APOTHECARY + BOTÁNICA

I'm Bri, the Founder of The Naturalista, Apothecary + Botánica. The Naturalista bridges natural beauty, wellness, and spirituality together in our shop. We pride ourselves on providing high-quality, natural, and reliable skin care & holistic metaphysical essentials to our community.

​

The idea of The Naturalista came to light when I was diagnosed with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). For those of you who don't know, PCOS is a hormonal imbalance that affects every 1 in 10 women. The exact cause of PCOS is unknown and it can look different in every woman.

 

I became even more conscious about not only the things I was putting in my body, but also on my body. If I could limit the amount of external hormones, carcinogens, or toxic chemicals I was allowing into my body, I would. So, I started making my own skin care. First body butters, then soaps, some tinctures, and so on. I started learning about Herbalism, enrolled in courses and dove even deeper into the world of herbal healing. I started off with just sharing my homemade items with friends and family. With a big enough push, they inspired me to share my craft with the world.

 

During this time, I was also going through a transitional period in my personal life. The environment and energy I was surrounding myself with, no longer resonated with me. In an interview with artist Princess Nokia, she says "...there's going to come a time where the things that you used to share your time with...aren't going to relate to you anymore. My mind, my body, my spirit was rejecting it.", and that's exactly how my awakening started. I realized that I never fully allowed myself to heal from losing my grandmother about a year and a half prior. I ended up removing myself from a lot of people and things that were hindering me from living my truth and living up to my fullest potential. I spent a lot of time in solitude - A LOT.

 

I spent that time learning to heal myself through shadow and root work. I went back to my roots and tapped into ancestor veneration, traditional rituals I learned from my grandmother, and dove deeper into my spirituality. I knew I was doing the work when I started to receive messages from Spirit. I didn't feel so lost anymore. I knew that I was being divinely guided and that my ancestors were protecting me. I knew that as I continued to tap into my ancestral magic, that I was exactly where I needed to be. Once I detached myself from toxic thought processes, behaviors, external energies, and environments, I was able to fully embrace and see my potential. That's when my vision for The Naturalista transformed.

​

I continued to practice self care and our traditional rituals as a way to honor her. I connected with my family more and with their divine guidance, I learned more about my roots. I do not share my altar work or internal practices. I also currently do not offer readings. I am currently in the process of becoming Reiki certified and cannot wait to share that gift with you all.

 

I wanted to find a way to share my knowledge and practices that have helped evolve me into the woman I am today. I wanted my brand to be more than just skin care. My vision for The Naturalista is to be your sanctuary away from your sanctuary - a place where you can find products and tools that can help you heal, grow, and support you being the best version of yourself.

 

The Naturalista is about loving our most authentic selves while using herbs, crystals, smudges, and much more to connect within and with our ancestors. It is about self love and loving the journey from start to finish. 

​

- Curandera Bri

​

​