Today we’d like to introduce you to Tori Ruff.
Hi Tori, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I always loved art and creating things with my hands. I started off my brand, ‘Ivy Aesthetics’, with permanent/semi-permanent makeup services. After only a few months of being a brand owner, I quickly realized I needed to push the unisex mission more. This is when things evolved into making products for people who didn’t feel the services were for them.
Some of the early products were beard butters and oils, brow and lash growth serums, and body butter. Seeing the positive feedback and results people were getting, I wanted to keep that going and push the unisex mission even more.
I decided to do a rebrand in Fall 2024 to upgrade the brand’s image, products, social media presence, etc. I reached out to a bunch of my friends and told them what my ideas were, and they immediately agreed to help with the promotional aspects of the rebrand. I also got some feedback from supporters and gave them the opportunity to try samples of products before committing.
Fast forward to today, the brand’s community and support has grown so much since the rebrand. Many people are reaching out to express their love for Ivy Aesthetics and what we’re building. We also recently released more unisex products and we’re preparing to celebrate our four-year anniversary February 22nd.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, there’s been some challenges along the way. This was expected when I first became a brand owner who was learning as I was going. I took a brief intermission to really assess everything and how I wanted to move forward. Some things were trial and error to see what worked, what didn’t work, and why.
The main challenge I had was rebranding after a few years of settling in with the brand. I wanted everything to look and feel completely different, fresh, and new. There were many changes such as restructuring and rebranding the team, products, social media presence, and community building. Sure, some things would come up here and there, but being a successful brand owner requires a continuous commitment to learning and figuring things out as you go.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a creator. I’ve created many things over the years such as my podcast, ‘Sage Essentials’ and my first book, ‘Writings from a Black Woman Living in the Land of the “Free”’. My latest creation is my brand, ‘Ivy Aesthetics’. My brand promotes bringing gender and complexion inclusivity to all things aesthetically pleasing. This is more than how things look. It’s the way you feel, smell, and your overall experience when in its presence. As the brand owner, I create our unisex products, cultivate and build community, and handle the brand’s creative direction, e.g. photography, graphic design, etc.
I’m most proud of the community and support system I’ve built through Ivy Aesthetics. It’s a great feeling for people to let me know they feel seen and heard through what Ivy Aesthetics stands for and is doing within the community. I love when people reach out to the brand’s social media pages or stop me mid (unrelated) conversation to tell me how much they love the brand and its products. It still catches me off guard sometimes because it took a lot of dedication to get the word out about the brand and gain traction when it was in the beginning phases.
What sets me apart from others is that I’m bringing an unorthodox idea to the beauty industry. I’m pushing the limits the beauty industry has tried to set for the standard of what’s aesthetically pleasing. Ivy Aesthetics being a unisex brand allows more representation of the genders and complexions that often get overlooked because they don’t meet the traditional standard of beauty.
What does success mean to you?
I define success as feeling fulfilled and empowered by living a life doing what you want to do. It’s about doing what makes you happy, doing the things you always wanted to do, and accomplishing what you said you would do. I think success isn’t necessarily about material things you have in your possession or a dollar amount, it’s about the lifestyle you’re able to live. The freedom of doing anything and everything you want and on your terms. To be able to look around you and say, “this is how I always wanted things to be, and now I have it.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ivyaesthetics.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_ivyaesthetics
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ivyaesthetics2
- Twitter: https://x.com/_ivyaesthetics
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ivyaesthetics1
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@__ivyaesthetics?_t=8r18Gzyq5Ep&_r=1
