We had the good fortune of connecting with Amena BelledeSoleil and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amena, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk it all. I’m probably one of the least risk averse people you’ll ever meet. I believe if what you have isn’t serving your highest good or potential release it and be open to and active in the creation of something more.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
At Basique Opulence we make high vibrational healing blends that are all natural and powered by aromatherapy and crystaltherapy. Our products are unique in that they are made for hair to toe use delivering templetherapy for the entire family addressing a multitude of health and well-being focuses. I’m most excited about working on this brand full time and scaling it with aligned boutiques and centers of wellness. This brand has been evolving since 2013 starting out as a personal use item highly requested for purchase by my clients in my hair wellness aka hair styling business. Growth has not been as accelerated as I’d envisioned but I have to remind myself I am operating two businesses – one of which is totally solo – so the time it’s taking is the time its supposed to take. With the Covid 19 pandemic shutting hair salons in California for five months now my days are now filled with working on this brand and on my self by increasing my time spent in fitness, improving my diet by shifting to vegan and educating myself on all the things a business owner needs to know to attract and sustain growth. In a time filled with much uncertainty I’m enjoying this change of pace and opportunity to expand myself and the reach of my products to people who value them. Building this business has been far from easy as huge debt is something I’m not willing to take on to grow so I’ve been bootstrapping for the most part allowing the business to fund itself. I do everything for the brand – packaging, labels, marketing, formulation, ingredient sourcing, website maintenance, photographs, social, events – with exception of manufacturing and fulfillment – and it is A LOT of work that I am grateful to have. Challenges are always going to come in life. You’ve got to decide no matter what comes you’ll handle it and thrive and then do it, period. I’ve learned soo much along the way the most important is just keep going. Quitters never realize their dreams/success/goals etc. If there is anything I want the world to know about this brand it’s that our products are the supreme in their category of healing personal care and that our story is just beginning.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Some of my favorite spots in the city are Castaway Burbank for great food and great views. Powder Beauty Co for a sublime mani & pedi. The Morrison for great food and sports. Oh SweetChick for elevated soul food! Total foodie here lol Favorite K Spa for the best body scrub in town W Olympic Spa. Sage Vegan Bistro for vegan breakfast of the goddesses. I hear Coffee and Plants in Pasadena is great. It’s on my must go list. The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Garden is great to take a walk and smell the flowers The DTLA arts district to hit up the breweries and taste all the craft beer.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Without a doubt I want to first shout out my customers and all advocates of my brand. It is because of their love of the products that we are still standing and expanding. I want to shout to my ancestors and spirit guides who lead me to the healing modalities of aromatherapy and crystaltherapy and gave me the vision to incorporate them into personal care products in a truly unique way. The book Essential Oil safety by Robert Tisserand & Rodney Young has been critical in the creation of products that are not only optimized for maximum therapeutic benefits but also safe for the entire family. Essential Oils are all natural yes but they are very powerful compounds that must be used in proper concentrations and dilutions to be healing and not harmful. I want to shout out my loving and encouraging family for their support and dependency on these products – every “I need more salve” “can you send me more elixir?” “do you have anything for stress” keeps the healing blend formulations flowing.

Website: www.basiqueopulence.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/basiqueopulence
Facebook: www.facebook.com/basiqueopulence

Image Credits
Photos by Amena BelledeSoleil & Ariana Cymone

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.