Inspiring Conversations with Arielle Ross of Relevation Beauty

Today we’d like to introduce you to Arielle Ross.

Hi Arielle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory. 
I fell in love with makeup in elementary school. I would sit at my grandmother’s vanity for hours, twisting up all of her lipstick tubes to see the beautiful colors. I dreamt of one day having a collection that mirrored my grandmother’s. I would watch in awe as my mom applied makeup for date nights with my dad or for dinners with her girlfriends. 

As time went on, I discovered the world of beauty through YouTube videos. These videos were in the years shortly after YouTube launched, long before it became the multi-billion-dollar machine it is today. These videos were just (mostly) women at the time, sitting at their desks, filming themselves putting on makeup via their computer camera. I would watch the videos for hours as I slowly learned about different techniques and products. 

My passion grew as people began to notice my talent for makeup. Friends and family would ask me to do their makeup for prom, date nights, and weddings. When I finished applying their makeup, I watched the reaction as they looked in the mirror. I saw the transformation in how they carried themselves. They felt powerful. The makeup wasn’t a mask; it was a cape. It gave them power and confidence. 

I continued to pursue a career in the beauty industry, working with world-renowned makeup artists, models, celebrities, influencers, photographers, hair stylists, and publications. Today, I have had the honor of speaking at distinguished universities, collaborating with art institutions, and attending global conferences that advance gender equality internationally. 

For me, makeup has never been surface-level. It’s deeper than that. The power that makeup has given me has allowed me to create Relevation, a makeup company dedicated to uplifting and empowering women. 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not! I think entrepreneurship is one of the toughest paths one can take. Relevation is the first company I have ever founded – needless to say, I make mistakes and learn from them every single day. 

Some of the challenges are standard for starting a company, and some of the challenges are unique to my journey/personality. When you start a company, you generally don’t have a ton of excess capital lying around. The process of starting a business is always more expensive and more time-consuming than you think it will be. I’ve dealt with lawyers over-billing, supply chain hiccups, vendors/contractors who did not deliver – the list goes on. While these experiences are frustrating, I learn something new each and every time. 

Other challenges are more personal to me and my journey. We just wrapped up Mental Health Awareness Month in May, and I feel comfortable sharing the fact that I’ve struggled with severe depression my whole life. While depression affects millions of people throughout the world, it poses unique challenges when you have a business to grow. I wish I could say I have the answers, but I don’t. I’m learning every day how to manage owning a business when I’m in depressive episodes. One day at a time! 

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Relevation Beauty is a modern cosmetics company built on a women empowerment platform. At Relevation, makeup isn’t a mask, it’s a cape! It’s our superpower and we are using our superpower to uplift and empower women all over the world. 

The Dream Palette is a 10-shade palette that can be used on the eyes and the face. The product itself is completely clean, vegan, and free of any harsh chemicals. Of course, never tested on animals. The Dream Palette is the epitome of high-performance, clean beauty. With that said, the product sales are just the catalyst to be able to do meaningful work to uplift and empower women worldwide. 10% of every single palette purchase goes towards keeping young women and girls in school and out of child marriage. When you purchase the product, not only do you invest in yourself, you invest in the education of women. 

In addition to our work in the women empowerment space, we are well aware that capitalism is one of the driving forces of global warming. We make every effort to limit our environmental footprint. For every palette sold, we plant a tree in a part of the world that needs it most. We utilize a shipping company that completely offsets their carbon footprint. Every shipment that goes out has a net carbon footprint of zero. Our packaging and shipping materials are recyclable and/or biodegradable. Lastly, our ingredients are ethically sourced, and our product is made in California. 

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Relevation wouldn’t exist without my support system. I wouldn’t be who I am without my support system. There are SO many important people who have played a role in my success and the success of Relevation, but here are a few: 

My brothers – I have two brothers who are my best friends in the world. They make my life more fun every single day and remind me to never take myself too seriously. They add so much happiness and laughter into my life. 

My dad – He was an incredible businessman, but more than that, he taught me what it looks like to operate a business with integrity and a huge heart. He taught me how to have a business and a life that makes the world a little bit better than how I found it. 

My mom – She is one of my biggest supporters. She is always encouraging me to go after my dreams, and she never has too much on her plate to lend a helping hand and show up for me. 

My mentor, JLC – JLC was my old boss, turned mentor, turned great friend. She really showed me what it is like to run a company – the good, the bad, and the ugly. She taught me so much about branding, marketing, and communication. I learn from her constantly and feel so grateful our paths crossed. 

My therapist – Slightly random and maybe a bit comical, but it’s true. She has kept me grounded, aligned with my morals and helps me keep perspective. I highly encourage everyone to go to therapy. It just helps to make you a better human. 

Pricing:

• $40 – Dream Palette

Contact Info:

• Website: www.relevationbeauty.com
• Instagram: @relevationbeauty
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RelevationBeauty
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvPF9ZrBYClCUjaBuZLnBkQ