Born from a belief of beauty is revealed, not applied, Kim Roxie started LAMIK Beauty to meet a need in the cosmetics market. As her vegan makeup line has grown, she has continued to prioritize engagement with the LAMIK community, giving back, and sustainability.
by Megan Moyer, corporate marketing manager, as appeared in Inside Beauty for Drug Store News
LAMIK Beauty is on a mission to provide all women with clean beauty products. With products and tools for lips, brows, eyes, and face, Kim Roxie, founder of LAMIK, has expanded her product line from her initial offering, the Brow Kit, introduced in 2018.
Roxie founded LAMIK — a vegan makeup line made with natural and organic ingredients — after hair loss of her eyebrows and learning she had alopecia. She had a difficult time finding products with clean ingredients that matched her skin tone, so she decided to start her own cosmetics line. Consumers can find it on lamikbeauty.com, ulta.com, US Weekly marketplace, and most recently, Thirteen Lune.
Many retailers are making a commitment to carrying more Black-owned brands and promoting those brands, such as Ulta Beauty, where LAMIK is part of their e-commerce assortment. Muffy Clince, director of emerging brands at Ulta Beauty, stated, “As a values-based company, we believe beauty is for all and we’re continuously committed to creating a more inclusive world and assortment across all categories. This year, we’re doubling-down on curating and nurturing an even more diverse assortment, ensuring our Black founders and leaders thrive in the beauty industry and genuinely connect with our guests through exciting discovery in our omnichannel shopping environment.”
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Roxie says the company’s differentiators begin with the meaning behind the name LAMIK — love and makeup in kindness. She also believes beauty is revealed, not applied. “When we say ‘love and kindness,’ we are really saying everybody is beautiful, that’s where we start,” said Roxie.
LAMIK makeup is made in the USA, another important distinction, according to Roxie. And her Friday night live streams on Facebook are not only another way the brand stands out, it also helps strengthen her connection with her customers. “I host a live makeup party and demonstrate how to apply our makeup and viewers can also purchase on the spot. We started these the first Friday of April 2020, so we’ve been doing it for two years now, and it is just a hoot. It’s been amazing,” Roxie explained. “We encourage community and loyalty with these events, and I don’t want us to lose that. The guests can relate to it, and it shows our authenticity. People can join us to learn, while some just show up to laugh and smile. That warms my heart, and I just love it.”
When it comes to giving back, LAMIK has supported charities addressing domestic violence and breast cancer. One area Roxie is particularly excited about is helping encourage young women to enter the cosmetic chemist field. “We’re hosting a small group of interns this summer who will work in our lab with our chemists,” Roxie said. She continued, “Women don’t go into this field because there’s a lack of engagement and exposure to the industry, but I want to further the awareness around cosmetic chemistry.”
Sustainability goals are important to Roxie as well. Most of LAMIK packaging is paper and they make a point of showing customers how products may be reused rather than being thrown away. “We aren’t a big company, but we believe there are simple things people can incorporate into their lifestyle that are effective and make a difference,” Roxie said.
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LAMIK is still building out its product line and earning distribution. Winning the GMDC (Global Market Development Center) Startup Mic-Drop competition and final Showdown in December of 2021 helped the company in a number of ways. “I was working with the SKU accelerator program, and they suggested I enter the competition,” commented Roxie. As winner of the Showdown in December, LAMIK earned placement on the US Weekly Marketplace and the cash reward from Mic-Drop helped increase production of inventory to prepare for the resulting additional demand.
There’s no question that the demand for multicultural cosmetics exists. In April 2021, analysis from NielsenIQ, Multicultural Consumers are Set to Drive Beauty Growth Amid Continued Category Shifts in 2021, noted that Hispanic and African-American consumers have “a track record of far out-spending other ethnic groups when it comes to beauty and personal care.” According to Zippia, approximately $49.2 billion is generated annually by U.S. cosmetics sales and the industry is growing at a rate of 5.3% each year. Retailers can meet that demand and offer their shoppers clean options with brands like LAMIK.