Many women would love to have their makeup done by professionals. But who can afford it? The owners behind Hellooo Gorgeous make it all possible with in-home makeup consultations as well as tutorials.
Hellooo Gorgeous was launched by Tonique J. Chadwick and Shiedha Okquane’ Williams in 2012 and since then has serviced hundreds of clients in the D.C. metropolitan area and internationally. “Hellooo Gorgeous is unique because we are not just makeup artists; we are business women and brand ambassadors. Our service level is particular to our clients and goes far beyond the service that one would receive at a makeup counter or public setting,” says Williams, who met Chadwick while they were both working for popular makeup brand MAC Cosmetics.
It was actually Williams who came up with the idea for Hellooo Gorgeous and soon Chadwick was on board. “Hellooo Gorgeous began with personal funding from each of us as co-owners. For the first few years, much of our revenue was embedded back into the company to create our website, logo and other branding elements,” notes Chadwick who works with the company full time, while Williams is also an HR consultant and a graduate student at Georgetown University.
“We love the freedom of creating our own scheduling and doing business on our own terms. Additionally, we enjoy working with a partner who is equally committed to the business growth and development of Hellooo Gorgeous,” says Williams.
Although they love being entrepreneurs, there have been some challenges. “With the rise and popularity of social media platforms such as Instagram, we have faced challenges in separating our business from those who are makeup enthusiasts. While makeup enthusiasts have increased awareness in beauty trends, many (enthusiasts) do not do makeup professionally or for other people. Aside from that, we are constantly updating our business practices while staying up to date with the latest marketing trends,” explains Chadwick.
Looking ahead, the two have expansion plans. Says Williams, “For 2017, Hellooo Gorgeous will continue to increase revenue outside of makeup application. Last year, we debuted a makeup class, a T-shirt line and a lipstick line! We will offer our clients more options in the aforementioned areas in 2017 with a few special events and lip colors catered to women of color.”
