After launching her digital and marketing career working for Thrillist and Métier Creative, Gilah Elul decided to follow her passion and launch Muri Lelu, a cannabis-based skincare company. No stranger to luxury beauty, she most recently served as vice president of creative strategy at boutique lifestyle agency Métier Creative, where she oversaw branding and content initiatives for luxury beauty and lifestyle clients, including Augustinus Bader, Chanel, Saie Beauty, Dr. Dennis Gross, and more. The first-generation daughter of a Belizean mother and a Jewish father, Elul is committed to creating platforms and pathways to celebrate and elevate the work of People of Color, particularly women. She is not only co-founder of Muri Lelu but also its chief marketing officer, working to educate the consumers on cannabis’s therapeutic benefits and its evolving role in the beauty space. Here, she shares some of the ways she maintains her own personal wellbeing.
What does wellness mean to you?
We’re often taught that wellness is a practice of achieving more or being “healthier,” but to me, wellness is about learning to accept what makes you who you are and what truly make YOU feel good.
What are your favorite things you do to maintain your personal wellbeing?
I recognize that this is different for everyone, but for me, I enjoy sensorial activities that allow me to unplug from my overactive mind and get back into my body. Facial massage, yoga, steaming, aromatherapy, and beauty rituals like daily skincare or hair masks and braiding all help me feel cozy and reconnected to myself.
Is there a specific fitness activity that you love and why?
I really love the balance of incorporating high-intensity or strength-based workouts into my routine alongside regular yoga sessions.
What is your favorite healthy beverage (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), and do you have any insider tips for preparing it?
I am a big fan of margaritas, but a slightly healthier yet just-as-good substitute is the Paloma, made simply with tequila and Grapefruit Sparkling Water. Adding a few splashes of fresh grapefruit and lime juices, plus a spring of rosemary for garnish, takes it to the next level.
What is your favorite place for a healthy vacation or escape?
Any place that is hot, beachside, and has plenty of fresh tropical fruits to offer.
What is your favorite self-care routine?
Although I do many beauty, wellness, and health rituals, I find the most replenishing self-care routine is spending time alone reading, journaling, or listening to music. It reignites my inspiration, sparks my curiosity, and recommits me to myself and my goals. If I’m at home, I’ll often have a candle or a diffuser going, because aromatherapy is something I find deeply soothing.
What aspect of your wellbeing do you struggle with the most or would most like to improve?
Positive self-talk and affirmations. I find that when I make these a part of my regular daily practice, I am stronger, more resilient, and more loving. Getting into the habit of doing them and making them a priority, however, is something that I am still working on.
What wellness-related books or authors do you recommend, and why?
I try to read Bell Hooks’s classic text All About Love: New Visions every year. It’s an examination of the emotions, actions, and cultural messages associated with love in our society. Hooks gets to the root of where many of these expressions come from and explores how they may have been shaped by patriarchal thinking or larger cultural systems. She redefines love as healthy acts of respect, affection, recognition, and trust. This book always reminds me that I always have the power to love myself and others fully and honestly.
