Built from the ground up and 100% mine.
My name is Felicia Tayeh, I’m 34, and I was born and raised in northern California. I am the founder and owner of Loray’e Lavish Beauty.
Raised by a single mother of 3 on section-8, food stamps, and hopes and dreams. I yearned for success and to have more in life. As a child, I raked lawns and did paper routes and as an early teen, I worked fast food joints. As soon as I turned 18 I got a decent job at kaiser Permanente and a year into working realized I wanted to start my own business and work for myself, but couldn’t decide on exactly doing what. A year later I got pregnant so my dreams were put on hold.
Fast forward in 2016 I made the decision to go to Beauty School and become a Cosmetologist. While going to school and working I took outside color classes, got certified in eyelash extensions and in microblading. I believe that whatever business someone pursues, they need to become the best they can at that.
“There are so many people doing what you’re doing, good isn’t good enough anymore.”-
The first month in school I manifested that I was going to own my own salon. I told a few people that I would open up my own place sooner or later. Once I graduated and became a certified cosmetologist, I Opened a one-chair studio for a year. Then worked at a high-end salon for the next two years.
I loved the opportunities, experiences and knowledge I was getting in the beauty industry. I got to be on a team and work at beautiful weddings and do big events around the Sacramento Area. It is such a rewarding feeling making people feel beautiful inside and out. But somehow I didn’t feel fulfilled on my journey. I wanted my own high end salon, one that I would own and run.
I picked up two jobs…bartending and driving Uber and Lyft while still working at the salon. And I stacked my money. Some nights I would drive by salons after work on the way home and look inside, thinking… “what if I could really own my own place.” A feeling of hope and dreams, because even though that’s what I was working so hard for, you never really know until the time comes.
People doubted me and told me it wasn’t a good idea but in the summer of 2019, I signed my first lease and got the keys to what would be Loray’e Lavish Beauty. The first three months I was there there was no overhead so it gave me time to network and get things going and on June 1st 2019 I opened my doors.
I opened my doors to ALL WOMEN AND ALL RACES. I know it’s not something we all like to get into but most salons are more white… and some are black salons. I can manage and style all textures. I believe if a woman sees a salon and wants to go in and get her hair done she shouldn’t have to worry about if her hair is too straight or too thick. As stylists, we should learn to style hair not one type of hair, Period.
I opened my doors to a full salon with zero loans and zero co-owners. This was MY salon and I would build it from the ground up because I was now a real BOSS! I kept a night job to add services, upgrades and put in a full boutique even though I was getting busy with more clients. I was making more money in the salon so I made a decision to do my first hire in April 2020. Then BOOM! Worldwide pandemic, covid-19.
My side job for upgrades became income to keep my business open. Our California government told me that I had to pay 3k a month for a building that I could not use. So I worked, and I cried. I asked God why me and when is it going to be my turn. Why do I feel like I am working so hard and not getting the reward that I feel I deserve and wished for….success.
Finally, in the month of January 2021 almost a year later, I was able to open my doors back up. And with this said I felt different like this is my year. It’s a feeling inside of me that I can’t ignore. I have two employees starting to work for me in the next couple of weeks and my boutique Loray’e Lavish Boutique is officially launching on April 1st 2021
I hope that this reaches women out there that feel like giving up and gives you the strength to keep going. We have to be strong and keep going because life is hard… it’s hard being broke and it is hard being successful so like they say choose your hard.
This is my year… I attract it, I manifest it, I claim it. This is the year my business will take off and become successful.
![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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