We recently connected with Michelle Sherman and have shared our conversation below.
Michelle , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?
Our original name was BombeBeautyCo (everything crunched up just like that). I knew I wanted ‘Bomb’ in the name somewhere because I thought my makeup looked bomb. In Baltimore, Bomb means top notch, exquisite, the best. Later down the line I decided to change again to The Bombe Beauty Co and finally Seaux Bombe Makeup Artistry. I came up with that because I noticed suddenly every beauty page on Instagram had “beauty co” on the end. Seaux Bombe Makeup Artistry came from a running joke with my brand of using french phonetics including adding an “E” to Bomb to sound fancy. Like a vocal representation of a pinky up. In addition to my makeup being bomb, I thought this brand should be a love letter to the Black American women. Shoutout to the Caribbean and African girls, but it’s time we celebrate our own unique, complicated, dark, innovative, and trendsetting beauty. We’re all bombe.
Michelle , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Our products are made with Black women in mind, because we believe Black beauty deserves to be celebrated, elevated, and unapologetically prioritized. From our product performance to the safe space we’ve cultivated, we’re here to challenge the philosophy of aesthetics and rewrite the rules of beauty.
Seaux Bombe is where beauty meets boldness, self-expression, and a little bit of magic. Makeup has always been a form of art for me—a canvas for creativity. What started as an obsession with YouTube makeup tutorials turned into a passion for understanding the science behind cosmetics. By June 2019, I was all-in, leaving the 9-to-5 grind behind and diving into the beauty world headfirst.
I wasn’t just interested in making lip gloss; I wanted to know what made it work. That curiosity grew into a full-blown love affair with cosmetic formulation during the pandemic, leading me to create my own unique formulas that actually deliver.
Today, Seaux Bombe is a fusion of makeup products and client services that empowers Black women to embrace their authentic selves. We’re all about reimagining beauty standards, educating you on the ingredients in the products you love, and inspiring you to break free from the mold. Seaux Bombe isn’t just a brand—it’s a movement.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
In 2019/20 people were creating all kinds of businesses. A lot of the businesses I remember doing pop up events with and for are no longer running. The owners said they weren’t making money, or didn’t have the capital to invest in it any longer. There were so many times, I just didn’t have it. Closing down my business has crossed my mind a plethora of times. I tried going back to the 9-5 grind and no matter how bad I tried to not work on my business, there was a voice that kept telling me to keep going or keep trying. Even when I felt defeated and discouraged. Thats nothing but God.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I feel like I am just getting to a point where I can robustly answer this question. At first my socials for Seaux Bombe were so dry and impersonal. Then I bought an ebook that uncovered something I never put into perspective: A brand voice and personality. She made solid points like every major brand in the U.S. has a brand personality (like when Wendy’s or Popeyes clapback at each other on Twitter). I had to get to a point with my brand where we felt educational, and professional but also like a contemporary. That’s true marketing. Not only understanding your audience but also doing/saying/interested in the same things as them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.seauxbombe.com
- Instagram: seauxbombe
- Twitter: seauxbombe
- Other: TikTok: @seauxbombe
