The Ethics of Beauty.

Ethics play a major role in any business. This doesn't just mean fair wages and good working conditions for employees and not scamming your customers, but ethics are at least somewhat involved in every single aspect of running a business.

I feel that it's my duty to make sure that every decision I make for Vexxy is responsible for my customers, community, and environment.

Vexxy Principles:

• All Vegan Products. 100% free of animal cruelty and animal by-products.
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. I only use recycled paper in my office, and recycle it again when I'm done. I will offer discounts to people who choose to return empty jars so they can be sterilized and used again. I will always opt for a more environmentally friendly option whenever given the choice. Even when it comes to oil use and toxic emissions from overseas shipping, which brings me to...
• Made in USA. I personally manufacture all of Vexxy's products in my home office in Spartanburg, SC. I do my absolute best to only use components that are also made in America to keep our money in our country and help stimulate the local economy. Some of my materials (particularly some minerals that are only found in certain parts of the world) must come from outside the US, but I do my best to keep these to a bare minimum.
• High Quality, Good Deal. I am only interested in offering the highest quality products at the lowest reasonable price. My pigments are jam packed with color and absolutely no unnecessary fillers. I'm out to offer makeup counter quality at drugstore prices (most prices averaging out to about $5!).
• Zero Tolerance for Judgement. I am an avid supporter of GLBTIQ rights (that's gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, intersex, and queer/questioning). If your views don't coincide with mine, that is perfectly fine and I respect your beliefs and opinions. However, Vexxy will always be a safe haven for all men and women alike. If you were born as a biological male (or something in between), I want you feel secure purchasing from Vexxy whether you are transgendered, intersex, cross dressing, transsexual, or even just a fan of some hot guyliner. By the way, manly men: Eyeliner on guys is wicked hot. Just look at Nikki Sixx. In fact, I may have to do another blog dedicated to guyliner... I will also offer a "Discreet Shipping" option if you don't want to advertise that you're getting makeup delivered to your door.
• No Peer Pressure. Women are bombarded daily to be sexier, thinner, smarter, etc. You're just not cool if you don't dye your hair or wear the right shoes or get that perfect smoky eye. Men are also being pressured into sporting six pack abs and a full head of hair. Even working in the cosmetics industry, this infuriates me and I will not condone that kind of behavior. Makeup is about self expression and about making YOU happy. If you are in love with the color blue, throw some on your eyes. Don't do it because the magazines tell you to.
• Seriously, the Customer Comes First. If you're not happy, then I'm not happy. It's as simple as that. I will do everything in my power to keep my customers satisfied and coming back to me. I will always do whatever it takes to answer questions and ship orders as promptly as possible. Refunds and exchanges are totally cool with me. If you have a gripe, we'll talk it out. You can feel secure ordering from me knowing you'll be taken care of.

I want my products to make you feel good inside and out.

What's the Hold Up??

I already have my plan of attack; I've been ready for months- So what's taking so long for this grand opening???


Money, naturally. Vexxy is a one-woman show, and I want to keep it that way, even financially. I don't need investors or a loan; I just need a little more time to raise some capital on my own. I was set to go a few months back, but I got sick and had to leave work. Everything I had saved up then went to medical bills (by the way, my new least favorite word is "deductible") and basic living expenses. Now I'm back to square one, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. I'm back at work, and even got a second job to boot. I wish I could say this means I could stock up on materials with my next check, but the truth is that it's going to take me a while to get back on my feet. I should be back on my old budgeting routine in a few weeks, but then I also have some medical bills to pay off as well. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a soft opening in two to three months, but I just can't make any promises. Since I've eaten up all my savings, another medical emergency or car troubles or a number of things could set me back again.

However, there is a reason they say that good things come to those who wait. This is my passion, and nothing will stop me from realizing my dream. When life gives you lemons, you throw them right back and tell life to suck it. People will tell you stay positive when you're troubled, but I disagree. I say you have to stay fierce. An insurance company can't take away your brass knuckles. So I can't open Vexxy's doors just yet; it will be all that much more badass when I do.

VIP Access!

So just what exactly does Vexxy's Backstage Pass have to offer? Think of it as a backstage pass at a concert. You get a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet the band and have all your questions answered. You get a glimpse of what life is like on the road, the inner workings of a busy tour.

Vexxy's Backstage Pass offers you VIP Access to all the behind the scenes happenings.

Be the first to know. Be the first to receive updates on new products and special offers before they hit Facebook, Twitter, Etsy, or any other media.

Are you experienced? Find out what it takes to manufacture cosmetics and start your own small business.

Learn from my mistakes. Life is full of ups and downs and no business owner can claim to be perfect. The trick is to learn from your mistakes and let them roll off your back. Hopefully you can learn from my whoopsies and prepare for them in your own endeavours.

Peek into my insecurities. You heard that right. Starting your own business leaves you wide open and vulnerable to judgement and failure. You have to know, without any doubt, that you have what it takes to succeed. But you can't always know that every single move you make is the right one. Never before have I seen a business owner admit to their fears publicly, but now you all can have the chance to know what brews in the mind of an entrepreneur.

So take a seat, get comfy, and enjoy the show!

A Proper Introduction.

I'm Rebecca Williams, the owner of Vexxy Cosmetics. There's about a ninety-nine percent chance you've never heard of my company, because it doesn't quite exist just yet. Making cosmetics has been a hobby of mine for quite some time, and now I'm working towards sharing my creations with the world. But you'll see more on that later.

I'm twenty-four years old, from a very small town near Spartanburg, South Carolina. I have a wildly artistic temprament, and have always known that one day I will have to use that as an avenue to be my own boss. That day hasn't come yet, but hopefully in the not-so-distant future I'll be reporting on this very blog that I am working for myself full time, once and for all.

I am addicted to color. Period. Sometimes I try to simplify my hobbies and passions and refer to myself as an artist, but I never can quite pin down exactly what it is that I do as an artist. I do all sorts of odd crafts and mosaics and collages and painting and faux finishing and tweaking and customizing and so on, and so on. So yes, the long and short of it is just this: I am a color junkie. I have to have it in my life, I have to be surrounded by it, and I have to have complete control over it. Everything that surrounds me must be aesthetically pleasing to my tastes. My clothes, my hair, my makeup, my house, my garden, my art, my everything!

Working with cosmetics allows me limitless options in playing with colors. Whenever I get a new shipment of my lovely ingredients, I can't help but lock myself in my office for two or three days and experiment with new colors and finishes. Soon it will be time to unveil my precious little Frankenstien creations and share my joy and passion with the world. I only hope that enough people will appreciate my work half as much as I do so I can continue to finance my addiction and realize the classic American dream: working a job that I actually, truly love.

Jargon.

Here's a quick little glossary of terms you might notice me using in future posts.

Vegan - Everything I make is 100% cruelty free. This means no animal testing on my end, no animal testing on any ingredients in my products, and no animal products or by-products. Popular animal by-products used in cosmetics include carmine, lanolin, and beeswax.

Base - Mixture of basic ingredients used to form a product (eyeshadow base, lipstick base, etc.) before adding colorants and additives.

Colorant - Powder or liquid pigments used to color a product. Colorants must be mixed with a base and other ingredients before they are to be used on the skin.

Additives - Additional ingredients used in products to improve specific characteristics, e.g. adhesion, texture, and shelf life.

Fillers - Transparent additives that offer no substantial improvement to the product. These are used by some cosmetic companies to "stretch" a color and save money. Colorants are expensive, and the more colorants you use in a product, the more expensive it is to make. Fillers are used to give a product the same appearance as a more highly pigmented product, but the quality is significantly exacerbated by the addition of fillers. I do not use fillers in any of my products.

In the Beginning...

Welcome to my brand spankin' new blog! It's all about my journey towards making my dreams come true. I've been making my own cosmetics for a while now, and soon it will be time to share them with the world. If you want to know what it's like to make cosmetics and start your own business, then stay tuned to get the inside scoop.