Hey loves, so you know we love a good inspirational story. I met Nana, owner of BeautyMarked & Co. virtually via Instagram. She not only supported my brand but reached out to tell me the impact seeing a hometown hero for her, Yaa Asantewaa, on a shirt and being spoken about had on her. After a few more DM exchanges I realized her brand also had its own unique story. It was a reflection of her and she was nothing short of a Super Woman. Check out what she had to say about the woman behind her brand:
BeautyMarked & Co. is a beauty brand that specializes in cosmetics and beauty accessories for women of color who have traditionally been excluded from the beauty industry. I am a pharmacist by profession and did makeup professionally part time; however, in the fall of 2018 I developed a neuromuscular condition which rendered me unable to work in either field.
In March of 2019, my health situation catapulted me to start my own cosmetic line and e-commerce business. As a makeup lover, I wanted to start out with cosmetic products that would cater to everyone – from the busy working mom who doesn’t have time for a full face of makeup to the makeup artist trying to build a cost effective kit. I also had limited funds, so rather than come out with a full cosmetic line, I decided to start with only lipsticks and mascara, two makeup essentials most women don’t go without. I was fed up with the notion that black women could not wear certain (bright) lip colors because of their skin tone. Therefore, instead of the traditional brown nudes that were commonly marketed to black women, I came out with bright, dark, and bold colored lipsticks that anyone can wear regardless of their skin tone.Â
One of the major challenges I had to overcome when I started BeautyMarked & Co. was overcoming fear and negativity, both from myself and the people closest to me. I hope to inspire aspiring business owners by letting them know there’s never a “right” time to start and you’ll never be prepared enough until you actually take a leap of faith and start where you are. Entrepreneurship is a learning curve; mistakes, failure, trial and error are apart of the process and crucial to ultimately becoming successful.
Check out BeautyMarked & Co and support her business by CLICKING HERE.