Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamika Jackson.
Tamika, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
It was summer 2015 in Brooklyn, NY, when I decided to turn my grief into purpose.
So before I jump right in, let me give you a quick back story about my journey. I’m the baby of my four siblings. My oldest sister Monique used to have her own vanity, filled with makeup, foundation, lipsticks and brushes all the good stuff ok… back then one of the popular brands my sister used and loved was Fashion Fair, and so I would watch her as she got herself ready for work or a night out and I admired how beautiful she would always look when she was done. One day I decided to play in my sisters makeup, and we all know that’s a big no no. Makeup is not to be played with at all. Lets just say I never did it again, and I promise you she’s probably still mad at me, I was about 6 or 7 and I wanted to look just as beautiful and made up as my big sister always did.
Makeup later became my passion, I always wanted to pursue a career in the beauty industry, and throughout my twenties I would say to family & friends “I’m going to school for makeup”. I was the go to person when it came to the latest makeup brands. I was a MAC & NARS girl from foundation to lipsticks, brushes just like what I saw as young girl growing up, and so my friends and family would trust me with making them look even more beautiful.
My beloved mother (Stella) passed away in December of 2014. My mom would often ask me to do her makeup when she attended a church event or a party. Wearing makeup daily was not her thing, she was a natural beauty with beautiful glowing skin and required just a little makeup enhance her beauty. A few days before my moms funeral home going service, I went to the funeral home and worked with the staff to make sure she was groomed beautifully, yes I did my mother’s makeup and from that day something magical happened within me.
January of 2016, I enrolled in Aveda New York’s esthetics program. I attended part-time while working full-time as a 911 dispatcher for NYPD. my heart opened, I had found my happy place, facials, waxing, makeup anything beauty allowed me to tap into my creativity, my dream of attending beauty school finally happened, but skincare became my primary focus.
November of 2017, I completed the esthetics program. However, due to financial hardship, I was unable to follow through with becoming a licensed esthetician. so I thought… God spoke to me and told me to move, and Atlanta became my new home in July of 2018… Still, the magic that I experienced when my mom passed away started to tug at me again. This time it was skincare, I would literally be out and about running errands and both men and women would stop and approach me about my skin. What do you use, your skin is beautiful? I would end up recommending the products I use and would always offer a trip to Sephora and provide a healthy skincare regime for them. I had no idea at the time where things were headed.
2020, everything came full circle for me. During the pandemic, my family and I took a hard hit, again with the loss of our Dad suddenly (Butch) in April 2020 due to Covid-19 and that completely broke us/me. Yet again, I found a way to turn my grief into purpose.
In August 2020, I enrolled in an online entrepreneur educational course (100K Campaign) taught by Mandi Woodard, and prior to my enrollment, I kept having this burst of creativity, and so in September 2020, I decided to create my own skincare line StellaNovaGlow.
StellaNovaGlow launched in November of 2020 with handcrafted rose facial oils created to express you inner GLOW. Shortly after the launch, with a lot of faith and determination, I reached out to Aveda and was able to settle my balance with them, and now I’m on my way to being the licensed esthetician in the beauty industry I always dreamed of being in.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely, some struggles along the way, the loss of my parents and me not becoming an esthetician right after graduating was hard for me. I felt like giving up on my dreams, but that magic I experienced would not let me, God wouldn’t let me.
Entrepreneurship, I’m learning as I go, but I’m committed to seeing my dreams come true.
As you know, we’re big fans of StellaNovaGlow. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
StellaNovaGlow is a skincare line/experience serving women through skincare by affirmation and encouragement, and believing in the results that you are chosen to walk in your light and GLOW from within. My brand was inspired by my mom and it’s a way to honor her legacy. I truly believe all women have their own glow and that’s what SNG is about honoring our individual GLOW.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Currently, I am in preparation for taking my state boards so that I can provide the full StellaNovaGlow experience I have always dreamed of. My rose facial oils have been successfully selling and changing lives, the reviews and results from correcting skin blemishes to hydration is keeping the skin healthy has been so rewarding on many levels.
Also, I am in the process of expanding and I’ve been working closely with a manufacture who specializes in all natural plant based products. Cleansers, toners & moisturizer will be coming this fall and I am so excited. What I’m proud of the most about my brand is that it is personal, being able to honor my mother through beauty is by far the greatest feeling ever.
I see the beauty industry returning home. Home meaning beauty is going to be lead by those who have the confidence to be who they are regardless of what society suggest or views as beautiful. StellaNovaGlow is a brand that promotes beauty from within. Let’s GLOW
Contact Info:
- Email: Glow@Stellanovaglow.com
- Website: StellaNovaGlow.com
- Instagram: StellaNovaGlow
