Now, this is the ultimate rags-to-riches, everyday-I'm-hustling type of story. The creators of the beauty line Nubian Heritage, friends Richelieu Dennis and Nyema Tubman, came to the U.S. from their native Liberia back in '91, after losing most of their possessions during a civil war in their homeland. Shortly after arriving in the US, they found themselves unemployed and struggling to eke out a living. So Tubman and Dennis got enterprising, thinking of creative ways to use their talents (legally, of course) to turn a profit. They resolved to make and sell body oils and soaps using the all-natural recipes Dennis' grandmother handed down to him.
And so, in '92, the two men posted up on 125th Street in Harlem and sold their products on the street (much like you see folks do to this day with incense, books, etc.). Clearly, their products didn't smell like Egyptian Skunk... ehr, I meant Egyptian Musk (yes, y'all know what I'm talking about... Some of those fragrant oils are not quite so fragrant). Nah, these two had that good stuff -- lotions and oils made with good ol' cocoa butter, shea butter, and other natural ingredients. And here's the crazy part: in just two years, they managed to expand their business by networking with other street vendors (who, in turn, sold the products in different locations) and by schmoozing with health food stores and beauty suppliers (who soon agreed to distribute their products). Now, that's what I call hustlin'!
By 2000, they opened their first stand-alone store, Nubian Heritage, in Harlem. Now, Tubman and Dennis are the proud owners of Sundial Creations, a business conglomerate that includes 4 retail stores and a state-of-the-art 50,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility. The two buy their ingredients directly from women cooperatives and farmers in Africa, thus helping the economy and trying to improve those vendors' standards of living. They're also working with organizations like Ecoserve and Africare to ensure that the ingredients are being harvested in an eco-friendly manner.
Now, Nubian Heritage is making its debut in Macy's stores (women of color rejoice!) so you won't have to trek far (or scour the Internet) to cop some goodies.
The Indian Hemp products are among the brand's finest and are rather inexpensive (their hand cream is my latest obsession). Queen Helene ain't got nothin' on these dudes!
