Welcome back all, yet again another cosmetic review for the make up fiends.
As most of you on my facebook page know, I am involved in a group called MMUL Part Duex (Mineral Makeup Lovers) and I have met some pretty amazing women on there. Some whom I can call my friends. But one cool thing about the group is some of the women personally sell pigments and have their own companies. This is where I can across Kimberly or as her friends/fans call her "Ber." She is a beautiful, talented woman. Whom I am excited I got the pleasure to meet.
She runs her own business through facebook and Etsy, called Rock A Betty Beauty. She offers high quality and bright colored pigments. :) I actually inquired her with interest to have her in my blog. :) She happily agreed.
I went ahead and ordered the Blogger Sampler which is 5 "Lid Lusters" (shadows) and a "Pinup Powder" for $2.25 plus shipping, which is a pretty freaking amazing deal! I was quite impressed with the packaging, the colors and the overall application. Everything came quick and neatly packaged. I was quite impressed. :)
Packaging is neat and very cute, love the popcorn style bag. :)
I love how bright and vibrant all the colors are.
Even came with a mini brush to apply your makeup. :) Cute business cards too.
I was most impressed with how easy the colors went on, the color really stayed. No glitter fallout and the colors really POPPED! :)
All colors are swatched WET over Madd Style's "Awesome Sauce" eye primer.
Beautiful and vibrant colors, easy application with little to no effort.
I really love all the names she uses for her pigments. :) Very cute.
Now I love for people to have the chance of getting to know the seller on a personal level before making decisions, so I asked Kimberly to fill out a Q&A about herself and her company, which is regular here on OCB :) Please take the time to read, and I hope it persuades you in the right direction.
Here is what Rock a Betty Beauty had to say:
What is the link and name for your shop/Etsy account:
RockABetty Beauty
http://www.RockABettyBeauty.Etsy.com
Could you please explain a little about yourself and include any messages you would like to add?:
My name is Kimberly, but most of you know me as Ber. I am 28 and have a healthy obsession for make up and all things fabulous. If you had asked me 10 years ago what I would be doing at 28, I never could have imagined this, but what an amazing journey it has been to get to this point in my life. I have had a love of the arts since I was a child, and always knew that I would do something 'creative' as an adult, I just didn't know what it would be. In 8th grade I earned a scholarship to a local art school and ended up taking a semester of college art classes the summer before my freshman year. After high school I had dreams of becoming a foreign war correspondent and went to school for a degree in Journalism. But life had other plans for me. I ended up getting married and having 4 beautiful, amazing children, and I just could not justify the risk involved with that line of work. But even after that, I could not stop being creative, so to speak. I taught Color Guard, I started a jewelry line, I taught myself 'fashion design' and made dresses and bags, all of this leading up to the day I decided to start making my own makeup, and that's what I have been doing ever since.
How long have you been in business for? :
I officially opened for (online) business in February 2010, but spent the better part of 2009 educating myself on all aspects of cosmetic creation, as well as product development and testing, etc
What type of products do you sell? :
I sell make up and beauty products, mostly consisting of loose eye shadows, blush, and finishing powders, scented body products, and beauty 'helpers,' but I am always working to add more to my line.
Compared to other sellers, what do you think personally makes you stand out? :
I definitely have a niche market. I love the look and feel of the 50's. I love retro, I love rockabilly. Don't get me wrong, I like carrying fun, extravagant shades, but I have a passion for the perfect 'staples' - those neutrals, highlighters, and liners that are a must have. I am a housewife, a homemaker, a stay at home mom - I understand the classics, and I think that that really appeals to my customers. I also believe that everyone has a right to feel beautiful, and to feel good about themselves, and I really hope that shows through in my products.
When did you first realize you wanted to sell products? :
I actually didn't start making make up with the intent to sell it, I wasn't just looking to go into business or make a quick buck. I started creating because I could not find the perfect shade of black for me. I wanted something bold, I wanted something gold, I wanted something sparkly, and I wanted it to have staying power - I just couldn't find it anywhere. So I decided to make it myself, not knowing a thing about creating cosmetics mind you. I researched everything - ingredients, how to, indie companies, everything. I finally just dived in and bought the materials. I was in Heaven! I could not get enough of learning, creating, and then learning some more. I made about 6 different shades and showed them off to my friends. They begged me to sell the shades to them. One of my best girl friends was so in lust with the products that she suggested I turn it into a business. Things sort of just took off from there. I have a shade that I created just in honor of her. I mean, I wouldn't even be a company if it wasn't for her.
For reference: 'Potty Mouth' is the black shade and 'Kink' is the one in honor of my friend.
How did you first get started? And was it an easy start or difficult? :
I touched on this in the last question, because for me the getting started and the selling aspects are so closely tied. But as far as it being easy? No even close, lol. There is so much involved in just making cosmetics for personal use, but to add in the factor of selling it? There is just so much to do and to know - are your ingredients safe, do you have everything you need, are your products tamper-proof, is everything clean and sterile, are you following FDA guidelines, etc. And that is just the creating part of it, there is so much more that is involved when you add the business part in. And the paperwork, oh my goodness, the paperwork! A good chunk of my days are spent dealing with paperwork alone =]
What advice would you offer to a seller who is looking to or just getting started? :
Know your ingredients, this is so important. I know it can be tempting to just jump into creating cosmetics - you want to make a really fun, unique and colorful product, but you have to be aware of your ingredients. I would say that my top five rules are:
1. Educate yourself on FDA guidelines for cosmetic ingredients, labeling, etc. And research any ingredient that you are considering using and make sure that it is cosmetic grade, and where it can be used on the body.
2. Research suppliers! Yes, there is a big cosmetic supplier out there that we are all familiar with, but there are some amazing lesser-known suppliers out there too.
3. While you're at it, educate yourself in running a business. Don't be afraid to pick up a book on business, even if it's just 'Business for Dummies.' You will be so glad that you did.
4. Don't forget to set your wholesale prices before you set your retail prices, this is very important! And don't undersell your product or your work - remember that time is valuable too.
5. Never stop learning! You can always do better, you can always be better and there is always new information to be discovered. In a sense, Research, Research, Research!
What is the best thing about your fans? :
What can I say about my Bettys, except for the fact that they are amazing and I could not ask for a better group of people to share this part of my life with. They are so patient and so loyal, and they stand behind me and my product. I also have to say that they are very smart and very active in taking care of themselves. They want to know what is in their products, they want to know if the products are safe, they want to know that they can trust me, and I commend them for this. They are also really involved in my business - they love to ask questions and know what is going on. I try to make myself available to them as much as possible to answer questions, do fun activities like contests and giveaways, and sometimes even just to talk. I will say this, and your readers can take it how they may... Customers, please educate yourselves on ingredients and product safety. Check out a brand before you buy - google reviews, complaints, satisfied customers, everything. And do not be afraid to ask questions - this is your money and your body and you always have a right to know about a product before you buy it. And Sellers, when a customer gives you money in exchange for a product, it is the same thing as them saying, "I trust you," (imho). They trust us to know our products and ingredients, to make sure everything is safe, to know if a product is vegan or not, to know that their items will arrive, etc. They trust us with their health, and vision, and in some cases, they even trust us with the safety of their families and friends. And to knowingly violate that trust in any way, is totally unacceptable. Period.
What would you say if you could say one thing personally to your fans? :
RockABetty Beauty would be nowhere without you! It is your love of my products that allows me to do something that I am so passionate about, for a living. I would tell them that I love them, and that I appreciate them, more than they could ever know!
Could you tell us what is in store for your shop in the near future? Do you have any sales or specials coming soon? :
I am always testing out new products and I definitely hope to release them in the near future. A sneak peek of what's in store: Roller ball lip gloss and perfumes, pencil and liquid eyeliners, mascara, nail polish, new eyeshadow collections including, mattes, 'True Blood, and 'Ninja Death Toast,' - just to name a few ;]
Specials: I usually do a Super Sunday sale every Sunday which will save you 40% off your entire order. I also have random sales all the time, so be sure to like our fan page on Facebook, that is where I announce all sales, new products, etc.
Thank you so much, I greatly appreciate you taking the time. I just want to say as a fan “Thank You, and I wish you all of the luck in the world.”
<3
I just want to personally take the time to Thank Kimberly and Rock a Betty Beauty for taking the time to answer these questions and also for doing me the pleasure of having them on the blog. I really hope you ladies enjoyed everything, and I'm sure Kimberly will be excited to see your orders. :) Thank you all, Have a great night
Love Always, Obsessive Compulsive Blogger. <3
(Would you ever buy from Rock a Betty Beauty again? : Yes, I would!)
(Would you recommend them to your friends?: I would!!)
(How do you rate you overall expirence?: 10/10)
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