I recently had the opportunity to exchange emails with the fabulous Liz Yu, creator of Yaby Cosmetics. Yaby (which was lovingly named after a friend, misspelled) is an upcoming line out of Toronto that appeals to the professional makeup artist’s need for organization, portability, and product efficacy. Liz offers up an impressive range of products, the most celebrated of which are her custom palettes. Not only does she offer a solution to those who like things their way, she is also helping to reduce pollution by using less wasted packaging!
An amazing artist, business owner, and a conservationist? She’s making the rest of us look bad! I kid, I kid.
I must admit, I myself have only just recently sampled Yaby, but already I’m an addict. I’ve been carefully scraping all of my lipsticks into her palettes using ‘empties (metal pans that fit into the magnetic holes in each palette).’ I’ve now done this with lipsticks, concealers, and I’m about to condense some of my shadows into her freestyle palette, a magnetic palette that fits any shape and size pan. I look forward to ordering more of her products soon!
Givegoodface.com readers love a good story (with a happy ending), so I was anxious to hear what Liz had to say about her line, her goals, and her advice to young artists looking to follow in her footsteps.
GGF: What motivated you to start Yaby, and how did you set yourself apart from other lines?
Liz: Once upon a time I used to do what everyone else did: get to a job, take 5-10 minutes to lay out all my stuff (taking up the entire table), and when the day was done I would meticulously pack everything back into my kit so the products didn’t move around. It was such a tedious process. I look back at myself – doing this on every job – and I have a hard time believing that some people have done this for 10-20 years throughout out their careers.
In awe of how ridiculous this regime seemed, I went to the store and bought a metal tin container (designed for fancy gift certificates) and some sheet magnets. I de-potted [removed makeup from its original container] everything I could so that I could file makeup into my kit like books in the library (and have easy access to whatever I needed, whenever I needed, effortlessly).
I have always hated throwing anything away if there is still something I can use it for. Staring at the little mountain of emptied out cosmetics container, I started to feel sad. Millions of pieces of cosmetics are purchased and thrown out every year – how much real estate are we consuming in landfills with this useless, pretty packaging?
It was then that I decided there needs to be a line of cosmetics specifically designed to provide makeup artists an easier and affordable way to refill their kits with quality products. This is how the concept of Yaby was born.
GGF: What difficulties did you face in the early stages of Yaby, and what advice would you give to others looking to start a small business (in cosmetics or otherwise)?
Liz: The biggest difficulty, I would have to say, was the financial aspect of starting a business. When I created Yaby, I believed that a line created for artists should work for artists. Makeup is not a luxury to us as it is for many consumers, it is our tool and how we make a living. That said, the quality of the product had to be carefully designed to meet the needs of demanding consumers and artists. Finding that balance and making it happen at a reasonable price was a huge challenge.
Because of Yaby’s reasonable prices, many of the pro stores that I have spoken with are not keen on carrying Yaby at a profit of margin of only $1 an eyeshadow. I have been asked by many vendors to raise the prices of Yaby, but it is extremely important to me that prices remain low. Yaby is here to serve the artist community and there is a reason why each product Yaby carries is designed in its specific size.
For the first few years, all of Yaby’s loans and bills were paid with my own income as a freelance artist. Today, Yaby can pay its own bills – and the few helpers – but I am still not paying myself. I get a lot of emails from people with questions about starting their own lines and how to make a lot of money. My best advice will be: do what you have to when contributing towards what you are passionate for. Without passion, there is no cause. Without cause, there is no purpose. Without purpose, the business will most likely not succeed. My passion is to provide a multifaceted solution to artists and their needs. This will always be my driving force. Find your drive and everything else will follow.
GGF: Thank you for giving us some insight into the business end of things! When you’re not hitting the books, what are some of your favorite products and favorite looks to recreate?
Liz: I have always loved gadgets – it’s the geek in me! So I generally like products that are useful in many ways and perform each of those functions well.
My favorite product would have to be the Yaby foundations, both the cream and the powder formulas. And I’m super excited about the soon-to-be-out liquid foundation! Struggling with acne since an early age has driven my need to create perfect skin that looks natural into an obsession – and these products were created for those who love full and flawless coverage (like me)!
Naturally, my favorite look to create finds that perfect balance between makeup and hair to complement the theme we are shooting. Whether it’s a natural look or something with a lot of color, finding that perfect balance is what makes me really happy at the end of the day.
GGF: Now that we know more about who you are now, what are your goals for the future? – and for Yaby?
Liz: For myself, it’s not much of a goal, but I would just like to continue doing what I love. I work hard at everything I do, and because my passion is also how I make a living, there is just no word to describe how truly blessed I feel.
I do, however, have bigger hopes for Yaby. For those of us who have grown up having opportunities, it is hard to imagine that there are children who know nothing other than hunger, poverty, and sickness. My hope is to be able to create and support a foundation that helps build schools in remote areas for the children who otherwise will never get a chance to get an education. The artist’s community has a lot of passion, and I believe with time, we can stand together and make a difference.
Photo Source: Liz Yu
Awesome interview Jordan! I love yaby and plan to order more based on the product performance alone, but even more so now that I have better insight to the person behind the brand! Thanks for a great product Liz!
fantastic, what a genious! I ordered my first lot of Yaby yesterday through makeupandglow. The yellows, cream foundation pallette and the best of both worlds eyeshadow pallette to start and get a little taste of the products, so excited to try them!!