We recently had the chance to connect with Gabrielle Johnson and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Gabrielle, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I’ve been really enjoying making herbal body care and lifestyle items — it’s become a way for me to slow down and connect with nature a little more. I’ve also been getting back into dance, which feels like coming home to a part of myself. And creatively, I’ve been letting my artistry flow beyond makeup into painting. It’s been nice to explore without pressure, just creating from a rooted place.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Gabrielle — most people call me Elle. I’m a clean makeup artist, holistic esthetician, and a creative who’s always been guided by care. I recently moved from Tennessee to Dallas, Texas, and this season of my life has been all about embracing the fullness of who I am and what I’m here to offer.
I’ve been in the beauty industry for over a decade, but my work has always gone deeper than just the surface. I’m someone who believes in beauty as a form of restoration — whether it’s through a makeup application, a facial that calms the skin and spirit, or even a body oil that invites you to slow down and reconnect.
That belief led me to create Rooted Well — a body care and lifestyle brand that blends herbal medicine, skincare, and sensory ritual. It started from my own healing journey, learning how to come back to myself in small, nourishing ways. I’m currently working on launching our first two products: an herbal body oil and a rollerball fragrance, both handcrafted with essential oils and plant ingredients safe for sensitive skin and supportive to the nervous system.
Outside of Rooted Well, I’m still behind the brush and in the treatment room — working with clients through GlamSquad, Priv, and independently offering facials and makeup services. I’m also a poet and storyteller. And lately, I’ve been returning to painting and dance — two parts of myself I had put down for a while, but that are teaching me new ways to feel and express again.
At the core, I’m someone who creates to connect — with people, with presence, with purpose. And that thread is woven through everything I touch.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Around this time last year, I was in Tennessee living through a season of deep upheaval. I was technically homeless — sleeping in my car some nights, juggling hotel stays other nights — all while working multiple jobs just to keep going. I worked at a spiritual shop where I wasn’t truly seen or valued for who I am, more like a workhorse. I also worked at a blow dry bar, still without a permanent place to call home.
After months of uncertainty, I moved to Dallas. The first eight months here came with their own battles and tests of resilience, pushing me to understand more deeply what it means to feel truly safe and cared for.
On the ninth month, I manifested my own place — a real turning point that showed me the power of patience, faith, and intention.
That experience reshaped how I see the world. I learned what real resilience looks like, how essential it is to honor your own needs, and that stability isn’t just a physical space — it’s a feeling you carry inside. Now, my work and my life are rooted in that truth: creating space for healing, safety, and real connection. I don’t just show up to perform — I show up to hold space for the whole story, mine and yours.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I think I stopped hiding it the moment I realized the shame wasn’t just about what I’d been through — it was about what I thought it meant about me.
I wasn’t just carrying pain. I was carrying a silent imposter syndrome that crept in every time my circumstances didn’t match my calling. How could I be a healer while healing? An artist while struggling? A guide while barely getting by? I questioned myself deeply — not because I didn’t believe I was gifted, but because I didn’t feel seen. I didn’t feel allowed.
But over time, I learned that waiting for everything to look perfect before claiming my power was another form of hiding. That the very things I thought disqualified me — the nights I slept in my car, the jobs that drained me, the rooms that overlooked me — were the exact places my power was being shaped.
Now, I don’t separate the two. My pain and my purpose are intertwined. My story, my artistry, my offerings — they don’t come in spite of what I’ve lived through. They come because of it.
I’m not performing healing. I’m embodying it — messy, honest, and still unfolding. That’s where the power lives now.
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. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
That beauty and wellness are separate.
That skin is just a surface.
That professionals are replaceable, and that our knowledge can be skimmed from a trend or a TikTok.
The beauty industry is obsessed with the appearance of self-care — but rarely honors the body as a whole. We push results, glow, perfection — but we rarely ask how someone feels in their skin. We disconnect from the body, then sell products to fix what we never took time to understand.
There’s also a deep mistrust of professionals. Estheticians, makeup artists, herbalists — people with lived experience and real knowledge are often overlooked in favor of fast aesthetics or viral trends. And for those of us who bring a holistic approach — nervous system care, sensory connection, trauma-informed touch — it can feel like we’re speaking a language the industry hasn’t learned yet.
I don’t say this from a place of bitterness. I say it from experience. I’ve been in rooms where the look mattered more than the person. I’ve worked jobs where I was expected to perform but never invited to lead. And I’ve seen how easy it is to burn out when your presence is valued less than your polish.
What I know now is this: beauty is body work. It’s energy work. It’s trust work. And the industry can’t evolve until it stops pretending otherwise.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Yes. More than once.
For a long time, I thought I wanted to climb the ladder in retail beauty — to get the titles, the leadership roles, the visibility. I thought if I worked hard enough, showed up polished enough, proved myself in all the ways they wanted me to, I’d eventually find the fulfillment I was searching for.
But when I finally got close to those spaces, what I saw didn’t align with what I believed in. I saw leaders who didn’t lead with care. I saw people in power who didn’t embody the values they preached — who were more invested in performance than presence. And I realized I didn’t want to become that version of success. That version of beauty.
It was humbling, honestly. Because it made me question everything — my goals, my path, even my place in the industry. I had to grieve the version of success I thought would make me feel seen. And I’m still in that space now — trying to pivot, trying to rediscover my ‘why’ without giving up.
But what I do know is this: I still believe in beauty. I still believe in the power of this work. I just want it to be real. Rooted. Connected. I want to be part of creating something that feels like truth — not just trends.
So even though I’m in the in-between, I know that clarity is coming. And this time, I’m building something that satisfies me at the soul level — not just on paper.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://aurawellcollective.square.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therootedwellbyelle?igsh=bzRocnBxMXppNWdw&utm_source=qr
Image Credits
Photographer Jackie Marie Photography
Photographer Roderick Williams
Model Koffee Hill
Model Kelsey Yvonne
