There is something quietly radical about a beauty brand that tells women they don’t need to be transformed — only seen. Nour Arida, model, mother and founder of the skincare brand Sorbé, has spent over a decade in front of the camera. She knows better than most how the industry tends to frame femininity: polished, aspirational and almost always smiling. With Sorbé, she’s doing something different.

We caught up with her at Sporting Club Beirut, where Sorbé has set up a summer pop-up activation for the month of June — a fitting location for a brand whose entire identity is tangled up with the city it calls home.

Where did the idea for Sorbé come from?

I started with the concept about three years ago. I wanted to create this on-the-go, multi-effects, skin-care brand that is beautifying at the same time. I don’t wear a lot of makeup, and when I do, I want it to also be beneficial for my skin.

I wanted to create something for the lips first — an exfoliator — because I felt like we, as women, take care of our whole face, we do our whole skincare routine, but we always tend to forget our lips. So that’s how the idea of the exfoliator was born. It’s both a mechanical and chemical exfoliator. And then from there, we’re moving to the whole face. As of now we only have lip products, but as we grow, there will be products for the full face. Very exciting things coming.

What is the message behind the brand?

It’s about the inclusivity of emotions. I’ve worked in the fashion world for at least 12years now, and I felt like brands usually include women from different body shapes, different nationalities, different skin colors — but we never include women in all of her emotions. It’s always women smiling on a billboard, or being sexy, or projecting some kind of ideal. For us, Sorbé is about celebrating the woman as she is — our ups, our downs. We all go through a lot of emotions in a day. So for me, this is a safe space for women to celebrate what they’re going through and be there for each other.

What does it mean to you to be doing this pop-up at Sporting Club right now?

Sporting is so personal to me. My dad is from Beirut, so I’ve always had this very special attachment to the city. I used to come here when I was 10, 11, 12 years old — and I still come here. Every year on the first of January, I make it a point to watch the first sunset of the year at Sporting. So the fact that we’re here with Sorbé means a lot.

When we first planned this pop-up takeover at the beginning of the year, we were very excited. And then when things got really bad with the war in March and April, we were genuinely hesitant. My team and I wondered: Do we cancel? Should we postpone? And then we decided: let’s do it. Because as Lebanese, we want to feel that we’re still alive. We want to be here, to share memories and moments with friends and family. And that’s how Beirut or Nowhere was born — because for me, for my friends who live abroad, everyone wants to be here, even when the circumstances aren’t ideal, even when the war is still ongoing. There’s nowhere we’d rather be.

What’s next for the brand?

We have a lot coming this year. A very big launch in September that I’m incredibly excited about, and then another one in January. Since we launched, it’s been a real roller coaster. Wveryone told me the hard work would be before launch, and people with established brands warned me that the real work starts after. They were right. But I hope we’re getting somewhere beautiful with Sorbé.

What message would you give to young girls who look up to you?

I’m seeing a lot of posts going viral about girls using intense skincare routines at a very young age, getting procedures, chasing ideals. With Sorbé, I want to tell them that they really are beautiful as they are. It’s not just something I say; I say it to my own daughter. Embody who you are. Love yourself. Our products aren’t about enhancing who you are; they’re about making you feel good with who you are. And for us, in Beirut, that feels more important than ever.

If you enjoyed reading this, check out our interview with Lebanese actress and singer Marilyne Naaman.