Dosti दोस्ती, pronounced 'dostee': Friendship
Meet Natasha Singh, a creative business leader from Toronto that has helped brands like Shopify build connections with international and diverse lifestyle, fashion and film communities. More recently, she took a step back from bridging the gap between tech and culture and has stepped into thoroughly and unequivocally choosing herself. So naturally, we sat with her to get to know more about her rituals, old and new, that are helping her stay grounded, and happy.
At your core, who are you?
I'm an aunt, sister, and daughter. And, I like to think of myself as a great friend. No, I know I am a great friend. I'm also a cultural connector, creative, community builder, experiential expert, and entrepreneur.
How do you spend your time?
I spend time with my plants—inside and out—fam jamming and spending quality time with good friends over homemade dinners and lots of wine. They make the dinners, I bring the vibes.
What's your current skincare routine?
Lately, I'm trying to keep it simple. My mornings start with some dry brushing and a cold washcloth to prep my skin, and I follow this with some hyaluronic acid, vitamin c, my moisturizer and lots of SPF. I tend to end my days with a deeper cleanse, toner, serum and moisturizer. I'm taking a break from retinol, don't ask.
Maybe that's not so simple...ha!
What cultural rituals around skin, hair, and body did you grow up with?
When it comes to skin, less is more was always a concept my elders preached. But I found a way to make it more, and this was primarily through makeup.
When it comes to hair, a memory that's really stuck with me is the ritual of getting my hair braided in two by my grandmother every morning. I don't braid my hair in two anymore, but the lesson I took from that was recognizing the value of taking time and having patience for my own self-care rituals as an adult. I dreaded the good old Indian scalp massage, but I didn't know the generational why that drove this practice then. I'm trying to be mindful of this why and bring the ritual back for myself.
What rituals did you introduce to yourself and your life during the pandemic?
I love my skincare ritual, which has become my self-care ritual. Growing up, I would rush, rush, rush—but the pandemic has forced me to slow, slow, slow [down] and take time for me, my body, and my skin.
What's your first memory of ghee?
Adding it to my dahl or saag.
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