Prom is supposed to be a joyous moment in a teenager's life. An opportunity to dress up and celebrate the transition into adulthood.
For Kim Roxie, prom preparation was a defining moment in her life.
Kim’s story began when she went to a local department's store beauty counter to have her makeup professionally done for the big night. Instead of feeling excited, Roxie was devastated.
The result was, in Kim’s words, "ashy and ghostly.” The store's products didn’t enhance her dark skin tone or match her complexion. At that moment, a light bulb went off in her head.
"It started from there for me, this realization that the beauty industry needs to do better," Kim said. "When brands don't make colors for all skin tones, there are saying I don't fit in. I'm not beautiful enough to even bother making products for. So, I knew I wanted to create something for me and others."
With this insight as her north star, Kim began her quest to offer an inclusive makeup experience for all skin tones and shades.
During college, Kim worked behind the counter for a leading beauty brand and soon became a top salesperson. Upon graduation, she opened her own beauty boutique which she operated for over a decade. With her industry expertise and understanding of what women are seeking in beauty, Kim came full circle and launched her own beauty tech-enabled brand LAMIK Beauty, determined to bring clean and inclusive products to the industry.
We talked to Kim about the origins of LAMIK, the deeply-rooted inequities in the beauty industry, and how LAMIK became the first black-owned clean beauty brand on Ulta.com.
Watch the entire interview here.
Kim Roxie, Founder of LAMIK Beauty, with her daughter Loretta.
Enthuse Foundation (EF): Thank you, Kim, for joining us. Tell us about LAMIK Beauty.
Kim Roxie, Founder, LAMIK Beauty (KR): LAMIK Beauty is an acronym for Love and Makeup in Kindness. LAMIK is a clean, non-toxic makeup line. When I say non-toxic, I'm talking about it from the inside to the outside. Inside, we're thoughtful about the ingredients we use. That's what clean means to me, being more thoughtful and transparent so people can make the best decisions because so many of us have skin issues. But, on top of that, it's also about the outside. Growing up a dark-skinned woman made me realize local makeup products did not insinuate my skin tone or match my complexion.
EF: How did you know you wanted to be in the beauty industry?
KR: I got a job at a makeup counter, just as a job, no real intent behind it. In my senior year, I was trying to figure out what I would do after graduation. I was the top sales producer, and my manager said, 'You should open your own makeup shop. You love it. You can do it.' Back home in Houston, there's no makeup store that celebrates our complexions and has makeup for everybody. So, I decided, why not open a makeup shop in Houston and did that.
EF: Does the makeup store still exist in Houston? Did you close it down?
KR: I closed it down to launch LAMIK. We did that in March 2020, which was excellent timing. I wanted to make it easier for people to buy makeup online. When the pandemic hit, it just accelerated the behavior of people to go online to feel comfortable buying makeup, and that's what we've been doing for the past two years.
EF: You discussed the need for cleaner, more wholesome ingredients and products. Does this equally impact people of all backgrounds and races? Or does it disproportionately impact one race or another?
KR: Whatever you put on your lips, you eat, you consume. That's why you want to make sure if you're gluten intolerant, you have gluten-free lip products. Disproportionately, 75% of beauty products marketed to women of color are toxic, and that's higher than their counterparts. However, the marketing of toxic products happens to all women. But it's even higher for women of color, and the companies doing this are also not being inclusive. They're not making enough shades. That's why we made history by going on Ulta.com and being the first black-owned clean makeup brand.
EF: You've been very successful at pitch competitions and securing grants. What is your secret, and what tips would you be willing to share with other entrepreneurs?
KR: My network has been instrumental in finding me incredible opportunities. The community is the secret. I've been a part of some pitch competitions where the audience had to vote. Again, I was able to go back to my supporters. I've heard people say we thought about entrepreneurs like you when we developed this program. Then they encourage me to apply. In my head, I think, 'Oh, wow, you had us in mind just based on this journey you've seen me travel.' Also, I would recommend setting up a Google alert on the words 'women entrepreneur.' So, every time something comes out in the news, you can see it. That's just another way of finding out about things to apply.
EF: What do you want people to know about what life is like as a black entrepreneur? How can people become more aware so they can best empower and support you?
KR: I want people to know that they can help lower the difficulty for black women to succeed. I want people to see that they can make a difference and be part of the solution. Open the space for black women to be themselves around you, invite black women into your life, and become friends with us. Don't live a segregated lifestyle.
EF: What does the future look like for you?
KR: There's so much on the horizon. I get butterflies in my stomach thinking about what we have coming up. For instance, distribution is a big deal to us. There's been a campaign for companies to carry more black-owned brands on shelves. And for us, it's breaking those barriers as we did in other places.
Being vulnerable and sharing your story can strengthen your community. If your supporters believe in you, they will fight for your success. People want to help and giving them direction to do so will only grow your business. Read “The Three Cs of Business Storytelling” to help craft your narrative.
Comments