SHANNON BALENCIAGA shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning SHANNON , we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
What’s most misunderstood about AnnAga Luxury Skincare is that people often see the word “luxury” and assume it’s only about aesthetics, price point, or exclusivity. In reality, AnnAga is rooted in science, intention, and accessibility. My brand isn’t just selling skincare it’s delivering high-performance formulations that are clean, effective, and created with the same level of detail and care I put into every part of my life and work.
Many people also underestimate the fact that AnnAga is a multifaceted lifestyle brand, not just a product line. From skincare to home fragrance, haircare, and beyond, every item is designed with purpose to elevate everyday routines and help people feel confident, cared for, and seen.
And finally, one of the biggest misconceptions is that because I built this brand independently, people assume it’s small or simple. But AnnAga Luxury Skincare operates with global ambition, meticulous formulation standards, and the kind of innovation typically associated with major corporate houses. What they don’t see is the research, the testing, the sleepless nights, and the relentless pursuit of quality behind every jar, candle, serum, and scent.
AnnAga isn’t just luxury, it’s intention, performance, and evolution.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Shannon Balenciaga entrepreneur, actress, cultural leader, and the Founder and CEO of AnnAga Luxury Skincare. I wear many hats, but at the core of everything I do is storytelling, transformation, and elevating the communities I’m part of. Whether I’m on screen, in the ballroom scene, or building a global beauty brand, my mission is always the same: create impact, inspire confidence, and leave everything better than I found it.
AnnAga Luxury Skincare started as a passion project and evolved into a full lifestyle brand. What makes it unique is that it blends luxury with intention high-performance formulations, clean ingredients, and products designed not just to sit on a shelf, but to truly transform someone’s daily experience. Our signature “Skin of Silk” scent, our candles, our serums, our upcoming haircare innovations every product is crafted with precision, elegance, and a deep understanding of what modern consumers actually need.
What also sets AnnAga apart is that I built it from the ground up no investors, no shortcuts, just relentless passion, creativity, and an unshakeable belief in quality. I’m building a brand that spans skincare, home fragrance, haircare, apparel, and more, all while staying rooted in authenticity and community.
Right now, I’m working on expanding AnnAga into new categories, developing retail partnerships, and creating content that brings people behind the scenes of my entrepreneurial journey. I believe in transparency, luxury with purpose, and building generational brands that tell stories not just sell products.
At the end of the day, my work is about empowerment. Whether it’s through beauty, storytelling, or leadership, I want people to feel seen, elevated, and inspired to show up as their highest selves.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My Aunt Bit saw me clearly long before I ever had the language or confidence to see myself. She was the first person who truly recognized my spirit, my talent, and my purpose, and she validated me in a way no one else ever had. I genuinely believe God placed that gift in her, because she carried her own superpowers.
As a child, she endured something unimaginable tumors on her spine that led to surgeries where a doctor accidentally damaged her spinal cord, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. Even in her own lifelong struggle, she had a way of seeing others with a depth and clarity that was almost divine.
At just five years old, she saw my light, my creativity, and my destiny. She spoke life into the parts of me I didn’t yet understand. Because she believed in me so fiercely and so fully, I felt safe enough to walk in my purpose boldly, unapologetically, and with the kind of support most people only dream of.
Her love and vision shaped the foundation of who I am today.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Absolutely. There were moments in my life where the weight felt so heavy that I didn’t know how I was going to keep going. People often look at success, confidence, or the finished product and think the journey is easy but baby, it’s not. Some days are hard. Some days you question everything. And I’ve had days where I felt so overwhelmed that I didn’t want to be here anymore.
I’ve been open about the fact that I have struggled with suicidal thoughts in the past. Those were some of the darkest periods of my life, times when I felt exhausted, cornered, or ready to escape pain I didn’t know how to navigate. But what I’ve learned is that those moments don’t make you weak, they make you human.
I’m grateful that God kept me through those moments, because I would have missed out on everything I’ve been able to build, create, and overcome. I wouldn’t be here to inspire, to lead, to love, or to walk in my purpose the way I do today.
When I look back now, I see strength I didn’t know I had. I see growth. I see a woman who kept going even when she didn’t feel like she could. And I share this openly because I want people to know they’re not alone that feeling hopeless doesn’t mean you are hopeless, and that surviving those moments can lead you into chapters you never thought you’d live to experience.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
What people see publicly is very much who I am: confident, outspoken, stylish, creative, nurturing, a leader, a visionary. That part is real. That’s not a performance, that’s my spirit. But like anyone with a public life, there are layers people don’t always see.
The public sees the strength, the glam, the accomplishments, the leadership.
What they don’t always see is the discipline behind it, the softness, the quiet moments, the prayers, the exhaustion, the healing, and the sacrifices that made me this person.
I’m real in public, I just don’t always reveal every chapter of the story.
Some parts are for the world, and some parts are for the people who truly know me.
But one thing about me:
I don’t switch up. Who I am on camera, on a stage, in a ballroom, on social media, that’s the same woman you meet in real life. The difference is simply access.
Some people get the full picture. Others get the highlight reel.
But both are authentically me.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What will you regret not doing?
Not telling my story my way.
So often when people leave this world, others step in and tell their story for them through their own lens, their own bias, their own assumptions. And it’s rarely the full truth. It’s rarely the depth, the complexity, the pain, the triumph, or the purpose the person actually lived.
I refuse to let that happen to me.
I’ve lived a life that is layered, unbelievable at times, painful at times, beautiful at times but all of it meaningful. And I want the world to hear it from me, not from people who only saw parts of me, misunderstood me, or projected their own narrative onto my life.
My biggest regret would be leaving this earth without documenting my journey, my voice, my truth, and the lessons I fought hard to learn. Because my story isn’t just for me, it’s for anyone who needs to know that survival, reinvention, and destiny are real.
And only I can tell it the way it was truly lived.
Contact Info:
- Website: annagaluxuryskincare.com , shannonbalenciaga.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annaga_luxury_skincare/ , https://www.instagram.com/shannonbalenciaga/
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