's, I was like, your skin on your body felt so.
- [14:02]
Sabrina Elba
Oh my God.
- [14:03]
Mariana Hewitt
So, so what are you using as part of your like body care routine? Because I literally was like, your skin was insane.
- [14:08]
Sabrina Elba
I don't recommend this to people, but as a founder, one thing you can selfishly do is use your products on your body because you just got to of it. Right. So I do actually use the Hustle cleanser as a body wash as well. Hustle's great for hair, for skin, for so much. But you know what I've been loving lately is necessary.
- [14:23]
Mariana Hewitt
Oh yeah, it's great.
- [14:24]
Sabrina Elba
And I've been using a lot of necessary on my body and actually so if you think I felt soft.
- [14:28]
Mariana Hewitt
Yeah, thank you. I literally was like, your skin felt so soft cuz you had this like back glist, like a low back. It was really open and I, I was like noticed your.
- [14:35]
Sabrina Elba
We got really lucky. We got to like have our little girl time hug and then we were lost.
- [14:39]
Mariana Hewitt
It was a great night. Okay, so you guys had the podcast. You guys were inspired by other couples. You started a business together, which is really challeng start with anyone, let alone your significant other.
- [14:48]
Sabrina Elba
Oh my God.
- [14:49]
Mariana Hewitt
Did you guys learn anything from the podcast before going into it? Like, this is how we're going to work together. This is the best way to start a company together.
- [14:55]
Sabrina Elba
Yeah. I mean, I think two things really stuck with me. One of them being that you have to have a shared ambition, you know, Sometimes your paths will differ. You can, like, zigzag around each other, but as long as the end goal is the same, you're generally going to support each other to get to that end goal. And that's something that's really worked for us, because Idris will be doing a hundred things over there, I'll be doing a hundred things over here. But we know that we're headed to the same place, so we're always trying to lift each other up to both get to that point. Something else that stuck with me was this Ben and Jerry's episode, which is so funny. But I was so excited to interview them because to me, they're, like, iconic. And Ben was like, you know, business is like a tool. It's not inherently good or bad. It's how you use it. And for me, Idris, that really stuck with us to make sure that whatever business venture we were going to do, it left a positive impact on the world. And I think having that kind of shared goal of trying to have a positive impact in everything we do kind of allows us to take a step back and look at things with a different lens that we share and feel like is kind of our thing. Like, almost like our inside joke when we're in these meetings, we're like, I don't know if we're gonna do that. You know, like, we definitely needed to go this way. And it's just like this, like, nice banter we've built between us of, like, how we see the world and how we want the world to be. And I think you kind of have to have an understanding with your partner, whether that's, you know, someone you're married to and you're working with or a friend or business. It's like your viewpoint of the world has to be in somewhat of a similar place.
- [16:14]
Mariana Hewitt
Speaking of inside jokes, I have to ask about our husband, because I know, like, whenever I look at your comments, if it's a picture of two of.
- [16:21]
Sabrina Elba
How did this start? Oh, my gosh. You know, Idris did this. I always knew, first of all, that I could hear the murmurs. You know what I mean? Like, look, guys, I hear you, but Idris did this Calvin Klein campaign, and I just thought it would be so funny if I put the caption as, ladies and gentlemen, our husband, like, how good does he look? And I did not expect it to really go off the way that it did. But what I meant from it was, like, what I call my sister wives has actually been this amazing community of supportive women who lift us up with, like, this beautiful ideal of black love. It puts interest in this, like, idea of, like, an ideal husband, which I love for a black man. Because, as we know, like, you don't see enough black love. And I was like, I love that, like, the sister wives are my sissies. Like, they really support me. They want us to be happy. They want us to, like, move forward in life together. And I was like, this is. This is my crew. This is my game.
- [17:10]
Mariana Hewitt
It really is. Because when I read the comments, when I look, it is so positive and supportive, and people just love seeing the two of you guys together.
- [17:17]
Sabrina Elba
I know, it's so nice. Like, I never would have thought, like, you know, it. You would think it's got somewhat of, like, a weird. Like, I don't know, like, potentially could make someone feel insecure or. But for me, it's the most empowering thing because of the community.
- [17:31]
Mariana Hewitt
I think it's like just social media, like, lingo. Like, it's just a way that people like to comment and engage and they feel like they're part of a community, and it's in a supportive, admiring way.
- [17:40]
Sabrina Elba
And I love.
- [17:41]
And if you're not in on the joke, then you just don't get it.
- [17:43]
Mariana Hewitt
Exactly. Okay, so you talked about wanting to start the brand, a good sense of self and confidence. What gives you confidence now?
- [17:50]
Sabrina Elba
Ooh, I. I think I used to look for it from other people a lot. I used to be that person that, oh, babe, tell me I look nice. Or like, mom, do you think I should wear this? Or, like. And now I give my self confidence, which is a really refreshing thing to say. And a good place to be in for me now is I can look in the mirror and say, you know what? You are a bad bitch. You look good today. And that outfit looks good. Like, get out there, emboss this. And I love this, like, feeling of confidence and self that I've kind of acquired. And a lot of that has been through my community, kind of lifting me up. But also, like, really real conversations with myself in the mirror saying, like, you're never going to be happy unless you can make yourself happy. And it's funny because people think sometimes, like, you know, you're doing a lot of glamorous stuff. I mean, Instagram is so deceiving. Like, it looks like, oh, what does she ever have to be concerned about? Or. But it can be a really lonely place when you're, you know, flying around the world trying to start a business and, like, like, you can't make it to your friends. Birthdays or weddings. Cause you've got this event and that event and that leaning on people that I was so used to because I grew up in such a big family as well, I couldn't do as much. I had to be able to satisfy myself. Cause I was alone so much more often. It sounds so sad to say, but actually I ended up in such a positive place because of that, where I could be happy with myself and make myself happy.
- [19:06]
Mariana Hewitt
I think a lot of that comes with age too. Like for me when I was younger, it was much more challenging. And I really do feel for a younger generation now growing up on social, I think if I had all of that social media when I was younger, it'd be really difficult now. I think by people sharing their stories, being really open and transparent, it makes younger people be like, oh, other people are going through this too. It doesn't matter how like fabulous and how great their life looks like, everyone is going through something.
- [19:28]
Sabrina Elba
And forums like this where you're sharing personal parts of your life, like I think is so important for young women especially so many young women who look up to you. And that's why I always do think it's important to share your stories, to use your voice to, you know, take advantage of a platform that you have. Because like you said, like so much on the platform is not good. So we need the little positive bits of light like this, right?
- [19:47]
Mariana Hewitt
Yeah. And you were talking about your life is really busy and self care being so important. So how do you make time for self care now? And what are your like dream things to do to make you feel good?
- [19:55]
Sabrina Elba
You know, my self care, a lot of it is still selfless. I love how I talked about this whole journey, got this way where I don't need anyone. But my version of self care is still calling my mom. Like I try to wake up at five so I can call her just before she goes to bed. She lives in Vancouver, I live in London. And that like half an hour I get with her before bed is like my peace moment. Like I love it. And I'm always talking to her about like what I did the day before. Like, oh my God, this person I met. And I can do it while I have a mask on, or I could just do it while I'm vacuuming. But I still feel like I'm doing something for my soul. And I think at the end of the day that's what self care should be. It's nourishing, right? It's fulfillment of a place inside that you can't otherwise fulfill.
- [20:30]
Mariana Hewitt
Yeah, I really love that. And I love that you take your time to call your mom, because it's.
- [20:33]
Sabrina Elba
Like, no matter how old we get, we.
- [20:34]
Mariana Hewitt
It's like, oh, we still want our moms.
- [20:35]
Sabrina Elba
I know. Well, I met your mom here. I love that. Like, the second I saw her, I was like, I wish my mom was here. So I feel like we have that in common.
- [20:42]
Mariana Hewitt
My mom loves to just go anywhere with me, and I love seeing life, like, through her eyes because she kind of keeps me grounded in places. So she usually comes with me to Paris Fashion Week, and she'll ride with me in the car to the show, and she'll be like, take it all in. Like, girls would die to go to one show. Like, this is so special. So it's always like, oh, yeah. Because sometimes we can get a little jaded. Like, okay, I have to go to this thing and that. And she's like, take in the moment. This is the youngest you'll ever be.
- [21:03]
Sabrina Elba
I can relate to that so much. Like, I love. And also for my mom, I want her to be able to do the things maybe she didn't necessarily get to do. So it's like that sharing of that moment as well. Right. Even if she's not coming in, like, I totally can relate to that. That.
- [21:14]
Mariana Hewitt
How has your mom shaped your beauty routine?
- [21:16]
Sabrina Elba
You know, my mom was a person. First person who I ever saw. Like, I thought she was crazy. When I was younger, she'd be mixing all these African botanicals and, like, bowls with, like, turmeric. And I was like, mom, you don't know what you're doing. You haven't been to Sephora. I'm not using any of this stuff. And lo and behold, like, she's so right. Like, the antioxidants from Africa are the strongest. That's why now as a brand, we've incorporated them. So she's been such a massive influence and then, like, tying thread through the brand. Like, our Qasl me mask is literally my mom in a bottle. Like, she'd wear this thing every day. So she takes so much credit for the brand now. She's always like, I taught you everything you know about beauty. This is actually my brand. It should be called, like, Maryam. And I'm like, you know what? I can't even take that from you.
- [21:54]
Mariana Hewitt
Where did you get the name Sable Labs from?
- [21:56]
Sabrina Elba
So Sable's actually Elba's backwards. Oh, I know, right? It's funny.
- [22:00]
Mariana Hewitt
I love that.
- [22:01]
Sabrina Elba
But because it's got the apostrophe. Because we wanted it to be a direct mirror. People are always like, is it Sabla? Is it Sable? And I was like, that's so chic. But, like, no, it's just Sable. And then the labs part was always meant to be a think tank. Like, we always wanted Sable to become so much more than skin. Like, potentially. I'd love to go into so many other categories, like home or what does the Sable universe look like? You know? So it was just like a little place we could leave open.
- [22:24]
Mariana Hewitt
And what are you working on with the company and brand right now? So I think people see you, like, as the face of it, but what's happening behind the scenes?
- [22:29]
Sabrina Elba
Yeah. You know, it's funny, I feel like most founders can relate. Where a founder led brand is, you're always gonna have the most passion. Right? You're always gonna be there, first in, last out, just trying to move everything along. But I can't wait, wait. When the brand has a piece of content that does better than a piece of content with me in it, you know, like. And that's my mission for the brand at the moment. We have two products launching next year. I'm really excited about. I know. I'll tell you after. Yeah, that's so exciting. Yeah. And actually, I think formulation and development has now become, like, my favorite part of the brand, because we get to play with, like, a playground on the continent of these botanicals. You know what I mean? Like, when we get to think of them and how to use them in innovative ways. And what does that mean for this formulation? That formulation, it's like, my favorite part of the job now. And I'm sorry. So excited about that.
- [23:12]
Mariana Hewitt
And if somebody was looking to start a beauty brand, they're looking up to you. What advice do you wish you would have known before starting?
- [23:19]
Sabrina Elba
Ooh, I think we touched on a little bit earlier. But the people thing is there isn't really a handbook on. Your employees are going to feel this way one day, and they're going to walk in grumpy, and they're going to make you feel crazy. And this is what you do. There is none of that. And it's about how you make people feel just as much as how you, you know, go out and market yourself to the world. Because the people in your office are the people you're affecting first. They feel good. Everything else is gonna go smoothly from there. So for me, it has been. And I'm not the most. I'm a Gemini. I tend to think I reflect back what's given to me and to me, that's what a Gemini means. So if someone comes in grumpy, I have to really be like, I'm not gonna be grumpy. Cause you're grumpy. I'm gonna have to self talk myself out of it. No, I'm gonna feel good and I'm gonna be positive because these people are really working their butts off for us. Right? So that has been a massive learning curve for me. Don't think going into business you're ever gonna do it alone. It takes a village. And I know that you feel pro and the people who've lifted you up and supported you, just remember, you know, you are working with human beings. And how we treat each other is so important.
- [24:22]
Mariana Hewitt
It really is. But having a team really is the best part. So now as we grow, in the beginning, you're like, kind of hands on and everything. And as we've grown, it's like, okay. Giving people the autonomy to, like, do what they do, trust their judgment. Like, the only way a business and company can grow is to, like, build the best team of people around you.
- [24:38]
Sabrina Elba
Yeah.
- [24:38]
Mariana Hewitt
So it's been so great to hire, like, they're just like, the best people. And going into the office now and seeing all the people who are working to your shared vision and dreams, it's like sometimes it just makes me cry when I go in the office.
- [24:48]
Sabrina Elba
100%. It's the most fulfilling thing when you get it right. And you're. You're totally right. Like, I have a small team, and I love them all. And the fact that I trust them to make decisions, like, was a very different place than I was when I first started. And that trajectory, that goal, that's what you want, right? Like, that's the ultimate path. And ultimate ending is that you can be like, okay, she did it. I love what she did, actually. I'm inspired, you know, and, oh, my God, I'm so thankful. But team is everything.
- [25:12]
Mariana Hewitt
It really is.
- [25:15]
Sabrina Elba
This episode is brought to you by Saks. It's November, and that means my tree is already up, which I am so excited about.
- [25:21]
Mariana Hewitt
It's just that time of year, this holiday season is here, and I am.
- [25:25]
Sabrina Elba
Diving into all things gifting. So every year, I'm on the lookout for unique, thoughtful gifts for everyone on my list and that I hope they'll love, even for those that are notoriously hard to shop for, including myself. So that's where Saks.com makes it easy. They've got curated lists that are perfect when you're just feeling a little Bit stuck on ideas. Ideas you can browse by gifts for her, beauty finds, gifts for him, stocking stuffers and more. And it really just helps to streamline the process and makes gift shopping so much more enjoyable. There are some truly amazing gift finds this year and one of my go to gifts, especially for someone that seems to have it all, is a fragrance. It's just one of those timeless, meaningful gifts and it really can create lasting memories. One of my favorites right now are the iconic Baccarat Rouge. It has such a beloved scent that went viral last year which you guys probably remember. Remember they've also got Parfums de Marly which I know people really love. And Delina smells so good. It has this beautiful smell with notes of lychee and bergamot and it's really fresh and feminine. Another top pick that I am obsessed with is the Dyson Airwrap, especially in this new special edition color that they have this season. It's my go to every time I style my hair and I know that anyone on my list would be so happy to unwrap this. You can even upgrade your own party look with something special like a Chloe bag or classic Gucci loafer and it'll work for any holiday gathering. So if you're looking to find gifts guaranteed to bring joy to every hard to shop for person this season go to saks.com.
- [26:46]
Mariana Hewitt
And then if people wanted to buy and try Sable Labs, where can we find you?
- [26:50]
Sabrina Elba
Oh my gosh. So we are only DTC in the States. So it's SableLabs Co and in the UK Space NK.
- [26:56]
Mariana Hewitt
I love Space NK.
- [26:57]
Sabrina Elba
And you're at Space NK.
- [26:58]
Mariana Hewitt
Yeah, we're at Space NK too. And I love it like whenever I go and I shop and I love to like discover brands there. So I started going because there's one next to Harrods. So I would like go to Harrods. You know I'm like very tourist, like doing all like my tourist things and I would go next door and I was like wow. I was walking around and I was like these are all like the like minded brands that I would want to be a part of. I love it here and it's so great to launch. So if you guys wanted to launch next internationally somewhere, where are you hoping to go next?
- [27:22]
Sabrina Elba
You know we're actually having those conversations at the moment and it is turning me gray.
- [27:26]
Okay.
- [27:27]
It's a big decision for a brand. You know, there are a hundred different ways you could do it. Do you wear a clean brand? Do we go Kind of like a small, clean boutique. Start there. Do we go big right away? Do we have the capital for that? Do we want to raise money to do big? Like, these are all conversations we're having at the moment. Like, I just really want to be as accessible to our customers as we can. So for us that means being in as many places as we can be. But like, I'm realizing as a brand founder, sometimes slow and steady wins the race. If you're not ready for big box retail, don't push yourself, right? And a lot of people do say to me, like, just do it. It'll grow it your brand. And I'm like, but something in my gut is telling me just to wait a little bit longer. We've done all organic community building and that for us as a brand has been everything. We haven't even done paid marketing, which is crazy, right? We're literally just getting into that. I want to feel at the point where our community totally gets us. They're big enough. The DTC is fully supported before we start the retail conversation in the States, which sometimes it's really hard because you're looking at other brands and like, oh, I want to be doing what they're doing and oh, I'm so jealous. Like, do you know what I mean? But you have to do what's right for your brand.
- [28:29]
Mariana Hewitt
I think if any advice I would give is like, if you're gonna do it, make sure you're fully ready. Cause you really only get to launch one time. And a lot of times a brand can launch at a retailer. If the launch doesn't go well, a retailer can pull the brand and then not be happy or you don't feel like you're like, this is like the non sexy stuff of like operations and finance. If it can't fully support the launch and you're missing out on inventory and people can't get their product, it makes for a bad customer experience. So we did that before where we tried to launch into a region we weren't fully ready. We had to back out, then go back again. And so now I wish I would have been more patient to just wait a little bit longer.
- [29:03]
Sabrina Elba
I need to hear this.
- [29:05]
Mariana Hewitt
Yes.
- [29:05]
Sabrina Elba
Thank you. I'm taking this away with me because.
- [29:09]
Mariana Hewitt
I think we do want to do things fast. But it's like the journey's long and I'm sure you feel the same way. I hope that Summer Fridays is here for decades to come. So if something takes an extra year or two in the grand scheme of things, it's not that much longer.
- [29:20]
Sabrina Elba
Exactly. And I remind myself of that every day. Slow and steady Sloans.
- [29:23]
Mariana Hewitt
It is hard because with product development, we formulate so far in advance that I'm like, can we launch this now? And then everyone's like, no.
- [29:29]
Sabrina Elba
You know, that's something that actually. Actually drives me bananas because, like, we have sort of sitting on stuff that we formulated years ago. Right. But I don't think people realize that. And I think because so much launches at a similar time, people assume, like, oh, brands did it right away. But no, it's. Most times, brands actually know and forecast what other brands are launching or retailers help them do that. It's. There's a misconception, like, it actually takes a very long time for a brand to launch a product. And for us, it does take a very long time with how we source our raw materials. So I'm like, oh, I just want to launch it. And then it's also, you know, getting it to the States. If you're in multiple markets, getting it across markets, we don't ever airframe or. We try not to ever. Right. So that takes time. And then getting the packaging and then waiting for a fill slot. Like, all these things. I had no idea. And I'm like, okay, so you can't just do that.
- [30:12]
Mariana Hewitt
No. I know sometimes when I ask our team and I'm like, I don't mean to, like, rain on your eyes parade, but, like, can we do this? And, like, it's just physically not possible.
- [30:19]
Sabrina Elba
Yeah. The amount of times my CP has just looked at me and been like, wow, when will you learn? I know.
- [30:24]
Mariana Hewitt
I'm like, I have to at least ask. Okay. So you look so beautiful today. I love your hair, makeup, body care. All of the things I want to talk about some of your favorite beauty products. Ooh. So in the morning, are there, like, five products that you always use in your routine?
- [30:35]
Sabrina Elba
Yeah. I mean, you know, it's interesting. You selfishly develop a brand for yourself. So I am a sable girly. Like, I will go through my full routine. Am PM My difference is, in the morning, I'll use a micellar instead of a cleanser. I'm kind of lazy like that when it comes to color. Like, I've just discovered a couple brands that I'm obsessed with, and I. One of the reasons I love flying over to the States, so much stuff is here. You guys get so much. Have you heard of Farah Hamidi?
- [30:59]
Mariana Hewitt
Yes. I love the lip liners. They're so nice.
- [31:01]
Sabrina Elba
Love the liners, the little, like, skin pots.
- [31:04]
Mariana Hewitt
Yeah.
- [31:04]
Sabrina Elba
First of all, they feel so luxe.
- [31:06]
Mariana Hewitt
Like, the packaging is gorgeous.
- [31:08]
Sabrina Elba
Gorgeous. For me, this is amazing. I just discovered a brand yesterday.
- [31:11]
Mariana Hewitt
Cielo brand. Yeah.
- [31:14]
Sabrina Elba
Yeah, exactly. And knowing how hard that is to do, like, I was just fascinated. I was like, whoa. Like, how much did they put into this? You know? But I just tried the SPF 50 skin, kind of like a BB cream, and I was like, it's a zinc formula, and once you get into formulation, you're kind of like, like, super amazed when people get things right. Right. So I was like, wow, I'm obsessed with that. Like, so those two things I've been obsessed with. Charlotte Tilbury's mascara. I'm never leaving without, Like, I've been using it all the time. Emmy Coles bow bob lip glosses. Love, love, love, love those. And Patrick toss brow pencil. That's one thing I will. If someone said, like, what's the one thing you don't leave your house without? It would be a lip and eyebrow pencil.
- [31:53]
Mariana Hewitt
I feel naked without lip liner and, like, lip balm or something on. So even if I have sunglasses on, as long as I have on a lip.
- [31:58]
Sabrina Elba
Ooh, yeah. Yeah.
- [31:59]
Mariana Hewitt
I feel good.
- [32:00]
Sabrina Elba
Well, you've got a lot of lip to ch.
- [32:02]
Mariana Hewitt
I do. And do you have, like, a go to fragrance that you wear?
- [32:05]
Sabrina Elba
Yeah. I mean, I am a CK girly, and we did this amazing launch of CK that I love, so I can mix that with tons of things I love in my, like, fragrance wardrobe lately. I don't know if you've heard of Maison Crivelli.
- [32:15]
Mariana Hewitt
No.
- [32:16]
Sabrina Elba
Oh, my God. This fragrance called Hibiscus. Everyone's asking me, what are you wearing? What are you wearing?
- [32:21]
Mariana Hewitt
I'm like, oh, I'm gonna order this one. I'm literally googling it as we're here, because I love to try new fragrances. There's something about. About, like, scents and things that I have. And then for me, it's seasonal. So, like, right now, I like, like, warm tobacco, leathery, vanilla, chewy kind of thing. So I love that, like, this time of year. And then when I get to spring, summer, I want something more, like, skin, like, and so.
- [32:42]
Sabrina Elba
Ah. What's your favorite fragrance?
- [32:43]
Mariana Hewitt
Right now, I literally blind buy fragrances, so I ended up on fragrance.
- [32:47]
Sabrina Elba
You are a real fragrance girly. When you know you have so many that, like, I can't remember which one.
- [32:50]
Mariana Hewitt
I literally can't remember. It's a perfumes de Marley one that I'm wearing today, and it's, like, in an orangey blue bottle, and I'LL go on TikTok. I end up on fragrance. Tik Tok people are recommending all these niche perfumes and I order and test everything.
- [33:02]
Sabrina Elba
Oh, nice.
- [33:03]
Mariana Hewitt
And I loved. So every day I'm like layering stuff I'm trying different things on. And for me it's like, it's like the last thing I do before I leave the house. Because sometimes when people have skincare on, you can't really tell what they're wearing.
- [33:13]
Sabrina Elba
Unless you ask them the scent you.
- [33:15]
Mariana Hewitt
Can smell on someone. So you're like, oh, what are you wearing? You're never like, oh, what cleanser did you use this morning?
- [33:19]
Sabrina Elba
100% or even body lotion. Right. We think it smells so good when we're putting on butter. People don't smell that when you leave the house. It's totally scent. I saw this TikTok recently of a girl who put Vaseline in a little jar, sprayed her fragrance in there and then used it as like. And I think for us, I would love to like explore different mediums for fragrance that have that staying power when you leave.
- [33:36]
Mariana Hewitt
Exactly.
- [33:37]
Sabrina Elba
Because there's possibly a cleaner way to do it if it isn't a balm, which you sounds like you might have tried to do at one point. Right.
- [33:41]
Mariana Hewitt
It's like you try to be innovative, but then you can only be as innovative as the manufacturers can be. So you can only push to a certain point a hundred percent.
- [33:49]
Sabrina Elba
And fragrance is very like duck. Yeah.
- [33:52]
Mariana Hewitt
Okay, so you're flying today, you're going back to London. Do you have any jet lag travel tips since you're always on the go?
- [33:58]
Sabrina Elba
Ooh. You know, I would take like a antibacterial spray or antiseptic spray, face spray, whether that be your hydrochloric chloris. How you say it for me, the black seed toner that we did. Black seed is naturally antiseptic. Because I break out on planes all the time and I know it's because there's tons of bacteria in the air. I'm probably touching myself. Like I. I don't know. So I definitely. That's like my thing. My like, you know how you have like the one bag of liquids that you can take through. My one bag of liquids is literally my plain essentials. I don't use that to like pack things that I'm like trying to save space on. Like that's like what I need on the plane. Right. So it'll be my moisturizer, it'll be my toner. Lately a face mask. Cuz in my Mind, it just keeps everything off your face. I don't know, you know, and whether it be your jet lag mask or sheet mask, like something that's occlusive that, like, can block your things from touching your barrier. And I'll always have, like, a body cream. I will have my fragrance because when I get off, I'm, like, slightly concerned that I'm not feeling good. A toothbrush and toothpaste and floss. I'll go to the bathroom, get that done. Because, like, I don't want to get off a plane and look like at someone or have. Because usually I'm running into a meeting and just not feel like I'm myself. Right. So I'm always packing little bags to make me feel like that. And a sleeper set as of recently. Yeah, I need a sleeper set. I can't. Like, you go to the airplane. You're trying to look cute in the airport. I just want to be in something fleecy and comfy the minute I get on. So whether I can just, like, put that on on top or, like, I need it.
- [35:25]
Mariana Hewitt
And Heathrow is no joke with the liquids. Like, whenever I fly through there, I'm like, oh, if I'm going through London, I know it's my one little bag.
- [35:33]
Sabrina Elba
And it's their specific bag most of the times. Right. Some people will actually stop you if it's not their plastic bag. But guess what? They're getting rid of that. Are they? I know there's not gonna be a liquid.
- [35:43]
Mariana Hewitt
This is great news for frequent travelers because I'm like, okay, if I have everything under the size. Cause sometimes if I'm flying, like, fast, I'll try to just have, like, a tiny bag with me. I'm not really, like a carry on kind of girl. I like, check everything. But I do like to have all my stuff with me on the plane. Like, I have to have all my little pouches with all my stuff.
- [36:00]
Sabrina Elba
Yeah, exactly. Always with me all the time. It's going to change everything.
- [36:03]
Mariana Hewitt
Well, I love learning more from you today. This is so amazing. We already talked about where to get Sable Labs, but where can we follow you and find you?
- [36:10]
Sabrina Elba
I'm at Sabrina Alba, and I am on TikTok under the same, I think. Oh, my gosh. I love that. I don't know my TikTok handle. I'm actually just getting into TikTok now. I posted another funny one just recently of a trend, and you know what I realized? It is fun. It shouldn't be stressful. Like, when I first started out on TikTok, I was like, oh my God, I've got to do this thing and that thing and this trend. Just do whatever makes you feel like you're having fun. So anyways, oversharing my TikTok journey.
- [36:37]
Mariana Hewitt
Well, hopefully we'll find you on TikTok.
- [36:39]
Sabrina Elba
And thanks so much for coming on.
- [36:40]
Thank you. Thank you so much.
- [36:43]
Mariana Hewitt
Thanks so much for listening. And be sure to subscribe to my podcast and rate and review because it would mean so much to me. And follow me on Instagram at marianahewitt to see what episodes are coming up next.
- [37:04]
Sabrina Elba
Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.