06/01/2023
Long read…Back in 2019, I had an idea to start a cosmetic company with the main focus being on vegan, organic, cruelty free, clean makeup and skincare. I had a name picked out long before that: Alivia being my Aunt Nette’s first name and Joyce being my grandmother, Peggy’s middle name. They were best friends and were/are two of the most influential women in my life. I thought it would be a great way to honor my grandmother’s memory and what a joy it was to show my Aunt and tell her my dream of starting this business. She still has a business card displayed in her bathroom!
I brainstormed and tested ingredients, formulas, and containers for months, almost a full year, before finally starting up in 2020. I would have family and friends test and review products until I felt like I got the perfect formulas with outcomes that were exactly what I was looking for in skincare.
Right as I was about to launch, Covid hit. I put it off for a while, in fear of spreading potential germs through contact with containers. However, after obtaining the proper sanitization equipment, and not wanting to wait any longer, I acquired my LLC and began preparing for a launch date.
I spent a lot of time, energy, and money into my business as it’s something I believed in (and still do) and was proud of (and still am). When I launched, I was overwhelmed at the amount of support. When I say support, I don’t mean just financially. We sold out within a day and within a week, sixty four orders went out the door (shoutout to my mom for working day and night with me). Amazing, positive reviews came pouring in and repeat customers, along with customers who heard about us through their friends reviews, also started purchasing. People seemed to love it. Everything was going so well until it wasn’t.
Covid picked back up around the holidays of 2020 and postal workers slowly but surely were unable to work due to illness that was shutting down entire post offices. Packages were lost, returned, or (because of hiring extra help who hadn’t been trained properly) thrown into ravines or onto porches where they were destroyed either by the heat of being left in the sun or broken containers due to being thrown. I’m not knocking on postal workers, because they work(ed) incredibly hard and I’m thankful for them. They were just given a rough hand during Covid as essential workers and they did all they could, for which I’m tremendously grateful. It also wasn’t 100% the postal services fault. I made mistakes and took on too much, but I have learned from that. All that being said, I still stood by my products and knew I wanted to get back into it once Covid “went away in a few months” (let’s all laugh together).
In 2021, I got engaged. We planned our entire wedding in two months. A month before our wedding, I was having horrible hormonal and stress breakouts, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I went to the dermatologist, tried everything, including Doxycycline, and it didn’t really help. I was desperate for a better complexion for our upcoming wedding. I mixed up together two of our products, that I received wonderful reviews for from customers and family/friends. I used it on my skin and within 9 days, my skin was completely clear. I kept the dates in the photos so you can see. I really, really didn’t wanna post these because I was embarrassed, even though acne is totally normal. Anyways, I felt it necessary to show the benefits. They’re also Live Photos, so if you want additional proof, I’ll be happy to share those. This isn’t the only time I used this and it worked like this. I have other photos with dates, but these photos best showcase it. I knew this product was something I wanted to share with the world again because it’s something I’m so proud of and use myself.
As we all know, Covid numbers have thankfully been better and things are fully opened up again. I’m finally at a place where I feel comfortable opening my shop back up, but a little different than last time. I’m not in a place where I am ready to ship, so items will be local pickup/meet up on certain weekdays for now. I’m working on my website, but unsure how the transaction process will work. It may be through Venmo or cash upon pickup, or through the website, or a mixture of both. I do know that a portion of our profit will be directly put into a fund for our fertility journey.
We should be launching soon, so be on the lookout. I just wanted to share the story. If you purchased in the past, eel free to post any reviews, good or bad, in the comments so I can make any changes necessary. Everyone who has purchased that leaves a review, your name will be thrown into a hat for a drawing for a free lip scrub of your choice on the day we launch. I’ll be showing the products soon! Thank you for your support, whether it’s buying or just your kind words. I appreciate it so much!!
- Lexie Reeves Stamps
