How I Started Antonio Cosmetics.
To my memory, there hasn't been a time in my teen years where makeup was not at the centre of my existence. I watched beauty tutorial after beauty tutorial, taking it all in subconsciously, until applying a full face with contour, cut crease eyeshadow and winged eyeliner became my second nature.
After wearing makeup for a few years, I decided to take on a more natural approach, swapping the contour for bronzer, and reducing the eye makeup. I also favoured a more dewy skin base, and what better matched this new transition than a shiny clear lip gloss, bringing it all together. I kind of became synonymous with excessive lip gloss and was rarely seen without it, when I found it was my favourite makeup product.
I saw influencers online creating their own beauty products and selling them, which gave me the idea to do the same. Once I learnt how to actually create lip gloss at home I ordered the ingredients, tools and packaging to get started as soon as possible.
In the process, I would also keep my social media accounts updated with stories of me mixing concoctions up and tweets about the expected launch date. I created my website and released the products with a limited range of 2 shades in the very beginning. Once I received a small business investment, I bought more stock and expanded the production process and the shade range. I kept up to date with social media and was consistently promoting my brand to new audiences in different countries.
I kept updating my product range and found ways to change things up so that the brand could constantly expand. I hosted giveaways in the beginning as a way to interact on social media and spread the word about my brand. It was important to find something unique in my products that stood out from others, because small makeup businesses were becoming more popular, especially in 2020. The scent and the consistency of my products are what most customers recognised and appreciated, along with the packaging.
When starting a small business, the focus is on reaching as many customers as possible and finding ways to stand out. But also making sure that the products are of a good quality so that customers have a nice impression of the brand. I created my business around something which I've been excited about for years and also what I've been known for and associated with. This makes it more rewarding when you get to put all of your time and energy into developing the business.
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