Welcome to CEO Glow — an exclusive, beyond-the-boardroom series about entrepreneurs of color who are shaking up the status quo and maintaining their glow while doing it.
Danessa Myricks is a force to be reckoned with. A makeup artist, photographer, entrepreneur, founder, mother — seriously, is there anything this woman can’t do?
Your makeup artist’s favorite makeup artist, she built her career without any formal training, and has gone on to create countless iconic red carpet looks for some of our favorite celebs, and led product development for some of the most successful launches in history at brands like KISS and Benefit Cosmetics.
She did all of this from a $200 cosmetic kit she bought from the supermarket and a dream.
And that’s not all. Danessa Myricks launched her namesake brand years ago, because, like many other women of color, she never felt like she was part of the conversation—especially when it came to buying inclusive beauty products. The brand is known for its boundary-breaking makeup solutions — vibrant colors, waterproof and long-wear abilities and texture blurring abilities.
There is no one-size-fits-all secret to success in business, nor a handbook on how to get there or — sometimes even more challenging — how to stay there. So, what’s her secret to success? Hard work, determination and a whole lot of glowing from within.
Watch below to see how Danessa Myricks is changing the face of beauty on her own terms.
On what inspired her love of beauty.
“My mom. She made everything look and feel like a ritual. Even if she was just putting on cold cream. It was like I wanted cold cream in my life. She sat down at her little vanity and she took her time. Those were her moments for her. And I loved watching her, and just really wanted to be able to participate in beauty just from seeing her.”
On why she set out to fill gaps in the market.
“For me, as I journeyed through beauty, even throughout my career, having the opportunity to work with other brands, consult for other brands, create for other brands, it was pretty clear to me that I’m not always considered. People like me aren’t always considered, people with my concerns aren’t considered. People with my skin tone aren’t always considered.
And just in general, if the DNA of that brand doesn’t really include you, you’ll never find anything for you. And that really struck me as well. And I really wanted to be the change that I wanted to see in the world.”
On what it means to truly “glow.”
“…Glowing from within has very little to do with what you’re putting on the outside. What we put on the outside maybe is the exclamation point, that little accent. But it’s not where it comes from, it comes from within.”
On how she incorporates self-care into her daily routine.
“Part of my morning routine is the ritual of having a conversation with myself. I start every morning writing down three things that I’m grateful for, just to remind me in spite of everything that may be happening, that I’m okay. And every day is better than the last.
I love starting a morning with a podcast, or reading a book. Something to feed my mind and feed my soul, just to give me the juice I need for the day.”
On some of the product she uses during her morning routine:ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, Bolden AWAKE Under Eye Patch, Danessa Myricks Beauty Oil (The Original), Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Glow Serum, and Danessa Myricks Beauty Blurring Balm Powder.
