After being right in the mix of her mother's make-up parties from a young age, Amber Basalajs was in awe of the idea of make-up and beauty.
“I loved how it made people feel when they used it. I wanted to replicate that powerful feeling which only has grown as I have gotten older,” Basalaj explained.
Her passion for fashion and beauty has been a lifelong journey that later led her to create her beauty brand, Basalaj Beauty.
“Creating a brand has been a long but very exciting process. I am so proud to finally have it off the ground. Being a part of the industry has been so fulfilling,” she said.
Basalaj created the brand to empower women to feel their best confident selves and know they can achieve anything by adding a bold lipstick all the way to a full make-up look. At the same time, she wanted to create a company that strives to be diverse and show beauty in all its forms.
The label is bold, high performing and unapologetic in its presentation. Basalaj had a clear vision of creating a make-up line that is not normal regarding colour choices and formulas to encourage people to step outside their comfort zones and do what makes them feel good.
She sources her inspiration from colours and how they impact her mood while also paying close attention to aesthetics in terms of colour placements within a pallet. She also attempts to create products that are the best on the market by using high-quality ingredients with a large colour payoff.
“Basalaj Beauty is high-performing and hard-working. Everything about us is about pushing boundaries, from formulations to packaging and advertising campaigns,” Basalaj stated.
A lot of attention to detail is made when curating the products. Basalaj has created stackable palettes that are easy to store and flat surface lipsticks to avoid slipping away. The packaging is an important aspect also; with her son Jayden's help, they created an unboxing experience that feels amazing and luxurious to each consumer.
Her advice to her younger self is, you will make it! No matter what, hard times will pass, so enjoy the process and keep going. Mistakes do not define you; they create you, so stay true to your vision and never give up. Her advice for anyone else is to believe in yourself and your business idea! Anything is possible if you believe in it.
Her marriage and two children are what keep her pushing each and every day to do better and never give up. Creating Basalaj Beauty has been a huge achievement for her, and she is proud to have something that not only fulfils her dreams but has connected her to so many amazing people in the industry.
The future for Basalaj Beauty hopes for more success and growth. While at the same time continuing to support artists, creatives and raise funds for incredible causes like Fashion for a Cure.
“My good friend Joanne passed away from breast cancer, so my first highlighter ‘Joanne’ was named after her. I think it is so amazing that Basalaj Beauty can work to help raise funds for incredible causes that matter, and so a big part of my vision is ensuring we can continue to support these causes into the future and I can keep the memory of Joanne alive.”
