We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michelle Hicks a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Michelle, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I started my makeup career in the ’90s as a makeup artist and sales representative for Prescriptives in Dillards. This is where the love of beauty and beautifying began. Transforming young ladies for Prom and Homecoming or ladies being illuminated for their evening out brought joy to me.

Yellow Rose was initially launched as a full makeup line created by me for retail online and presented at vendor events. The vendor events allowed me to meet so many beautiful and inspiring women which shifted Yellow Rose into educating women on how to apply their makeup and teaching proper skin care by hosting makeup classes once a month in the year of 2019. We all love to dress up or look beautiful with a hint of makeup here and there but not all of us know how. My classes taught the everyday woman how to illuminate her own inner glow.

Michelle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a licensed Esthetician and Educator. I have not only practiced as an Esthetician I also taught and trained students in becoming licensed as well. I own Yellow Rose Cosmetics which was established, November of 2018 by way of spiritual guidance. I love to empower women and motivate them to love and believe in themselves the way God loves and believes in them. God provided me this platform to minister freely to women by way of uplifting and edifying them through beauty.

My company manufactures makeup and facial cleansing products for the everyday woman that allows them to feel comfortable applying their makeup and safely caring for their skin. Unlike my competition, I want to fully educate women on how to cater to their makeup and skincare needs without spending $1000 of dollars, we empower to Empower by illuminating from the inside!

My products are available nationwide online for purchase.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When I first began selling my products at a vendor event, I only sold false eyelashes. I was so excited to be asked to vendor at a hotel event. I stayed up all night preparing the products, designing my vendor table and setting up my staff. I arrived at the location extremely excited and hopeful that Yellow Rose was going to sell out. I literally sold 2 lashes that 8 hour day but instead of feeling defeated I went to the drawing board, studied, researched and enhanced my cosmetic line with that would cater to the everyday woman. Once it was established I entered the vendor world again and became successful at each event with line I had created but most importantly it allowed me to speak with soo many woman hearing their wants and needs which lead to starting the makeup classes.

Have you ever had to pivot?

With any endeavor, there is challenge, distraction, and even disruption. Starting this line for solely retail purposes and then shifting it to providing makeup classes and services came with the challenge of finding time. At the time, I was working in corporate as well participating in vendor events… As Yellow Rose began to grow, the demand for makeup services also began to grow. I was blessed to be the makeup company and artist for a TV Series called “Daddy We’re Back” airing on Glewed TV vs soon as well as short film documentaries. This created a tug between my corporate career and what I consider my “calling”. I eventually quit corporate to pursue my calling full time in 2020 and COVID hit. Needless to say, makeup became null and void due to mask, and the need for services were also stopped due to businesses being closed and customers having nowhere to go. So, I took a financial hit, clientele had faded leaving me with a studio salon and no clients. I shifted to skincare and began uplifting, edifying, and illuminating clients through facials.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.yellowrosecos.com
• Instagram: @Yellowrosecosmetic
• Facebook: @yellowrosecos
• Youtube: Yellow Rose Cosmetics