The Hydrated Hottie
“Fine Features are a way to see what it’s like to be an entrepreneur. Whether you just made your first sale or celebrating your 5th year in business, there’s always more to learn. These women are extraordinarily amazing. I’m using my brand to shine a light on the beauty behind business! Whether you do nails or sell skincare, Fine Melanin Roses values everything that you are.” - Alexis
FMR asks that you share, support, & shop with this amazing business! Here’s a feature you’re sure to enjoy!
Meet Jasemine, the Queen behind The Hydrated Hottie
Jasemine Knowles, better known as Nailah, is a twenty-something-year-old Houston city girl who enjoys cooking, talking sex and self-love, writing, smelling good, and of course, owning and operating her bath & body care store: The Hydrated Hottie. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and journalism from Texas Southern University (HBCU) and spent years as a journalist and a best-selling romance author on Amazon. It wasn't until the pandemic where she found Youtube soap-making videos that ultimately sparked her interest in discovering how to alleviate her own dry skin challenges by way of natural ingredients. Now, Knowles owns and operates the Hydrated Hottie, a supportive bath & body care business that specializes in helping women achieve silky, smell-good, soft skin. When she's not in the lab whipping up body butters, you can catch her on social media @thehydratedhottie or her personal IG page @nailah_writes.
The Hydrated Hottie brand produces an experience that boosts your “skinfidence”.
1. In your industry, how do you differ from competitors?
"What sets me apart from others within the body care industry is that I’m a writer… a storyteller. I started out writing romance (I have a few books out and available on Amazon under my pen name "Nailah Knowles"). My stories went beyond romance with a significant other. Sometimes, it was romancing oneself. Finding love within yourself.
Storytelling, to me, isn’t just about a narrative, it’s about meeting people where they are and designing experiences that help them reach their goals. And because I am a storyteller, I am able to create an experience for my customers when they use my products. The experience goes beyond using the product itself. It’s the affirmation cards I’ve carefully crafted to pour into and speak life into my "hotties". It’s the design of the product labels. It’s the curated “that girl” music playlist I’ve created that’s fitting to uplift their spirits and soothing for them to relax while self-caring. Because I am a storyteller, I’m very intentional about how I want my customers to feel. The Hydrated Hottie brand produces an experience that boosts your “skinfidence”. It’s a brand that’s intentional about women living and loving the skin they’re in so much that they can’t help but flaunt it. Now that’s what we call a hottie!💦"
2. If you could design a product inspired by anyone of your choice, who would it be & what would be the product?
" If I could design a product inspired by anyone, it would absolutely be Chloe Bailey! People have the nerve to say “she’s doing too much” or she’s “too sexual” and yada-yada, but for years, I’ve always been a champion of women stepping into their sensuality and their feminine inHERgy. I've actually written a few books about it. To me, that’s where our power as women lies, and it makes me so happy to see a young lady like Chloe embracing that. She’s that girl, and she embodies everything I believe a hot girl is—a woman who’s confident in her skin!!! The product would absolutely be a body buttah and smell like cherry almond"
Business is always trial and error.
3. Tell us about a time you went through trial & error to grow your business.
"Business is always trial and error. It’s always a learning experience so it’s hard for me to speak about one, single time. However, I will say this to someone who’s looking to start… don’t wait until you feel like you got your ducks in the row or when you feel like things are perfect. Start now and make upgrades along the way. Looking back, I wish I’d done this more instead of waiting for “the perfect time”. There is no such thing. The time is now!!"
4. With inflation occurring, how did you continue investing into your business?
" I’m managing inflation by making smart money moves and lowering my expenses. So that means, doubling down on non-priority expenses. If you got to put that Hulu subscription on pause to have a little additional coin in your pocket to invest, then that’s what you have to do."
5.What advice would you offer an entrepreneur struggling with branding?
" If you’re struggling with branding as a business owner, stop going for things YOU like. Especially if you aren’t your ideal customer/audience… which is perfectly fine. There's many men who own women's clothing stores. Although they aren't necessarily their ideal target audience, they do enough research to be able to drive in traffic from the women they want in their clothes. Same goes for your brand.
It’s essential to map out what your target audience looks like, what do they do, what do they like? Then, plan your brand around what will attract your ideal audience. I pray that makes sense because many people don’t want to make necessary changes because it’s not what they like, but sometimes it’s not about what you like, it’s about your audience… Oh, also, study your competitors. It’s OK to use what works for them (just make sure you don’t steal their whole flow cause that's not cute). There are definitely ways to use that inspiration without copying! Use the tools around you and go prosper!"
SHOP, SHARE, & SUPPORT THE HYDRATED HOTTIE:
TIS THE SEASON TO BE... SILKY!! Join the Hydrated Hottie as we celebrate BLACK FRIDAY with up to 50% off on all of our Body Care Drip Goodies (body butters, scrubs, oils, bath soaks, body mists, and more)!
Sign up for our mailing list at thehydratedhottie.com or text "HOTTIE" to our Hydrated Hottie line at (855) 929-4105 for exclusive deals for our subscribers ONLY!