September 9, 2024
Lesa Milan Celebrates Mina Roe Expansion And Calls Out The ‘Critics With No Credentials’ On ‘Real Housewives of Dubai’ Cast
Lesa Milan explains her passion for her Mina Roe brand and current dynamic with "The Real Housewives of Dubai" cast.
Lesa Milan and her Mina Roe brand were hot topics during the Season 2 finale of The Real Housewives of Dubai, so her candid deep dive with BLACK ENTERPRISE comes right on time.
Appearing on The Culture Shift, Lesa shares the vision behind her luxury maternity brand/skincare line, Mina Roe, and why she thinks the passion she put into her company event featured on the show rubbed some of the ladies the wrong way.
“So we’re dealing with a bunch of critics with no credentials,” Lesa shared. Referencing luxury brands like Chanel and Louis Vuitton, the entrepreneur says the design of her wellness event was a “marketing ploy” to stylishly brand her event considering its feature on a global television show.
“I think it was coming from a place of jealousy,” she said of her co-stars who were bothered with how she styled her event. Lesa was also disappointed in the criticism from the group since “women should be supporting women,” she added.
“I started my business in my living room and I grew it to be where it is today. I’ve worked so hard on it and for people to try to tear it down it’s hurtful.”
Despite the drama, which is a normal component of any Real Housewives franchise, Lesa was happy to see the show’s warm reception in its second season compared to its 2022 debut. As a first-of-its-kind reality show for the United Arab Emirates, the ladies faced fierce criticism from locals who were concerned with how the country of Dubai was being represented.
“Season 2 has been received a lot better than season 1,” she said. “I’m not sure if you’re familiar, but in Season 1, we kind of got some backlash here in Dubai in the Middle East because it’s never been done before, right? So it was a lot. But this time, after seeing Season 1 I think people are more receptive and it’s really been so nice.
Lesa also notes how much “closer” the cast was this time around, “so the dynamic and everything was more organic,” which made the second season “much better” than the first.
When it comes to her passion for her business, Lesa explained how she’s modeled Mina Roe after her own motherhood journey. What started as a fashionable maternity wear line when she was pregnant with her first son soon expanded to include postpartum wear and now skincare for moms with stretch marks and other physical changes that come with welcoming a baby.
“As I grew as a mom in my journey in motherhood, the brand grew with me,” the mother of three explained. “So the next step was skincare because another issue that I had was stretch marks.”
The Jamaican-born and former Miami resident shared her design process with “some of the best teams in Europe,” who “came up with a really great formulation” that includes some traditional elements from her native country.
“Our products are made with natural and organic ingredients,” Lesa says with pride.
Among the brand’s skincare items is Mina Roe’s Belly & Body Oil, designed to help prevent and minimize the appearance of scars and stretch marks. The vegan product relieves the dry, itchy belly that can make a pregnant woman want to scratch her stomach, which can enhance the possibility of stretch marks. The oil also deeply moisturizes without a greasy feel and contains a quick-dry formula that leaves you clothing-ready and eliminates staining your garments.
The body oil contains argan kernel oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, vitamin E, and bitter almond kernel oil, among other all-natural ingredients. The skincare line also includes a beauty mask, lip balm, C-section silicone patch, and kits for pregnant and newly postpartum moms.
As a mother to three boys, Lesa is passionate about helping other moms due to all the emotions and trials of welcoming and raising a child. Acknowledging the physical changes and possible postpartum depression that can come with welcoming a child, Lesa encourages new moms to give themselves the grace they deserve.
“It took nine months for that belly to grow and for me to grow this human and this perfect little baby. It’s going to take nine months or more” to lose the baby weight, Lesa says.
“I think a lot of women, we don’t give ourselves grace because we’re in this rush for perfection because that’s what we see online but honestly my advice to you is take your time, enjoy it. The baby weight’s going to go.”
Press play below for the full interview and catch The Real Housewives of Dubai Season 2 reunion on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.