Shakira’s Next Act Starts at Her Roots
The pop star's newly launched hair line is just the beginning of her beauty ritual.
Beauty routines are integral to getting In The Mood—not for any other person, but for you. Here, get a glimpse into the products, habits, and mantras that help powerhouse women slip into the sexiest version of themselves.
For Shakira, hair isn't just hair—it's always had a certain power, or energy, if you will. “In Colombia, we believe that the person who does your hair has to have ‘good hands’,” she tells me. "A lot of places in Latin America also believe that there’s a certain time of the month when you are supposed to cut your hair. There's a lot of superstition around it,” she adds. In other words? Hairstyling, to Shakira, is almost spiritual.
It tracks, then, that her signature curls have long meant more to her than just her genes. "Since I was a child, hair has always been a part of my identity,” she says. That identity—whether she's showing up as a mother, a sister, a friend, or a superstar—has been ever-changing alongside her hair. "These curls have been through so much," Shakira says. "I've learned my lessons through each phase that my hair has been through."
And now, she's pouring that history and relationship into a new kind of venture. Isima, Shakira's just-launched hair care brand, centers around celebrating the rich diversity of hair in the Latin community—and offering high-performance products that cater to hair types that need a little extra love (think color-treated, curly, dry, porous). “I wanted to create a line of products that really had the right scientific ingredients and that showed real clinical results with use,” she says. Those in question? Hemisqualene and linseed, two emollients that help smooth the hair cuticle and prevent moisture loss.
For someone constantly in motion like Shakira—whether on tour, doing press, or at home—this hair care brand is meant to be incorporated into daily self-care routines while making life easier and your hair healthier. "This line is truly meant to address the needs of someone like me who demands a lot of their strands," Shakira says. The brand is available now on Isima's website, with a rollout at Ulta Beauty stores nationwide and online beginning July 6, and a launch in flagship Ulta Beauty Mexico locations this August.
For the pop star, hair care may be where she starts, but there's a lot more that goes into her beauty routine. Keep reading for the products and rituals that get Shakira In the Mood to be a global icon—and why she's only just getting started.
“I'm late. Let’s go.” (Editor’s note: Real.)
Scent is really important to me, so I want everything in my shower to smell good. It’s why I was super intentional about the fragrance in the Isima line. It’s a combination of notes like apple blossom, Brazilian orchid, vanilla, tonka bean, and musk, and both men and women enjoy it.
Every time I get in the shower, it’s like my few minutes of peace—my kids aren't going to interrupt me, and my assistant can't get in the shower—so I always take that moment to enjoy the experiential part of getting clean.
I think that the more natural a woman looks, the younger and fresher she appears. It’s so much fun for us women to play with makeup and lashes and all of that, but I’ve found that less is more. That said, when it comes to hair, in particular, for me, more is more. I need more hydration, more performance, more of everything.
Hair down with my natural curls or waves always makes me feel magical. I bounce between the two because I get different results depending on how I do my braids. If I do two [braids], I get less curl and more of a beach-wave vibe, which I’m equally as obsessed with as when I have my full, voluminous curls.
Maintaining firmness. I don’t care about little wrinkles here and there, but I want to look firmer as I get older, because it shows that you still have that vitality, and you go out there and exercise. It reflects in your skin and in the way you face life.
Use a little bit of liquid blush on your cheeks—it always looks like the sun-kissed your face just perfectly.
Shop Shakira's Routine
A good place to start with Isima? Súperbomba—i.e., an intensely moisturizing and reparative mask that makes my hair look and feel as smooth as butter.
Naturally, the singer's favorite fragrance is one that she created herself, aptly named S by Shakira.
While Shakira's favorite blush used to be Origins' Pinch My Cheeks, the formula has been discontinued. A similar-toned product that I love is Glossier's Cloud Paint in Black Cherry.
The non-negotiable product for Shakira's braid-outs is a wide-tooth comb. I adore this one from Cécred because of its pointed handle, which also works wonderfully to part my hair.
