We all know Yandy Smith is all about “securing that bag.” And secure it she does. When she’s not shooting for reality show Love & Hip Hop, or helping aspiring artists get to their much needed coin, she’s helping ladies get their hair and skin together through her brands Yelle Beauty, and now, YELLE Skincare.
“When I first got on the show I had acne bad. I was popping pimples so I had a bunch of acne scars. I went to Sephora and they threw all this stuff in the bag. It worked, but it was expensive,” she explained.
She created YELLE Skincare after she realized that she would have to spend a small fortune (about $600) every month to keep her skin healthy. She wanted working women to have options that were made from high quality and natural ingredients without sacrificing their entire paychecks. After seeking advice from a master aesthetician from Bliss spa, and scrapping the entire line and 6 months of hard work, she finally got the formulations right.
Now, she’s stepping into production shoes with three new shows that she’s working on, and gearing up to shoot the tenth season of LHH. Through all of her professional ventures and projects, and while taking care of her three children, she manages to always stay camera ready.
We caught up with Yandy offstage at ESSENCE Beauty Carnival to get the scoop on her beauty habits and must-haves.
What is your current favorite beauty toy?
The [YELLE] hydration kit. It has a skin wash, a toner, a serum for dry skin, an eye cream, and a moisturizer. I love the hydration system because if you put drops of the serum in your foundation it automatically gives me a glisten like I’m wearing highlighter. All day long I’m moisturized without being oily.
What’s the best thing you’ve ever learned about taking care of your skin?
I blame my mom for this. She taught me whatever you wash your body with you wash your face with. Dove on my body, Dove on my face. I had extremely dry and patchy skin. I was like, ‘what do you mean toner? What do you mean a face cleanser?’ Jonathan taught me that you need skin specific [products], what I need to do, and how I need to do it.
What’s the one makeup trick that you still can’t master?
I can’t completely match my skin tone. You know how some people can put on makeup and look like they have nothing on their skin? I haven’t learned how to do that. And blending eye color. It all just looks like one color when I do it myself.
What’s the best beauty advice you’ve ever gotten?
Take care of your skin. Drink a lot of water. Black women know everything to do with our hair. We’ve got every oil, every cream, we know if we’re high porosity or low porosity, curly or straight, kinky or coily. But we don’t take the time with our skin. Black will crack if you don’t take care of it.
Is there anything you’ve wanted to try with your look but never dared?
Microneedling! I want to try that, maybe add it to my line, but I’m scared that it might hurt. I’m not a glutton for pain but [Jonathan’s] like ‘they’re amazing.’ So I’m going to try it and if I like it I’ll add it to the YELLE skincare line.