Starting your brand is always a fabulous journey. It doesn’t matter whether you’re going to start a clothing brand or a cosmetics line. What is more important is your intention to create value for people and your personal life as a business owner. Starting a lip gloss business can be fast and easy, as you don’t need an investor or some special knowledge. This type of business is trendy among girls 12-13 years old. The only thing you need is to figure out the steps to start with. So this article is created for those who have a dream to start a lip gloss business online. I’d like to share with you the most detailed guide on how to become a lipgloss business owner, and how to make lip gloss to sell investing under $100.
Table of contents:
- Industry trends: why starting a lip gloss business
- Lip Gloss business model
- How to make a lip gloss at home
- How to brand your lip gloss business
- How to promote your lip gloss business online
1. Why start a lipgloss business
source: psmarketresearch.com
A lipgloss business can be a great idea to start your business journey. It gives you an opportunity to understand the processes of making a real product and teaches you how to sell and work with clients. And it brings you the money! This is the main reason why so many girls think about making lip gloss products.
Lip gloss business trends: What should you pay attention to?
Over the last few years, the beauty industry has experienced some changes and developed under the influence of modern eco-friendly trends. Organic lip glosses that are not tested on animals attract more attention and will take leading positions on the market.
Talking about the target audience of a lip gloss business it is essential to stress that young women are more about using lip glosses than the older generation. Natural and transparent colors will be preferred over dark and bright ones.
2. Define the Lip Gloss Business model
When you start any business the very first step is to define your business model. In simple words, you just need to decide what you like doing the most and what lip gloss line business plan you will have.
- You want to dive into the technology of product development and create something unique on the market.
- On the other side, you may be more interested in marketing and sales and working with a brand that already has a name and reputation.
So, there are two options on how to start your lipgloss business:
- You can make your own lip gloss product
- You can become a lip gloss distributor
Each of these models can help you to achieve success, so let’s dive deeper into the details of how they work.
Business model 1. Make your own lip gloss for business
Making a lip gloss by yourself can be your competitive advantage because it is you to decide which colors to use, whether your lip gloss has glitter or sparkle.
When you have money to invest in your lipgloss business you can hire a cosmetic chemist who will develop a unique formula for your future product. But that is not necessary for the start.
If your lip gloss budget is under $100 you can make it at home by ordering all the necessary ingredients online.
Actually, you have two options here:
- Buy all the lipgloss ingredients separately
- Buy a lipgloss starter kit
How to make lip gloss to sell
If you are interested in how to make a lip gloss business, just know that it is fun and easy! And you can do it with a few simple ingredients and basic equipment.
What is lip gloss made of:
- Base oils, such as mineral oil, castor oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, or vegetable oils.
- Emollients like lanolin, shea butter, cocoa butter, or beeswax.
- Thickeners such as synthetic polymers or natural ingredients like silica or mica.
- Pigments and dyes
- Flavorings can range from fruity or minty flavors to floral or sweet fragrances.
- Antioxidants like vitamin E or green tea extract.
So, here are some steps to make lip gloss to sell:
Step 1. Gather the ingredients. You will need petroleum jelly, a lip gloss base, mineral oil, lipgloss glitter, and lipgloss tubes.
Step 2. Heat the petroleum jelly.
Put some petroleum jelly into a heat-proof bowl and place it over a double boiler. The petroleum jelly will slowly melt.
Step 3. Add the lip balm
Once the petroleum jelly has melted, add the flavored lip balm to the bowl. Stir it until it is well combined.
Step 4. Add mineral oil
Add a small amount of mineral oil to the bowl and mix well. This will make your lip gloss smoother and easier to apply.
Step 5. Add some glitter/coloring
If you want, you can add a few drops of food coloring to the bowl. Stir it until it is well combined.
Step 6. Pour it into a container
Now carefully pour the lip gloss into a container of your choice.
Step 7. Allow it to cool
Allow the lip gloss to cool completely, then cap the container.
Step 8. Test it
Once the lip gloss has cooled, give it a try. If you feel it is too thick or sticky, you can add some mineral oil. If it feels too thin, add a little more petroleum jelly.
Here are the lip gloss ingredients for the business to make a lip gloss at home (with links to Amazon):
A vegan and organic lip gloss base can be a good fit for your new brand.
$9 at Amazon
Lip gloss base with lip color set
Coconut oil provides a moisturizing effect and is a treatment for dry leaps. Make sure to add some natural coconut oil to your lip gloss line.
$14.5 at Amazon
Vitamins are essential for a good beauty product. In fact, you could add different vitamins but vitamin E is highly recommended.
$15 at Amazon
Since lip gloss with glitter is more popular among girls I would recommend buying a glitter pack to experiment with colors and find the ones you love the most.
$14 at Amazon
This is an optional ingredient but you could also add some fruit flavor to your lip glosses.
$8.95 at Amazon
You can start by ordering 22 packs. That would be enough for your first lipgloss brand line. And make sure you buy tubes together with syringes not to pay for them additionally.
$4 at Amazon
So, you will need to spend around $66 in total to make a lip gloss line at home. It is not too much but there is an option to make a lip gloss even cheaper. Just buy a DIY lip gloss-making kit.
Here are some highly-rated Lip Gloss business starter kits you can buy at Amazon:
When you have a lip gloss business supplies list, just follow the steps below:
Step 1. Carefully mix all the ingredients in the right proportion
Step 2. Transfer your lip gloss into containers
Step 3. Let your lip gloss cool for at least 30 minutes
Done! Here are your very first lip gloss products ready.
Business model 2. Become a lip gloss distributor
Being a lip gloss reseller means being focused on marketing and sales strategies. In most cases, you don’t need any investment to start making money with this business model but the case when you plan to open a local cosmetics shop.
So, if you want to find lip gloss brands to resell the products here is the list of the most popular companies with a built reputation you can apply to right now:
- Black Up
- Avon
- Mary Kay
- Oriflame
- Attitude ™ by Amway
- Natura
- Merle Norman
- Mia Cosmetics
3. How to brand your lip gloss business
Once you have your product ready it is time to brand it properly. Branding will help you to stand out among all the other niche brands.
So, to brand your lipgloss business online do the following steps:
1. Create a lip gloss business name
This step is highly important since your business name is what people should remember, share, and talk about. Surely, a brand name is not the most important element, much depends on the product quality and marketing strategy.
Anyway, make sure your lip gloss business name is related to your brand and easy to pronounce and remember. Here are some ideas on lip gloss business names:
- LipLuster
- Peach Petal
- Lipify
- GlowGlimmer
- Rose Beam
- Glossy Aura
- ShineCharm
- LuminCharm
- ShimmerGlow
- Luminous Hue
- Silk Lustre
- LustreShine
- RadiantLuxe
- LipLuxe
- GlossEnchant
- Lipiqlo
- LipLumin
- Glozzia
- Radiance Charm
- CharmGloss
- LuminGlow
- LustreCharm
- VelvetGlow
- GlowBloom
- Sparkle Essence
- GleamVista
- Crystal Spark
- Glozz
- Dazzle Gleam
If you are not sure how to name your lip gloss business here is the list of the most popular lip gloss business names generating websites you can use:
Select at least three lip gloss business names you like the most and share the list with your friends asking for their feedback. It will help you to understand how people would like it and choose the best variant.
2. Create a logo
If you have design skills creating a logo won’t be a problem.
If you are not a designer you still have two options on how to brand your lip gloss business:
- Order a logo using freelance websites, such as Fiverr or Upwork
- Use online logo-generating services
Best DIY logo makers for a lip gloss business:
3. Create lip gloss labels for your brand
Etsy
Once you have a new logo the next step is to order your brand labels.
Depending on the size of your lip gloss tubes you need to order brand labels in the proper size.
To get lip gloss labels, it is better to use third-party services, or you can order such labels on Etsy.com (it will cost about $18).
To make sure your brand labels in high quality, it’s better to work with a professional label maker. CustomSticker has more than 20 years of experience in making stickers and labels. They can not only print stickers and labels quickly but also provide a free design service for you before printing. Any size, shape, and style labels are available on their online platform.
4. How to promote and sell a lip gloss business online
You’ve done an amazing job! Now you have not only a product but a ready-to-go brand. Since it is time to start selling and making money from your lip gloss business, here are the five best channels you should consider.
One of the most effective ways to promote a lipgloss business in 2020-2021 remains through social media. Instagram is the best platform to show up and demonstrate the beauty and quality of your lip gloss brand.
YouTube
There is a huge number of successful beauty bloggers on YouTube attracting millions of users through product reviews. For example, one of the most popular lip gloss video reviews by Ava Jules has almost 1.7 million views.
So, create videos promoting your product, showing lip gloss color palettes, or makeup tutorials with lip gloss.
Personal blog
Start a blog and publish reviews of your product there. You can create some categories dedicated to your business, such as
- Reviews
- Process
- Client Service
- Special offers
- Clients’ love
Marketplaces
One of the easiest ways to start selling lip glosses is through marketplaces. Create an account on Etsy or Amazon and sell them online.
Your sales will depend on the product rating. The more positive reviews you get the higher positions your products have in the marketplace catalog.
Dropshipping
Dropshipping is another way to sell lip gloss online. How does dropshipping work?
- You offer a commission rate for your partners who sell your products
- Your partners promote your products and make sales
- Your partners provide information about the customers who buy
- You deliver the product to the customers and pay the commission to your partners
For people who partner with you, it is a great opportunity to make money without a product.
For you, it is another powerful sales channel that will help you to move your brand to the next level.
Lip Gloss Business FAQ
1. How much does it cost to start a lip gloss business?
You can start a lip gloss business by investing under $50 in making lip glosses by purchasing a DIY lip gloss business kit. Additionally, you have the option to start a business as a lip gloss distributor and invest nothing in the product. So it is up to you which business model is better.
2. What do you need for a lip gloss business?
Starting a lip gloss business requires careful planning and preparation. The article describes the details of how you can start your own beauty business. So, here are just several key elements to get started:
- A unique product
You need to develop a lip gloss product different from what is already available in the market. This will help you stand out and create a demand for your product.
- A business plan
A well-written business plan will help you stay on track and give you a roadmap for success. It should include a market analysis, product development, and marketing strategies, a financial plan, and a management structure.
- Branding and marketing
Create a strong brand and marketing strategy to reach your target audience. This may include a website, social media accounts, product demos, and influencer marketing.
Sum up
Starting a lip gloss business with almost no money is not a myth but a reality. This is when your success will depend on your efforts and desire to bring something new to the market.
If you decide to be a lip gloss reseller, focus on the creativity of your marketing. Think out-of-box and present the product differently. Be flexible and care about customer service.
If you want to make lip glosses at home – do it! Just remember to create a natural and eco-friendly product that is not only beautiful but healthy, and people will love it.
Tetiana is a business coach and owner of IStartHub, a business media for ambitious female entrepreneurs and small business owners.