A Beauty Flexitarian’s Powerhouse: SHEN by Jessica Richards
Richards is one of those rare breeds of entrepreneurs with blinders on. A savvy beauty-cool-hunter and a trend maker is known to launch a brand out into the stratosphere.
Jessica Richards, founder of Shen. Photographed in Brooklyn, summer 2021 by SunHee Grinnell
"Bottom line, people want the stuff that works, and we're not into shaming anyone; that's what Shen is. We are beauty flexitarians," says Jessica Richards, the indomitable founder of Shen Beauty, and she's on the topic of nontoxic, clean beauty vs. non.
Her authoritative indie beauty destination began as a humble store in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, over a decade ago. Then, amid COVID-19 lockdown, she relocated her store onto a prime, highly-trafficked location on the north end of Court St., with a warm, welcoming design aesthetic that projects a feel-good vibe. Plus, an added day spa with more treatment rooms marks her 11th year in business come October of 2021. It is a must-visit.
Richards' beauty venture started with a nanny's mishap, accidentally breaking a jar of her Natura Bisse face cream. "No big deal, I'm sure I'll find a store nearby that sells it," so she thought. Having moved to Brooklyn while pregnant, she was new to the area and in deep search of a beauty store, only to find a Duane Reade nearby for beauty supplies. So then, with a new baby in tow, Richards opened Shen Beauty out of her necessity, and then everyone else followed in droves.
During my tenure at Vanity Fair, I recall Daniel Martin, the celebrated make-up artist to superstars and celebrities, told me that I should know about Shen Beauty. "I met Jessica through Kerry Diamond (founder of CherryBomb) because we all lived in the neighborhood. Jessica's consciously crafted curations are what I find myself looking for in my kit, and I learned about quite a few brands because of her," shared Martin. It's safe to say, Richards is one of the O.G. beauty influencers with deep knowledge.
So what does she look for in a brand? Here's an insight for you, brand owners out there looking into getting in Shen: First, it's all about the packaging. Yes, judge the book by its cover as in, "am I gonna pick it up off the shelf for a closer look?" So, the visual appeal aspect is very high. "Second, does it work? Does it do what it says?" Third, "what are the ingredients?" And fourth, it's all about the founder and their working relationship as it needs to work to yield a successful partnership. "'Will I be able to work with this founder?' Is the question because we're dating now, we're in business and need to be able to have real conversations and work together," says Richards. So, no matter how great the product may be, folks, it's all about the quality of the relationship. "If something works, I am going to stand behind the brand. I'm not going to bring in a new brand and product to compete with it," says Richards, then added, "what excites me is when I do find new brands and can bring to market, support, and tell a story. It's that, back to basics with the excitement of discovery for me every time."
There's something about this Californian who moved to New York via Aspen after working at a snowboarding shop helping to curate a line of clothing; she headed for F.I.T. After graduating, she worked at Vogue magazine as a stylist under then fashion editor, Lauren Santo Domingo. Richards comes off fearless, "because I have no option to fail. I am a single mom of two boys," she says, even though she still looks as though she's in her mid-20's. As corny as it may sound, she possesses a certain spark that is not common. It's the kind of spark that dared to make Brooklyn a destination way back when with a baby in her belly, and it's that spirit in her steel blue eyes hunting for the cool stuff, and that hasn't stopped.
Richards reminded me that "clean beauty" back then was unknown, that most consumers thought clean beauty was something found at Whole Foods. "What I realized from that which helped me in the long term, I wasn't pigeonholed in the clean beauty space. For every woman who says they want clean, natural, and organic beauty, the level of wanting to feel good about themselves in terms of how they look is extremely high," she explained and continued, "do you need dark spots removed? You've got to use the stuff that addresses that." It's true, people want the stuff that works, and I can certainly attest to that notion. Bottom line, if we look good, we feel good, period.
So for Richards, being a beauty flexitarian is about being flexible when it comes to curation for her store, and she's not in the business to shame anyone; it's to the contrary. "We're about embracing and being inclusive, and we're going along on a consumer's journey. I think it's important for people to have a skincare journey with us. And because we're a seasonal store, one's journey is not just one and done. We're not necessarily in it to give you a complete overhaul (but can if you want it!) but to assist in providing for the individual's needs throughout all changes of season."
It makes sense that Shen means "eternal protection from the earth" in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, which was the original inspiration to name the store. But coincidently, Shen in Chinese translates to "deeply" and the meaning: the spiritual element of a person's psyche. Yup, nailed it.
Entrance to Shen’s day spa. Store photographs courtesy of Shen beauty.
Visit SHEN on 138 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11201. It’s open daily from 10AM to 7PM, Sundays until 6PM.