Real Housewives by Potomacs Monique Samuels started the new year with a bang. She launched her new line of essential oils, Mila Eve Essentials, and shortly thereafter announced her exit from the Real Housewives franchise. “I decided to leave after four seasons and I haven’t felt any better about one decision in my life,” she told us recently. Here’s what the now-ex-reality TV star told us about her everything-aromatherapy line – and how the show’s viewers helped kick off the start of it all.
Why do you believe in aromatherapy so much?
When I started my essential oils journey it was with my son Christopher. He is my oldest and he was almost a year old at the time. We lived in Alabama because my husband was training at the University of Alabama. The allergies were amazing, it was just a sinus infection after the sinus infection. I had to find something to give him relief. So I started using essential oils by handing them out. I couldn’t believe it, the first night we tried, he actually slept through the night. He could breathe much clearer, and after that I was a believer. I was a desperate mother looking for an alternative or a cure – and I found it.
Why did you create your own line?
I had a young wife, I call her my essential oil guru, she literally taught me everything she knew. Back then, I was hosting 101 essential oil parties and I was really excited. It’s something I’ve been doing for a long time. When I came to The Real Housewives of Potomac on Bravo, I was talking about my oils and how much I loved them until a lot of fans and viewers sent me messages asking where to buy my oils. Finally I say, “I don’t have any oils, I just refer you to various companies that I love.” But they kept pushing, “Well, no, we want to use your oils.” So I decided to get my research going and start my own. Mila Eve Essentials contains essential oils and other products that are chemical free and therapeutic. We’re just starting out with oils, but we’re going to branch out into so much more.
Aromatherapy can be a difficult thing; How do you make sure that what you create is legitimate?
Quality is very important to me. With Mila Eve Essentials, all of our oils come from the countries where the plants thrive in their natural habitat. They are harvested in the right conditions and extracted by distillers who are very skilled and talented, and each batch is tested. Without going into too many scientific details, each batch is tested for appearance, optical rotation, and smell – so it’s very specific. They are gluten free, they are cruelty free, there are no parabens, and they are environmentally friendly. We go to great lengths to ensure that our product is of the highest quality. It’s a process, but I have been able to source my oils from the top manufacturers. I am very happy about it because you get top quality, but also at a reasonable price. I’m not trying to hit you over the head. [laughs]
I suppose there’s a markup in the world of essential oils?
It is ridiculous. I mean, the markup is a mystery to me. When I first started learning the business, I said, “Okay, I can definitely create something where people can actually afford the oils and learn about them too.” At Mila Eve Essentials, we combine and make kits from ours different oils to help you accomplish whatever goal you want to achieve without having to buy 10 different oils. If you only have a budget for say four, I’ll give you four different oils for a reason and then tell you, “This is how you can use it.” We try to make it easy to use so people really understand what they are buying. I know when I started using essential oils I got this packet full of oils and then I would say, “Okay, how do I use it? Where do i put it? What is good for this or that? What do I use if I have a strong cough? “If you try to do all of this research, you have these expensive oils and they just sit on your shelf.
You are very much into wellness, but you also serve up some very glamorous looks. How do you describe your general beauty philosophy?
When you look good, you feel good. I can have a day off but when I say to myself, “You know what? Let me take a shower and freshen up. Let me do my hair and do a little makeup. “Then I look in the mirror and I feel better. Thats only me. I really believe that sometimes when you look good, that feeling, that confidence, is taken to the next level.
Can you share any secrets from the show?
Viewers can look forward to the fact that I’m not part of the sixth season. [laughs] If you want to know what is going on in the Samuels household or what has to do with me, I have a YouTube channel from Tea With Monique, a YouTube channel from Not For Lazy Moms and a YouTube channel from Mila Eve Essentials. I know everyone likes tea, but the only tea I can spill is my own!
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