Adiya & Yubi Beauty Brush: TIME's 50 Best Inventions in 2018
“I created a product to solve a problem, to make beauty faster and easier for women on the go. ”
In a cosmetic world filled with the next best thing it’s very easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of products we readily have at our disposal. Some of these products come and go and some like YUBI, prove to have a little extra something that solidifies their staying power.
I have to admit when reading up on YUBI, which means finger in Japanese, I thought this might be just another beauty product set to trend for a little but that’s it. However, after reading, seeing, and speaking to the creator of this innovative product, Adiya. I quickly started to understand what sets this beauty brush apart from ALL the other brushes I have in my make up bag and why TIME magazine labeled Yubi one of the 50th Best Inventions in 2018.
WHAT EXACTLY IS YUBI?
Yubi is an ergonomic and innovative tool that I designed to simplify and elevate the cosmetic experience for busy people everywhere. I was just like so many women everywhere, stretched thin. I had work obligations with a very busy career, two kids, I traveled a lot for work and with my family. I found that I wasn’t making the time for beauty because it was just taking too much time. So I focused on the tools that we use, cause like so many people I was slapping foundation or moisturizer on in the car with my fingers and I didn’t like that. I really wanted something that was faster and easier, more accessible than the array of brushes that I had and more effective than using my fingers.
WHAT MAKES YUBI DIFFERENT OR BETTER THAN A REGULAR MAKEUP BRUSH?
It’s a more hygienic options than using your fingers and will give you better results. When using traditional makeup brushes it doesn’t work for so many of us because surprise they are really just paint brushes. They were never actually designed for self application of cosmetics. I always say that these were tools that Michael Angelo was using to paint and it worked well for him because he was painting away from the body. For whatever reason the design of makeup brushes just hasn’t evolved and what I’m trying to do is help others enjoy the process of self beautification by creating a tool that is as easy as using your fingers and that is specifically engineered to do the thing you want it to do unlike traditional brushes.
The other thing that is great about YUBI is that you can use that one brush or sponge to apply all of your facial cosmetics. It’s a little big for eyeshadow but you can go from sunscreen to primer, to foundation, blush, contour, highlight, you can do it all with one brush without having to clean the brush in between or even change the brush head. The secret is in the design and the way you hold the brush, the rounded shape of it and the density of the bristles that make it that when you apply a product it applies completely and does not get sucked down into the bristles.
Its this feature that when I demo it live where I get the gasps because frankly it defies all expectations on how a tool should preform.
WE KNOW YOU HAD A DEFINING MOMENT TO PUT YOUR CAREER AS A LAWYER ON HOLD TO PURSUE YUBI. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT MOMENT?
In my personal story I stepped away from what many would consider the “American Dream.” I have two kids, a loving husband, a beautiful career as a lawyer and I took a step away from that career when there were certainly expectations for what I was suppose to be doing and pursued creating YUBI instead. I was able to do this because I said I wanted to live a life that was authentic and fulfilling and that life may look different from what everyone expects but it’s going to work for me. You know I do feel blessed about having had that defining moment cause it provided the clarity that I needed. I was developing Yubi on nights and weekends just to see what would happen. We created a website and started selling it, talking to friends about it, and sort of just testing it. Then it got to the point where I wasn’t just selling it to friends and family, there were actual customers, of whom I didn’t even know their names. Until one day it sort of became clear that I couldn’t straddle the line anymore and I had to make a decision I was either going to continue to work as a lawyer and sell this business or go all in on this. Right around this time I got feedback from a customer about how they were thrilled about the product and how they felt that someone was thinking of them when creating it which made her feel special and was “exactly what she needed.” With that feedback it became clear to me that my potential to positively impact the lives of others was far greater doing this than doing what I had previously been doing.
ARE THERE OTHER TYPES OF PRODUCTS YOU OFFER?
YUBI is available in brush form, in sponge form, and we even added some cleaning products to our line because people have started to ask for this. Yubi is incredibly easy to clean with liquid soap. We’ve developed a special formula filled with all natural, organic, coconut oil, sunflower oil, and it super gentle on your hands. Then we also have a daily cleanser for those who like to keep their YUBI pristine. Our core focus in on the Yubi buff brush, the YUBI blend sponge, which are interchangeable and the cleaning products.
DESCRIBE YOUR SLAY.
(laughing) I wish I could say this poetically but it’s going to come out as a bunch of words but this is my slay, it’s a jumble of words. Everyday to me is an opportunity to grow, explore, and to have new adventures. When I open my eyes first thing in the morning my first thought is, “How am I going to grow today?” “What adventures am I going to have?“ “What am I going to explore, what am I going to learn?” And when you start the day like that it just makes everything look different. Everything is an adventure not a problem. Challenges are opportunities to learn something new about yourself, your customers, about the world, and about your children. I try to see through their eyes because everyday for them is an adventure and is filled with something new.