Interview with... Mayia Alleaume, founder of Sentara Holistic

Mayia Alleaume is the sweet woman behind Sentara Holistic rollers, gua sha and other purification sticks. She agreed to answer a few questions to help us better understand what led her to create this sublime brand that focuses on energetic beauty ...

Hello Mayia and thank you for accepting this interview! Can you introduce yourself in a few words on a more private level?

Hello! I am Mayia Alleaume, a studio and celebrity Makeup Up Artist for over 20 years and creator of the eco-responsible brand Sentara Holistic. I grew up in the Basque Country between the sea and the mountains and, since my childhood, I have practiced holistic and well-being methods on a daily basis that I now love to share. Thanks to my job, I have had the chance to travel all over the world, to destinations that are completely foreign to our Western ways of life. I have learned a lot from the people I have met. They still inspire me every day. I have been able to develop meaningful techniques based on ancestral methods. For me, beauty is sacred.

“For me, beauty is sacred.”

You are the founder of the superb Sentara Holistic brand. What is the professional background that led you to this project?

In the beginning, Sentara was born from the desire, as a recognized Make Up Artist, to soothe skin and faces attacked by conventional cosmetics and makeup. Supported by my family and my sister Kattina, I then created Sentara Skincare in 2005, a line of five essential skin care products. For two years, we formulated ultra clean, effective and comforting products for the epidermis. Over time and for 10 years, nourished by my experience and my work in energy (lithotherapy and sound therapy), Sentara has naturally evolved towards a resolutely more holistic approach.

How would you describe the DNA of Sentara Holistic?

Sentara is for all those who seek meaningful, personalized beauty that listens to their energy. Sentara offers a range of products loaded with good vibes for the body and mind. Chosen with precision, purified and charged in the light of the moon, they balance our energy to reveal our deep beauty and gain in luminosity. Each day, these quasi-sacred rituals allow us to energize and harmonize our emotional balance. Sentara's vision is holistic, aims for harmony of gesture. A touch of spirituality allows us to project ourselves beyond the visible, to capture a universal vibration connected to the elements that surround us. For Sentara, beauty has always been and more than ever a question of energy.

“Precisely selected, purified and charged by the light of the moon, Sentara products balance our energy to reveal our deepest beauty and gain luminosity.”

You are a trained makeup artist. What is your daily makeup routine?

I have learned from all these years spent doing makeup for top models and actresses that "less is more", that is to say that you have to learn to know yourself first in order to reveal your original beauty and not camouflage it with makeup. My motto is "Skin first": it is essential to avoid any overload that could extinguish the luminosity of your face. Choose a good treatment adapted to your skin type, a concealer of the right shade and a mascara . I moisturize and massage my skin every day using stones ( roller or gua sha, depending on my inspiration): I am 45 years old and I cannot afford to leave my skin without stimulating it. Once the massage is done, I apply a concealer only on the imperfections and I mattify with a mineral powder . If it's a casual day, then I only put on mascara and moisturize my lips: I try to keep my makeup as light as possible to let my skin breathe. If I have appointments, I apply my eyeliner and a nude or bright red lipstick, depending on my mood. The eyebrow must always be impeccable: it structures and frames your face, and gives intensity to your look. You just need to redraw it or fix it so that it has a harmonious shape. Finally, you need to add touches of light on the cheekbone and the brow bones: I always put a touch of glow to brighten the complexion.

"My motto is "Skin first": it is essential to avoid any overload that could extinguish the luminosity of your face. Choose a good treatment adapted to your skin type , a concealer of the right shade and a mascara."

How do you explain the growing interest in traditional or alternative medicines?

Interest in holistic medicines has always existed, but they were less known and publicized than today on social networks. We did not have the urgent need to use them until this global awareness that we are currently going through, unless we had a serious health problem. Our health system until then had not given us the choice of alternatives to traditional medicine and comforted us in advantageous care and social coverage. This was not the case in some other countries, such as the United States: they sought to develop everything that could strengthen their immune defenses (food supplements, sport, yoga, meditation, etc.) and are therefore for the most part much more open to alternative methods, as a preventive measure. For our part, we now have easier access to information, and the effect of the first lockdown and the spread of the virus has led us to a more global awareness.

In your opinion, why is it important to take moments of well-being?

In order to be able to reconnect with your own energies. We must not forget to give ourselves comfort: to better love others, we must love ourselves. Kindness towards ourselves is essential: it helps us to have better exchanges with the world around us and the people we meet. Good vibrations help us to radiate from the inside out.

“Self-kindness is essential: it helps us to have better exchanges with the world around us and the people we meet.”

Massage using a guasha stone is a gesture with multiple benefits but still unknown to most of us. Can you tell us more?



Gua Sha is a tribo-effleurage technique that comes from traditional Chinese medicine. It combines acupressure and lithotherapy. The Gua Sha technique consists of scraping the skin to produce light friction that promotes blood circulation and energy while benefiting from the virtues of the stone's minerals. In self-massage of the face, it promotes the stimulation of the facial muscles and produces an instant glow. Massaging your face regularly brings radiance and skin regeneration. Each stone is chosen by me for their beauty benefits. It is necessary to allow yourself 2 minutes of daily ritual to regain radiance and tone: apply a massage oil and follow the acupressure movements that I suggest in my tutorials to reveal the radiance of your face. Wash your Gua Sha with fresh water after each use, dry it well and store it in its pouch.

"Regularly massaging your face brings radiance and skin regeneration."

Personally, what is your favorite stone?

My favorite stone is black obsidian . Precious, it has as much power over the psyche as over the body, and in particular over the skin. It helps to go towards what is necessary for you and to get rid of old repetitive patterns.

What products would you recommend using your rollers and gua sha with?

For a harmonious massage, I recommend using oils .

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