We recently connected with Asia Perry and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Asia , thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I started my business like most people during the pandemic. Not because I had nothing to do with idle time, but for the simple reason that I was sick of losing my lipgloss. Not only did I find myself taking a trip to the local beauty supply every two weeks to replace a lipgloss I just bought, but I also hated the way my lips felt when I had to constantly apply more. Something told me to look at the ingredients of what I was applying on my lips. And because I couldn’t pronounce a single word that was on the label, I finally called it quits. Just like how tik tok has became every one’s how to manual for a lot of things, I took my talents to YouTube. I studied and researched not only how to make lipgloss that was safe and manageable to make but also creating a product that makes a person lips feel moisturized and good. Not only did I feel as if this business was more than a hobby and easy/affordable to start up, I began to see that the beauty industry is a lifestyle. I knew that my product would be a necessity for others who take pride in their skincare. A lot of times when you think about makeup or lipgloss even, you think about high end products such as MAC or Maybeline. But! What about the everyday girl who can’t afford high end makeup on a daily basis? My product is made especially for everyday girls. My goal is to make them feel good and look good without breaking the bank and knowing what ingredients are in their product. Our products are vegan friendly and cruelty free. We only use natural oils and scents that not only trap moisture but soften those lips to make them feel and look kissable. From there, we have expanded into cosmetics and skincare selling products such as body butters, lipscrub, body scrubs, and facial toners. We have been in business for 3 years and is excited to see what the future holds!

Asia , 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?

I am a 23 year old girl who was born in raised in the city of Detroit. Detroit is depicted as the city of crime, but what people may not know is that we are the city of hustlers. I started my business in 2020 not knowing that a hobby could turn into something that will help other businesses and entrepreneurs. Starting out, I created lipglosses for everyday women who were tired of spending their money on high end brands, not knowing what they were using or putting in their bodies. My goal is to tell people that you can achieve the look you want in a natural way. In my three years of business, I have stopped and started several times. I didn’t believe in myself and life has a way of changing things unexpectedly. But, consistency is key! I knew that God wouldn’t give me this vision if it wasn’t supposed to happen. I began to become consistent which led me into creating more products in skincare such as body butters, body scrub and lip care to venturing out to makeup and adding more cosmetics to my brand. I do not inspire to be like other brands. I aspire to be me. I want my lover baes to feel that they can only be them and to be confident.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Just last year in 2022 my life changed for the worse, but in reality it was for the better. I lost my job in June 2022 which left me with no money to pay for bills and a host of car troubles. I also fell into a deep depression from previous childhood trauma in which stopped me in tracks due to unresolved feelings. I came down with a severe ear infection which bed ridden me for a month in which I lost a significant amount of weight. All while I was in the process of graduating from college and finishing out my last semester. I tried the best I could with creating content and making product, but I generated no sales. It was a very hard time in my life, but I knew that I would have to take it day by day and focus on one thing at a time.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

During the time that I lost my job, I went job hunting everyday while finding little to no luck. Everyday I tried posting about my business in hopes that I would generate 1 sale but had no luck. I kept playing the cards that I was dealt. I never gave up completely on my business because I knew what came with entrepreneurship. For a while I started to give up on myself and starting crawling down a dark whole. Thought out the process, I still kept my business in my mind which helped me get through the tough times.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://etsy.me/3GUU9Z3
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/_xocosmetics?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/THEXOCOSMETICS?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits
@prolific.vvisuals