Alicia Keys

It's evident in not only the way she writes her songs — highly praised ballads of contemporary R&B infused with classical piano — but also how she lives her ...

Then she thought about the “I carve out time for myself” affirmation for Keys Soulcare’s Body Gua Sha. “That’s part of what this brand is about,” she says. “It’s a reminder to take time for yourself. It was a surprising move, considering that Keys famously swore off makeup altogether in 2016 — an act of rebellion against society’s oppressive beauty standards, as she has stated in the past — becoming one of the bare faces at the forefront of the #nomakeup movement. Some people have never heard of a mantra or an affirmation, so normalizing this idea of caring about yourself and not feeling guilty about it—or taking that small time that just restores you—is essential. Derm developed and cruelty-free, Keys Soulcare takes a clean and holistic approach to beauty: It’s built around face and body staples that are free of harsh chemicals (read “parabens, phthalates, sulfates and formaldehyde”) and infused with gentle yet effective ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, ceramides, shea and cocoa butters and bakuchiol-plant extract. Stepping into Keys’s Toronto hotel suite for the Sephora Canada launch of her beauty and lifestyle brand, Keys Soulcare, is akin to entering her calm, luminescent world.