At long last, four months after E.L.F. announced that Alicia Keys would be joining its family with a new "lifestyle beauty brand," Keys Soulcare is here. And, as promised in a September update, three products, which the brand refers to as the First Ritual when used together, have arrived.

Arguably the most highly anticipated of the product launch of the bunch because of the thoughtfulness and expertise that went into it (board-certified dermatologist Renée Snyder of W3ll People helped develop the formula), Skin Transformation Cream ($30) is Keys Soulcare's hero skin-care product. This moisturizer promises to gently boost radiance with retinol-esque bakuchiol, malachite, barrier-fortifying ceramides, and plumping hyaluronic acid. 

Because Keys wanted to turn skin care into more than just a rushed routine, the other products launching alongside aren't the other complexion-improving formulas you might expect. "What I've realized is I need to be able to have the space for myself — I need to be able to have a few minutes," Keys says to a group of beauty editors at her virtual launch event. "It doesn't have to be forever, but a few minutes really to really take care of the outer and the inner." 

So it comes as no surprise that the launch of the Skin Transformation Cream coincides with products that let you engage in a self-care ritual: an Obsidian Facial Roller ($25) for facial massaging and better absorption of the cream, and the Sage + Oat Milk Candle ($38), which already has a wait list. 

Keys Soulcare describes the candle as having the "smoky, calming warmth" of sage, soothing with the "sweet, nutty fragrance" of oat milk — a fragrance that Keys herself says is "me in a bottle." In addition to the bathroom in which she does her First Ritual skin-care routine, she says she keeps one in every room of her house.

Perhaps the most unique aspect of Keys Soulcare is that each of these products comes with an affirmation. Skin Transformation Cream's is "I welcome all circumstances as catalysts for change"; the Obsidian Facial Roller's is "I am strong, capable and unstoppable"; and the Sage + Oat Milk Candle's is "I shine at full wattage." But of course, these are merely suggestions. The First Ritual is intended to be a deeply personal experience, and Keys encourages saying any self-affirming mantra during the routine.

"It's a great way to start your day and end your day, especially putting those mantras into your essence and just getting used to saying things like that," Keys says. "You might feel crazy at first, but say it in the mirror, you know what I mean? Because the more of that that you're hearing, the more that you start to actually believe. It's kind of a mind trick, and it's really powerful."

Keys Soulcare is available on keyssoulcare.com and ulta.com.

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