Actress and It-girl Alisha Boe just became the face of YSL Beauty's Black Opium, and we got the exclusive opportunity to find out what that means to her.
As the fragrance synonymous with the party girl aesthetic, Black Opium wearers have a reputation for their confident, enigmatic, and elusive personalities, something that Alisha embodies at her core.
Never one to shy away from her darker 'Black Opium' side, Alisha's not caught up in what people think about her, and finds her confidence rooted in her close community rather than outside voices. Basically, she's everything Black Opium represents.
We sat down with Alisha Boe ahead of the release of her Black Opium campaign to find out what being a YSL Beauty girl means to her, how she stays confident, and what her younger self would say to her now.
What does it take to be a ‘YSL girl’?
“Be yourself, be flirty, have fun.”
Scent is a huge part of our identities. If you were a fragrance note, what would it be?
“If I were a fragrance note, I’d be coffee. I have about seven cups a day.”
What’s a memory that Black Opium evokes for you?
“I just remember meeting this girl in high school, and she was wearing Black Opium, and I really wanted to be her so badly.”
There's definitely a darker, edginess to Black Opium's fragrance and aesthetic. Have you always been in touch with that side of yourself?
“I’ve always been in touch with the dark side of myself. I feel like it’s part of everyone, and I’ve always found it very fascinating [to explore].”
Black Opium has long had a reputation as the “party girl” signature but, as the culture around clubbing and nights out is changing, do you think Black Opium represents a different vibe today?
“I think we create what we want [out of nightlife culture today]. We don’t need rely on other people’s idea of what ‘going out’ is, and that’s what Black Opium’s about.”
Can you describe a rundown of the perfect night to wear Black Opium?
“For my perfect night out, I’ve worked all day, so I feel like I’ve earned the night out. I get home, take a nap, get ready in my room with my girls, in my apartment so I’m in charge of the music. I’m making martinis for everyone because I’m really good at making cocktails. Then we go to a restaurant, and have oysters and some more martinis. We go dancing, and then we go back to my place, get unready together and talk about the night out, and we all sleep together in the bed.”
YSL is a brand that instills confidence in all of us. How do you stay confident in an industry that places so much emphasis on appearances?
“The way I stay confident is by grounding myself. If I’m not feeling great I take a second to be on my own, and do some self-care. If I’m exercising, moving my body, sleeping well and hydrating well, and also leaning on my community, I’m able to stay confident. I also don’t really care what people think of me. I try to live my life authentically.”
Looking back, what do you think your younger self would say if she could see you today?
“She’d be like ‘what? How the h*ll did we get here?’ She would be very very very proud of me, because growing up I don’t think that making a living from acting would be possible.”
And what would you say to her?
“I would say to little Alisha... you’re gonna be OK.”
