Gen Z Loves TikTok-Viral Quiet-Luxury Beauty—Here's Why

You're a content creator praised for your elegant style and founder of the skincare line Mary Louise Cosmetics. What was the inspiration behind the brand?

I launched it during my junior year of college at Howard as a pre-med student. I pivoted after its launch and came back to L.A. (where I'm from) to focus on the brand full-time. This was during the boom between 2013 and 2015 when everyone on YouTube was doing DIY skincare, and I was completely obsessed with it!

I have really dry, eczema-prone skin, so I was making face masks and creams to try, and one of the girls on my dorm floor asked if I was selling it. The premise of the brand is reviving older beauty rituals of the past in new, fun, and fresh ways for Gen Z and young millennials. It's taking all the things we loved about the beauty rituals the women of our family taught us and reengineering those for the future.

Recently, there's been an uptick in searches for the quiet-luxury aesthetic among social media users, especially on TikTok. What is your definition of the term, and how, if at all, does it apply to your lifestyle?

I think it's interesting because I was in no way intentionally trying to jump on the quiet-luxury trend. My wedding just happened to be at a time that was really popular on social media! I think the wedding was grouped into people's idea of what quiet luxury is, whether that's their definition of what a luxury-driven wedding would look like compared to something else or the style of dress. Certain beauty products and brands have definitely played a role in the aesthetic since people will select what they think pertains to it.

Right now, I like to think of it as valuing quality over quantity. It may not be the amount of something you show, but more highlighting or prioritizing one of something that is super special. My personal idea of luxury still goes back to quality, but anything can be luxurious. Having access to water bottles is luxurious for some, while going to the mall on a Monday and having a solo lunch can be luxurious to others. For me, something doesn't have to be designer or expensive to be luxurious.

Your "get ready with me" and "come along with me" videos often double as beauty-maintenance vlogs. How would you describe your approach to maintaining everything from skincare to haircare?

My mom has played a huge part in how I approach beauty and is an inspiration to my skincare brand's mission of reviving older beauty rituals. From a young age, simple habits like washing your face every night to carefully removing makeup from the eyes are taken from my mom. It's as simple as going into your bathroom, lighting a candle, putting on your favorite pajamas, and doing a full skincare routine. It's less about the product and more about the ritual itself that feels luxurious.

How did you put together your timeless TikTok-viral bridal look?

The inspiration behind the entire wedding look was Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard vibes. The first vacation I took with my now husband was to Martha's Vineyard, and it was the place where we fell in love. It was also my first chance to explore New England, which is where he's from. I've always loved clean lines on a wedding dress for a timeless look, especially when it includes a bow. I mean, I had this huge one on my shoulder!

I wanted something I would look back on 20 years from now and still think it was the right choice. I knew that if I went with anything trendy, I would regret it and question why I wore it. I wanted a makeup look and dress that would make for good wedding photos forever. Both my wedding and reception dresses fell into a retro, nautical aesthetic.

When it came to your big day, you worked with a talented beauty team to bring everything to life. What was that experience like?

I have a mood board for every single thing that goes on in my life! I probably have 50 different active Pinterest boards. When I got engaged, I put together one for the wedding. The inspiration behind the hair was a throwback Chanel supermodel look with swoops, curls, and bounciness like a Karl Lagerfeld muse. For the makeup, I didn't want to do anything too heavy that would look [good] during the daytime and could also be worn at night during the reception. So I went for a '90s brown makeup look for a Black girl!

Are there any luxury beauty products you swear by?

I have so many, but I've had to redo my entire body and skincare routine because I'm pregnant. I'm still finding new luxury items that are okay to use, but right now, I love Nécessaire's Bergamot Body Wash, Make Up For Ever's foundation, Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle fragrance (sometimes, I switch it with Le Labo's Thé Noir 29), and the 111Skin moisturizer. In and out of the shower, I love using the Mary Louise Miracle Serum. For hair, it's all about Oribe's dry shampoo.

What self-care practices do you hope to pass on to the next generation of beauty lovers?

Find the time to make your life luxurious. It's not even about the products! Take 20 to 30 minutes and put together your own self-care routine that you can do. The overall practice I want to pass down is taking pride in your self-care and grooming to make yourself feel your best. As a founder and entrepreneur, my schedule is different every single day, so I have to find time dedicated to my self-care routine. The routine I do at night influences my entire week since it can be customized with different products depending on what I need from it, especially seasonally. Making time for yourself is the best self-care practice I can pass down.