Welcome to Things I Finish, a franchise where Coveteur editors probe their favorite tastemakers about the things they buy, watch, listen to, and consume on repeat. Next up: Coveteur’s Associate Editor spotlights celebrity hair stylist turned perfumer, Kahh Spencer.
With an innate and experience-based understanding of the social landscape, connecting with consumers is easy for Kahh Spence. Finding peace, serenity, and stillness in the fast-paced beauty industry is the difficult part. "I worked in a world that was super fast-paced, super glamorous, super high gloss, and realized I wanted something a bit slower," Spence said. He decided to leave his glossy glamorous life as a celebrity hairstylist behind and build a brand that is the antithesis of hustle culture, a brand challenging people to stop and smell the fragrance. In his own words, "self-care isn't a luxury, it's a lifeline."
Samir Grey
Inspired by his late mother and the trip to they never got the chance to take to Hawaii together, Spence poured this feeling into his new brand, Samir Grey, and his first fragrance: the grief, his mother's memory, and what he imagines it would've felt like to stroll down a beach with her on their dream vacation. "I'd had this dream a lot about us walking on a beach in Hawaii," Spence said. "It never got to happen but I wanted to pour that emotion into this first scent and really allow you to be transformed or be taken into this escape or tropical element."
This is all to say that this is deeply personal to him and, as I sprayed the perfume on my wrist, I could feel and smell that. The vanilla stood out to me first and then the almond milk followed by the sweet smell of peonies. The smell lingers, transports, and although it is not my own personally, stirs up memories.
In celebration of his launch, serendipitously aligning with Black Business Month, we reveled in the opportunity to chat with Kahh Spence about the things he has finished.
The Fragrance You Finish:
Samir Grey One Parfum
"I've always had a love for scent. We decided to build this brand out of the necessity of finding stillness, peace, and joy. This brand represents the opposite of the hustle culture norm and really focuses on sitting down and intentional living. Fragrance made sense for me because it's that sensory element that allows us to escape into this other realm."
The Skincare Product You Finish:
Mara Pearl Peptide Glaze
"I wasn't really into essences or serums before, but I started using it earlier this year and just fell in love. I have really sensitive skin and the philosophy of how that brand is built is superb."
The Lip Product You Finish:
Primally Pure Sun Lip Balm
"My lips feel the most moisturized ever. I take it with me everywhere and recommend it to everyone. It's the best."
The Body Wash You Finish:
The Sunscreen You Finish:
Beauty Of Joseon Aqua-Fresh
"They don't sell it on their site anymore, so there's this Asian beauty supply store in Brooklyn that I get it from and stock up."
The TV Show You Finish:
IMDB
Power
"I'm rewatching 'Power' right now. Who doesn't love 'Power'?"
The Movie You Finish:
IMDB
Brown Sugar
"Brown Sugar down!"
The Podcast You Finish:
Apple Podcasts
The Dream Bigger Podcast
"It's with Siffat Haider, the founder of Arrae. She helps you think of ways to dream bigger than you already are. On some days, she'll talk about how to level up your morning routine. And then another day, it's a blend of business and life hacks."
