You might have heard about guilt-free, cruelty-free, vegan makeup brand Mellow Cosmetics if you’re an avid Shaaanxo fan, or keep up with the Beauty Obsessives group on Facebook.
What inspired you to start Mellow Cosmetics?
My son!
It’s always been my passion to work in the Fashion industry working with gorgeous designer clothing and makeup, I also knew I wanted to run my own business in this industry when the situation was right. I worked in retail while doing my Business Degree for a number of years and absolutely enjoyed it, every day is always different but once I had my son I was determined to work for myself and do what I love to do!
One day I was watching one of Shaaanxo ’s Youtube Makeup tutorials and also thinking about what I want to do for the rest of my life Voila! Mellow came into my mind! There it was, it just felt so right!
Why did you decide to create a natural cosmetics line?
After doing my research I realised that our target market is more interested in using Cruelty Free, Vegan and Paraben Free products so I decided to do just that!
I went on a search to find manufacturers and labs who do not test products on animals and only would provide me with vegan and paraben free formulas and I found just the right ones! Our products are not 100% natural, but we strive to cut out the nasties from my makeup line, and are moving towards more mineral based formulas with every new release.
Is it more difficult to create a product that’s natural as opposed to synthetic?
Yes it is! It is much more complicated to create a natural product which lasts and meets customer expectations set by synthetic products. Natural products are also more expensive to produce than synthetic products.
The colours in your lip range are absolutely beautiful and so wearable; what sort of research goes into choosing a colour range?
I love to be creative with my colours, and sometimes had to mix a number of pigments to get exactly what I wanted for each shade. Creating the colours is one of the toughest parts of the process as you want to create colours that people really lust after. They have to be trendy, but still wearable. I spend hours researching and running through Fashion websites and magazines to keep up with what’s fresh in fashion, so I can provide just that to my consumers at a great price point.
Are some colours more difficult to perfect than others?
Absolutely! The lighter, more vibrant colours are easier to perfect and get the correct pigment and consistency. The darker colours need a lot more attention and more pigment during production to avoid them going patchy on application. It’s all about wearability.
Why should someone consider adding natural products into their regime?
Although most people don’t realize it, their favourite skin care products can be significant contributors of harmful ingredients, toxins and chemicals and our body acts like a sponge, everything we put on our skin gets absorbed, so the sooner we stop using harmful skin care and makeup the better, but again the fact is, no one really knows how certain chemicals affect us over time, or how they react in our bodies in combination.
What does your personal beauty and skincare routine involve?
I use the Aspect day and night cream religously along with the anti-aging serum and eye cream from the same line as they are free from some harmful chemicals and bleaches which a lot of skincare lines include.
I try not to wear foundation too often unless there is a special occasion, as my skin doesn’t react to it too well if I wear it too often. When I do I use Dior Forever medium cover foundation.
My daily makeup routine involves putting my day cream on, drawing my brows on, a winged eyeliner, mascara and lipstick, using my own products.
Do you have any handy tips for keeping your skin hydrated during long haul flights?
Moisturising your face, neck, eye area, lips during your flight definitely helps, but a good trick is to use primer after you moisturise your face and neck, this minimises the pores on your skin and keeps it hydrated for longer, I avoid using foundation during the flight as it can dry your skin even more.
Drinking lots of water always helps to keep your whole body hydrated, don’t wait for them to bring you water, keep asking for it!
You’re stranded on an island – what 3 beauty products do you have for ‘survival’?
I would definitely take my skin moisturiser as I have a very dry skin and would not survive a day without it, I would also take my brow pencil so I could draw on my eyebrows, use it as an eyeliner and on my lips too since brown lipsticks are so trendy right now!
I would take my mascara as I would not wear eyeliner without my mascara and plus it always enhances my eye and extends my lashes.
We saw that Shaaanxo recently reviewed your lip sticks & liquid lip paint – we love her! Which beauty vloggers/bloggers do you follow?
I love her too! She is so down to earth and stunning, I’ve been following her for a few years and she is a true inspiration! Would love to meet her in person one day! I follow about 10-15 Vloggers, but I would definitely say my top ones are Shaaanxo, Desi Perkins, Jaclyn Hill, Chloe Morello and Lauren Curtis. Absolutely in love with them. I mean all the other ones I follow are fabulous too but these ladies are the top of my list.
Which one Mellow Cosmetics product would you recommend to someone who wants to change up their makeup routine for winter?
Our Liquid Lip Paints, they are just gorgeous in every way! The colours are so vibrant, pigmented, velvety and creamy. We have added Vitamin E to keep the moisture on the lips even though they are matte. New York as it is my absolute favourite dark burgandy colour for any winter look, I sometimes wear it with no other makeup and it still gives me a sharp edgy look for winter and I love it.
What exciting new launches can we expect from Mellow Cosmetics in the next wee while?
I have been working on some brow products over the past year and they are currently in production, I can’t wait for the launch in September! An amazing eyeshadow palette will also be launched at the same time and I am so excited for this one.
I have also started working on the products I want to launch next year which include highlighters, contour palettes and lip liners.
