Dana Hill is our CEO here at COCOTIQUE. Her passion for beauty, health and fashion inspired her to create a brand where she could share her knowledge with other women of color, and help them to find the Holy Grail products that are perfect for their hair and skin. Dana is no stranger to the entrepreneurial world, having founded her own PR firm, Divine Marketing Group, before starting COCOTIQUE. And prior to that she honed her skills in the fashion industry at Vogue and Harper's Bazaar; led PR and Marketing departments at Phat Fashions, Rocawear and Eve's clothing line, Fetish; and even detoured into the music business at Arista Records.
With the launch of our new column, Essentially Dana, she will share her favorite tips and tricks for living a beautiful life, inside and out. And in the meantime, we asked her to share a little bit about what inspires her, what keeps her so youthful looking, and of course, what's in her Ultimate Beauty Arsenal.
How did you come up with the name COCOTIQUE?
I wanted to come up with a word that incorporated our target market – women of color, that’s the COCO part; and that evoked a feeling of a chic boutique or store. From there COCOTIQUE was born!
Who is COCOTIQUE's ideal consumer?
She’s that woman who loves trying different beauty products and who’s also interested in health and wellness. We’re all about living a balanced and beautiful life inside and out.
Do you use the products you include in the monthly COCOTIQUE Boxes?
Absolutely! I love discovering new products and then adding them to my rotation.
How do you stay so fit, healthy and youthful-looking?
I’ve been following a healthy lifestyle for as long as I can remember. By that, I mean eating organic foods as much as possible--especially dairy, fruits, vegetables, eggs, and chicken; also, incorporating fresh juices--my favorite is kale, celery, beets, carrots, apples, ginger and lemon (typically 3 times a week). I do all my grocery shopping at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. My neighborhood stores know me by my first name because I’m in there so much… LOL. Every day I start my mornings with a warm glass of water with fresh, organic lemon juice. In regards to what I eat, it’s all about moderation. If I’m craving a huge slice of Red Velvet cake, which I adore, then I’m going to have it--I never deny myself. I love food too much! If I’m eating out and they don’t have organic food–-I’m still going to eat it.
Over the years, I’ve discovered which vitamin cocktail works best for me, and usually take my vitamins with my lunch. A few that I swear by are 1000 mg of Biotin, which is good for your hair and nails; Co Enzyme Q10 for extra energy; and Mega Food Blood Builder, a great natural source of iron. I usually drink about a gallon of water a day, but by far, getting enough sleep is an absolute must for staying youthful looking! I love my bed; I call it my nest. It’s also where I come up with my best ideas – usually early in the mornings when I first wake up.
I’ve been doing Pilates for about 1 1/2 years and go 3-4 times a week. It completely strengthened and elongated my body, and improved my balance. I adore going to classes and feel completely out of sorts if I’m traveling and I miss them. I also do 30 minutes on the stationary bike 2-3 times a week. I’ll be revealing more of my tips in my Essentially Dana column, so stay tuned!
What is in your Ultimate Beauty Arsenal?
I try to stick with products that are all natural and don’t contain any harsh ingredients:
Josie Maran Argan Oil – I add a few drops to my evening moisturizer and put a drop underneath each eye before putting on my eye cream; Josie Maran Cleansing Oil – it’s amazing for removing every bit of makeup; Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer with SPF 47 – they’re reformulating it….it’s supposed to be available again this month; Lift Lab ‘Lift & Firm’ Eye Cream; derma e Soothing Moisturizing Crème with Pycnogenol and derma e Soothing Cleanser with Pycnogenol. Pycnogenol is an amazing antioxidant.
My ultimate everything product is organic coconut oil. I use it on my body, hair (I saturate my hair and massage my scalp the night before I wash it) and face; and sometimes I put a tablespoon in my smoothies.
For my hair, I love SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo, Anu Essentials Nourishing Cleansing Gel Shampoo, Aubrey Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner, Curls Sublime Conditioner, Curls Ecstasy Hair Tea Conditioner, Briogeo Don’t Despair Repair, Alba Botanica Leave-In Conditioner, Jane Carter Solution Revitalizing Leave-in Conditioner, and organic jojoba oil (to keep my ends moisturized).
What does a beautiful life look like to you?
A life filled with love, balance, peace, happiness and good health – surrounded by positive and inspiring people.
Learn more about COCOTIQUE at COCOTIQUE.com, and follow Dana Hill on Instagram and Twitter.
And if you loved this feature, be sure to check out some of our past COCOBelle of the Month interviews.
With the launch of our new column, Essentially Dana, she will share her favorite tips and tricks for living a beautiful life, inside and out. And in the meantime, we asked her to share a little bit about what inspires her, what keeps her so youthful looking, and of course, what's in her Ultimate Beauty Arsenal.
How did you come up with the name COCOTIQUE?
I wanted to come up with a word that incorporated our target market – women of color, that’s the COCO part; and that evoked a feeling of a chic boutique or store. From there COCOTIQUE was born!
Who is COCOTIQUE's ideal consumer?
She’s that woman who loves trying different beauty products and who’s also interested in health and wellness. We’re all about living a balanced and beautiful life inside and out.
Do you use the products you include in the monthly COCOTIQUE Boxes?
Absolutely! I love discovering new products and then adding them to my rotation.
How do you stay so fit, healthy and youthful-looking?
I’ve been following a healthy lifestyle for as long as I can remember. By that, I mean eating organic foods as much as possible--especially dairy, fruits, vegetables, eggs, and chicken; also, incorporating fresh juices--my favorite is kale, celery, beets, carrots, apples, ginger and lemon (typically 3 times a week). I do all my grocery shopping at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. My neighborhood stores know me by my first name because I’m in there so much… LOL. Every day I start my mornings with a warm glass of water with fresh, organic lemon juice. In regards to what I eat, it’s all about moderation. If I’m craving a huge slice of Red Velvet cake, which I adore, then I’m going to have it--I never deny myself. I love food too much! If I’m eating out and they don’t have organic food–-I’m still going to eat it.
Over the years, I’ve discovered which vitamin cocktail works best for me, and usually take my vitamins with my lunch. A few that I swear by are 1000 mg of Biotin, which is good for your hair and nails; Co Enzyme Q10 for extra energy; and Mega Food Blood Builder, a great natural source of iron. I usually drink about a gallon of water a day, but by far, getting enough sleep is an absolute must for staying youthful looking! I love my bed; I call it my nest. It’s also where I come up with my best ideas – usually early in the mornings when I first wake up.
I’ve been doing Pilates for about 1 1/2 years and go 3-4 times a week. It completely strengthened and elongated my body, and improved my balance. I adore going to classes and feel completely out of sorts if I’m traveling and I miss them. I also do 30 minutes on the stationary bike 2-3 times a week. I’ll be revealing more of my tips in my Essentially Dana column, so stay tuned!
What is in your Ultimate Beauty Arsenal?
I try to stick with products that are all natural and don’t contain any harsh ingredients:
Josie Maran Argan Oil – I add a few drops to my evening moisturizer and put a drop underneath each eye before putting on my eye cream; Josie Maran Cleansing Oil – it’s amazing for removing every bit of makeup; Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer with SPF 47 – they’re reformulating it….it’s supposed to be available again this month; Lift Lab ‘Lift & Firm’ Eye Cream; derma e Soothing Moisturizing Crème with Pycnogenol and derma e Soothing Cleanser with Pycnogenol. Pycnogenol is an amazing antioxidant.
My ultimate everything product is organic coconut oil. I use it on my body, hair (I saturate my hair and massage my scalp the night before I wash it) and face; and sometimes I put a tablespoon in my smoothies.
For my hair, I love SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo, Anu Essentials Nourishing Cleansing Gel Shampoo, Aubrey Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner, Curls Sublime Conditioner, Curls Ecstasy Hair Tea Conditioner, Briogeo Don’t Despair Repair, Alba Botanica Leave-In Conditioner, Jane Carter Solution Revitalizing Leave-in Conditioner, and organic jojoba oil (to keep my ends moisturized).
What does a beautiful life look like to you?
A life filled with love, balance, peace, happiness and good health – surrounded by positive and inspiring people.
Learn more about COCOTIQUE at COCOTIQUE.com, and follow Dana Hill on Instagram and Twitter.
And if you loved this feature, be sure to check out some of our past COCOBelle of the Month interviews.