“For a long time, my biggest personal annoyance was my very dry feet. Feet aren’t the sexiest beauty topic, but they carry you your whole life; you can’t replace them, so you have to care for them. I’ve ordered every foot cream I could find and hated them all—they were greasy, sticky, badly scented, or poorly packaged. The ones that worked weren’t pleasant to use. That’s how the idea for Koba was born.
I was born to Congolese parents and raised in the French Alps before moving to a small town outside of Paris. My mom is a chemist who teaches immunology at the university level. At home, she was always mixing her own ingredients to make masks for our hair and skin. Meanwhile my dad was a pharmacist, and he would always bring home all of the best French pharmacy brands. That’s all to say that I’ve always been interested in playing with textures and oils to address different issues. I went on to do marketing for companies like L’Oréal and Sarah Chapman, and with my now-husband, I launched a beauty box project that was later acquired by Birchbox. So I had this foundation, and when thinking about how to make the perfect foot cream, I knew I needed to use ingredients that were rich—but I didn’t love the idea of relying on staples like shea butter or sweet almond oil because they were already in so many formulas. I remember telling my mom I wanted to find one signature ingredient in the same way Caudalíe relies on grapes. I also wanted that ingredient to be from Central Africa. And so she told me about safou oil.
I knew safou only as a fruit from Congolese cuisine, but its pulp is rich in fatty and amino acids, and vitamins C and D. The oil is nourishing yet light, absorbs quickly, and, amazingly, only two or three brands in Africa were using it. Because of that, I had to do all the paperwork to establish safou oil as an ingredient in cosmetic formulas in the US. Now other brands can use it because we did it first; I’m very proud of that.
Because there’s no industrial safou oil production, everything is artisanal. My dad now spends several months each year in Congo to produce the oil. We even bought land to grow safou trees and work directly with local producers. The process is slow and hands-on—washing, cutting, removing seeds, sun-drying, grinding, pressing, drop by drop. The result is long-lasting hydration and skin that’s protected from environmental aggressors, almost like a turtle’s shell. That’s actually how Koba got its name—Koba means 'turtle' in Lingala, one of Congo’s most spoken languages.
SKINCARE
I like to keep my beauty routine as simple as possible. I’m a mom of two and wanted a product that would melt away all of my makeup and clean my face properly without needing a double cleanse. I created Koba’s cleansing balm for that reason. You can still use a second cleanser, but you really don’t have to, and it leaves your skin feeling somewhat moisturized already. Since I started using it, my facialist, Chloé Dambricourt of Le Boudoir Skin Studio, told me she’s seen a significant improvement in my skin’s glow.
I always apply a layer of P50 it at night. It took me a while to find it when I lived in London, but it makes my complexion so much brighter and clears out my pores. In London, a dermatologist also told me about Environ’s Skin Essentia toner. I will say, it doesn’t look great on your bathroom shelf, but it gives me very similar results as P50 and is more affordable. I also like Paula’s Choice 2% BHA for exfoliation. It feels like water, but my skin is always smoother the next morning.
Vitamin C in my routine is mandatory. Mine is from Goodal, a Korean brand that I first read about on Into The Gloss. The texture is quite nice—somewhat jelly-ish but not sticky. It also works as a nice primer for whatever else I put on after, usually my Koba cream and Sisley Black Rose eye cream, which comes in a tube with an applicator at the end so you don’t have to dip your fingers in a tub. You can do a little massage with it to depuff your eyes. It’s genius. I know it’s pricey, but you really can stretch it out; I go through a tube or two a year. But at night I’ll apply a generous layer of the Skinceuticals eye balm as an eye mask instead.
I lock in everything with the Koba Gold Drip oil, which I also use on my body and hair. It moisturizes your skin so well and absorbs fast, so you can type on your phone or laptop without greasing up your screen or keyboard. [Laughs] Le Prunier makes a great oil, too. It’s plum-based and a little heavier than Koba’s so you need very little.
Sunscreen-wise, I love Hyper’s SPF 50 drops. It’s tough to find a sunscreen that works on Black skin because most of them leave a white cast. This one melts in. Desiree Verdejo, the founder, is a friend of mine; she did a great job.
Every once in a while, I like to use a mask. When my skin is a bit more textured and dry, I reach for the Dermalogica Power Recovery Masque. It has vitamins A, C and E, and linoleic acid. It’s my fixer. If I want quick results and to freshen up my skin, I like Caudalie’s pore mask. It leaves me with a nice little glow.
BODY
My body routine is just as important as the rest of my skincare. Before I created my Koba oil, I was using Kos Paris’ Jardin d’Ambre and Jardin des Songes oils. They’re harder to find—I’ve only spotted them when I go to a Sisley spa—but so gorgeous. They’re light but still rich, penetrate rapidly, don’t leave a residue, and smell lovely. I’m also obsessed with the scent of the Kiehl’s Original Musk body cleanser. I started using it when I worked at L’Oreal, and I think I’ll use it forever, partially because of the smell and partially out of nostalgia. The Koba Soak Me Up soap bar smells great, too—warm and spicy—and very gently exfoliates. When I want a deeper exfoliation, I like Aēsop’s Geranium Leaf body scrub. When I use it, I immediately feel like I’m at a spa.
For people who have very dry skin like mine, I highly recommend Koba’s Get Whipped body balm. It’s very easy to spread and makes you look like you’re covered in a light filter—your skin looks glowy and healthy but not overly shiny. It’s made with a cocktail of actives such as caffeine, l-carnitine, and phosphatidylcholine, which can help with the appearance of cellulite over time. When it gets warm, I switch to our Milk It body lotion. It’s lighter and has allantoin to help get rid of dead skin. It’s also a great recovery solution after too much sun exposure. Before I launched my own products, I was using Caudlíe’s Vinosculpt body cream and I really loved it. I love that it comes in a pot, which isn’t very American. People in the US don’t like to put their fingers in products, but we French people love doing that. [Laughs] Just make sure to wash your hands before dipping them into the container.
When I get a facial with Chloé, I’ll usually double up and do a massage with her, too—she always uses the right amount of pressure. My other happy place in New York is Perry Street Reflexology. I get foot reflexology massages with Megan. She really plays with the different points on my feet to release different types of energies. I always say the people there are witches in the best way. The place is so tiny—they only have two seats—but you go there for one hour and leave feeling like a new person.
MAKEUP
For me, makeup is the final touch to enhance, not cover up. If I have to wear foundation, I like Fred Mécène’s Le Bio De Teint in shade E01. It adapts beautifully to your skin and still lets it breathe. Otherwise, I just use concealer where I need it and call it a day. My favorite is Nars' in Café—I’ve worn it for ages. Every time I try another, I’m disappointed and end up coming back to it. You can blend it with your fingers or a brush and it always works. Honestly, I miss the BB creams from back in the day. I don’t know why they’re not fashionable anymore; I’m ready for their comeback.
Amina Abdi introduced me to Chanel’s Noir Allure mascara. My lashes are short and curly, and this really adds length without looking too stiff. Plus, the packaging is so chic—I feel very French applying it. [Laughs] For eyeliner, I like Victoria Beckham’s Satin Kajal pencils in Olive and Navy Noir for a hint of color—black feels too severe. They’re so creamy that I can blend them out with my fingers for an easy smoky look.
I don’t have to do much to my brows since I got them microbladed in London with Ariana from Harley Street Microblading. She comes to the city every couple of weeks, and I touch them up with her every six months or so. Before, I’d fill in the sparse spots with a pencil, but now I only swipe on Glossier Boy Brow in Black if I want a little extra drama.
For my cheeks, Violette_FR’s Bisou blushes are so workable—the marbled colors give you great depth. My go-to is Aïssa. I apply it close to the high points of my cheekbones for a subtle sculpt because I’m not about to contour on top of that. [Laughs] The stick even has a little brush on the other side.
My signature look is brown lip liner—Huda’s in Rich Brown, Glossier’s in Nip and Bare, or Melayci’s in I’m Proud—with gloss on top. Ami Colé’s lip oils in Excellence and Reflection were fantastic, so it’s upsetting that the brand is folding. Eadem’s Le Chouchou balms are great, too—the new pink Guava is pretty, but my favorite is Boba Bounce, a soft brown that’s always in my handbag. If I want no color, I’ll reach for Koba Feeling Myself balm; for something more intense, Fenty Gloss Bomb in Glass Slipper is extra shiny. And for actual lipstick, Makeup by Mario’s SuperStain in Central Park, a raisin brown, is a great nude for me—it’s matte, but not drying.
HAIR
I wore my natural hair for quite a while, but when all the salons closed during COVID, I started getting protective styles and have been braiding my hair ever since. When I moved from Paris, I did a lot of Googling and found Awa Sanghare at Harlem Natural Hair. Awa also does my daughters’ hair, and she’s so quick. From the moment I walk in to the moment I leave, it’s four hours. I also love Soleil at The Way—she’s amazing.
I refresh my braids entirely every eight weeks, but I retouch at least half my head every four weeks so they always look clean. That’s a big plus because it means I barely have to do anything at home. I think that’s part of why my natural hair is so healthy. But honestly? I’m a little bored of braids now. The tricky part is New York humidity. When I blow-dried my natural hair, I looked insane after three days. But the braids are coming out, and that’s when I’ll shampoo my hair every two weeks. Charlotte Mensah’s Manketti Oil shampoo is great and smells incredible. I just bought the K18 Peptide Prep shampoo, but I really want to try Les Secrets de Loly Perfect Clean shampoo. It’s founded by a Black French woman, Kelly Massol, who created products for all types of curls, and it works beautifully on my daughters’ hair.
Every four weeks, I like to use a scrub—Coco & Eve’s Deep Clean is my favorite because I can use it even with braids in. After a scrub, I especially love Mimi and Mina’s hair and scalp oil—it’s so calming and gives me this menthol-y tingle. And Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Oud Satin Mood hair mist is always in rotation.
NAILS + FRAGRANCE
I get a manicure every two or three weeks at Gypsophila. They’re quick, but they also understand how particular I am about my nails—I’m sure I annoy them, but they bear with my madness. [Laughs] In the colder months, I go for OPI’s Bubble Bath, and in the spring, it’s Love Is In The Bare because it’s a little more pink. It’s either those nude-y shades or a crazy green—there’s no in-between.
I like spicy scents with a touch of rose—but not a boring rose. I’m obsessed with Memo Lalibela, which blends rose, incense, and patchouli. Other perfumes I love: Myrrh & Tonka from Jo Malone, Labdanum 18 from Le Labo, Bois d’Argent from Dior, and Le Temps des Rêves from Goutal. For my bedroom, Aēsop’s Istros Aromatique is amazing—it’s spicy, too, and instantly changes the energy of the room.”
—as told to Daise Bedolla
Photographed by Shana Trajanoska in New York on May 14, 2025