Alicia Keys presents her skincare brand

Update 7/12/20: Just in time for the holidays, Alicia Keys surprises us by unveiling the first products of her brand Keys Soulcare. What is it about? An oat milk and sage candle, a cream called Skin Transformation - rich in ceramides, and a plant-based alternative to retinol called backuchiol - and an Obsidian Facial Roller. For lovers of all-round wellness, beauty and mindfulness, could it be a better start?

Alicia Keys is the latest following a long series of celebrities that designed and created their own cosmetics brands, after Rihanna, Lady Gaga, JLo, Jessica Alba, to name a few. With her brand Keys Soulcare, the star aims to open a conversation about self-care, and how the skin is the starting point for psycho-physical well-being and for being healthy inside and out.

Announced on social media a few days ago, the first collection of Keys Soulcare will arrive in 2021, and will include skin, body and hair care products made from simple, cruelty free and dermatologically tested ingredients. An exclusive drop of sage and oat scented candles will anticipate the official launch in December 2020.

The collection will be produced by e.l.f Cosmetics, a company active in the field since 2004, and was conceived by the singer, actress and activist as a product to involve body, spirit and mind in a connection that "represents our physical, spiritual, mental and social self, that united move towards the full expression of inner radiance, so that it is also visible from the outside".

Skincare has always been essential for the star, who since 2016 has decided to revolutionize her style by embracing the #nomakeup trend: from that moment Keys often appears publicly showing her natural skin (and hair), without a hint of make-up, moving away from the trends of contouring, fake lashes and graphic eyebrows of her colleagues, and from the more street-inspired pop style she had adopted until then.

The announcement of the brand comes a few days after the release of her seventh album, "Alicia", presented with a performance of an exclusive version of the single "Three Hours Ride" for Colorsxstudios, a global music distribution platform that offers exclusive shows of emerging and non-emerging talents.

Not just music and beauty. Keys sold over 65 million albums, wrote a bestselling memoir book (More Myself), and never stopped being socially active, especially in these difficult times. She was in fact a powerful voice for racial justice following the events of this year; the New York singer performed "Perfect Way to Die" at the BET Awards in June and worked with Breonna Taylor's mother to amplify the voices demanding justice for the terrible violence that sparked the birth of the #BlackLivesMatter movement.