Local entrepremeur goes after the right shades and tones
Melissa Charles, a self-proclaimed makeup junkie, has always found it hard to find the lipstick colors she wanted to wear. Right now, she’s partial to wearing forest green, a color not easily found in your local pharmacy or even at big name stores.
Fed up of having a limited lipstick color arsenal, she decided to start a business and make it easier to find and buy untraditional lip colo
r hues.
After two years of market research, the official launch of her lipstick and lip liner brand Miel (French for honey) is Dec. 1.
She works with a Canadian manufacturer who makes the lipsticks and lipliners for her. They have high pigmentation and don’t contain any alcohol, perfume or parabens.
A makeup artist, she says even if she doesn’t have the color a client or buyer is looking for, she’s willing to have it made for them.
“I don’t want to just sell lipstick, I want to give a service to my customer. To help them find the right lipstick for them so they can wear it with confidence,” she said.
As a Black woman, she said it was also hard for her to find nude shades of lipstick that matched her skin tone, so her line features those tints as well.
Charles, 28, works at Vanier College in the human resources department and does makeup on the side.
She did her research – she says she was unable to find the kind of green she likes to wear at any pharmacy, department store or makeup store. She used to order the colours she wanted (greens, blues, nudes) online from the United States or Europe until she realized there must be others like her looking for more offbeat colours in Montreal. She also offers classic colours such as reds and pinks.
She says she believes lipstick should be a statement piece – the centre of attraction of someone’s makeup. She does makeup for weddings, prom and parties and tested out colours on her clients, who liked the different looks, she says.
It costs $14.50 for a regular lipstick and $16 for a liquid matte, and they will be sold online only starting Dec. 1 on the website miellipsticks.com. No shipping costs apply for those living in the Greater Montreal Area.
Also on December 1, Montrealers are invited to Miel Lipstick Launch Party at 10231 Papineau (cor. Fleury) between 5:30 and 7:30 PM. Lots of giveaways, music and fun.
Information at www.meillipsticks.com or Info @meillipsticks.com
