Meet the Maker: Mix Cosmetiques
Lanae Rhoads of Mix Cosmetiques!
I started making skincare (soaps and lotions) in 2005 after I had been fighting with my skin for years. A friend gave me some handmade, goat’s milk soap from a farmer’s market and it changed my life. Within a week my skin was cleared up and within a couple months I thought, “If they can make it so can I”. I was off and running and haven’t slowed down since. If you can imagine a cosmetic or body care product I probably make it or am in the process of trying to make it. The journey into making natural, mineral makeup began in 2012. It started with frustration. Perhaps the same frustration you feel. I couldn’t find the right eyeshadow color. Ten thousand shades and none were right for me. How is that possible? I tend to be that person who thinks if I can’t find the right thing I will just make it myself. When I looked at the ingredients in eyeshadow I realized they were the same pigments I used to color my soap. Well, if I already had the ingredients nothing is stopping me from trying it for myself. So I did! And I made the right color! The formula was terrible, at first. It was sticky and didn’t blend, then it crept into my crease halfway through the day, but I had begun!
What do you love about the medium you work in?
I love a new challenge and the joy of creating a product that is truly useful. I am very picky about the ingredients I choose; they have to be safe for skin, sustainably sourced and highly functional. Cosmetic products should be pleasing to all your senses: beautiful to look at, delightful to smell, a joy to use and make you feel better for the using. Creating a product that fits all of these demanding criteria gives me deep fulfillment.
If you could offer any advice to other creatives who are just starting out, what would you say?
Do what you love and be true to your calling. Don't let the distraction of seeing someone who might be doing "better" than you pull you away from what you are meant to do.
What are the best ways for people to support you right now?
Anytime people make a purchase directly from my website or at my retail location 10% of all proceeds go to funding cosmetic education and women owned startups in Uganda through the Uganda Partnership.
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