Meet Emanuel Basnight | Perfumer & Skincare Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emanuel Basnight and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emanuel, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
To be completely honest, I didn’t have one. I’m one of those cliched entrepreneurs whose hobby became a business. At the time, in 2017, I was studying permaculture with the Black Oaks Center for Sustainable and Renewable Living in Chicago. That was my formal foray into the plant world. Learning about building sustainable environments, plant properties, and herbal remedies encouraged me to experiment with natural skincare applications like balms, butters, and oils.

During the summer of 2017, I was busy mixing and making fragrances and skincare products for myself. After months of relatives, friends, and complete strangers asking me about the fragrances I was wearing and what I was using on my skin and beard, I decided to make a small batch of my shea butter blend, BATCH by Basnight, and design a fragrance and sell a few jars on Instagram. I sold out in 24-hours.

Customers were asking me what was next for my venture so I set out to make a new fragrance every month with the goal of leveraging exclusivity, my inherent creativity, and excitement over the next offerings. In early 2018, I took a leap of faith to form my LLC, and Brands by Basnight was born.

What should our readers know about your business?
Brands by Basnight is what I like to call “skincare meets spirit care”.

It’s the culmination of my relationship with nature and my spiritual journey which commenced with the death of my mother in 2012. Honoring the spiritual and functional powers of flora, roots, herbs, and oils gives me a unique position. I’ve been able to build a community of like-minded customers who recognize the spiritual and cosmetic benefits of nature’s wisdom.

Arriving at this market position has not been easy. It’s taken some time to be this transparent about my spirituality and practicing Hoodoo (a Black American spiritual system derived from West African traditional religions). It was also weird pivoting from a 20-year advertising-marketing career to blend fragrances and whip shea butter.

Growing my business has forced me to be open and honest with myself about who I am in this world. I realized that Brands by Basnight may not have the traditional trajectory of most small skincare businesses. Big retail may not be in the cards for me and that’s fine. I know people come to my products because of my small-batch, handmade approach. So I’m leaning into my craft and making sure everything I make is undeniably me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ve lived in Chicago for nearly 15 years and while Chicago is an amazing city, there’s no side like the south side!

Anyone coming to Chicago has to check out the lakefront. It spans the entire east coast of the city and has enough surprises for everyone. For a tree hugger like me, it’s the epitome of having a piece of paradise in the big city. From 31st Street beach, Two Fish for the seafood lovers, DuSable Museum, and tons of neighborhood bars and shops, I’ll rep the southside every chance I get.

Ramen at Ramen-san, BBQ at Honey 1, sushi at Nobu, brunch at Crio, tacos at Antique Taco, and dessert from Justice of the Pies are just a tip of the iceberg when it comes to food offerings in Chicago. If there is any city to gain a few pounds Chicago is it.

I wouldn’t tell anyone to not visit the Magnificent Mile, but anyone visiting me will have to see it on their own time. LOL. We’re going to explore the neighborhoods and hopefully hit up some local neighborhood festivals and block parties too. Summer is the perfect time to see Chicago in all its glory. From the Hyde Park Summerfest, The Chosen Few DJs picnic, and Chicago Gourmet, being outside is the best place to be. You can throw a rock and hit a good time.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’m one of those fortunate entrepreneurs who was surrounded by support when I launched my business. My sister and brother-in-law (Monet and William Earle) were some of my earliest supporters (and test subjects). My best friend Devine Overton has been along for every project, experiment, and venture of mine. As a fellow skincare enthusiast, she was a wealth of knowledge for me and a source of encouragement.

As Brands by Basnight picked up, I was blessed to lean on the expertise of my friends in advertising and marketing. A special shoutout goes out to Asha Dickens, Julian Jones, Garrick Thurmond, and Bridgette Harris for lending me an ear and their expertise when I was figuring out my way.