Happy Monday Beauty Lovers, I hope that you all had a great weekend and I hope that you're ready to conquer the goals that you have on your to-do list.
Today is Indigenous People's Day, and there are many new brands out, I felt that it was so important to spotlight them and support them today and every day. I was reading an article in the June/July issue of Allure Magazine and these three brands were featured.
The first brand that I was to tell you guys about is Ah-Shi Beauty, A trailblazer in her own right, Ahsaki is the Founder/CEO of Ah-Shi Beauty, the first Native American-owned and operated luxury skincare and cosmetics brand in the United States. Even as a proud Dine (Navajo) tribal member and African American woman, Ahsaki has odds against her as she faces social and economic challenges as a dark-skinned Native American. These obstacles gave her the fuel she needed to build Ah-Shi Beauty. Where she showcases that Native Americans/Indigenous people are diverse and that they are not the pervasive image the media continues to perpetuate.
In Navajo, Ah-Shi means: "This is me. This is mine." Ah-Shi Beauty - This is my Beauty! Where her customers set their own beauty standards. She makes it her responsibility that when her customers look in the mirror, they see themselves, feel empowered and continue to love the skin they are in. As the face of the brand, she is pushing the narrative to show the world that indigenous African descendants are here, and their beauty will be recognized and respected. Ah-Shi Beauty brings much-needed positive change to the beauty industry. Ahsaki was awarded, the Native Business Owner of the Year (2021), and Naat’aanii Leadership Award by Dine Pride (2020). She is a pivotal part of the movement that is resetting and reshaping beauty standards, where the beauty industry can now include a tribal member at the table.
The Hi-Def Foundation is something that you should have in your makeup routine, it is a buildable medium to full coverage dewy foundation with anti-aging properties to keep the skin looking fresh throughout the day. Provides a dewy finish to leave your skin glowing, has collagen-like properties to help with puffiness, and is water-resistant and non-transferable. It is available in 23 shades and it's priced at $52.00.
Cece Meadows, The founder, and CEO of Prados Beauty. I was born and raised in Arizona but currently call the traditional homelands of the Piro-Manso-Tiwa people (Las Cruces, NM) my home. She's an Army wife, mother of four, a published poet, and a makeup artist. She finds great joy in helping others and currently serves as the founder and President of her nonprofit, The Prados Life Foundation. As an Indigenous woman whose ancestors are of the Yoeme and Nʉmʉnʉ people, from present-day Sonora Mexico, Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico, She loves learning about her culture, the languages, and practicing their traditional ways. She created Prados Beauty to bring light and awareness to Indigenous peoples, their stories, their true history, resiliency, and beauty. Creating space for Indigenous peoples throughout Turtle Island in the beauty space is my mission, and she takes great pride in that opportunity.
The moment that I saw The Sagrado Eyeshadow Palette, it was love at first sight. This beautiful 30-pan eyeshadow palette is a mix of stunning mattes and shimmers. From neutral and transitional nudes to shimmering browns, burnt oranges, and blacks, this eyeshadow palette is diverse for any type of look. You can find our signature hummingbird embossed into all the matte shades. This formulation is buttery and has little to no fallout. Use our patent pending artistry brushes for a flawless blend. This palette is $48.00.
The Matriarch Eyeshadow Palette is in collaboration with artist Steven Paul Judd, this newly released palette from our Prados Beauty Matriarch collection includes 30 new, deep, and rich shades. Produced sustainably, Vegan, and cruelty-free, this palette has a variety of hues for a dramatic edge or a soft glow. Matte and shimmer, these deep and vibrant pigments have long-lasting shading, stunning highlights, and master contouring. The Matriarch Eyeshadow Palette is priced at $48.00.
And finally, for this beauty blog post, Cheekbone Beauty was founded by Jenn Harper, an award-winning social entrepreneur, the Founder, and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics INC. Jenn is from the Ojibwe nation and grew up in the Niagara Region with her mother instead of on her family’s reservation. Throughout her life, Jenn struggled to accept her Indigenous roots and was estranged from a lot of her Indigenous family for the majority of her childhood and adult life. Today, Jenn is more in tune with her Anishinaabe roots, married, has two children, and resides in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. After a battle with alcoholism, Jenn had recently become sober in 2014. One of the things that really helped her through this difficult time was using makeup as a method of self-care. They regularly hear the stereotypes surrounding Indigenous peoples and Jenn would not allow herself to just be another stereotype.
Fast forward to 2015, Jenn was still working her full-time job in Sales and Marketing in the food industry when she had a truly life-changing dream. In the dream, Jenn saw these little Native girls – they were dancing, laughing, and just displaying such genuine joy all while covered in lip gloss. Whenever Jenn tells this story, many people ask if it was a vision considering that Jenn is Indigenous to which the answer is no, it was a literal dream that changed her life. This dream triggered Jenn to get out of bed and start writing down what we now know as the Cheekbone Beauty business plan. As part of this plan, Jenn spent months researching and learning about manufacturers and businesses until the official launch in 2016. Through deeper research, Jenn also uncovered more about her grandmother’s experience in the Canadian Residential School system from age six to sixteen, as well as trans/inter-generational trauma. Here is what Jenn learned in her research no, the world did not need another cosmetics brand, and it didn’t need any more lipsticks. However, the world did need more representation. At the time, the beauty space did not have Indigenous faces for the youth to look up to or to see themselves in.
Cheekbone Beauty became a side hustle in Jenn’s basement, while she continued to work full-time at her job in the seafood industry. To the core, this side hustle was truly a passion project. Coming from Sales and Marketing, Jenn knew that Cheekbone Beauty had to be unique and innovative to stand out in the market. In the beginning, Cheekbone carried private-label cosmetics from a supplier who didn’t care to disclose much about their practices. By August 2019, Jenn’s basement had run out of space and her garage had also become taken over by product. Cheekbone Beauty had become Jenn’s primary full-time job, and she left the seafood industry. It was also in 2019 that Jenn appeared on Dragon’s Den (Season 14, Episode 1), where she pitched Cheekbone Beauty to the Dragons. Though Jenn did not take the offer she was presented with, Jenn managed to receive funding from an Indigenous investment firm, whose values and mission truly aligned with that of Cheekbone Beauty.
The Cheekbone Beauty HQ followed shortly thereafter, with an in-house Indigenous Innovation Lab and a full-time chemist. Since its inception, Cheekbone Beauty has become known for its high-quality, cruelty-free beauty products designed for low environmental impact and maximum wearability. Considering Jenn’s Anishinaabe roots, Indigenous storytelling, such as the incorporation of the Seven Grandfathers Teachings or the Biinad Beauty Standards, quickly became part of the creative process and can be seen in the naming of products, less waste line of cosmetics, and through our donations to help address the educational funding gap for Indigenous youth.
Jenn started with one employee in her basement, who was a family friend. Today, Cheekbone Beauty employs twelve people. They are constantly growing and innovating and making sure to leave a legacy behind for future generations of Indigenous youth to look up to.
The Sustain Lipstick is an ultra-pigmented yet buildable satin vegan lipstick that cushions your lips with rich, creamy, velvety color. Featuring sustainably sourced ingredients derived from vegetable feedstocks, this moisturizing lipstick is a product with a purpose. A perfect blend of oils and waxes, this lipstick was created for both performance and sustainability. The packaging is 85% compostable and biodegradable paper. This shade is in Aki and she's absolutely beautiful, the price is $24.00.
The Sustain Liquid Lipstick is a velvety vegan matte liquid lipstick that coats your lips with rich, full-coverage color while keeping them effortlessly hydrated. Made with botanically derived ingredients for an added touch of nature. It also has Castor Oil in it as well and it's priced at $27.00.
Beauty lovers, I hope that you will support these Indigenous Beauty Brands, and I hope that all of you have enjoyed this special beauty blog post for this Monday, I love you all so much, and until next time, Stay Beautiful.
For Business Opportunities Or PR, My Email Is: Lifeofafashionblogger@yahoo.com
If You Want To Send Me Some Stuff To Review For My Blog Or Just Write Me A Letter, My Address Is.
Breanne Peterson
1609 Summerhouse St
Elizabethtown NC 28337
My Instagram:
Comments
Post a Comment