Being an entrepreneur is far from easy. It requires a lot of personal investment with even more risk, so you have to respect someone who steps out and steps up to put everything on the line. While Connie Cosmetics provides a line of beauty products designed specifically for brown skin, the owner Constance Shannell hopes her brand will inspire her consumer base to pursue their dreams as well.
What made you decide to launch your own cosmetic line? The market for cosmetic is booming. People are taking and sharing more photos on social media than ever before. Looking and feeling your best is becoming increasingly important. Knowing the difficulty people of color face in finding products that meet our needs, I wanted to start a brand that was for brown girls by a brown girl.
How did you get started? Where is your business located? When did you start? I got started by researching what’s popular and what’s safe for melanin skin. My business is located in Long Island, New York. I originally launched my brand in 2014. After some trial and error, we were able to develop an effective business plan and a solid foundation.
What sets your brand apart from your competitors? What sets Connie Cosmetics apart from our competitors is that we are 100% vegan handmade and cruelty-free with no chemicals or animal testing.
Describe some of the different products you sell. The products we sell are matte lipsticks, lipgloss, and coconut oil infused highlight glow powder.We plan on expanding our product line very soon.
Share some of the challenges you have faced launching your brand? One of the challenges I’ve faced launching my brand was the lack of support within urban communities. The collective “We” should do a better job of supporting people who look like us and represent our culture in positive and productive ways. Supporting businesses owned by people of color stimulate economic growth and create employment opportunities.
We also had to learn how to carefully market our brown girl stance while acknowledging and appreciating all beauty.
What advice do you offer other entrepreneurs? The advice I offer my fellow entrepreneurs is be prepared for the ups and downs, the long hours, sleepless nights, tears, and closed doors. The road will be tough, but be persistent. You have a dream, go after it. Come up with a list of goals, checking each off as you go along. Keep a positive mind set and you will go very far. Believe in your brand even if others don’t. Don’t stop until you get to the top.
Share some of the goals you have set for your business? Some goals I have set for my business is to continue to grow and expand the line. Long-term, I hope to take franchise of Connie Cosmetics worldwide.
How can our readers contact you for more information? Our website is www.conniecosmetics.com is currently under reconstuction. You can follow us on Instagram @conniecosmetics. Add us on Facebook and email us conniecosmetics@gmail.com
