To help bring some calm to your 2020 holiday season, we partnered with clean beauty maven, Dorian Morris, founder of Undefined Beauty, and pioneer of "plant magic," on two limited edition de-stress kits. The CBD Period Kit features the Undefined Beauty Glow Detox Bath Soak (don't miss Dorian's bath ritual below) and the LOLA essential oil, while the CBD Pleasure Kit features Undefined Beauty's new aphrodisiac Pleasure Glow Bar and LOLA's beloved water-based lube. Both kits come in sleek carrying cases for transport or easy gifting. Read on for a conversation with Dorian on the founding inspiration for Undefined Beauty, and an inside scoop on why plant magic is a key to fighting stress.
Let's start by getting to know you a bit more as a business leader. Tell us about your background before launching Undefined Beauty.
My background is a beautiful mosaic of retail, consumer packaged goods and beauty, from merchandising at Macy's and classical brand building at General Mills to learning the ins and outs of the beauty business at Kendo (LVMH incubator), continuing to evolve and master other beauty categories while at Sundial (hair) and leading Covergirl US. I've had quite a unique and diverse experience working across both intrapreneurial, scrappy brands as well as guiding the ship for larger, established players. After deciding to leave the Corporate rat race and having helped develop brands for the "big guys," I felt it was my time to create something special and powerful for myself. It's funny: while at Harvard Business School, I honestly thought my purpose was to lead a large Fortune 500 as one of the first black female CEOs. Now, as I'm navigating the choppy waters of startup life, it's quite a different yet exciting adventure to be building MY OWN future Fortune 500 from scratch. Each experience on my professional journey has helped me build key tools that I can now leverage as an entrepreneur, including how I want to operate as well as how I do not want to operate.
What led you to start Undefined Beauty? What solutions are you bringing to the space with this brand?
I created Undefined to be different, to challenge status quo, to change the narrative, and to solve a key pain point in the industry: the gap in clean yet effective, accessibly priced plant-based solutions"what I call "clean, conscious, inclusive, plant magic." Undefined lives at the intersection of wellness, adaptogens (like beautiful CBD), and purpose-driven conscious capitalism. My mission is to "undefine" and democratize beauty and de-stigmatize plant-based solutions through an unapologetic, uncompromising, unfiltered approach. Wellness shouldn't be illusive or exclusive"let's democratize it.
I created Undefined to be different, to challenge status quo, to change the narrative, and to solve a key pain point in the industry.
I think accessibly priced, plant-based solutions are even more important now with all the uncertainty in this often precarious "COVID world" we are living through. Life is changing and Undefined embodies the mindset that rules are meant to be broken"especially when the rules were set up by a patriarchal system that did not (and still does not) want diverse and underrepresented communities to thrive. Undefined celebrates the beauty of choice over conformation. We embrace individuality, quirkiness, intersectionality, fluidity and uniqueness. Beauty is wellness and wellness is beauty, but more importantly, beauty starts in your head, not in the mirror. Undefined is celebrating this new and important approach to "undefining" the industry.
Beauty is wellness and wellness is beauty, but more importantly, beauty starts in your head, not in the mirror.
You've centered the brand around the solution of "plant magic." What is that, and why do we need more of it in our lives?
Plant Magic is harnessing the power of Mother Nature to reinforce holistic wellness. I view Plant Magic as an umbrella concept that includes powerful adaptogens like cannabis as well as medicinal/functional mushrooms and nootropics which tap into what you personally need to bring you back to balance. Who doesn't love something customized to their own unique needs, naturally? Our modern, complex lifestyles are stressful, which can take a toll on our skin and overall well being. People are looking for easy to understand, plant-based solutions that work and they can afford. That's where Undefined comes in"wellness simplified"to bridge the gap.
LOLA and Undefined Beauty recently partnered on two limited edition kits to fight stress this holiday season. It's no secret that this has been a uniquely stress-inducing time for people. What are you doing personally to reduce stress in your life? Do you incorporate any rituals into your routine, or use specific products?
I think I was a mermaid in my previous life because water is my happy place and brings out my calm. I'm grateful that my LA HQ where I both live and work has a pool. I try to get a daily dose of Vitamin D and work poolside for at least 30 minutes a day. I'm also very into nightly bath rituals. Baths are my go-to for decompression and stress relief. I burn some sage, light some candles, grab some of my favorite crystals, and sprinkle in my beautifully crafted yet functional Glow Detox CBD Bath Soak to melt away stress.
I'm also very into nightly bath rituals. Baths are my go-to for decompression and stress relief.
Like most people, I am magnesium deficient so my nightly soak also helps to rebalance my magnesium levels, which impacts a whole host of critical bodily functions. To amp up the experience, I sometimes add a few drops of Glow Elixir, my CBD-infused multitasking skincare saver into the tub for an aromatherapy experience. It's just divine.
The LOLA x Undefined Beauty CBD Period Kit was designed to help reduce the stress that can feel exasperated by our periods. Do you have any plant magic tips for caring for your mind and body while on our periods or dealing with PMS?
Glow Detox CBD Bath Soak is the perfect self-care tool for PMS given the functional botanicals that help penetrate deep to relax muscle and help with pain management. The Arnica soothes, the pink Himalayan salt detoxifies, the MSM eases muscle tension and the Goat Milk and Colloidal Oats softens your skin for a multidimensional experience.
Glow Detox CBD Bath Soak is the perfect self-care tool for PMS given the functional botanicals that help penetrate deep to relax muscle and help with pain management.
From an ingestible wellness perspective, CBD tinctures are a great tool for pain relief (teaser: I'm launching a truly unique and special multitasking tincture called Glow Drops very soon). Other plant magic to consider are Chasteberry, Black Cohosh, Holy Basil, Maca (found in my Pleasure Glow Bar), Ashwagandha and Gotu Kola (found in my Creativity Glow Bar). In general, focusing on gut health with an anti-inflammatory diet and using tools to manage stress, like mindfulness and meditation, work wonders ALL times of the month, not just for PMS.
The CBD Pleasure Kit was designed to counter stress with sex. Any tips on how to boost libido or enhance pleasure with plant magic?
Glow Bar in Uninhibited/Pleasure is a Fair Trade 65% Peruvian Raw Cacao meets supercharged adaptogens to create a pleasurable vibe. It's truly magical, helps you relax and importantly, is delicious at the same time. The plant magic in this hazelnut-infused vegan chocolate bar unlocks natural aphrodisiacs: CBD reduces anxiety, Maca increases libido, Damiana sparks arousal while L-DOPA rich Mucuna Pruriens boosts mood for a sex-positive experience.