Small Business Feature January | Ashleigh B. Artistry

January Small Business Feature | MONAT  by Ashleigh and Ashleigh B. Artistry

Happy new year, friends! I have been wanting to start this series for a while, and decided to finally take the leap for 2021!

Each month I will be highlighting female owned / operated  businesses or independent representatives in the Southern Maryland area. I am so excited to make new connections and highlight so many amazing women!

To start the series off, I met up with my friend Ashleigh to chat about her new journey with MONAT. While MONAT is not a small business, it is a company that allows women to work as at home sales distributors and grow a team and customer base of their own.

Ashleigh is also by trade an incredible makeup artist (check her out at Ashleigh B Artistry!), and fell into this company when she discovered how much she loved their skincare and hair products. Read more about her interview and company below!

How did your business get started?

I have always loved the beauty industry. I actually remember being five years old and I would sit and watch my mom do her hair and makeup. She was always into fashion and always dressing up. As I got older, I played around with makeup. It wasn’t until after college and moving across country from Los Angeles to Southern Maryland when I decided to actually take courses and get certified. Which lead me to two things; becoming a makeup artist and becoming a hair and skin consultant.

What’s your business/ brand mission? What are some personal goals you have for your business in 2021?

My mission is for women to feel confident with their hair and skin whether it’s them going natural or styling their hair/ doing their makeup.

My personal goals is to actually have more wash parties so people can see the value within these products but we’ll have to see what is happening with this pandemic. I’d also love to take more clients on for makeup, it’s been a rough start {with the pandemic} but I’m hoping things go up from here!

 

What is your favorite product (or service) that you offer (sell)?
So let’s split this part up

Favorite product: Honestly there are so many good product with this line BUT it would have to be within skincare: the Berry Scrub has been my saving grace. I actually break out a lot and this product has helped reduced my acne a lot. So I LOVE going natural now.

Favorite service: I do the occasional hair styling but makeup is by far my favorite thing to do on clients. There’s something about how their face lights up when they see themselves. Clients tend to cat call themselves or do a little dance but best of all… they always say “LOOK HOW PRETTY I AM NOW!?” They’ve always been pretty.. makeup just enhances beauty.

What tips do you have for keeping (skin or hair) healthy during the harsh winter months?

I actually love this question because not many people think of this.

-So exfoliate your skin. Don’t go buy products with microbeads or walnut shells, those will actually tear up your skin and dehydrate it more. You want gentle but effective products. Exfoliation is essential for skin health to assist in the removal of dead skin cells. And make sure you get a hydrating moisturizer if you’re feeling dry.

-As for hair… you want to do some oil scalp  treatments and/or use hair hydrating masques. In this specific line I recommend the Rejuveniqe Oil because the molecular structure is so small it penetrates all three layers of your hair strand, fixing it from the inside out and it balances out your scalp’s ph levels. Whereas coconut oil, olive oil, or etc. typically sit on top of your hair not adding much hydration/moisture. We have amazing masques for all hair types— a masque will actually add in nutrients your hair may be lacking this dry season and it gives the boost of hydration it needs.

What advice do you have for other women who want to start a small business?

Go for it. Take that jump. It is terrifying but investing in yourself is the best thing you can do for self development. You will discover things about yourself a lot and grow in unimaginable ways. If you’re passionate about it then go for it. And surround yourself with like minded people. Those people will be able to help you when the road gets hard because in all honesty starting a business isn’t all rainbows and butterflies but it is so completely worth it

If you want to reach out to Ashleigh regarding makeup services or MONAT products, reach out to her at Ashleighravengalvez@yahoo.com

Are you or do you know a female run small business in the Southern Maryland area? Reach out to me at nataliegracephotos@gmail.com to chat about a FREE branding shoot and being featured during the 2021 small business highlight series!