Ayesha Curry’s most recent venture is beauty line Sweet July Skin.
JP Yim/Getty Images for Girls Write Now

Ayesha Curry may be best known as an actress and food television star, but at heart, she’s an entrepreneur with more than a half-dozen ventures to her name.

Her numerous enterprises include the wood-fired steak and seafood restaurant International Smoke, with outposts in Las Vegas and San Francisco, the wine brand Domaine Curry, and the lifestyle company Sweet July.

“Sweet July is a mantra about taking gratitude and joy in the smallest things in life like your morning cup of coffee or getting into cozy sheets at night,” says Curry, 34. “I got married [to basketball player Stephen Curry] in July, and all of my kids were born in July so it’s a happy month for me.”

Initially a magazine that launched in 2019, Sweet July spans products such as home goods and food items like olive oil and coffee. In July, Curry introduced beauty-care line Sweet July Skin, a nod to her Jamaican heritage and made with plants and herbs from the Caribbean island.

“Growing up, my mom and grandma would always tell me about these age-old Jamaican remedies that they would use to help their skin. I used to laugh at them back then but have since become a believer,” Curry says.

Curry, who lives in San Francisco and grew up in Toronto, recently shared a few of her favorite things with Penta.

My favorite hotels in Jamaica are… none, because every time I go, I rent a house in Montego Bay and spend my days with my family and friends.

What I love most about Jamaica is… the people. They’re so bright, cheerful and positive. There’s a resilience and positivity about them that always uplifts me.

My go-to spots in Jamaica are… any beach. The sand is soft, and because I love to eat, I love that you can get incredible food from vendors in shacks that sell jerk chicken, pork, and shrimp, fresh coconut and corn.

The one souvenir to bring back from Jamaica is… a jerk sauce. Everyones is different so there is no one version that exists. You can use it to marinate meats or seafood or in rice before you cook it or any dish to give it a kick.

Where I go for my Jamaican food fix outside of Jamaica is… my mom’s house in Toronto. My requests are oxtail, rice and peas, curry chicken, and jerk shrimp.

My go-to meal to cook at home is… oxtail stew with rice and dumplings. And an escovitch fish, which has sweet and sour flavor profiles.

The essentials every kitchen needs is… a great chef’s knife. You’ll use it for everything from chopping vegetables to slicing meat.

My tip for optimal skin is… to wash your face every day. This habit will keep it clean. Also, no matter your gender, be sure to moisturize daily—a good cream keeps your skin looking refreshed.

The most valuable lesson I’ve learned from being an entrepreneur is… that not everything is going to be a win. There will be failures, and it’s these failures that you learn from. I’ve had to work to figure out who my consumer is, for example, and had instances where I haven’t manufactured enough product and other instances where I’ve had too much. It took me trial and error to figure it all out.

The best piece of business advice I’ve been given is… to ask for help when it comes to understanding a concept, and don’t be afraid to ask. I learned this with my wine brand when I wasn’t sure why some wines taste the way they do and how they’re made. I was hesitant to ask because I didn’t want to seem ignorant about wine, but once I did, I learned so much. Now, I’m not hesitant to speak up.

I decompress from work by… enjoying a glass of wine on some nights. A hot shower is also great. And so is playing a good game of backgammon with my glass of wine.

My dream hotel… is any Aman property. I love the architecture and service. Stephen and I stayed at the Aman [Amanzoe] in Greece this summer and it was absolutely gorgeous.