KayCee, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Kaycee Cheri and I am the owner of Reb3l To Royalty Cosmetics. I’m originally from New Jersey but moved to Alabama in ’11. When I first moved to the south, I experienced a lot of colorism and backlash for being dark skin and I had no idea why. I’ve never experienced anything like this while back in Jersey, so I didn’t know if I should take it as a compliment or an insult. As I started to get acclimated with the south, I quickly learned that dark skin women were looked down upon. We were considered less of value compared to light skin women. I began to notice that when I went out, men would overlook me. I even had one man sit on me in the club because I was “too dark and blended in with the couch,” so I started playing around in makeup. Mentally I believed, to be on the same playing field as light skin women, I had to at least look the part beauty-wise in order for men to overlook my skin color. Makeup became my hidden drug; it was a chance for me to cover up who I really was instead of being completely happy the way God made me. How young and foolish I was to think I was anything but beautiful. I allowed society to dictate my inner thoughts and insecurities rather than leaning on my own beliefs and natural beauty. I allowed society to create the image of a perfect woman, not knowing I was perfect just the way I was. Social media led me to believe I had no value, but deep within, I was always the prize jewel. It wasn’t until I turned 27 I was able to look into the mirror and finally loved the woman starring back. I fell in love with myself and realized how much I had to offer despite how society felt about my skin tone. While perfecting my makeup skills, it quickly became apparent that dark skin women were not appreciated even in the beauty industry. Our skin color was ostracized from many brands, which made it extremely difficult to find shades that matched and complimented our skin tones. I got tired of mixing different shades and colors. I got tired of walking down the makeup aisle and seeing 1 or 2 GENERIC shades. Therefore, I created Reb3l To Royalty Cosmetics for dark skin women. We take pride in accentuating, celebrating, and normalizing black beauty within the beauty industry. I am a dark skin woman, and I know first hand how hard it is to be dark skin within the industry. However, I wanted to create a brand where my fellow queens could feel comfortable in their skin while still dominating any room they walk into. I am You, and this brand was created for YOU.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wish it was a smooth road, but the obstacles is what make the journey so rewarding. I have my days where I contemplate if this is really my calling. But it never fails. I always get an unexpected call, text, or dm from a stranger reassuring me exactly why I am in business and why I do what I do. My hardest struggle was funding. Starting out, I had nothing, so I worked my full-time job and on my off days, I delivered pizzas as my part-time job, I saved my refund checks from school as well as my stimulus check and taxes just so I could invest my hard-earned money into my dream. I knew I didn’t come from a wealthy family, and there was no such thing as calling my parents for a business loan of some sort. So I had to hit the ground running and make a way out of no way while still keeping faith everything is going to work out in my favor.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Customers buy from people they love, so I established myself as a prominent MUA before launching my cosmetic company. The majority of the content I put out was very much glamourous and over the top beautiful–whether it was a natural beat or a bride preparing for her special day. I am most proud of how much I have evolved into the woman I was always meant to be. I’m proud that I didn’t let my childhood traumas or past insecurities stop me from becoming an inspiration for women around the world. The best part of me is that I’m not your average saddity, business only demeanor woman. I’m extremely down to earth, caring, funny, and relatable. I crack jokes, and I’ll make you laugh. However, at the same time, I’m very business savvy and intelligent. I do not take anything for granted; I’m so humbled and grateful for how far I have come. THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING!
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk-taking?
If you don’t take risks, you will never grow! It’s just that simple. You have to push yourself and believe that your next step will be successful and God forbid it is not, that’s okay because at least you took the leap of faith and learned from your mistakes. My next major risk will be moving to Texas and leaving my full-time job to solely focus on my business. It is indeed a huge risk, but I’m willing to take it in order to help my business grow to its fullest potential. PERIOD!!!
Contact Info:
- Email: reb3ltoroyaltycosmetics@gmail.com
- Website: www.reb3ltoroyaltycosmetics.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reb3ltoroyaltycosmetics/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reb3ltoroyaltycosmetics
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/reb3ltoroyalty
Image Credits
Brian Pride
