How Yazmae Cosmetics Built Their Fabulous Eyelash Business

‘About the Town’ loves to celebrate local successes, so when we met Jay, one of the two 22-year-old entrepreneurs from Ormskirk behind the brand Yazmae Cosmetics, we couldn’t resist sitting down and getting behind the scenes of how they built their fabulous eyelash business!

Jay, thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us!  Tell me, where did the idea of Yazmae come from?  

My business partner and I, Ste Yates, had previously worked as assistant buyers for a large fashion retailer who asked us to research some information about eyelashes and cosmetics.  I didn’t realise there were so many options, and choosing the right material was key.  We spent a long time researching the right suppliers, and really learning as much as possible about the eyelash industry.  We eventually left the company we worked for and decided to set up on our own, retailing eyelashes, and offering people the chance to set up their own businesses. 

Wow, big jump from being employed to becoming entrepreneurs!  That takes a lot, how did you begin?

I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur; I’d had a few businesses in various industries previously.  When we started Yazmae Cosmetics, we knew where we were going to buy the stock from, that’s probably one of the biggest things – your product has to be top quality.  We then needed to find an investor to give us the financial backing to start up.  Through a family connection we met someone who was interested.  We put everything on the line and, luckily for us, he took us up on our offer.  We already had a website that we’d been working on, and we found a unit in Burscough for our warehouse, so it was pretty straight forward from there.

How did you get people to learn about your products?

We started on Instagram, and over a period of three months we messaged many micro influencers and gave away over two hundred units of our product.  We began with a small product line of five different 3D Mink lashes, but soon added another three Silk, and more recently added an eyelash serum to our line.  We’ve had the business for a year and a half now and it’s going really well.  We sell mostly wholesale, to make up artists and such.  But we also sell single units on our website, as well as offering people the chance to become and Yazmae Ambassador!  

What advice would you give a young person like yourself wanting to start a new business?

I would say persistence is key – you need to just keep going no matter what.  As I’ve mentioned, I had a few businesses before this.  It’s trial and error and learning from each experience is the way to grow as a young entrepreneur.  Step outside your own bubble, believe in your ability to create something better and go for what you want.

To find out more, to become and Ambassador, or to purchase some of your own Yazmae Cosmetics products, please visit: www.yazmaecosmetics.com