Five years ago Missy MacKintosh began building her clean cosmetics line literally from the ground up.
She started MisMacK Clean Cosmetics in the basement of her Canoe home.
That was 2017. On April 10, 2021, she opened a storefront in downtown Salmon Arm.
Speaking from the store with its bright, airy decor, she was ecstatic.
She said she has taught more than 30 students in her home over the past five years. She needed a space to expand the program, because she couldn’t do the next level in her basement.
“To have my dream come true of having my own studio and our headquarters right downtown Salmon Arm in my hometown – it’s super surreal and yet it feels so right. It feels like we’ve been here forever.”
She said the store layout includes distribution for wholesalers in the back, a studio in the centre and retail products in the front.
“Our biggest thing is our education, so we’re expanding our students into different programs.”
Also available are make-up lessons for every day for those who want to learn more. She explained that makeup is not a passive sale.
“You have to understand how to use it. Especially Clean, our formulas are so unique.”
MacKintosh is an experienced wedding makeup artist as well as skilled in all sorts of event makeup, film makeup and more. However, education is where her heart lies.
“Education is more my specialty, teaching. I’ve created my own fundamental makeup artistry program, of inspiring and teaching the next generation of artists.
She said MisMacK has two new products, a cleansing balm and a cleansing oil that were birthed in the space that is now the MisMacK location.
“I worked with Janice of Mossy Stump Company here in town for the last six months prior to Christmas to create a skin care line. So it was birthed here and made here – that’s how we got the space.”
She said Mossy Stump Company creates natural soaps and bath balms, as well as manufacturing products for use across Canada.
“I fell in love with her products, instantly, and asked if she’d be willing to create a skin care line with me and our MisMacK proprietary ingredient. She said yes.”
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In response to the remark that they’re young women making a difference, MacKintosh smiled.
“One glitter at a time,” she said, in reference to the biodegradable glitter that was the foundation of her company launch.
She explained that her 10-year-old son calls her Glitter Girl, calling it her superhero power “because I’m saving the world one glitter at a time.”
She said her son named the purple eye shadow she was wearing the day of the interview, Magic Violet.
“He just is so proud; he rocks MisMacK every day to school with the hats…”
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