Mineral Love

In case you were wondering, I am a girl. I know... shocking, right. Anyways, as a girl I like to wear make up. I wear it a lot. There are a few things I look for when I am shopping for cosmetics. I like make up that is good quality, brands with an excellent selections of colors, and products that are not tested on animals and are vegan friendly. On Etsy there is an awesome lady that sells products that hits every bullet on my check list and she is from Baltimore no less! I had a little chat with her and I learned a lot about her and her shop. So take a minute and read all about Mineral love!

Hi everyone! My name is Tricia, and I'm the owner and creator of Mineral Love cosmetics. I have a wonderful family, boyfriend and 4 fur-babies (3 dogs and a cat.) I was born in New York, but my mother moved back to Baltimore when I was a baby, so I consider myself a Charm City girl all the way!

1. How long have you been making vegan cosmetics?

I have been making vegan cosmetics for years and started my Etsy shop in 2009.

2. Apart from your items being vegan, what other aspects of your shop attract buyers?

My line is all about fun, easy to wear products. My customers are from a wide variety of backgrounds and ages (from pre-teens to women in their 90's.) There is something for everyone!

I also love connecting with people from all around the world; in fact I recently found out that one of my customers and I share the same birthday. How cool is that?!

3. I noticed that you donate money to an animal rescue. Tell me more about that ...

Growing up, my family always had pets. My mom and I had cats, my grandparents had two dogs, and my aunt and uncle had a plethora of animals throughout the years. My aunt was a mail carrier, and my uncle worked on the railroad, so they always enountered stray animals that (more often than not) needed vet care, a good bath, and a happy home. I saw that kindness to animals at an early age, and I will forever carry that with me.

Pets provide so much more than companionship; they reduce the negative side-effects of stress, their care is linked to cognitive development and high self-esteem in children, and they improve overall social interactions and relationships.

Animals do so much for us, and I knew when I started my line that I wanted to give back. It took me some time to decide which non-profit organization I wanted to donate to, but then my friend told me about her sisters rescue, Charm City Animal Rescue, (at that time) a new non-profit that could certainly benefit from the donations. I set up with her at BARCStoberfest in Patterson Park this past October, and would love to do so again this year. I continue to donate $2 from every full-size product sold on my Etsy shop to CCAR. For more information about the organization, you can find them here- www.facebook.com/charmcityanimalrescue

4. Apart from making cosmetics, do you have any other crafty hobbies?

I do! I love to make collages, and the occasional hair clip/ring/assorted craft project that hits me all of a sudden and I'll have to stop everything I'm doing and dive in. I get inspired at odd times, and I have to admit I've gotten out of bed just to make something that I thought of randomly.

5. What do you like to do in your free time?

I play bass guitar, and a few friends and I had our first show in May in Fells Point. I've always played some sort of instrument, and I was part of the Vocal Music magnet at my high school. It's not something that I've pursued professionally, but music will always be a part of my life... and you never know where life may lead you!

I'm a total nerd; I also love to do crossword puzzles and play word games (I'm currently obsessed with Boggle, and can't resist a good word jumble.) I'm a fan of City Paper, and there's a stand right outside of my postoffice, so when I drop off my orders I'll pick one up. I also try to take time to "unplug" and shut of the computer, turn off the tv, and get lost in a good book.

6. Apart from your own make up, is there any brand out there that you are addicted to?
I can't say that there is another brand that I'm addicted to (besides my own.) I'm addicted to creating! I have to say though, I love the packaging of Benefit cosmetics; their retro branding is adorable.


7. How do you come up with names for your cosmetics?

From a variety of places! Most often I'll make the color and then see what name strikes me. Sometimes I don't even know where the ideas come from. I'll also consult a thesaurus from time-to-time if I'm stumped. Some of the eyeshadows I have were custom requests; for example, Angie (www.etsy.com/listing/32601446/angie-full-size-eyeshadow) was created for one of my customers named Angie that wanted me to make her an eyeshadow to match her favorite lip gloss. I love making custom colors; it's always my favorite thing on my 'to-do' list.

8. Where would you like to be 5 years from now?

Happy, healthy, and have my own brick and mortar shop in one of our historic neighborhoods where I can feature work from local artists and crafters.

9. Since you are from Baltimore, I must ask, what is your favorite place to go and why?

The American Visionary Art Museum, hands down. When I feel overwhelmed or stressed out, I go to AVAM and all of my anxiety seems to melt away. It's one of my favorite museums in the states, tied with the Salvador Dali museum in St. Petersburg, FL. I had the pleasure of going about 7 years ago, and it took my breath away. I'm a huge Dali fan; in fact, I'd pull my mom's Dali books off of her bookshelf when I was a little kid, and just stare at the art for hours.

10. What is your favorite John Waters film?

Ooo that's a tough one! Can I cop-out and say I love them all?!

If I have to choose one, Cry Baby will always have a place in my heart. <3

11. If you could give any advice to a new Etsy seller, what would it be?

Don't give up! Even if it's intimidating, even if sales are slow (or non-existent;) don't doubt yourself. Immerse yourself. Read as much as you possibly can about having an Etsy shop (there are TONS of resources out there, including the Seller Handbook on Etsy.) Experiment and choose which ones work best for you.

Most importantly, be yourself! The rest will fall into place.
♥

If you would like to know more about Tricia and her killer cosmetics, check out her shop Mineral Love, her Facebook Fan Page, or follow her on Twitter!