on her morning routine
I wake up around 8 and snooze for about an hour. I get out of bed to do my face routine and get back in bed to make phone calls, answer emails etc. Then I walk over to work have breakfast and coffee at Grass Roots and then dive into everything I have to do.
on the beauty products she uses
I use all natural products. I’m obsessed with Josh Rosebrook’s products, which I now carry at the shop. They just work. Treat your skin with good, natural, and organic ingredients and you will see a difference. If you’re complaining about your skin- try exfoliating more often. You should be exfoliating two times a week. Josh Rosebrook came to the shop for an event and he taught me that it’s a very important and often missed step. Do it. Take care of your gut, it’s the foundation to your body. Someone once told me to think about your body as a house: your gut is the foundation, and if you don’t have a strong foundation on a house, everything else is shit. I also use Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelerator, Sundara Holistic Body Oil, Josh Rosebrook Nutrient Day Cream, Josh Rosebrook Moisturizing Cleanser, Dr. Alkaitis Organic Ageless Facial Elixir, Josh Rosebrook Deep Hydrating Serum and Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil.
On opening her business
I opened Grass Roots Juicery because I saw there was a need for a cute juice shop in the neighborhood. I’ve been familiar with the neighborhood since 1992 so I’ve seen it change year after year, and one year while working at my family’s business nearby I was like, ‘where can I get a smoothie around here?!’ I had an epiphany and looked around- I’m not the only one feeling like this SO I started my research and convinced my family to help me out and the rest is history.
Opening Grass Roots has been the ultimate learning experience. I was not prepared, but honestly is anyone ever prepared to start their own business? Probably not. It’s been a road of highs and lows. The hardest part has been getting used to the fact that every single day there is usually a really annoying problem to solve. I’ve found an amazing team and have an amazing manager, Akila who gets my vision, so I’m really grateful for that. I knew i always wanted to own my own business, a shop, but I really never, ever would have thought it would be a juice bar. A space opened up in the neighborhood and originally I was going to do a vintage store with a bodega vibe to it, but when I had that moment of realization that there was NO WHERE to get a smoothie and saw the changes going on, I knew I had to run with it.
On her aesthetic
I’m not sure what you would call my aesthetic. It’s pretty eclectic, I guess. With this apartment I promised to take my time decorating and let things find me. I got really into going to estate sales and almost every piece came from a different sale. Just like my clothing pieces, I like a story and memory. I just found things that I absolutely loved little by little and just hoped they would work.
My orange rug was the first thing I bought which was a really bold move, but I figured whatever I love it - hopefully everything else will look okay with it. The pink chair was the most recent thing I bought and at first I wasn’t sure about it when picturing it with the orange rug, but it looks pretty dope.
on her personal style
I shop everywhere. I love vintage. I’m always on the hunt for the most unique pieces, I like having a connection and/or story to everything I wear. I’m never deliberately looking for a dope piece, it just finds me. Or at least that’s what I tell myself to justify it. I’m pretty girly for the most part, but I do have my tomboyish days where I’ll wear a dress and a pair of Jordans. I’m also obsessed with coats- my collection is kinda crazy.
I was always obsessed with vintage. My friends were always borrowing my pieces and then one day my friend Rachel asked if she could pay me to shop some vintage for her. I realized I can make money doing this, so I kept collecting and selling to friends until my two best friends Steph and Olivia opened up American Two Shot, which was when I started buying full time for the store.
Sabrina's favorite books
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Díaz
Selected Poems by Frank O'Hara
Sabrina's favorite places
Best Juice: Grass Roots Juicery
Best Shopping: Dolly G's Vintage
Best Dominican Food: Los Primos
Best Vietnamese: Bunker