If you’re reading this, you’re probably already a fan of one of fashion’s most popular retailers, the RealReal. Known for its rare selection of pre-owned ready-to-wear, accessories, shoes and jewelry, RealReal exclusively features finds from luxury designers like Hermès, Rolex, Tiffany & Co. and Khaite.
And even if the RealReal already has a permanent place in your browser tabs, you may be less familiar with Rati Sahi Levesque, its influential president and chief operating officer. The collective recently launched “as is,” a new product condition category that aims to give luxury items a fourth, fifth and even sixth life in circulation. Each piece in this category is, on average, about 20 percent less expensive than those listed as in good condition.
“That’s what I like most about vintage and second-hand,” says Levesque. bazaar. “Most of the products you find on our website aren’t available anywhere else. 90 percent of them come from your own home and from past seasons. Shopping on our website requires you to be creative and look at things differently – in a new way.”
bazaar We caught up with Levesque below to get the inside scoop on what makes her feel radiant and empowered. Just like The RealReal’s collection of prestige secondhand clothing and accessories, the COO shares some of the things she’s gotten better at as she gets older.
If you don’t mind telling us, how old are you?
I am 43.
How old do you feel in your head?
In my mind I feel like I’m 32. Maybe I haven’t matured since then. I’m not sure why I’m 32 – I’m still figuring it out. In many ways there’s a sense of confidence and experience (that comes with age). But you’re also still figuring it out – every decade feels like a new decade.
Is there a beloved beauty product that you have been wearing for most of your life?
I have been wearing coconut oil on my body for a few years now. My family and I go to a co-op called Rainbow Grocery in California, and they have this big jar of coconut oil that I like to use. My parents are from India, and since I was little, this was The Beauty product. If you had a scar or anything, it was always coconut oil.
Dr. Bronner’s Regenerative Organic Coconut Oil
What aspects of your appearance do you like more now that you are older?
Oh, I think my nose! I hated my nose growing up – it felt so different and big and all that. Now it reminds me of my aunts and uncles and my dad. I like that it’s different. I have a hump on the top of my nose and the tip goes down.
My children have become very observant. My daughter, who is eight and will be nine now, is always blaming me. The other day she asked, “Why does your nose do that?” and it was so educational to be able to tell her that I love my nose, that it means that, that it is our heritage and that I would not do anything to change it. I don’t know if I would have reacted the same way at her age.
Which beauty products do you think have aged well?
I would probably go back to basics and use beeswax heel and hand balms. I use them to keep my feet and hands supple before bed – they get so dry. But I remember my whole family doing that growing up. I think hands and feet are just so important, and I feel more beautiful when they’re not cracked. At 40, I would say I do that every night and it’s become part of my ritual.
Burt’s Bees Hand Salve
Now 17% discount
Savannah Bee Company Beeswax Heel Balm
Now 14% discount
Please give us a brief overview of your current beauty routine.
I recently discovered Knockout Beauty after hearing about the company from a friend and started using their routine. It basically consists of a face cleanser morning and night, vitamin C and vitamin E and then just a rich lotion. I’ve also been using a couple of face creams and masks: one is retinol based and the other is from Environ which has been a game changer. I’ve been using this routine since last year. I used to always use good organic products from the drugstore but as I’ve gotten older I’ve just invested more in my skincare. I feel like luxury products sometimes help but it’s all about finding the right ones for your skin.
Environ Antioxidant Defense Cream
When it comes to styling my hair, I usually let it air dry – I’m too impatient for anything else. There are days when I go into the office and look like a wet – I don’t know what – but I just do it. I never get my hair done and cut it myself to trim it. And as for nails, I either go bare with no polish or I get long red nails done at some point. I think it’s either one or the other – over the top or nothing.
A lot of conversations about aging seem to revolve around injectables and plastic surgery. What are your thoughts on the topic?
I’m open to it; I’m not going to be a never-say-never person. I don’t know how I’m going to feel in five to ten years. I haven’t done anything yet because I’m happy to accept my age and I’m looking forward to getting white hair – I think that’s what experience shows. And I’ve seen how beautifully it’s worn – I feel like there are so many role models now. Ageing is such a beautiful thing and it’s okay, right? So, I haven’t done it yet, but I don’t judge and maybe I’ll change my mind. Ask me again in five to ten years.
What makes you feel vital and youthful?
I think visiting friends is the most important thing. My kids keep me awake too, but I think it’s mostly things I do outside of my daily routine. Sometimes you feel like you don’t always have enough time to get out of the daily grind with kids and work, but when you do, you can meet old friends. I try to do that regularly because I feel revitalized every time.
Why do you think it is important to invest in vintage fashion pieces?
There’s something so wonderful about buying something that feels like it’s unique, that you can’t buy anywhere else, that no one else has. The best part is the confidence you get when you wear it. You’re not buying something that everyone has or (following a trend that) everyone is doing – you have to know yourself and who you are to buy a vintage piece.
Many people are afraid of getting older. What do you think is the best thing about it?
It may sound cliche but I think it’s definitely experience. If you’ve seen something before, you react to things very differently as you get older. As a woman entering the workforce at a young age, you feel like you have to be everything to everyone and sometimes you feel like you have to act like a man to get ahead – you just always have that feeling of trepidation. I think as you get older you trust the process more than ever and that things are going to work out. There’s a sense of calm that comes with that and so you react to things differently.
Tiffany Dodson is currently the Associate Beauty Commerce Editor at Harper’s Bazaar, where she specializes in trend forecasting, building relationships with major and emerging brands, and writing shopping stories – from holiday gift guides to product reviews. Tiffany’s work has been featured in media outlets such as SELF, Bustle, and Teen Vogue, and she has been cited as a commerce and beauty expert in publications and platforms such as The Business of Fashion and NPR’s Life Kit podcast.
