Fig and Star named after Figaro and Starla – two shelter dogs who were saved from a Los Angeles County animal shelter by Terra DiSpirito. Terra, a Los Angeles County animal shelter volunteer, started this company to provide beauty products that keep you looking great while helping other dogs as she does. Partial proceeds from sales will go to help save shelter animals looking for forever homes. We had to take the opportunity to pick the brain of Fig and Star’s founder, Terra DiSpirito, to find out about what motivated her to create these much-needed products, how she chooses and sources!
Can you give us an idea of who your clients are?
We cater to all people who are looking to use high-quality beauty products at an affordable price. We even have products for those with furry family members too!
Tell us a little about yourself and your business. Why did you select it and how did you get started?
I have been in the hair game for over 25 years. As a native of Los Angeles, I apprenticed and worked at many celebrity favorite salons with some of the most respected stylists in the business. My work at these salons gave me firsthand interaction with many high-profile clients and provided me with invaluable hair coloring and cutting experience. Over the years, I also learned what my clients look for and want from their beauty products and utilized that knowledge to experiment and develop my own products.
About 5 years ago, I also decided to start volunteering at a Los Angeles County animal shelter to give back to my community. It soon became clear to me that I had to do something more to help the animals that found themselves stuck in the shelters. This is the inspiration for what has become Fig & Star. I combined my love for hair and animals and started developing the company concept in early 2019. I launched online in March 2020 with partial proceeds from sales being donated to rescues and to pay pull fees at shelters. Trying to help save as many animals as I can!
What are some of your favorite things about what you do?
I love being able to develop high-quality beauty products that help people feel good about the way they look and feel, all while giving the education needed to maintain healthy hair at home. While animal shelter work can be tough emotionally at times, it is very rewarding to know that Fig & Star has been able to help animals find forever homes.
Can you describe your brand in just three words?
Hair, Nails, Animals
For those unfamiliar with Fig & Star, which product is certain to kick-start an addiction?
Wow! This is a tough one! All our products are certain to kick-start an addiction, but our very first product, the Fig & Star Leave-In Treatment, is an excellent choice. Our Leave-In Treatment is specifically formulated to help smooth and hydrate, as applying it to fried and dyed hair is extremely important to maintain healthy ends and protect color treatments. On top of that, it is vegan and paraben-free!
How is Fig & Star different than the other nail and hair product companies?
We stand out from the rest because we not only offer excellent hair and beauty products, but we donate a portion of our profits to help save shelter animals in need!
Can you talk to us about your inspiration? How do you dream up the names of your products?
I touched on it a bit above, but my inspiration for Fig & Star comes from my customers and clients, and the animals I interact with at the local animal shelters. My personal shelter rescues at home provide me with the drive to continue forward on a daily basis. Our products are named after family, friends, and our animals! I want to make the brand as personal as possible.
Anything else you would like to tell us about your business?
I am a woman-owned, small business, and I love what I do! My passion to stay educated, help people (and animals!) look and feel good, and keeping a positive, fun-loving attitude helps me get through the day-to-day grind of running a business.
How do you balance work and life?
This is a challenge! I have two small children and I also work full-time doing hair. I stay up late and don’t sleep much, but I love hustling. I really try to make every moment in my day mean something! Being based in California, the pandemic restrictions have really given me more time to focus on Fig & Star as the personal services sector has been closed for quite some time.
Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?
Take the risk and don’t be afraid to fail. There will be bumps in the road along the way but use those bumps to grow and expand your horizons. You never know what you can achieve until you try!
What is your current mission?
Continue to develop and sell amazing products while saving as many animals as possible!
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
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