We Interviewed the Owner of Copacetic Cosmetics

Welcome to another interview for the blog! This week, we interviewed the owner of Copacetic Cosmetics. We have been blown away by the beautiful eyeshadows she creates, and we had some exciting questions for her!

*All pictures used with permission. This post is not sponsored. If you are enjoying this interview series, please consider supporting us on Patreon!

IM: How did you come up with the name Copacetic Cosmetics?

CC: Copacetic was the name of my mother’s cat when she had me. I have always loved cats, and I have actually never in my life not had a cat. So as a tribute to my mother – and my love of kitties – I chose Copacetic as the name of my brand.

IM: What inspired you to start your own brand and what product did you launch with?

CC: I had accumulated a ton of name brand makeup and had started doing prom and wedding event makeup. My husband knew this was a passion of mine. I have always been an entrepreneur and closing my polish line in 2014 had always stuck with me. My husband encouraged me to relaunch as a full cosmetics line in 2017, bringing back not just my polish but also a full line of products. I actually launched with 20 products (8 Liquid Lipsticks, Lip Revival, The Sagacious Palette, 3 Glow From Within Highlighters, Siren Drops Serum, 5 Cascade Polishes, and a Luxury Cheek Flush). I had really wanted a huge and impressive launch.

IM: You create beautiful quads concentrated around a single color, which I personally love. What moved you towards created small palettes with curated color stories?

CC: The white quads were originally created for my monthly subscription boxes, which are all themed. The palettes are just reflections of that theme. I do hope to create more monotone palettes in the future as well as palettes that hold many unique shades.

IM: You’ve got a few different formulas. Can you speak about each one? Which one is your favorite? How did you develop them?

CC: I do try to keep multiple formulas because I think that every pigment and shadow can be so beautiful in more than one form. I love foils on my lid, but I prefer flakies or shimmers in my inner corner. Creating multiple formulas really make the palettes and eyeshadows versatile to be used as more than just eyeshadow: lipstick topper, highlighter. All of my formulas are the result of trial and error, which of course results in wasted product and hours of scribbling recipes until they are perfected; but, with so many brands out there, staying unique and putting that extra time in really pays off.  My current favorite formula, the one I would say I’m most known for, would have to be the pressed flakie. I just knew how beautiful they were and I was so sad at how much product would be wasted every time I opened the jar up. In order to combat waste and to make them easier to apply, I spent hours trying multiple methods to press them into a pan that would keep them as flakies but also allow them to be more easily used. 

IM: You are one of the few brands that does monthly subscription boxes! How successful have they been so far and how do you curate them each month?

CC: This is actually my second attempt at subscription boxes. Back in 2017, I offered Copacetic Bags, which also had monthly themes. However, I was much too small at the time and my ambition got the better of me.

This time around has been so different. I think the idea of having different tiers really appeals to people, because there is something for everyone. I like to include brand new items, as well as exclusive items, which make the boxes special. I am so excited for this because it is really taking off and it challenges me monthly to create even better boxes! I basically pick a theme that I feel could be fun to use as inspiration for the box and then I have a session just creating and it’s honestly a blast.

IM: You are also one of the few indies that has collaborated with an influencer (@basket.case.beauty)! It’s an absolutely stunning palette, we both love it. Can you speak about that process from a brand’s perspective?

CC: I knew that she would be an amazing person to collab with, she’s just such a kind and fun person and we really connected not as a business relationship but an actual friendship. I think that is what allowed us to create such a unique palette that really spoke to so many people. We had sessions where she would tell me what she wanted and I would blend it up and swatch it and she would tell me “no, can it be more like this?” So I would do that. I wanted this palette to be 100% exactly what she wanted it to be. I didn’t want to just make a palette and slap her name on it, and following her dream is what pushed me out of my comfort zone to try these wildly colored mattes. And I really grew throughout this process. Also, I will go ahead and leak that I am actually in the works of a new collab with a certain someone who is all about effect shadows and flakies.

IM: You have a lot of different types of products available (makeup, skincare, even jewelry!). How did you decide what to create and how do you keep up with inventory?

CC: Yes, I have been told that I am over-ambitious, and that may be true. But after creating my own nail polish and cosmetics it feels so silly to go and spend $50 on a face cream. I would rather spend $200 on ingredients and formulate something even better and then share it with the world for so much less than these high-end brands are selling items for. I never release an item that I don’t use myself. In fact, most of the items in my line are items I made for myself and then realized that they needed to be shared. I love creating, I always have, it’s just something magical to create something with your own hands and to be proud of it. 

IM: As a follow-up, have you ever had to discontinue something and what pushed you to do so?

CC: I have discontinued items that I have been able to re-formulate into a better product. I have also discontinued items that just were taking too much of my time restocking. As I have said, I absolutely love to create, that’s why I spent 32 weeks releasing 5 new shades a week. Restocking is just so tedious sometimes, but then on the other hand I want as many people as possible to be able to get the items if they want them. But sometimes I have to just move on so that my soul can keep on creating. I hope that makes sense, lol.

IM: What is the most difficult part of growing your brand?  

CC: The most difficult part of growing my brand, personally, is the growth itself. I am so amazed at how far it has come, and I could never have expected this. I make everything myself by hand, and I am so proud of that. But I am slowly reaching the point where I will need to hire staff soon (one or two people) and I just internally panic because when I make something, and I ship it, I know the quality going out. I have so much anxiety about making sure everyone loves their products and letting go of some of that power scares me. This company is something so special to me, and that is how I want to keep it. This isn’t meant to be a get rich quick plan, this is a way for me to express my creativity and share it with the world, and I just hope it always stays that way. At the same time, I love seeing it grow, I love seeing new faces commenting that they have made their first order, and I am just so amazed by the support of the community. I sometimes work 16 hours a day just keep orders going out, and I know realistically that can’t go on forever, and I will need to reach out for help, and I just need to have faith that everything will just work out.

IM: What is something you really want your brand to achieve?

CC: I honestly think I am where I am meant to be. I am so unbelievably happy with how everything is going currently. I mean, of course, I have goals, but I just feel really good about the direction of my brand and the connections I have made with so many lovely people. Thinking short term, I want to finish formulating a couple of new products, and thinking long term, I just hope all the friends I have now grow to be successful and that the community continues to embrace me and my brand.

Thank you so much to Copacetic Cosmetics for agreeing to this interview with us! We are so excited to see what they release in the future, especially for those quads!

As always, let us know who you would like to see us interview next!