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Brooke Devard
It is officially March, and in my book, that means it's time to start celebrating spring. I went to Macy's for a little bit of style inspiration, and they have so many brands that I didn't even realize that they carried. For instance, did you know that they carry Byredo? Yes. One of my favorite, favorite fragrance houses of all time is now carried at Macy's. And because it's spring, I'm excited to think about updating my spring fragrance wardrobe. Now, in the winter, I love, like, a deeper, woodier scent, but as we transition into spring, I want something a little bit lighter. And so as we move into spring, let me tell you the two Byredo scents that are in my cart. The first is De Los Santos. I first smelled this on Sir John, literally the first day I ever met him. He was wearing this fragrance, and I was like, I'm sorry, what are you wearing? You smell incredible. It has this mint freshness with notes of Clary Sage, that fresh Ambroxan, and Palo Santo. Now, another fragrance that I absolutely love. Belle d'. Afrique, a classic. You cannot go wrong with Balafrique. It's got Bergamot, lemon, Vetiver, Amber. Gorgeous, gorgeous fragrance. In fact, I have the afternoon off, so I'm going to swing by Macy's and see what else they have in store for my spring beauty overhaul. Without further ado, let's get into today's episode. Thank you so much, Macy's, for sponsoring. Hello. Hello, this is Brooke Devard, and you're listening to the Naked Beauty Podcast. You've seen the title. You already know Today's guest is Alicia Keys. Alicia Keys, who really needs no introduction because we all know and love Alicia Keys. And as I was preparing for this interview, I was thinking about my introduction to Alicia Keys and what seeing her image sitting at the piano meant for me as a young girl in New York. Just, honestly, she was everything, and I was able to talk to her about that in this interview. But I also want you to think about when you first were introduced to Alicia Keys, and then let that image melt away a little bit, because I think I was able to really speak. Speak to Alicia Keys in a way that just felt like, I don't know, like two girlfriends catching up. I mean, that's surreal to say. I have to put in a little clip. You're gonna hear it at the end, but let me just play it now of what she said to me at the end of this interview, because is this real life?
Alicia Keys
I'm so excited for you and everything that's going on for you. And I'm so excited for you to continue to just bring this great energy to everybody that you possibly can. So thank you for the time and the love.
Brooke Devard
Now, Alicia Keys officially entered the beauty market, the beauty industry, in 2020 with Keys Soul Care. And I've been using the Keys Soul Care products on and off for the past couple of years. And the products are phenomenal. And I'm not surprised. In talking to her, I really wanted to hear about her spiritual practice, about her self care practice, because she is one of these people that just seems so grounded and she has this inner beauty that shines outward. Like, I cannot tell you how flawlessly beautiful she is. Like, even on Zoom. Who looks good on Zoom? Certainly not me. Incredible skin, incredible energy, and she was just so hyper present. You just feel her presence and her honesty and her spirit flow through every single answer that she gave throughout our conversation. And if you listen to last week's episode, you know we've already been talking about how your beauty is an amalgamation of all of your other practices. It is not just your skin care. Right. Like, that is not nearly enough. It's your meditation practice, it's the supplements you're taking, it's how much water you're drinking. It's keeping negative people and negative energy out of your life, which she also speaks to. When I was getting ready for this interview, I used my key soul care products, I used their new firm Belief Smoothing Peptide cream, and there's an affirmation on every single bottle. And the affirmation on the Smoothing Peptide cream is, I am stronger than I know. And I never say affirmations out loud in the mirror. It's not something that's ever been part of self care practice. But I actually did it in preparation for this interview. I was putting my skin care on and I was saying, I'm stronger than I know. I'm stronger than I know. And then I probably shouldn't have told her this. It's not necessarily best practice. I told her at the start of the interview, I was like, I'm nervous to talk to you. And she immediately reassured me. Is it okay to say that I'm nervous? I'm nervous?
Alicia Keys
No, you can't be nervous talking to me. No way. This is going to be the best conversation ever. It's going to be really good vibes.
Brooke Devard
And her energy is honestly, like her skin care. Like, it all feels very grounding and it feels very transparent. One of the things I love about Key soul care is that the ingredients lead first. So you know that the cleanser is like a manuka honey cleanser. You know that the facial oil is a squalane facial oil because they say it right on the bottle. The offerings from KIE Soul Care themselves are phenomenal. I'm going to talk about my very favorites from the line at the end of this episode, but you can really feel her spirit in key Soul Care. I'm not going to make you wait any longer for this conversation. This is my conversation with Alicia Key here on Naked Beauty. I can't believe it. All right, let's get into it. Alicia, welcome to Naked Beauty. I'm so excited to have you on.
Alicia Keys
Thank you so much. This is so funny. I was taking a little hike with my 9 year old yesterday, and my friend was talking about how I was going to do Naked Beauty and my son said, naked, you gonna be naked? And so I was like, yeah, I guess, kinda.
Brooke Devard
Oh, my gosh. Was this Genesis?
Alicia Keys
This is Genesis, definitely, because I have the best questions.
Brooke Devard
Oh, my gosh. Well, you know your son, Egypt, I got to meet him when I worked at Ralph Lauren. He was in the children's fashion show he opened. He was such a professional.
Alicia Keys
Oh, I have pictures of that. I have pictures. We might need to put that along with this because it was such a sweet moment. I'll never forget. It was his first time walking and us there and seeing him and him feeling nervous and the whole thing, it was amazing. That's such a good memory for me.
Brooke Devard
Oh, my gosh. Well, you have been, I mean, one of my favorite music artists of all time, but you have been a beauty icon to me since the Fallen video came out. I have to paint the scene for you. So 2001, I'm 11 years old. I went to school on 91st Street. I would run home from school. We had this little kitchen that had a tiny TV. I would turn on 106 and park. And I would just wait for the Fallen video to come out.
Alicia Keys
I keep on falling.
Brooke Devard
And it was like you at the piano. We hear the keys, we hear the voice, then we see that smokey eye. We see the clear lip gloss popping and then the braids with the beads. It was just such a beauty moment.
Alicia Keys
Oh, my gosh. That is so beautiful. And, you know, it's so crazy because that was how I used to still express, you know what I mean? And so, you know, I remember just receiving so much love from specifically the braids. And if you grew up in New York or anywhere across the globe, but particularly in New York, you know, there's these places that you get your hair braided. And all the ladies would have, like, the pictures of whatever style that we had done at the time. And I never, ever would have thought that that was gonna happen. Like, you know, you live how you live and you express how you express, and you never think that people are gonna connect with that, to that level. And so anytime I hear stories like that, it's just. It's baffling and so beautiful to me that there is this connection on so many levels. It's multi layered. So thank you for that.
Brooke Devard
Your picture was in every hair braiding shop in Harlem, like, period. And also, I feel like even today, if you say, I want Alicia Keys braids, like, everyone knows what that means.
Alicia Keys
We know what to do.
Brooke Devard
Did you know you wanted to wear your hair like that? How was that decided for the music video?
Alicia Keys
Definitely, you know, for me, the cornrows and the braids, it just. It was a part of who I was, am. And because at the time, you know, music was so different and women were expressing in a much more glamorous fashion. Yes. And so I just did not connect. I didn't relate. Like, you know, growing up on the streets of Harlem, growing up on the streets of Hell's Kitchen, it's a different energy. And you are definitely not thinking about your hair blowing in the wind. You're thinking about, like, how am I going to get from point A to point B? Not be harassed, not be intimidated, intimidated, not be hurt, you know, not be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And so a lot of my style and choices that you see and saw are based on that. I really do have a quite masculine energy, the way that I express and also feminine. And now I recognize the balance between the two. But they came from those streets, and it came from where I grew up. And so those braids were just how I wore my hair. And that was the vibe. I mean, big, big love to Nikki Tucker, by the way, who is really the inventor many of those styles. And so I. I love her so much. And we would sit hours and hours, and, you know, I'd be half singing here and practicing over here and playing over here, and she'd be in my hair, trying to braid it and braid it and braid it. And, you know, so many times we had to wear a hat because my braids weren't finished. Like, that's where the hats came from. I just had to cover the braid. The little newsboy caps, the newsboys, the fedoras, the. Any. Any style.
Brooke Devard
We.
Alicia Keys
It was Kind of this mixture. And also some of my favorite artists, the. The Princes and the. The Stevies. You people, Roberta Flack and Nina Simone and all these. All these people who were so connected to our ancestry and just expressed in that way. I don't even know how much. I truly knew how much they were influencing me as well. So it's beautiful to pass it forward.
Brooke Devard
Yes. Now, were you into beauty growing up? And did your mom, who I know is an artist as well, did she allow you to express yourself with beauty?
Alicia Keys
I was that girl that was like Tim's jeans, leather jacket. I never got my nails done because I played the piano. You know, I wanted the hair that would be fresh, but I don't have to fuss over it.
Brooke Devard
Right.
Alicia Keys
So if it was the braids or if it was a doobie wrapped with the pins, I could quick put it down and put it back up. It was kind of like that. Like, I didn't want to be worried about it. And so I can't say I was overly obsessed into kind of beauty in the way that people might reflect that to be. But I definitely found at a young age, I loved being kind of. I loved expressing my tougher side. And I think that was just a mixture of where I grew up and the location. But also, that's just what felt natural to me to this day. Like, I will pick sneakers or Timbs over heels and dresses. Like, it's just how I feel. It's just kind of who I am. But I think that was. That's been a big reason why we connect and. And why so many of us connect together, because there's this, like, ability to be fluid. There's this ability to be androgynous that I think I really love so much. I think it's super cool. So I just feel like that. But I remember wanting these pairs of door knockers. And I was, I don't know, 11, and we were walking down the street, 42nd street, and they always had these vendors out with all the, like, fake jewelry. La, la, la. And so I wanted these door knockers so bad. And my mother was just like, no. Like, no, there's no way you're gonna go out with, like, those big earrings.
Brooke Devard
No.
Alicia Keys
And I was so frustrated. She wouldn't let me get these type of things. To me, that was beauty. The door knockers, the name plates, the Timbs, the sneakers, the matching shirt with the matching. You know, to me, in. In Harlem, New York, Hell's Kitchen, that was what beauty looked like, and that was what looked like. And so that's what I was into.
Brooke Devard
Yes, it is so New York. And just this idea of, like, kind of putting your armor on, because even as a young person, you have to deal with street harassment, men on the street, saying crazy things, or at least I always felt like I didn't ever want to be in anything short or that would draw attention to me. I just had to look kind of, like, tough.
Alicia Keys
Yeah, no, that is. You do. You do have to put your arm around for sure. And I. And I definitely did so much so that I had to eventually learn how to take it off, which was a hard part of the journey. Like, at what point do you keep the armor on? And at what point are you okay to take the armor off? And it's. That's a hard distinction to figure out, but the armor was definitely on, officially on. And I think that's a positive thing. That's a positive thing to be able to understand that you have boundaries and that you have to protect yourself. And even I wouldn't have called it that at 11, 12, 13, 14. But now I realize, oh, I had boundaries, and you had to respect my space. And that's an important thing to demand now.
Brooke Devard
One of my best friends is biracial. Her mom is white, Italian, and she talks about growing up how her mom did not know how to do her hair. And she's like, when you're biracial, it's like, if you have a black mom versus a white mom, it totally changes.
Alicia Keys
Very different. Very different.
Brooke Devard
Very different. So did your mom know how to do your hair?
Alicia Keys
You know, that's so funny, because she does really talk about her friend teaching her how to braid. She talks about how, you know, my mother's also Italian, so that's beautiful. And she talks about how she was, like, over there trying to, like, put one thing over, and her friend was like, girl, watch out. Let me show you how to do this. So she actually taught her how to braid more fluidly, and then she started getting pretty good at doing my hair. I remember my grandmother was my favorite and least favorite person to do my hair all at the same time, because she, on the other hand, was quite good at doing hair, but she knew how to pull it so tight. Everything was so slick down, and every twist was perfect, but, man, it hurt so bad. So my mother definitely got into the flow and learned how to take care of my hair and do my hair. But no matter what, every picture from when you're a kid, my hair is sticking up. It's like, right. You just can't you just can't calm it down. It's okay. I don't want to calm it down. I love it. And I think what you're bringing up is actually a really special part of Hell's Kitchen, my new musical. It really is about a young woman who is biracial, and it ultimately is a love story between a mother and a daughter. Her mother's white, she's biracial, black. And it's so unique that people will say, wow, I've never seen a piece of theater about this. And it's kind of. It's kind of shocking. Again, I didn't think about that.
Brooke Devard
Yeah, I haven't seen that either.
Alicia Keys
Right. So it's incredible how your personal experience definitely does give you so much, so much more than you maybe expected or thought that it could.
Brooke Devard
Yes. And I know your grandmother has been a big influence on you as well. Are there beauty or self care practices that you observed either your grandmother or mother doing? Maybe you'd even realize at the time that it was a self care practice. But growing up, ways that they took care of themselves.
Alicia Keys
You know, I have to say, maybe I learned from both of them how I wanted to take care of myself better, you know, because I think that's what happens with our family members, especially our women and our matriarchs, is like, there is so much to do, there is so much to take care of. My mother was a single mother, and so she was raising me and working and dreaming of having her own career and all these things. My grandmother, I remember, you know, she had her children, the grandchildren, my grandfather, her husband. And I remember when my grandfather passed, she, like, refused to make dinner on a certain night of the week. She was like, I'm not making dinner anymore. I was sad because that was such a connection point for us. But I remember being like, wow, Nana, good. Like, I was young, but I remember feeling like, man, she's claiming her space. Like, she's saying, like, I deserve to take care of me. And I remember reflecting and saying, I don't want to be 60, whatever, and finally say, okay, now I'm gonna choose me. You know, now I'm gonna make space for me. Now I'm gonna create time for me. And I think that's a whole lot about what key soul care is about. Like this cultivating of space, of time, of pouring in good positivity into yourself, because a lot of times, where else you're gonna find it, you know? So, yes, so, and I, and I. So I credit that to those women and the women before them who I think didn't have the opportunity to create space for themselves.
Brooke Devard
Yeah, setting that boundary is so important, especially as a mother, a working mother. And like, you do so much. I remember I was just kind of like watching your schedule on social media around the super bowl, and it was like, you have an art show opening. Oh, by the way, you're halftime at the super bowl, then you've got the show opening up. And I'm like, how does Alicia remain centered and grounded and healthy and like doing all, like, just busy, busy, busy. You must have a very strong self
Alicia Keys
care practice look like with anything. Sometimes I'm great at it, sometimes I'm not as great at it. You know, it's like I'm definitely not, you know, always on 100 or always as good as I can be in certain ways. But I do find that there are certain things I can keep coming back to, and I can recognize that when I'm doing these things. I really do feel better this morning in. In fact, right around my birthday, January 25th, we had that really big, beautiful full moon, and it was right on my birthday. And I remember feeling like I've always done a meditation practice for the past, I guess, as old as Genesis, about nine years. And I know, I love it. But as. As life gets the life in and busy gets the busy in, and I'm just like, what I really want right now is sleep, and I just can't get up and do my meditation. And that's cool too, you know, that's a good choice. Sleep is never a bad choice. But I remember right at that time, I got reignited into my practice and it just felt so good. And I was like, oh, this is what I need. I felt I dropped back into that connection. I found that place in my spirit where I could really be in touch with my intuition when I'm meditating, journaling, creating quiet space for myself, creating those boundaries, which is obviously the theme of our podcast. I shine in a way that's into out. And so when people see me, they're like, wow, what's going on with you? It manifests itself on a physical level, and I know that it's because of that. And so that practice of kind of taking that space, it might be three minutes, it might be six minutes, might be 11 minutes, might be 33 minutes. It all depends. Maybe it's an hour, but whatever it is, I find that I can really manage all of those things because I'm clear right here. And so, you know, that's what brought me to those ancient practices in my life? Because those ancient rituals and creating rituals for myself, I found that it created meaning. And when I. When you have meaning, you can have purpose. And when you have purpose, you really can be clear about what your mission is. And so that. That does really help. Now, having the super bowl, the giant exhibition of at the Brooklyn Museum for the Dean Collection, and Hell's Kitchen rehearsals all at once, I gotta say, I was like, damn, guys. And by the way, guys is me, because, you know, I can't anybody. But the fascinating part is you work on things for so long and you hope that they're gonna see the light of day, and then all of a sudden, sometimes it all kind of, like, comes at once. And so.
Brooke Devard
Right.
Alicia Keys
Although it was surely somewhat overwhelming, it was also inspiring because I was able to come see the fruition, the fruits of the seeds that get planted so many years ago. But, yeah, man, I needed extra meditation, I needed extra journaling. I needed extra, like, focus and center.
Brooke Devard
Yes.
Alicia Keys
And it's good. And then you balance it out on the other end. That's kind of like a heavy moment. And then you come back and you say, okay, I'm gonna, like, keep it light, keep it easy, make sure I'm connected with my family, that we're doing our good old everyday, go to basketball practice, you know, go to school, play some cards, and. And we balance it out. And I think that's the key.
Brooke Devard
Well, you know, when Q Soul Care first came out 2020, I thought there was something so profound about the fact in addition to all of this beautiful skincare, there was a candle, which is rare. You know, I feel like you don't see a lot of, you know, brands that offer beautiful products also having a candle to begin with. Why was that important for you to have as part initial offering?
Alicia Keys
First of all, I'm a candle scent fanatic.
Brooke Devard
Same. My language. You're speaking my language because, you know, here's the thing. So many fragrances can be overwhelming. They give me a headache. It's, like, too sweet. It's too much. But there is something about the fragrance profile of all of your offerings that is so gentle and nurturing. It just feels good.
Alicia Keys
Oh, I love that. Thank you so much. And this, the fragrance is sage and oat milk. The first offering of Key Soul Care was really intentional because the whole idea is to clear your space. The whole idea is the way that Sage is able to kind of remove the negativity from the space. And so when you say that, it's just Spot on, because that's what it was meant to feel like. And I think it was a beautiful way to welcome people into the key soul care world and open up the idea, the conversation to this idea of soul care. That's why we call everything an offering as opposed to a product, because the offering is that we're having this conversation about how to tune into ourselves, how to take care of ourselves, how to clear the space to make the way for the goodness that you want and need in your life. And so that's why the candle felt like the perfect door opener. It was like, here's what everything's going to smell like as we continue to progress. But this allows you to come into the door, and let's talk about how we can be good to ourselves.
Brooke Devard
Yes. I love that you are so in tune with these, like, spiritual practices, like saging. And as a New Yorker who now lives in Los Angeles, I've been here for one full year. I worked with a closet organizer, and before we organized each section of my closet, she saged it. And I was like, yes, okay, let me just adjust my brain. Because the New Yorker in me was, like, doing way too much. But now I'm, like, into it. I'm like, no, I. I get it. It's like, you have to set the energy in the room, right?
Alicia Keys
You do any of your life. Like, what gateways do you want to open? Like, we are. We are portables. We are opening different gateways to different things in our life. And so do we want to clear the way so that we can get rid of the toxic energy and the negativity? Because there's a lot of it. It's all around us all the time. And there's no way in the world that it's not attaching itself to us just because it's there. And so we have to be conscious and make sure that we're like, no, you might have attached yourself to me, but I don't want you. And so I do love that practice and that concept. So I feel you. I feel you. Sometimes it does feel like, okay, is this a lot? It's not a lot. We have to set the intentions that we want for the life that we want.
Brooke Devard
Yes. Travel can also be something that's really regenerative. And I know that you experienced some burnout after your first album. You went to Egypt, solo trip. You were gone for three weeks. Right.
Alicia Keys
That was one of the most incredible gifts I ever gave to myself. And I know for a fact that what made it so amazing was that I was by myself. And, you know, you just don't think to travel by yourself, right? You're like, why would I travel by myself? I want to bring my friends, I'm going to bring my husband, I'm going to bring my boyfriend, I'm going to bring my girlfriends, I'm going to bring my kids. And you should. That's wonderful too. All of that is great. But this idea of traveling by yourself, wow, it was so empowering. It just gave me the time to hear my own self, to reflect on where I was and what I was not happy with and be able to hear it so clearly as opposed to be distracted. There's so many distractions all the time and you have to navigate other people's desires and wants and needs and let's go where you want to go today and let's do what you want to do today. Do you like going here? You didn't have to think about not another soul. It's such a gift to be able to do that. So when I did that, man, the trajectory it took me on too was very, very clear. I felt like my frequency, like it just rose a lot. Rose because I was willing to give myself that space that I just, I was too scared of before. So I think I overcame a lot of fear by trying that and doing that. So it was regenerative. I was rejuvenated, I was empowered. I felt ready to remove certain things from my life and start to claim my own space.
Brooke Devard
Have you done it since becoming a mother? I have a three year old, so the idea of not having to worry about, do I have the snacks in the bag, do I have the naps? Like the thought of going on a solo trip for more than a week sound, that's like a dream.
Alicia Keys
It is definitely harder as you as a parent, right? As a parent it is, you know, especially because you're the mama, you're the foundation. It's just like it just revolves around you, you know what I mean? It really does. And that's part of the beauty and the blessing and also the challenge to find the place. So obviously that was three weeks. I did it a couple times prior to becoming a parent.
Brooke Devard
Right.
Alicia Keys
But I have to say I do have a special vision in my head and I'm calling it my own kind of sabbatical. I am my own sabbatical. And I know that it's still going to be a couple of years yet, maybe four or five, till I can really do the way that I'm imagining my head. Maybe even you know, Genesis has to be a little bit more in his older space, but this sabbatical is big on my brain. I'm excited about it.
Brooke Devard
Do you know where you want to go?
Alicia Keys
I think I want to find either three locations and spend four months in each or four locations and spend three months in each. And I just feel like I want to totally immerse in the local culture and area. I want to go to the market and cook food.
Brooke Devard
Can you do that though, as Alicia Keys? Like, can you go to the market and no one's going to bother you?
Alicia Keys
I know how to go to the market. Don't play with me. I know how to, to live life. I really, I really do. I really feel like I've. I have learned how to do that now. Sometimes I might have to do certain things. Like once the masks came in, this became my best friend, you know, that was a tough time. But those masks, boy, those do help me kind of like move through places in a great way. But I really do. I feel like I have a good balance of being able to, you know, just like ground and be in the space and connect with people, talk to people, give them my energy and my love, but also not necessarily allowed to overwhelm the whole experience. So and so. Yeah. So I'm gonna say yes. Figuring these places are quite remote too. I'm looking like mountainous. I'm feeling like ocean esque, you know, so it's gonna be kind of remote.
Brooke Devard
Ish.
Alicia Keys
I don't think it's gonna be like the most popping location ever.
Brooke Devard
I love that. I feel like I need a whole like net travel series about this. Even though you're trying to unplug and not work and. But I'm like, selfishly, I'm like, I want to see it. I want to see it. I want to see you on this year sabbatical. Maybe you'll write a book about it. But you are.
Alicia Keys
That's cool.
Brooke Devard
You're a writer, right? Like you are a songwriter, an author. And I love that all of your offerings have a little affirmation on them. Like, I know my power. I shine at full wattage. Why was that important to you? To have each of the offerings have
Alicia Keys
an affirmation, it is a must because it's a simple ritual. You know, we're talking about rituals and key soul care. It really is all about marrying ancient ritual with modern science and soul, you know, and so it's such a simple way to have affirmations, to kind of remind yourself of what it is that you're inviting into this space. We're talking about, you know, burning this candle with sage and oat milk. We're talking about creating the space to let go of negativity. But what do you want to put in its place? Right? So I think that these affirmations like I shine at for wattage, like I accept all circumstances as a catalyst for change. These ideas that you can kind of meditate on, marinate on, just allow to be in your space. And they're thought provoking. And so it takes something that is quite a mundane experience. We're going to all wash our face. We're going to maybe like put some lotion on your face. And how do you make that a ritual for yourself? How do you take that 10min, 5min, 3min, whatever that is, and make that something that's sacred for you? And so the affirmations is, is part of that sacred energy. And so not only do you get to use offerings that are so efficacious, they're going to work beautifully. You're going to see the difference. You're going to feel your skin, you know, really revealing its inner glow, but you're also going to do that from the soul side as well.
Brooke Devard
So they go together.
Alicia Keys
And that's what I think is so unique about it. And that's what I also loved about it. And when you talked about us launching in 2020, it was crazy because nobody knew what 2020 be like. Right, right here we were gearing up for this very special, you know, new way of looking at beauty, offering a new perspective. Like, you know, can we find the, the inner beauty as well as the external when so many things in this world is so external? We just, you know, we're thinking from the outside out. You know, how do we start to cultivate this inside out experience? And so when 2020 came and the whole world like became totally just shut down, it felt like more than ever we were in need of this connection to ourselves. And so I really felt like, although it was a very challenging time, I felt like what key soul care reflected in that time was really on time. And it was kind of shocking because we didn't know that couldn't have planned it more on time than right than we could have ever planned.
Brooke Devard
Well, you have such incredible skin. So I do need to know how you integrate the key soul care offerings into your routine. Like what are your you using daily?
Alicia Keys
First, let me say that when you tell me that I have wonder beautiful skin, when anybody tells me I have beautiful skin, it's a little Bit of a shock to me because I've had a really hard time with my skin, like, for a long time. Like, not just like, oh, you were 18 and you had a hard time, or you were 16. You had a. Like, it just went on and on and on to the point where I was just like, wait, guys, I'm 30. Like, what's happening? At what point do I not get massive, you know, pimples and bumps and feel so insecure about my skin? When does this stop? What am I? What do I have to do? What do I have to do? So when people say, you have such beautiful skin, I'm like, you talking to me like, you sure? Because I still kind of have that remnant in my. In my brain. And it causes so much anxiety when you don't feel good about your skin. It really does. It feels so uncomfortable. So that's the reason why the creation of Key Soul Care is based on. Not only that, we partner with a dermatologist, Dr. Renee Snyder, to make sure that all of the offerings are efficacious. And they're working because they have to work for me. Because I definitely not going to tell you that this is great if it doesn't work for me. So not only that, but then realizing that the spirit is such a big part of how you present. And if you are unhappy or if you have people in your life that are making it hard for you to be who you truly are, or you feel scared being around them, or you feel worried about what's going to come out, it affects everything, affects your skin. And I know that part too. So all of that together is what created these offerings. And so what I'm using and what I'm doing is I love the golden cleanser is my first, you know, my first go to. It's light. It's beautiful. Manuka honey. There is definitely turmeric. It's all of these things that are going to create anti inflammation. It feels really good. I'm also going to do the aura mists. It's rose rose heart opening. It feels so good. Smells beautiful. Also going to give you a nice little bit of, you know, moisture to your face, which is great. I'm loving the. The skin transformation cream. I use the rich transformation cream, which has Bakuchiol in it, and it really gives such a beautiful finish to the skin. The rich one is a little thicker. There's also the regular one, which is quite thin. But I like the thick one because I feel like, you know, more hydrating. Yeah, I just want. I just want that I'm definitely using Protect your light, which is our sunscreen, which is.
Brooke Devard
I love that if you can make a sunscreen that people like to put on, because that's half the battle with sunscreen. People are like, I don't like the. It feels on my skin. I love that spf. It is so good.
Alicia Keys
It's good because it's not. It's not getting all, you know, you're not seeing all the white on your face. It works for all skin tones. I feel like it's. It's. And it's light.
Brooke Devard
You feel. You feel. Yeah. So it's really nice.
Alicia Keys
Really good. We just launched the Firm Belief multi peptide cream, and I'm wearing it now.
Brooke Devard
So good. It is so good.
Alicia Keys
At this point, I'm. I'm battling between Rich transformation cream and firm Belief. Because firm belief, I also like firm belief in the evening. So I like some things in the morning and firm belief in the evening. And I'm also obsessed with our Squalane deeply replenishing night oil. I have to say, when you put that on at night and just start to dream and wake up in the morning, I wake up, I'm like, whoa. Skin's looking kind of dewy in the best, most beautiful, like, you know, warm way. So that's kind of some of the. Some of the ritual. And each one, you know, the firm belief is I am stronger than I know. I think that that's a really beautiful thought to remember, especially in challenging times. But again, it could be as little or as much as you want. You can really keep it simple. You can do three offerings and keep it popping, or you can kind of get deeper.
Brooke Devard
Yes. I'm into the full routine. Like, I love the Manuka Honey charcoal face mask. That's also incredible. You know, the thing that I love, which is also kind of rare in the skincare world, is how ingredients ingredient forward. All of the product descriptions are like, you know that there's Manuka Honey, you know that there's Squalane. It's not like in small print in the back of the label. It's very like, this is what you're putting on your skin. It comes from nature, it comes from the earth, and this is what it does for your skin. I love that. I think more skincare brands need to lead with the ingredients because that's what makes skincare excellent. Right? Good quality ingredients.
Alicia Keys
I love that too, because it really just shows, again, the philosophy of, like, these ancient ingredients. These ingredients have been around forever. You know what I mean? And. And so when you're able to inside this modern science and really be able to back that with the affirmations and the soulfulness and the thoughtfulness about what is our lifestyles and how are we creating the life that we want. And this is all kind of the whole concept behind it. It does all go together. So, yes, there's definitely no hiding here. It's all about being transparent. It's all about being who you are. It's all about expressing as you are. We're all different and that's embraced. So I love, love it. I love it.
Brooke Devard
I'm curious what categories you may jump into next. Like how will the key soul care line evolve? Or what are the categories that you have your eye on?
Alicia Keys
I think that, you know, as we talked about scent, you know, just it's such a powerful expression, such a powerful connection between memory and scent and emotion, you know, so I've sent. I will say there's going to be no limits around that. I'm also really interested on the wellness side. We are talking about taking care of yourself and being good to yourself. And part of being good to yourself is what you are ingesting and taking into yourself. So I'm excited about exploring these things too. I love that experience, that being good to you is also about what you are, you know, what you're eating, what you're drinking, what kind of vitamins are you taking? How are we getting supplements? How are supplementing our experience in that way on multiple levels? So again, it just feels like there's, there's no limit. And also in regards to our hot skin color hybrids, because we have beautiful cheek tints.
Brooke Devard
Yes.
Alicia Keys
And it's wonderful to feel like you can use offerings that are also going to be great for your skin. We have a beautiful skin tint as well that is just like buildable coverage. You can go, yes, more, you can go less. And again, that's just all about being the safe. And it feels good. And so I love the skin color hybrid as well. Yes.
Brooke Devard
The like skin concealer which I'm wearing now. I love, I love the like even just the applicator wands, like just the experience of putting it on in that glass bottle. Everything about the Key soul care offerings feels good. Like it just feels good to put it on your skin, on your body. Now you did mention supplements. So I have to ask you because again, you're doing all of the things and you're running around and what is your supplement game like? What are the, what are the supplements that you take daily today?
Alicia Keys
I'm really into actually a, a really nice plant based protein shake. And I really found a lot of the supplements that are needed can obviously be. Be found in your food or can be found in things like that. So for me, that's what I'm definitely, I'm really liking. I'm. I get big on kind of the Cs and the zincs and I'm big on oregano oil. All the things that kind of keep away away the zah. We don't want any of that around us. Okay. We gotta sing around here, we gotta be mommies around here. We can't be down. So, you know, I kind of go with what's needed as how I'm feeling as well. Time of year, all those kind of. Yes.
Brooke Devard
And the makeup, it does allow your skin to shine through. I was looking at the Vanity Fair after party pictures and looking at Ms. Pamela Anderson who is just, we love to see it, right? Because she's been the sex siren, you know, all of the 90s and the 2000s and now she's like, here I am in all of my beauty. But I think about how you were such a pioneer in this space of like, I'm going to show up as myself. It's not going to be the covered up. Like you're going to see my natural beauty. I want more of that. I'm hungry for more of that. I think it's important for us as women to see. Do you like the way that it's kind of evolved? Do you feel like we're going to have more people wearing less makeup on the red carpet?
Alicia Keys
I mean, honestly, I feel like we're seeing that already and it does come in waves, you know, for sure it comes in waves. But I do feel like as women we are starting to get more confident and comfortable as we are. And we recognize that there's different times for different things. And that's, that's just a beautiful thing. It's kind of a little bit concerning that whenever anyone decides, hey, I'm coming here and I'm going to be completely naturally myself. It's a, you know, it's the most profound thing that ever happened.
Brooke Devard
It's a little bit concerning, you know, headline news, right?
Alicia Keys
But loving the reminders, I think, to us, for us as women, because we do naturally get caught up in feeling like we have to be perfect, you know, we do. It's just, I've been there, I found myself there time and time again and I had to kind of look myself and be like, hey, you know it's, it's cool, it's okay, you know, it's, it's not a thing. You are a human and we all have ebbs and flows and it's cool. So I do think that we definitely get hung up especially as women naturally because we're kind of force fed that image that we're supposed to be this image of, of perfection and, and sexuality in a lot of ways. And so, you know, to kind of break that.
Brooke Devard
Yes.
Alicia Keys
Concept. It takes time to unlearn it, but yes. So all that to say yes. I do think that we're going to see more of that. I think that more women are feeling, you know, are. That we are versatile and that we are allowed to express in, in multiple ways. And we're not sitting here subscribing to a bunch of whoever's ideals for us. We're going to define our own. And I really see that happening.
Brooke Devard
Yes. And we're both boy moms, so I'm curious what you teach your sons about beauty and self care and taking care of themselves.
Alicia Keys
First of all, don't you love being a boy mom?
Brooke Devard
I do, I do.
Alicia Keys
I think a lot of, about the idea of being good to yourself and talking good to yourself. Just today I was driving Genesis office school. He was a little worried about this particular, this particular thing that they do at the end of the day and I guess they call it people studies, which sounds really cool. But he was worried about it because you have to switch classes and so you're with teachers that aren't normally with you and you have to kind of, you know, do stuff that maybe he was feeling like maybe he wasn't going to do that. Well, he was kind of feeling worried about, about it. And I told him, you know, all you have to do is your best. No, but that, but if I need help, they might not help me and they're not going to help me. And I said if they, if they're not able to help you, you do your best. And you just know that's what I expect from you, is for you to do your best. You don't have to worry about the rest. So, you know, we get in our heads. It's natural. It's how we express we're human and we get in our heads and we get worried about these things and we do feel like we have to be perfect or we get scared about what happens if we can't produce what is expected of us, you know, and it follows us throughout our whole life. You know, our whole life we hold Barrels of anxiety about what we might not be able to do or not be good at, you know, So I talk to them a lot about that, and I think a lot about that for them a lot, especially as young men, because I think that for men particularly, we really don't open them the space to. We really don't open the space for them to be in connection with their spirit. You know, you really feel like you're supposed to have this kind of fake presentation or this disposition that nothing affects you ever, and you're just the toughest ever, and it's just not real, you know, And. And part of being strong is being able to be vulnerable. So we're definitely, we're definitely talking about these things and we're thinking about them. And I'm asking them, how are they feeling? And really giving them space to verbalize how they feel. I really push them to speak on how they feel. Like, how does that feel for you? So that they can get used to it. Because it's a practice to express yourself.
Brooke Devard
It very much is. And I've been Talking to my 3 year old about mistakes, and he's been asking me, do you make mistakes, Mommy? And I said, yes, I make mistakes. I make mistakes. And we were taking an Uber together and I left his beautiful little sweater in the Uber. And of course the Uber drove away, the sweater's never to be found. And he said, did you make a mistake, Mommy? Yes, good job identifying it. I made a mistake. I left your sweater in the car. But, yeah, it's like you don't realize you have to have these conversations with your children because when it comes from mom, it's. It's different. It's different when it comes from Mom.
Alicia Keys
Yeah. Yeah. And taking care of yourself and taking that time to take care of yourself, they all have their little key soul care setup. So I'm like, did you wash your face? Did you, did you, did you use
Brooke Devard
any of your makers today? I love that. I love that they already have the skincare practice down.
Alicia Keys
Because, you know, a lot of times, even for men, Men. I will. I'll do these cool chats and, you know, we just launched on Amazon and you'll see people say, is this for men?
Brooke Devard
I'm like, that drives me insane. Like, the gendered skincare thing. Like, of course. Like, do you have skin? Of course you can use it. Why? Why wouldn't you be able to.
Alicia Keys
Everyone has skin and it's for you. And that's actually another thing I love about it, is it's. It's very fluid, even to the color of the bottle and yes, the glass. And it feels, it feels strong, transparent. It feels everything that it is. And these are concepts that we all deserve to share. Yes, you deserve for you to feel good, your skin to feel good, you to reflect on these affirmations and you to know that you're going to be taken care of. So I. I love that for my young men and my boys, you know, just getting into that habit of taking care of you. It's very attractive. No woman wants some guys.
Brooke Devard
Very attractive.
Alicia Keys
Never washed his face and never took care of their body and don't smell right. No. Let's get.
Brooke Devard
I could talk to you all day. I have two final questions for you. Spring is around the corner. I feel like spring is a time of like, just cultivating new things, new energy. What are you hoping to let go of in this new season? And what are you calling into your life?
Alicia Keys
What am I hoping to let go of? This is part of my meditation as actually every day I ask myself, what is the highest vision for this day? And what do you have to let go of to achieve it, receive it, and what do you have to accept? So this is such a beautiful question.
Brooke Devard
Thank you.
Alicia Keys
You must be like, you're my kindred soul sister and man. What do I want to let go of in this season? I want to let go of things that don't say serve. You know, I. I want to be quicker to do this. I think a lot of the times I'm very solution oriented and I really love to make things work because I do believe that you can figure it out. And I love that about myself. And that's a wonderful thing. But there's also a piece that you have to recognize when things aren't working and they're not good for you. And you can just say, like, this doesn't stop. Serve the greater good. And so I want to get a little bit swifter at that. Yes. I want to let go of what I need to let go of quicker. I don't want to spend so much time trying to find a solution that I don't realize that is just not good.
Brooke Devard
Yes.
Alicia Keys
So that's one thing I'd like to let go of. And what do I want to call in?
Brooke Devard
Yes. What do you want more of?
Alicia Keys
More ease. I want to be able to really, like, make that a priority just as much as all the planning is the time, the space for the nothing.
Brooke Devard
Yes.
Alicia Keys
The ease, the like. I'm not doing anything. What are you doing right now? Nothing.
Brooke Devard
Right that's beautiful. And for type A people that want to accomplish a lot, that's hard. It's like, almost like you have to schedule in time to do nothing. If you really want to do nothing, you have to schedule in. This is my time to do nothing.
Alicia Keys
I just realized that I'm a type A. Can you believe that?
Brooke Devard
Alicia Keys, Come on. You graduated high school at 16 years old and gotten to Columbia. Like, you've been type A your life. Whole.
Alicia Keys
Whole life I made from start now, like, actually, maybe I'm just accepting it, but I'm just realizing I'm like, wow, I really am that person. I am really. I'm really that person. There's one thing, because you brought up kind of like running home and. And seeing the Fallen video and. And it just made me think of something just now that was really cool. The woman who actually did that, Smokey eye, her name is Ayako, and she's phenomenal.
Brooke Devard
And.
Alicia Keys
And we were talking the other day, and she was saying how she remembers, like, I guess, you know, I was 20 then. And she remembers feeling like she knew that I was having challenges with my skin, and she also knew that it was such a new world for me. And. Whoa, you're welcome. You're walking into this whole, like, thing that you have to kind of manage and figure out and walk through with as much grace as you can or not. And recently we reconnected and she started to kind of do my skin again and be with me in my journey. And she was shocked. She was like, your skin is totally different.
Brooke Devard
Wow.
Alicia Keys
Not to mention, obviously, time changes things, but she was so excited. And she said, you know, what is it that you're using and what is it that you're doing? And I was able to tell her about Keo Care and tell them even more so about my desire. Desire and my ability now to recognize what is good for me and not be afraid of it, not be scared of what's good for you. Like, claim it and grab it and own it and hold it, and you deserve it. Take it. And it's taken a long time for me to arrive to that place. So when you also ask me, you know what I want more of? I just want more of, really. That cellular recognition that we deserve was good for us. And that is just it. Everything else is just like, you don't belong here because you're not good for me. I definitely want that for me. I want that for us.
Brooke Devard
Yes, we need that. Well, my final question, which I've asked on every episode of naked Beauty. I've done nearly 300 episodes. I'm so curious. Your answ answer. When do you feel most beautiful?
Alicia Keys
When I'm swimming. I feel the most beautiful when I'm swimming. I. I really actually love swimming. I've swam since I was a kid and it's been kind of like a secret love passion of mine.
Brooke Devard
You're an Aquarius, right?
Alicia Keys
I'm an Aquarius.
Brooke Devard
This is a very Aquarius answer. Feeling beautiful in the water. It's very Aquarius. I love the energy. Energy though. Mermaid energy.
Alicia Keys
Right. And you're. It's something about the way that you're able to float your weightless, you are suspended in time. There's a strength there, there's a fluidity there. I think that it really kind of represents so many of the things like that reflect life, you know, to be weightless, to be fluid, to be. Be boundless, suspended, free. You know, I really feel that way in the water and so not only am I type A, but I'm type Aquarius and I feel great in the water.
Brooke Devard
I absolutely love that answer. It has been such a pleasure hearing from you, learning from you. I feel like you preached today. I feel changed from this conversation. So I know that this is going to change other people listening. So I really thank you.
Alicia Keys
Thank you. I love this so much. Thank you so much. Thank you. This exchange that we will be able to connect and, and hold this space together. I'm so excited for you and everything that's going on for you and I'm so excited for you to continue to just bring this great energy to everybody that you possibly can. So thank you for the time and the love.
Brooke Devard
Thank you so much. Okay, that was the great. The one and only, one of a kind, not to ever be replicated. Multi hyphenate renaissance woman, Alicia Keys. She was so generous with her time and with her responses and I could have talked to her for hours, honestly. I mean, when I said she was preaching, she was preaching to my soul. When she talked about setting those boundaries, being strong for yourself, just getting your mind right and meditating. And that solo trip conversation really sparked something in me where I'm now thinking, 5, 10, 15 years from now, do I want to carve out some time for just me? Not as a mom, as a wife, as a friend, just me to go somewhere and experience a place on my own. I took away so much from this conversation. I hope you did too. I do want to very, very quickly point out some of my absolute favorites. I talked about some of the Products I love on the podcast. But if you find yourself scrolling on the Key Soul Care site and you're wondering what do to to order, let me tell you what some of my favorites are. Now, she talked about the Golden Face Cleanser with Manuka Honey, which I do love. But the nourishing cleansing balm and makeup remover is really incredible. It has bamboo charcoal in it, so it's really, like, purifying the skin. It's got shea butter, it's got sunflower seed oil, it's got macadamia seed oil. It removes your makeup, but it keeps your skin hydrated. And then if you want to follow that up with the Manuka Honey cleanser, that's an incredible combination. The makeup, like, the color cosmetics, really, like, took me aback. Now, you all listen to Naked Beauty. You know my taste in makeup. I love Kosas. I love Ilia. I love that, like, kind of no makeup makeup look. It's not really surprising that Key Soul Care nailed that genre. But the concealer and tint, it's a two in one. It's like skin is honestly phenomenal. Like, I cannot tell you how good it is. I will be posting videos of me using it so you can kind of see it on my skin, but it just melts into your skin. It looks like skin, but it also covers up my dark circles. So. So it's not like, oh, it's just like makeup that's barely there. And it doesn't really, like, cover up your dark circles. No, it has coverage, but it feels like skin and it looks like skin. It's a really impressive formula. I also love the cheek tint. It is so, so pretty. I'm gonna jump back to skincare for one more moment. The Protect yout Light daily moisturizer. That's SPF 30. It has squalane. It has niacinamide. You know how good niacinamide is for your skin. It is a really phenomenal SPF that honestly, I think rivals some of the company companies that just specialize in spf. I love the Squalene oil and I love that Manuka Honey and charcoal face mask. It makes your skin feel so good. And again, you've heard how much Alicia Keys appreciates ritual. They also have, like, a little brush that is designed specifically to brush the face mask on your skin. I'm all about thinking about your beauty practice and your beauty routine as a ritual. And there's something about brushing, brushing a face mask on that just feels like a sacred ritual. And that sage and oat candle, I can have that burning in my home all day, every day until the end of time. I get the little travel size candle so that I can travel with them in hotels. I had this with me on my recent trip to New York and it just being in the hotel you already kind of feel disjointed. You're not home. I light this candle and I immediately feel at peace. I feel whole. Whole. I feel centered. There's just something about this combination of the sage and the oat milk that's so grounding and beautiful. You heard me ask her about which products are coming out. She wasn't specific, but I feel a fragrance is on the horizon. That is just a speculation. I do not have any insider information there. But I will say that I would be very excited for a fragrance from Key Soul Care because they really, really nail fragrance in the candles. I can only imagine how beautiful a fragrance would be. Thank you all so much for listening and for supporting this show. If you love today's episode, if you love Naked Beauty, please consider sharing to your Instagram stories. Tag me akidbeautyplanet. If you're not subscribed to Naked Beauty, please subscribe new episodes every single Monday. Rate and review. If you love the show, tell a friend about Naked Beauty. I so appreciate all of your support and again, I'm so excited for the episodes that are taking to come. We have some really exciting and different conversations coming up. Today's episode is produced by MBA Kasanga. You can follow me at Naked Beauty Planet and Brooke Devard. Stay in touch. I love hearing from you all and I'll be back next week with a new episode,
Alicia Keys
The way that I love you.
Brooke Devard
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Alicia Keys
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Hi, this is Zibby Owens, host of Totally Booked with Zibby, formerly Moms don't have Time to Read Books in my daily show, I interview today's latest best selling, buzziest or underrated authors and story creators whose work I think is worth your time. As a bookstore owner, publisher, author and obviously podcaster, I get a comprehensive look at everything that's coming out and spend my time curating the best books so you don't have to stay in the know. Get insider insights and connect with guests like Grammy Award winning singer Alicia Keys, critically acclaimed author Judy Blume, and Academy Award winning screenwriter John Irving every single day. With Totally Booked, you aren't just listening, you're part of the story, so don't miss out. Follow Totally Booked with Zibby on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you're listening now.
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Host: Brooke DeVard
Guest: Alicia Keys
Date: March 16, 2026
This inspiring episode features multi-hyphenate artist Alicia Keys as she joins Brooke DeVard to discuss self-trust, solo travel, and the soul behind her skincare line, Keys Soulcare. The conversation moves beyond product talk, exploring Alicia’s journey of self-acceptance, family influences, rituals for wellness, and the deeper meaning behind intentional self-care. Candid and heartfelt, this episode feels like two girlfriends catching up—and is packed with actionable insights, personal anecdotes, and empowering affirmations for anyone on their own self-care or beauty journey.
Alicia's Early Style Choices
Influence of Family & Community
Alicia credits her mother (an Italian artist) and her grandmother for teaching her resilience—but also underscores that sometimes, watching their struggles taught her how she wanted to take care of herself better.
On dealing with biracial identity and hair:
Spirituality and Intention at the Core
“That practice of kind of taking that space, it might be three minutes, it might be six minutes, … but whatever it is, I find that I can really manage all of those things because I’m clear right here.” (18:00)
Every product in the line is called an "offering" rather than a "product," aligning with Alicia’s mission to create ritual over routine.
Scent and Energy Clearing
Affirmations as Daily Ritual
Meditation and Rituals for Centering
Her Skincare Routine
Golden Cleanser with Manuka Honey and turmeric for anti-inflammation
Aura Rose Mist for moisture and heart-opening aroma
Rich Transformation Cream (with Bakuchiol) and Firm Belief Peptide Cream for hydration and firmness (prefers Firm Belief at night)
Protect Your Light SPF—praised for its inclusivity and non-greasy feel
Squalane Deeply Replenishing Night Oil and the occasional Manuka Honey & Charcoal mask
“Everything is ingredient-forward… it comes from nature, it comes from the earth, and this is what it does for your skin.” (34:30, Brooke)
“When people say, you have such beautiful skin, I’m like, you talking to me?... I’ve had a really hard time with my skin, like, for a long time.” (30:30)
Supplements for Wellness
Lessons in Boundaries
Solo Travel as Transformation
After her first album, Alicia took a solo trip to Egypt:
She dreams of a sabbatical later in life—immersing herself in three or four places for several months each.
Makeup Minimalism and Red Carpet Realness
Raising Sons with Self-Care
Challenging Gendered Beauty Norms
Letting Go: Alicia aims to become quicker at identifying things that don’t serve her and releasing them (46:52)
Calling In: More ease, making time to do nothing intentional, and prioritizing space for unstructured rest (46:59)
| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Moment | |-----------|--------------|--------------| | 04:09 | Alicia Keys | “No, you can’t be nervous talking to me. No way. This is going to be the best conversation ever.” | | 08:00 | Alicia Keys | “Those braids were just how I wore my hair. … You live how you live and you express how you express, and you never think that people are gonna connect with that, to that level.” | | 15:00 | Alicia Keys | “I don’t want to be 60, whatever, and finally say, okay, now I’m gonna choose me.” | | 18:00 | Alicia Keys | “When I’m meditating, journaling, creating quiet space for myself… I shine in a way that’s inside-out.” | | 21:00 | Alicia Keys | “The fragrance is sage and oat milk… Sage removes the negativity from the space. The candle felt like the perfect door opener.” | | 23:20 | Alicia Keys | “Solo travel was one of the most incredible gifts I ever gave myself... so empowering.” | | 28:00 | Alicia Keys | “Affirmations … remind yourself of what it is you’re inviting into this space.” | | 30:30 | Alicia Keys | “When people say, you have such beautiful skin, I’m like, you talking to me?... I’ve had a really hard time with my skin, like, for a long time.” | | 34:30 | Brooke DeVard| “Everything is ingredient-forward… It comes from nature, it comes from the earth, and this is what it does for your skin.” | | 39:15 | Brooke DeVard| “You were such a pioneer in this space… I want more of that. I’m hungry for more of that.” | | 44:34 | Alicia Keys | “Everyone has skin and it’s for you. … These are concepts we all deserve to share.” | | 46:59 | Alicia Keys | “More ease. … The time, the space for the nothing. The ease, the like—I’m not doing anything.” | | 50:07 | Brooke DeVard| “When do you feel most beautiful?” | | 50:10 | Alicia Keys | “When I’m swimming. … You’re weightless, you are suspended in time. There’s a strength there, there’s a fluidity there.” |
Throughout, Alicia and Brooke maintain a vibe of warmth and authenticity, sharing stories like old friends while offering practical wisdom and profound personal lessons. The tone is uplifting, honest, and deeply soulful—mirroring the ethos of both Keys Soulcare and Naked Beauty.
For listeners seeking holistic self-care inspiration, practical beauty tips, and soulful reminders to trust themselves and claim their space, this episode is a must-listen.