DJ & Entrepreneur Hannah Bronfman on Matcha & Selfie Sticks
Hannah Bronfman modeling Lisa Marie Fernandez, photo Terry Tsiolis
There’s a good reason Hannah Bronfman is everywhere right now—the young entrepreneur and DJ is one of those people who lights up a room. It’s the first thing I noticed when I met the 26-year old. She’s warm; she’s always smiling, and she’s savvy enough to have turned herself into a lifestyle guru through social media. Not surprisingly, the native New Yorker moves at a nonstop pace: she co-founded the Beautified app that lets you book last minute beauty and fitness classes in NYC, DJs by night, and just recently launched HBFit, a new website to showcase her passion for fitness, style, and healthy living.
Related: Hannah Bronfman’s Weekend Playlist
BB: I loved the playlist you did for Yahoo Beauty. Who is on your radar right now? Who should we all be listening to?
HB: Banks, Charlie XCX and Emile Haynie are all amazing. I just DJd the Vogue Brazil party in Paris during fashion week and I played Stromae. I also did a whole electro swing set with Phil Mac that was really high energy and instrumental.
BB: Were Kanye and Kim there?
HB: They were! Kendall was there too, dancing up a storm. It was really fun.
Hannah in the DJ booth
BB: You have to know what the trends are for your job, so who do you have your eye on in the fashion world?
HB: Some of my friends are doing really interesting things right now: Kaelen Haworth who is in the CFDA incubator has really incredible clothes. There is a bag line called Reece Hudson that you should check out. For shoes, I think Sophia Webster is awesome, and I always wear Nike sneakers.
Hannah’s lip inspired nail art
BB: I noticed you copied a vintage YSL print onto your nails—what a cool idea.
HB: I’m not that good at experimenting with makeup, but nail art is a really easy way to express myself. I pull inspiration from things that I think are relevant like fashion prints and music. With nail art, there is a lot of room for innovation. I just recently heard about the Fancy Box. It’s a 3D printer that you can send an HD photo to which they then print out onto your nails.
BB: It’s amazing what is happening right now in beauty. Since you are always traveling, what’s in your beauty travel kit?
HB: Lucas Papaw Ointment (it’s like Elizabeth Arden 8-hour cream, but not as greasy). I always have a pair of tweezers by Tweezerman on hand and I really like Mullein & Sparrow’s dry shampoo powder. The BB cream by Urban Decay is oil free and gives my skin a bit of a shimmer.
Related: 10 Fancy Drugstore Finds
BB: You always take great selfies, what’s the secret?
HB:I use the Pic Stick; it is pretty awesome. You can buy it online.
Hannah at the Beautified App’s anniversary party earlier this year
BB: What’s the latest with your app Beautified?
HB: We’ve moved into fitness. Now you can book a last minute slot in a boutique fitness class like Flywheel, SLT or Body by Simone. For beauty, we have partnered with New York’s finest salons like Frederic Fekkai, Caudalie, John Barrett. You’ll also find hidden gems like Ion Studio for hair, Rouge makeup salon, or the Soho Sanctuary, which is a great off the beaten path place for massages in the West Village.
BB: You’re a tech entrepreneur by day and a DJ at night—what keeps you energized?
HB: I try to eat a lot of leafy greens and healthy fats like avocados and coconut oil. I’m obsessed with Matcha at the moment. It is really purifying, with chlorophyll in it, and gives you energy.
BB: How do you like your matcha?
HB: I love an iced almond milk matcha latte. I just shake it up with ice in a cocktail shaker and that’s delicious. I’ll even make matcha cookies or a matcha loaf, which is like a tea cake.
BB: I see a cookbook in your future!
HB: I would love that. My whole thing is I definitely bake with alternative ingredients. If something calls for syrup, I use a coconut based nectar or coconut palm sugar. In general I am trying to keep my sugar low.
Related: Fall Foods That Benefit Your Skin & Hair
Hannah hanging out in LA this summer
BB: You and I share a passion for healthy eating. What other foods do you avoid?
HB: I try not to eat anything processed; it makes me feel lethargic. I’m also just trying to have a sweat session as much as I can. Sweating for me releases so much stuff and I feel so much clearer after. I just started training with Stephen Cheuk of s10; it’s full body training. I am trying to do a month of not drinking to clean everything out and see what happens.
BB: Do you ever take a break?
HB: Taking a break for me is a late sushi dinner at home watching Scandal and turning off my phone and computer. I am trying to not look at my phone past 10:30 p.m. Otherwise you’re basically telling your body that you’re not ready to sleep, and putting your adrenals in overtime. I am really trying to maximize my sleep by actually having my body be prepared to sleep.
BB: It’s so true. It is really good advice. I’m always on Instagram lately—probably following you! Thanks so much for talking today. I’m so excited to see what you do next.
