Amalie Beauty Believes If You Feel Good You Should Rock It

CrowdInk had the chance to sit down (virtually) with Megan Cox, founder of Amalie Beauty, the makers of WINK (a lash regrowth product) and now SHINE (a natural solution for fading age spots and dark blemishes). She talks about the unique way in which her business started, gives us a few brilliant entrepreneurial tips, and talks about the one fashion accessory you can’t live without.

CrowdInk: Tell us about your brand. How did you get started? What was your inspiration?

Megan Cox: My brand, Amalie Beauty, started when I accidentally created WINK in my college dorm room. I was trying to find a product to regrow my sparse, stubby lashes after a long affair with eyelash extensions. Everything on the market was aimed at increasing lash length, but nothing could help me regrow my lashes (and none of the lengtheners I tried worked either). I dug into researching what could possibly regrow lashes and brows, and found that essential fatty acids (Omega 3s, 6s and 9s) had been shown to stimulate dormant follicles to grow again. 6 months of testing later, I had WINK.

When I created WINK, I had no idea that so many other women had the same issue that I had, but between over-plucked eyebrows that refuse to grow back and natural lash loss as a result of aging, there are millions of women who would benefit from WINK.

Now my focus with Amalie is to continue solving tough beauty problems that haven’t been widely addressed, with safe, effective and natural ingredients.

Speaking of, we’re launching SHINE next month. Formulated with licorice and bearberry extracts for brightening and EFAs for skin cell recovery, SHINE is a natural solution for fading age spots and dark blemishes on the skin, while moisturizing and protecting skin from future damage with powerful antioxidants.

CI: What’s one fashion accessory that you can’t live without?

MC: For me, fashion starts with your face, so I would have to say a good brow pencil. Otherwise, it’s heels. I’m a sucker for Louboutins. They go well with everything!

CI: How do you spend your free time?

MC: I’m either traveling or being a complete country bumpkin. I’m on the road more than half the year. I spend a lot of time working in Asia, so I typically travel to other destinations on the way to/from meetings. If I’m at home, I’m playing with my dog, taking care of the chickens, fishing, gardening, or just playing cards with my family.

CI: What’s your number one piece of styling/beauty advice for women?

MC: Don’t feel obligated to follow every trend; not every trend will look good on you. Feel free to experiment–some trends will look damn good on you and will surprise you–but always keep that best friend handy who can give you her brutally honest opinion.  

No matter what, if you feel good in it, then rock it, baby.

CI: What’s your number one tip for aspiring entrepreneurs?

MC: Don’t expect success–or even validation–overnight.  Apart from being born into wealth, perseverance is the best way to guarantee success. 

I was lucky enough to experience a windfall of sales in the first month; that’s not typical. The greatest challenge has been creating a sustainable company from that one-time opportunity.  Perseverance and pure elbow grease is what keeps the cogs in the machine moving.

Finally, nobody ever got rich working for someone else. If you want your chance, go for it. But think it through, first. Be aware of the challenges going in, and realize that not everyone is cut out for such a fluid, ever-changing, rollercoaster of a lifestyle.