I had the pleasure of interviewing the beaut behind Sinmi's Beautique (see what I did there?) - a cosmetic line that has gone from strength to strength in the last two years. Sinmi's Beautique currently has an amazing range of luxury mink and premium human hair eyelashes, luminous powders, glitter pigments as well as accessories to help you step up that make-up game! Having followed Sinmi on YouTube and watching her start this brand at the age of 17, I jumped at the opportunity to interview her and hopefully you are equally as inspired as I was.
JF: Who are you and what do you do?
SB: My name is Sinmi Adekola. I am a 20 year old self-taught make-up artist and owner of Sinmi's Beautique.
JF: Tell me a little bit about your journey so far as an MUA and the owner of Sinmi's Beautique.
SB: Blogging is where it all started! (nostalgia!) I used to blog about all the drugstore make-up I could get my hands on - £1 lipsticks included! I actually remember doing an eBay haul on my blog. I bought a multi-pack of lashes from eBay and they were an absolute nightmare to get on. I struggled so much putting them on simply because the lash band was too thick – it’s all in the lash band ladies! In and around 2014, I was working in a phone shop and it was literally so so so bad – I hated it, despite the fact that they were offering me good money at the time. I decided to quit. I realised I needed to do something that I was genuinely passionate about, something that could also sustain me financially. That’s when I began freelancing. I used my last pay check from that phone shop and bought everything that I needed for a basic kit. I sat down and did research on how to be a successful freelance make-up artist – I cannot even begin to stress how important research is! At the time of course, my skill wasn’t all there but I worked with what I had and stuck with it. I began sourcing lashes and asked for feedback from my clients and they absolutely loved how lightweight and comfortable they were.
JF: I guess that is how you started the lash line?
SB: Precisely! I began to learn to the ins and outs of being a business owner, the importance of branding and marketing and so on and so forth. When I started out, I knew that I wanted everything to be professional so I registered the company, learnt about the legislation surrounding cosmetics and began to pen down my product itinerary.
JF: So what happened after that?
SB: I remember having all these ideas but I literally had no money because remember, I had just quit my job to freelance. I went back to work (at Next, this time!) and worked literally like 6 days a week. This was during the last few weeks of summer, going into a new semester at university. Even when I was in uni, I would work every evening shift I could pick up. A typical day for me at that time would start with me going to uni for 10am, leaving at 3pm, going straight to work to get that small paycheck and repeat. Every penny I got, I would put right back into my business. I was literally working like a crazy person. So many things were going on but I remained focused and knew what I wanted to do. It was all worth it though because when I did get paid, I was able to buy the things that I needed, pay for the packaging, logo and to have everything come together was the most rewarding feeling.
JF: Fast-forward to the launch now, what happened around that time?
SB: I really wanted to launch in September 2015 and I remember calling one of my friends and asked for his opinion on my launch date. He gave me some advice on what I could do to best prepare myself for the launch. I remember being upset that I couldn’t launch when I wanted to but in hindsight, it was the best thing I could have done because it gave me more time to prepare. When I was ready, I was really ready. November 20, 2015 we launched and Sinmi’s Beautique was officially born as a business.
JF: That is the beauty in having people around you that genuinely want you to win and can offer constructive feedback to you and your brand.
SB: Definitely. Since then, it has been two years (well, two years in a few weeks) and as a team of 4, we are working super hard to take the business to a new level. For the first year, it was literally just me. Imagine trying to build this empire alone. Now I didn’t know everything and it was difficult for me to do everything related to the business whilst working, going to uni, putting out content for YouTube and maintaining my blog. I stopped YouTube, stopped blogging, quit my job (again, I know!) and began to focus on my business again. I mean the first year wasn’t that bad but I was literally all over the place with so many eggs in one basket. In this season, I learnt the importance of delegating and building a team passionate about the brand and excellent in the different roles that they undertake. In doing this, the business has run more smoothly and allowed me to focus on the things I should be focusing on.
JF: I can definitely resonate with the two points you have stated. Understandably, success is subjective but what do you think is essential to succeed in the world of business as a young business owner?
SB: I think it is important to stay true to who you are especially if your business is built on your personal brand and also have a clear vision for your business. If you are trying to be like another brand, you will ultimately be a copy of an original brand. Be yourself and know what you want to achieve by setting clear goals and practical, actionable steps to achieve them. I remember when I used to work at Next and I would stand behind the till counter, take paper out of the printer and literally pen down my monthly business targets whether it was social media following, beauty influencer targets to sales targets. Of course I would do this when I wasn't serving customers, ha. On a daily basis, I set my goals for the day and set a number of alarms throughout the day to keep me on track.
JF: Setting periodic alarms? That is such a useful tip, I never thought about doing that - I might have to start doing that myself! What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs - those starting out and those currently with their businesses established?
SB: For this that are wanting to start out, I would say just do it. The time you have spent thinking and worrying, you could have started! In getting started, set out what needs to be done, do your research and actively work towards. To those that are in a similar position to me, I would say still be excited about business. I did lose my confidence for a while and my drive was also pretty low. I was feeling a little defeated but in the same breath, I was thinking that this brand could really be something. It is important to rekindle your passion and remember why you started. It wasn’t until I looked back at my first business journal and I saw what I wrote on the top line. That line in my journal is why I started. I haven’t reached that goal yet so I am going to keep working until I do!
JF: Finally, what can we expect from Sinmi’s Beautique?
SB: We are having a party! Sinmi’s Beautique is celebrating two years in business so expect good food, cocktails and an opportunity to learn more about myself and the business. We will be having a panel of 5 millennial business owners to share their personal experience which should be super insightful. I would never throw a party for myself but for my first born child turning two, this is definitely an occasion worth a party!
I know I say it every time I have a chat with a business owner but it was an absolute pleasure to speak with Sinmi and gain a bit more of an insight into her business and her journey thus far. Her make-up artistry portfolio and cosmetic line is absolutely amazing and I am so inspired and to think she started this all when she was 17! As aforementioned, Sinmi is having an event later on this month and we will be giving one reader a free ticket to this amazing event! To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is follow @SinmisBeautique on Twitter and Instagram and tell us why you would like to attend what promises to be a fantastic event. Don't forget to head over to ShopSinmisBeautique and get yourself some fantastic quality lashes, luminous highlight powders (for that everlasting glow), glitters, accessories - you name it, Sinmi's Beautique has got you covered!