It’s Deeper Than Skin™
It’s Deeper Than Skin™ is a compilation of interviews featuring diverse multicultural individuals each carrying unique aspirations and desires yet bound by a common passion to create a more joyful, diverse and inclusive space for us all. They inspire, empower and help transform the way we think and feel about beauty, culture, ancient traditions, diversity, mental health, societal standards and more. Through these multifaceted lenses, we learn to celebrate our uniqueness and are reminded once again that our beauty is deeper than skin.
What are three words you’d use to describe yourself?
If I had to tell you in this point in time, I’d say poetic, passionate and excited!
Are you a morning or night person?
It depends for what, but I feel like depending on the time of my life or week
I’m living at the time, it can vary! My mornings are special because I’m in
love with my drives to get my pistachio iced lattes on my way to PEAU, and my
evenings are so sacred because I connect to different parts of myself that I
feel come out once the sun sets. More intimate and introspective, I guess I’d
say.
What’s your favourite season and why?
End of Summer heading into the fall time. Crisp cold air, to me is so
endearing and enticing. I love the feeling of dressing in-between seasons
which brings me the most comfort, physically. Spiritually, I also feel
enthralled to new beginnings and start to reflect on the year around Autumn
time. And the colours. Where I live, the city feels and looks so colourful
especially starting in September. It’s really special to me.
What does a 'sanctuary space' mean to you?
A sanctuary to me feels like home, and home isn’t just one place. You know?
It’s my windows down in my car, it’s me holding someone’s face during a
facial, it’s the space I’ve built with PEAU’ésie. My showers. My road trips.
It’s more of a feeling, I’d say. Even my bed is my sanctuary — a forever
dreamland.
Tell us about PEAU’ésie!
PEAU’ésie is a skin spa and safe space for all people to experience advanced
face and body care treatments, here in Montréal. I founded PEAU’ésie through
a longing to perform and experience unique skin care treatments in a safe
space that feels like a dream, romanticizing the beauty of skin in a poetic
light while still maintaining an educational approach through my professional
background as an aesthetician and writer in studio arts.
We love your idea of bringing skincare and poetry together. What's your favourite poem?
That’s incredibly sweet of you. Thank you! My favourite poems are the ones I
write and also the faces I have the privilege to pamper.
How are skincare and poetry linked in your view?
Poetry is a very physical experience for me, and in this reality, a lot of
what we live through is physical. So things like conversations, coffee,
music, skin... it’s all poetic to me.
What are your holy grails? Your favourite ritual?
Holy grails as of late:
1. Superfood Cleanser by Youth To The People (Forever holy grail since 2017)
2. Eilish No.1 fragrance by Billie Eilish (My form of what heaven feels like)
3. My candle “SKIN POETRY” I created for PEAU’ésie in collaboration with CAVO
4. A portable fan that fits in my purse or pocket
5. Sunglasses. Always.
6. Iced pistachio lattes
As for my rituals, I have a few I enjoy often that bring me immense joy, so allow me to list those too!
1. Monthly/bi-monthly tattoos
2. Drives, whether long or short (Daily hehehe)
3. Monthly acupuncture, massages and fascia stretch therapy
4. Solo dates often
5. Concerts!
6. Taking time to celebrate and embrace everything with PEAU’ésie
7. Connecting with my guests after each of their facials
8. Writing and poetry
How has your skincare routine changed over the years?
It’s so funny how looking back just two years ago, my face care routine used
to be so much more complex and lengthy compared to now! Which, isn’t bad —it’s just different. I’ve simplified my routine a lot since opening PEAU’ésie just because... Well, I’m always trying new things, I sometimes give myself facials, and the truth is I get tired easily nowadays, so I prefer a “quieter” face routine, if you will. Less steps, but more impact and intention with the products I’m actually using.
Tell us about your journey in creating PEAU’ésie, and your hopes for the space.
In my many visits to dreamland, I’d always envisioned a physical space where
skin and poetry meet. You may know me as and through desseydoll where I birthed Skin Poetry back in
October of 2017, an extension of two of my most treasured passions into one.
I’ve now built PEAU’ésie through its framework originating digitally to an in
person experience.
Marginalized bodies are often overlooked in the beauty space as we’ve seen in
marketing, communication and physical environments. Cultivating a safe space
is the forefront of my undertaking to drive a remodelling of how we embrace
ourselves, and what a feeling it is, to truly just be.
As for my hopes for PEAU, I truly will continue to hold onto the reasons that
ignited me to blossom it in the first place. So, holding onto those closely,
fostering community and continuously expanding my consciousness in and out of
the spa is what I can hope for and practice in my life. Boundless love,
always.
Is there anything else you'd like our readers to know?
You are so dearly loved and PEAU is better with you in it.
Thanks so much for having me here with you — it truly means the world to share this energy and space together.
