After bursting onto the New York City underground music scene in 2013, with the release of 8-track EP Fall of A Hero, former pop singer Saïka Bince quickly carved out a lane for herself. Building up a fan base throughout the boroughs thanks in-part to dynamic live performances at some of the most respected stages including DROM all while racking up tens of thousands of views on the official video of the then hit single, “Part Time Lover”. Bince seemed to be the next indie breakout star.
But around 2016, the Brooklyn native slowly started to slip away from the limelight. After relocating to Atlanta, the self-proclaimed Haitian mermaid decided to pursue other projects including video production as well as launching a cosmetics line paying tribute to her over-the-top performance looks. Now, the business mogul has returned home with her heart set on taking over the beauty industry one product at a time.
I had a chance to talk with Saïka Bince about her departure from music, building her brand outside of the music industry, her new beauty line Starstruck Cosmetics and more. Read the full interview below!
You are making a splash in the beauty world with your new company, Starstruck Cosmetics. Most fans came to know you first by way of your 2013 project, ‘Fall of A Hero’. While you’ve released covers of popular tracks here and there, you haven’t released any new music of your own in four years. Why did you step away from music?
“If I had to sum it up honestly… I just wasn’t sure. I didn’t know if I was good enough, talented enough, ready… So many great things were happening and so fast. I just kept thinking to myself – ‘You’re gonna disappoint a lot of people when they realize you’re not actually worthy of this space you’ve been occupying.’ And those fears … they showed me that I didn’t really know myself. So… I wanted to try other things…”
In your hiatus from music, you’ve explored several other ventures including producing by way of your YouTube series, Red Wine Girl Time but your cosmetic line, Starstruck Cosmetics has truly been a breakout. What motivated you to enter the beauty space?
“When I was 12, I found this sparkly purple cream eyeshadow in my mother’s room. She never really wore makeup so she didn’t notice when it went missing. The year I dropped Fall of A Hero, I started plotting seriously on ‘hero cosmetics’. I used to try to make lipsticks from scratch – epic fail by the way. But makeup was always art for me. Makeup for me was like what the Blue hair was to my fans. It was fantasy, it was … Starstruck.”
There’s a trend of creatives such as yourself building beyond their art. You see this with recording stars Beyoncé, Rihanna, and more. What advice would you give to those creatives that are looking to do the same but maybe facing self-doubt or are simply just afraid?
“I always said, ‘once the music leaves you, it’s not yours anymore.’ People have a right to love it, hate it, cry to it, find freedom in it, reject it… Whatever they want. And that’s a hard thing to accept when so much heart and vulnerability go into something so intimate. As sensitive souls, we creatives need something that’s … ours. I learned how to paint and quickly realized I didn’t want to sell paintings. I just wanted to go into a space, and create something that was only mine to interpret. So I’d tell them, ‘You deserve something that’s just yours.’ Even if its a clothing line, or handbags, your creativity doesn’t only exist in vulnerable spaces. It’s totally ok to remind them we’re good at other things too.”
I know you just launched the “New Money” Lash Book, but can we get a hint at what’s next to come from Starstruck Cosmetics?
“Starstruck Cosmetics is inspired by that ‘wow…’ moment you get when you notice someone’s highlighter or lashes. I want every single product I offer to have that effect. If you love baking, I want our setting powder to be your favorite. The goal is to offer a full range of cosmetics, but with quality that matches or exceeds what’s in the market today. Concealers, more liquid lip colors, classic lipsticks, powders, brushes, glossier gloss… all of it. If you only love ONE thing, that favorite thing – it’s gonna be Starstruck.”
It just wouldn’t be right if I didn’t ask and we know your plate is quite busy at the moment but, do you plan on ever returning to music in the future?
“I have to laugh because even when I know the question is coming, answering it always terrifies me. But if there’s anything I learned in my time away from music- it’s that without it I don’t really have a voice. I’ve got a good four years of silence and untold stories to emote so.. yeah. I plan on returning, possibly sooner than you think.”
To shop Starstruck Cosmetics visit starstruckco.com or follow the brand on their official Instagram page HERE. Stay connected with Saïka Bince on Instagram.
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