Issa Rae does it all. As such, the actress, writer, producer, and serial entrepreneur needs beauty products that work just as hard. Thankfully, her sister-in-law Hannah Diop spent years pouring her passion and knowledge into creating Sienna Naturals; a line of clean, plant-based haircare essentials that tackle issues without creating more. Rae joined the venture in 2020 and together, the duo has seen the company amass plenty of beauty awards and launch in Sephora.
Rae and Diop are fully in sync, both when it comes to their goals for the company and their approach to getting dressed for life’s major moments. From the Beyonce-approved designer you need to know to the secret to Rae’s on-screen glow, pull up a chair and get ready to take notes on Rae and Diop's style and beauty philosophies.
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Sienna Naturals was announced as the recipient of this year’s Sephora Beauty Grant at The Fifteen Percent Pledge Gala—congratulations, by the way! How do you get ready for a big night like that?
Hannah Diop: "I say bring in the experts. I rarely have those types of occasions, so I will call in the glam team and leave it to the professionals. But for my look, I was fortunate to partner with a designer based out of Senegal: Sarah Diouf of Tongoro Studio. Beyoncé has actually worn some of her designs before during her concerts. I feel like, on a big night, it’s really important to give the platform to a talent like that."
Issa Rae: "I love bringing in the experts too. I tend to try to relax all day. I might treat myself to a facial; I just got into facials since I met this amazing woman named Maisha [Pullman; of Skin By Maisha] in the Bay Area. She has taught me how to take care of my skin in the best way. [Ahead of the event], I try to remember that the night is not necessarily about me, and that always eases my concerns…unless I have to speak! In which case, I’ll probably write the speech in hair and makeup. If I think about it for too long and put too much pressure on, it’s going to suck. So I have to keep it pushin’."
What fashion pieces make you feel your best if you do have to address a room?
IR: "I only really think about it if there’s going to be food at the function. [Laughs] Because if there’s food, I’m going to eat, no matter what I tell myself. So I know that I’m not going to wear something form-fitting. I’m going to keep it cute, but I’m gonna eat, so that’s the only thing I think about when I’m choosing wardrobe [options]. Not necessarily what I look like on stage, but how I’m going to look when I sit and eat and stand later."
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I imagine all days are different for you both, but what do you like to wear to work?
HD: "I go to an office, but the office is at my house. Today, I am wearing a cropped sweater and some bootcut jeans—very Kendrick Lamar. If I meet someone for lunch or I’m seeing investors, I will sometimes wear a blazer. More than anything, I love shoulders and shoulder pads. I have very long legs so a power shoulder silhouette works for me: I look for anything that’s going to draw long lines and accentuate. I love a big 1980s shoulder pad, especially in a dress, teamed with a plunging neckline."
IR: "Every year I vow I’m going to be a blazer and suit girl, at least once a week when in the office, but I have yet to live up to that. My typical uniform is always jeans and a t-shirt or a long sleeve top. I have so many meetings and so much on my mind, I just need to not think about what I’m wearing and feel comfortable. When we have evening events, I try to show up because all of the employees in the office, I swear, they are always out-stunning each other and we’re always taking pictures. I have to make them proud…I can’t be the weakest link."
You seem like a big jewelry person too.
IR: "Yes, I love jewelry. That’s absolutely where my efforts will show. I love a stack."
Do you have a most-treasured piece in your wardrobe you can think about?
IR: "There’s this Chloé blazer that I freaking love. It’s tan and form-fitting in a way. It’s professional, but if I were feeling, you know, frisky, I’ll wear it as a dress. But it can also be casual, or business-y, or nightlife. I just love it so much, so that’s become a favorite.""
HD: "If [a designer] can make something that hits the floor when I’m in heels, I will love them forever. I’ve had cold ankles a lot in my life! And if it snatches me at the waist. Right now, I’m loving these black pants I got from Spanx."
Are there go-to designers you always find yourself turning to lately?
IR: "I just wore something by LaQuan Smith—he’s not new, but I love, love, love him. It’s always so sexy. Someone who I want to see more and more from is Hanifa [by designer Anifa Mvuemba.] I get so excited whenever she drops something. I want the world for her."
Do you care about trends, or tend to do your own thing?
HD: "I personally don't; I can't be under pressure to follow the trends, and I think a more classic silhouette is what works for me and for my body. I go with what's going to make me feel powerful."
IR: "Same. I'd rather stick to more timeless pieces. Occasionally, I might try a trend in the privacy of my own home and then pretend like I was in on it the whole time, but generally, I like classic pieces."
Beyond fashion, what are some self-care things that you kind of swear by every day?
IR: "I became a runner. I love it! That's become part of my routine, in addition to journaling. My nighttime skincare and hair care routine is unmatched. Like I'm one of those people who rarely falls asleep with their makeup on. Even on the drunkest of nights, I will always do my skincare, my hair routine, and wrap my hair in a bun."
HD: "I practice yoga three times a week. I really do believe beauty starts with how you feel on the inside. I’ve been on a skincare journey for, like, four years so I’ve filled my routine with skincare that’s clean and natural. I love the nightly ritual of skincare and scalpcare. I put on our D.N.A. Scalp Serum and put my hair in a bonnet. I’m also teaching my daughter how to put her hair in braids and put on her bonnet before she goes to bed while we work on her goals together. That really helps keep me happy."
As part of the Sephora Beauty Grant, Sienna Naturals will be available at the retailer online and in 178 stores nationwide. What does this mean to you as entrepreneurs?
HD: "I'm most excited to really get to know the Sephora customer and create these offerings for her. Also to bring more women with textured hair into Sephora to shop, with product that is designed for them. I think there's all this momentum right now happening around clean beauty and when you look at Sienna Naturals and our product composition, it is the highest level of clean."
IR: "I’ve been using Sienna Naturals since 2013—I remember Hannah making products in her kitchen when I would visit her in New York. At the time, I wasn’t used to leave-in conditioners being that light and leaving my hair so soft. I just remember loving the fact that these products were clean, knowing the ingredients she was putting in, and knowing where she was sourcing them. I was always happy to be her guinea pig and felt a part of the process all along. So when she asked me to come on board, it was a no-brainer."
