Lyric Christian - More than a pretty face

Our first interview together goes back some years. Then scheduling interfered with a second interview. I look up and now you’ve found a few more hats to put on your beautiful bald crown. Tell me about Mind Candy Beauty and why it’s important to you.

LC: Yes! I am wearing so many hats now! I’ve actually started growing my hair out after a decade of being bald! But that’s a whole other transformation story.

Mind Candy Beauty is something that has been percolating in my head for years. As a Black woman in beauty — first coming in through the modeling side and now working on the corporate side for the past six years — I’ve had this unique vantage point. I’ve seen the magic of what beauty can be, and also the deep gaps that still exist when it comes to inclusivity, representation, and who gets to be part of the conversation in a real way.

Mind Candy Beauty is my response to that. It’s a multimedia platform that exists to uplift Black voices in beauty — not just to be seen, but to be heard, celebrated, and challenged. It’s where we hold space for joy and accountability at the same time.

One of the most exciting pieces of it right now is the Mind Candy Beauty podcast. That’s where the conversations come alive. I talk with makeup artists, beauty editors, founders, and cultural commentators  — and we get into the real of it all. Not just products and trends, but politics, visibility, labor, and legacy. It’s smart, it’s fun, and it’s rooted in care.

To me, Mind Candy Beauty is about peeling back the glossy surface of the beauty industry and asking better questions — while still loving the art and culture of beauty itself. It’s a space for those of us who’ve always been the backbone of this industry but haven’t always gotten our due. And it’s only going to keep growing.

So from June 2024 founding Mind Candy Beauty, three short months later, you’re a contributor at Essence Magazine?! That’s amazing. How did that come about?

LC: Thank you! It’s definitely a pinch me moment — truly surreal in the best way. Essence has always represented the pinnacle of Black girl magic, impact, and legacy. So to now have the opportunity to contribute to that legacy? It’s a dream come true. I don’t take it lightly.

I have to give a huge shoutout to Akili King, the incredible Senior Beauty Editor at Essence, for seeing value in my voice and trusting me to tell stories that matter. Her belief in my work has been such a gift, and it’s one of the reasons this journey has felt so aligned.

As for how it all came together — the beauty world, especially the Black beauty space, is a small one and rooted in community. I’ve been part of it for a minute, so I have made some great connections and built strong relationships. I had a connection at Essence who I stayed in touch with. When I started developing Mind Candy Beauty, I shared the vision with her — what I wanted to create, who I wanted to center, and why it mattered. She believed in it and made the introduction, and from there, everything unfolded naturally.

For those who may not know you from your NYU days, your pen is certified. Your transition to becoming a contributor had to be seamless. Is writing your first love? 

LC: Writing has always been a first love of mine — it’s the throughline in everything I do. Whether it’s songwriting or editorial work, I’m still very much using my pen as both a tool and an outlet. In 2023, I signed to Ultra Music Publishing, which was such a pivotal moment for me. Since then, I haven’t let up — honestly, I feel like I’m just getting started. I’m lucky to have amazing management and support from my publisher, and I’m in the exciting phase of building out my team in a way that feels intentional and aligned.

I’ve always been a deeply emotional person — I was that kid who felt everything and needed somewhere to put it. Music and writing were my safe places, my way of processing the world. I used to spend hours journaling, writing songs in my room, trying to make sense of what I was feeling. That eventually led me to NYU, where I earned my BFA in Recorded Music, and really began sharpening my craft in a more formal way.

What’s beautiful now is that I get to serve those same passions — but on a larger scale. Whether I’m telling stories through lyrics or through editorial, it’s all coming from the same place: a desire to connect, to reflect, and to create something that moves people. I’m still that emotional kid at heart — just with a bigger toolkit and a little more wisdom.

From M·A·C to Essence, how have you seen representation grow in the beauty and fashion industries? Further, with the current political climate, why is it important for companies and consumers to be intentional when it comes to representation? 

LC: Working at M·A·C and writing for Essence has given me a front-row seat to the ways representation has grown — and also where it still has a long way to go. I’ve definitely seen more diversity in casting, campaigns, and conversations, especially on the surface level. But representation isn’t just about visuals — it’s about who’s in the room, who’s leading the creative, who’s making the calls. That’s where I’m still pushing for deeper, more sustained change.

At M·A·C, I’ve been proud to work on programs that spotlight artists of color and actually put resources behind their growth and lead initiatives where the brand shows up for the community in an authentic and sustainable way — not just feature them in a post and move on. And with Essence, I’ve been able to write stories that center Black beauty perspectives with care, honesty, and cultural nuance. That kind of representation — where our experiences are not only visible but valued — is powerful.

With everything happening politically right now — from attacks on DEI to anti-Blackness and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric — it’s more important than ever for companies and consumers to be intentional. This is not the time for performative representation or checking boxes. It’s a time for investing in equity, listening to communities, and understanding that representation is not a trend — it’s a responsibility and it's the standard. We need to realize as Black consumers that we have so much spending power and our dollars and choices are powerful. Just look at what's going on with Target. After they chose to step away from DEI, Black consumers are making an active decision to no longer spend their hard-earned money there and Target is feeling it. 

People are paying attention. And more than that, people are remembering who showed up with real purpose and who only showed up when it was convenient.

As an ambassador of huge brands, what takeaways do you incorporate in your independent ventures as a creator and what do you keep separate? 

LC: Honestly, working with major brands has taught me so much about strategy, structure, and storytelling at scale. I’ve learned how to think about the big picture — how to move with purpose, how to build something sustainable, how to honor both the creative and the business sides. Those are the kinds of lessons I definitely bring into my independent ventures, especially with Mind Candy Beauty. I’m always thinking about how to build community while also protecting the integrity of the message.

At the same time, I’m really intentional about keeping some things separate. My personal creative work — especially my songwriting and some of the more raw editorial stuff — needs room to breathe. I try to give myself space to experiment without thinking about KPIs or performance metrics. Not everything I make has to be polished or brand-ready or radio-ready— some things just need to be honest.

So it’s a balance. I take what serves me — the discipline, the storytelling tools, the network — and I leave behind anything that stifles my voice. Because at the end of the day, the whole point of my independent work is that it’s mine.

How important is it for you to use the connections you make to ensure your art as an independent creator gets the notoriety it deserves?

LC: Connections are everything. This industry — and honestly, life in general — runs on relationships. Nothing meaningful is built alone. It truly takes a village to bring a vision to life, especially in creative spaces. I’ve learned that you can be incredibly talented, have the best ideas, and work nonstop — but if you're doing it all in a silo, you're limiting your reach and your impact.

We all need support. Not just professionally, but personally — the friends who encourage us, the mentors who guide us, the peers who believe in the message before it hits the masses. That community matters. The people who repost your work without you asking, who say your name in rooms you’re not in yet — that’s the kind of energy that helps things grow with integrity and alignment.

So much of what I do, especially through Mind Candy Beauty, is fueled by that type of relational energy. It’s not about networking in the traditional sense — it’s about building genuine, values-aligned relationships where we lift each other up.

What would you say to the next inspired creator that wants to get into beauty and fashion but doesn’t have a clue about how to start?

LC: The two questions I always come back to are: What are you genuinely passionate about within this space? And what’s your point of view? Because in an industry as oversaturated as beauty and fashion, those answers are everything. Trends come and go. Algorithms shift. But your unique perspective — the thing that only you can bring — that’s what cuts through the noise.

It’s easy to get caught up in what’s performing well or what other people are doing. But if you’re not rooted in something real — something that lights you up and reflects your actual values — it’s going to burn out fast. I really believe authenticity is the only thing that sustains.

Your POV doesn’t have to be the loudest or the flashiest, but it should be yours. The way you see beauty, the stories you want to tell, the people you want to champion — all of that is what makes your presence meaningful. So the work becomes tuning out the noise long enough to hear your own voice and trust that it’s enough.

Allow me to take half a second to be salty about your latest sweet endeavor because Lyric, those treats have no chance of making it to this side of the Mississippi River. What inspired you to start Cobblers & Crust?

LC: I have a lot of loves and passions, and baking has always been one of them. I’ve been baking for as long as I can remember — it’s just always been a part of me. In fact, my very first job in high school was at my neighborhood bakery, which feels so full circle now.

I’m a Southern girl through and through — born and raised in Georgia — so when it comes to sweets, especially cobblers, I don’t play! I’ve been perfecting my cobbler recipe for over a decade. It started as something I made just for my family — something comforting and made with love. But over time, I kept hearing the same thing: 'You need to sell these!' And eventually, I realized... they were too good not to share.

So I decided to bring them to market. Right now, we’ve got two signature flavors: our classic peach and a rich, sweet blueberry. We also offer two sizes — our Baby Batch, perfect for one or two, and the Big Pan, for when you’re sharing (or not, no judgment!).

It is truly a labor of love, and it’s just the beginning.

Can I keep hope alive that you will eventually expand your sweets business out west?

LC: Oh yes! Keep that hope alive. I can definitely foresee that expansion happening as Cobblers & Crust continues to grow!