We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tori Ruff. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tori below.

Tori, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

My most meaningful project would be my first book, “Writings from a Black Woman Living in the Land of the ‘Free.'” When I began writing this, there was a significant uprise in Black Lives Matter protests. There’s always been historical events sparking protests in the black community, but it was much more up close and frequent. I always loved poetry and writing when I was in high school. For years I’ve said I wanted to get back to it, but never felt any motivation to just go for it. My book was a mix of previous poems I saved and new ones inspired by the recent events. With each poem, I wanted to bring awareness to what the black community has dealt with for centuries and wanted people to feel something as they read them. From the feedback I received, I was accomplished both.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a creator and the Brand Owner of Ivy Aesthetics. I first started my brand providing brow and lash services, but I branched off into creating unisex products anyone could use. We currently have body butter, scrub, and oil, fragrances, and other cosmetic products. We also recently released hats as the first edition to our apparel line and are releasing our first Youtube series, The Ivy Code, June 19th. This will be an up close, unfiltered look at The Ivy Experience.

What sets me apart from others is that I created a unisex brand in the beauty industry. Often, brands have a clear divide on who should be using their products. I wanted both ends of the spectrum to meet in the middle and enjoy products that would empower them. We not only promote gender inclusivity, but also complexion inclusivity. I want to continue bringing more focus on unrepresented populations in the beauty industry.

I’m most proud of the growth of my brand over the years. Every year the support and love for both the brand overall and the products grows. It’s been incredible to watch. We recently had the opportunity to attend a gala for the New Life Body of Christ in New Jersey as a vendor. We’ve also been able to continue building our community by donating proceeds to organizations in need and going to the people in the community first when we have content creation days.

The main thing I want potential followers to know about my brand is that it’s more than just the brand name at face value. Sometimes, when people hear the “aesthetics” part of Ivy Aesthetics, they may immediately think it’s only about the beauty of how things look. People love to go places or be around things because of the aesthetic. My brand is about your entire experience when in the presence of something. How does the product feel? How does it make you feel? How does it make you smell? That’s where the real beauty is because a product can look great, but if that’s it, there’s no real substance behind it.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the feeling of fulfillment after completing a project and it turns out exactly how I envisioned it. I love when I can’t stop looking at something I’ve created. Knowing that I put everything into a project and it worked out exactly how I wanted it to is a great feeling.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Creating is what makes me, me. It’s what gives me that feeling of fulfillment, so when I’m not creating, sometimes I feel like something’s off. I think what non-creatives will struggle to understand about my journey as a creative is that sometimes I experience creative blocks or a lack of motivation to create, but still wanting to.

Sometimes I do things I love to temporarily take my mind off of that feeling. Usually, it’s the reset I need to get back in my creative mode. If that doesn’t work, I either allow myself to take a break and rest or look for inspiration in the different forms of art. Once you experience seeing your vision come to life from just a thought into physical form, and knowing all the time, energy, and work you put into it, you never really look back.

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: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@__ivyaesthetics?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Image Credits

Insidethephrame