LUXE Fragrance Bar is a Black-owned beauty bar in South End Downtown Greensboro. Owner and N.C. A&T Alum, Jazz Elyse, creates personalized natural beauty products that promote self-love and radiates positivity.
While at N.C. A&T, Elyse was the president of the student entrepreneur club. As president, she learned a lot about owning a business and working as her own boss.
Elyse began making Jazz Oils her junior year, which started out as a small business but blossomed into something greater.
In April 2014, Elyse, first, opened a mall kiosk in Four Seasons Town Center, which later expanded to mall kiosks in Winston-Salem in 2017. The business has grown from mall kiosks to a store front, selling natural products to her local community.
LUXE products range from skin food, hair food, bath and spa novelties. Elyse is a strong advocate for self-love, self-care and beautifying the skin as natural as possible. What makes LUXE unique is the product multiplicity, as each product is made on site and personalized by scent, texture, purpose and concern.
“There aren’t a lot of products on the market catered for melanated skin,” Elyse said. “I wanted to create products in a wide range of textures for various different skin types.”
Although LUXE specializes in melanated beauty, the brand assists customers of all backgrounds in knowing the textures that work best for their skin, the oils for their hair and fragrances that are suitable for them.
There are many fragrances to choose from, but the three signature scents offered by LUXE include:
- Dream: an intimate yet powerful scent that lasts all day.
- Wakanda: a compelling sensual fragrance with an accent of warm caramel and vanilla scents that is suitable for him and her.
- Fierce: a sweet hibiscus musk that is broadened with notes of plum and strawberry. Each scent can be whipped and mixed into any product of the customer’s choice.
“I [basically] sell what they sell in the beauty supply store,” Elyse said. “However, I specialize in these particular scents. I will give you something that most stores can’t. What I offer is an experience that encourages people to love who they are.”
Today, Elyse still receives support and requests from her peers while attending N.C. A&T. Due to this support, she says it motivates her to continue to evolve her products to consistently, as well as create new ideas to innovate and expand her brand.
“I try to stay consistent but innovative,” Elyse saId. “I [still] get people I met from college asking me about oils today. I tell them yes I still sell oils, but now I have more to offer.”
In addition to the cosmetics offered by LUXE, the brand also launched House of LUXE in June 2018. House of LUXE is a private charitable organization made to build up entrepreneurial and educational efforts.
Elyse says that 10 percent of the proceeds from LUXE Fragrance Bar goes towards the House of LUXE to help benefit entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial educational efforts, scholarships, community efforts and disaster relief.
“I love that I can help others,” Elyse said. “I like that I can provide opportunities to people who may be overlooked.”
LUXE Fragrance Bar is located at 219 Southside Square. They are open 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Products can be purchased in person, online or through the mobile app, The LUXE Life available in Apple and Google Play stores. College students who show a valid student ID also can receive a 10 percent discount.
For more information about LUXE, follow LUXE Fragrance Bar on Instagram at @luxefragrancebar and on Facebook at Luxe Fragrance Bar.
