Bay of Islands beauty therapist Roxy Mack creates VIP ME Cosmetics

Bay of Islands beauty therapist Roxy Mack has created her own line of cosmetics, VIP ME Cosmetics. Photo / Tegan & Lydia Photography

Splashing around muddy fields and applying lipstick in the back of a horse truck on the way to race meetings might not sound like the glamorous life of a cosmetic company founder, but that lifestyle inspired Kerikeri's Roxy Mack. Christine Allen writes.

Growing up in northwest Auckland, Ms Mack said she jumped into the world of race horses as a teenager.

"I have fond memories of being on the way to races in a horse truck applying makeup, without a mirror.

"I have always been the girl splashing around in mud, mucking around with horses or even fencing, while my toes had some funky nail polish."

Ms Mack is no stranger to the cosmetic industry – her father worked in marketing for large brands, for example, working on the You Can Tell a Wella Women advertisement.

She trained as a nail technician in 2002, and then as a beauty therapist and makeup artist, before taking up her own salon in Otorohanga in the Waikato.

Around 12 years ago, she began exploring importing natural and organic beauty products for her business but struggled to find one she was happy with.

"I started looking at manufacturing my own range, so I could have a more hands-on approach. I spent three years researching ingredients and manufacturers.

"I really wanted to be able to work with a New Zealand manufacturing company but what I found was that, unfortunately due to our small size, I couldn't find a company to work with that could produce the minimum order numbers I would start with as a new business."

She finally found a manufacturer in Canada which ticked all the boxes and was able to create her 28-product range, VIP ME Cosmetics - a range of vegan friendly skincare and makeup made from natural and organic ingredients, which she has started selling online to New Zealand customers in the last 12 months.

Confidence
Ms Mack said that she, like many businesspeople, has faced a lack of confidence.

"Not in my products but in myself … many of us in business have that self-chatter. But I am lucky that I have people that pop up from nowhere at just the right time. And my clients are truly amazing people too."

She advises anyone starting a cosmetics line to "do your homework and then do your homework again".

"And make sure you have enough financial backing for a good two to three years as it does take a long time to reap the rewards of all your hard work."

She said that while the market is heavily saturated with other natural/organic brand cosmetics, companies that showed they cared about customers could stand out.

"I never started this to turn into some large corporate company, I started this to reach everyday women from all walks of life, to help educate them and build them up, with a more one-on-one approach," she said.