What started as my temporary side hustle in my senior year of high school, accidentally, but fortunately became my full time career before I graduated. Growing up, I always had an admiration for Business, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship. Both my Immigrant Parents are business owners, including my Grandpa (may he rest in peace), and my God Father, so I guess you can say it has been in the family for a long time.
Knowing my love for Business, Beauty, & Self Care I constantly longed for a business idea or plan to pop up out of thin air since 2017. It's 2019, I was sitting in my AP Psychology class and that's exactly what happened. "I want to start my own cosmetic line." I came to this conclusion after learning that some of the biggest makeup brands in the beauty industry were born in an apartment, garage, or bedroom.. When I told my friends at the time, they didn't think much of it, but OH BOY did I want it BAD. So I worked my ass off my 9-5 job as a salesperson, studied cosmetology formulas, equations, business laws online, and invested damn-near all my paycheck money into my business. Eventually, my Strict, Mexican -- but caring -- parents caught on to the piles of packages being delivered to our apartment and interrogated me. They thought I was being reckless, and not smart. "College First, then Business Mija." I didn't listen, or obey their wishes when they told me to save my money and not spend it on an idea that may not even be profitable, which I totally get but I was immensely excited about formulating my own cosmetics in-house & It started with Lip Gloss.
I have Dry Sensitive Skin and I had only started moisturizing my lips in junior year and saw the biggest difference in my lip's appearance. I literally thought I had small lips, but because my lips were always so dry and crusty, restoring hydration to my lips for the first time in Junior Year 2019, a simple ass lip treatment rejuvenated and plumped my lips back to health. I was happy to know I had full lips, so happy that even people thought I got lip filler. But all I did was treat my dry lips. However, as I was learning how to do my make up, I could never for the life of me find a non-sticky hydrating gloss that wouldn't turn my lips foamy white or where I'd feel the icky thick texture. This is also around the time I was product testing competitor products.
Here was the issue... If it said High Shine, I'd experience a thick 'no-good-do-nothing' gloss. If it said 'Made with Coconut' it would smell like chemicals. If it said 'Hydrating' the ingredients list was confusing af, and contained harmful chemicals that would dry out lips. SO-- my Solution was to birth a Shiny, Non-Sticky, Smooth, Hydrating, Coconut Infused, Fruity Smelling, Lightweight, Vegan & Cruelty Free Formula that Nourishes, Protects, & Treats Dry Sensitive Lips. Thus, the Dry Lip Killer Lip Glosses were Born!
I sold my products to my friends before we went on break and then created my first TikTok ever during my high school Winter Break. At the strike of 2:33am, my TikTok Video went Viral.
After break, I started selling products to more students, friends, even teachers and proudly showed my parents the engagement and thousand of messages I was receiving from people all around the world wanting to buy my product. Long Story Short, I eventually made more income than my 9-5, decided to quit my job, and pursue Audacity Cosmetics Full-Time.
I turned 18, January 8th, and the following week, I registered Audacity Cosmetics in the state of California as an LLC in my Marketing Class with my Marketing Teacher. A Moment I'll never forget that forever changed my lifestyle.
