Britnee Webb was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her passion for beauty started from a very young age where she could learn beauty tricks from her grandmother who was an instructor at a cosmetology school. Britnee grew up playing with mannequins and watching the cosmo students regularly. Beauty is just in her blood. When she graduated high school she went directly into cosmetology school.
Right now Britnee has been a licensed cosmetologist for 12 and a half years and still loves every second of her career. She has been a featured stylist on Utah Beauty Blog, performed a hair & makeup runway show for RAWSLC artists in 2014, a guest stylist at Sundance film festival, and a hair & makeup artist for Utah Fashion Week 2018.
Britnee started Maix Pro Cosmetics due to her growing passion and portfolio with makeup. Maix Pro Cosmetics is a professional line of cosmetics, woman, and cosmetologist owned. In conjunction with a laboratory with over 40 years of experience, Maix Pro provides cruelty-free, paraben-free, gluten-free and vegan-friendly makeup.
The cosmetic industry is growing at a rapid pace. The demand for all types of cosmetic products is ever increasing from varied sections of the population. The demand for premium cosmetics is expanding everywhere. Cosmetics business has many new and established competitors in any given market. New cosmetics products are launched regularly and a company has to combat them. So, a wisely crafted marketing strategy becomes an essential part of starting the business.
So why did Britnee start a makeup line if she could use other products for her clients? It wasn’t a difficult decision for Britnee, since she knew what her clients were looking for. Her clients were always asking her what were her favorite brands to buy and use for photo shoots. They would tell Britnee how they would love to learn makeup, but were so overwhelmed with big stores like Sephora and its many brand choices. That’s when Britnee decided to start her own line to offer to them, and to use for her portfolio work.
It’s not just easy to start something by yourself, would you say you have always been entrepreneurial?
I believe so. I very much have always believed that the best way to truly have financial freedom and security for yourself and your future is to have something that is your own, and not always working to make someone else rich. That is one thing I love so much about our industry, is that it’s so much about branding yourself. You are your brand. Your clients are your walking signature and commercial. The only person responsible for your success or failure is yourself.
How do you compete with so many other makeup brands?
There are TONS of brands in the beauty industry but I don’t want to view it as a negative or a competition. Instead, I love that we as consumers have so many choices. I want to use it as inspiration. I’m always studying how other brands market themselves-from labeling, to email campaigns, to the hot new colors. There is always something new to learn to do or not to do from each other. Every person has different skin, different preferences. Of course, I love my products and think they are the best! But having options is not a negative to me. It’s a chance to learn how I can be a better brand myself!
Any great stories from working with a client?
The greatest thing about our job-our industry-is when a client sits in your chair, and tells you how they are having the worst day. Whether its relationship, health problems, their kid, their job, anything. They vent. Sometimes they even cry. You hug, talk, do your magic, and by the time you are done, they are smiling, laughing, and they tell you how they felt so ugly, and now they love their new cut, or color, or makeup. It is one of the biggest joys in my life, and I am so grateful.
What are your goals currently? As in vision and mission?
I would love Maix to be a big, national brand. I envision a brick and mortar location someday. I know we can get there! I don’t just want this to be about me, but to be the family business that my kids can possibly inherit someday. For the name to be synonymous with beauty, confidence, quality, and joy for the consumers.
How did you make sure anyone can find you as a makeup artist and your cosmetics?
We are on all major social media platforms, and the main website is something I have built myself and worked very hard on, and regularly update and change to keep it beautiful and flowing.
How do you get unstuck creatively?
I feel the entire universe is inspirational. I am always watching for signs and paying attention for omens that are calling out to me. I usually don’t get stuck for long. My mind is always running with ideas-sometimes too many! I would advise anyone to just always be open to inspiration everywhere. The universe is always talking to us.
Do you focus on a specific group of customers?
Not at all! That is one thing I love about the younger generations and the internet age, is makeup and hair are no longer just girly things. There are so many amazing creatives out there being expressive and their wonderful selves-I think it wouldn’t be smart to focus on one group. Makeup is for everyone. So is fabulous hair. I have clients of all ages, and makeup consumers from preteens to women in their 70’s. There is no age limit on creativity with color and self!
Tell us about a time when a customer didn’t like your work, what did you do about it?
I never like to leave a customer dissatisfied. As long as a customer is honest, I’m more than happy to make it right and get the desired result or as close as possible depending on limitations with their current hair or skin-before they leave.
Tell us about your proudest achievement?
Myself. I am my proudest achievement. That could sound conceited. But I will explain. I come from a background that wasn’t always roses. My parents had drug problems, in and out of rehab and jail, my mother is very toxic and emotionally abusive, and I had to cut her out of my life, and my father, who is my rock and amazing, has had his share of drugs and jail, and has been in prison for years. I had to be a “grown up” and take care of myself by toddler years. I was the parent most of the time. I had every excuse under the sun to have gone a different route and ended up addicted to drugs myself or many other bad scenarios. But instead I have an amazing husband, two beautiful sons-who I had a fair share of challenges getting to this earth-and a wonderful career. And my father is coming home very soon, and I couldn’t be happier.
So I say that I am my proudest achievement. I shouldn’t be where I am, statistically at all. For any reason. But I did it, and have a beautiful life and can’t wait to see what is to come.
Follow Britnee’s passion through IG: @maix.pro, @brittbwebbars,
![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)
Join the discussion!