BY: JADE LEONARD
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: @_emptage_
Only 2 years in the game, Dosso Beauty has expanded to a wide variety of beauty products for women and men. Enamored with all things beauty since she was a little girl, Kadidja was destined to make an impact in the Beauty Industry. She holds a Bachelor’s degree, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Hampton University, and a Soror of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Basically the recipe for a boss! She's intelligent, beautiful, and a hustler. In this issue, Kadidja shares about friendship, key attributes of an entreprenuer, some of her skincare secrets, and her vision for the future of Dosso Beauty. So without further delay, I proudly present to you my line sister and a genuine woman who wants to make the world a better place for all. Move over Jeff Bezos, Dosso Beauty is going to give you a run for your money. Just wait! Ladies and gents give it up for "Kadidja Dosso The Beauty Boss".
The UpNext (UN): How would you describe your personality in three words?
Kadidja Dosso: "I would describe my personality as ambitious, resilient, and genuine."
The UN: When did you first experiment with makeup?
KD: "My first experiment with makeup was when I was a little girl. My mom was always into makeup and I would sit and watch her put her makeup on as she got ready for work. Every once in a while, I would sneak into her room and sit at her vanity table and play in her makeup. Once my mom noticed that I had potential, she and my grandma surprised me with a makeup kit of my own! I read every beauty column in Seventeen Magazine and I tried every beauty tip and trick that I could with the little makeup that I had."
The UN: Who’s your beauty icon?
KD: "My beauty icon is the incomparable Iman. She is a supermodel, philanthropist, and Beauty Business Owner herself. Iman created her beauty line because there was a lack of makeup shades that best-suited women of color. The beauty industry is dominantly owned by males contrary to popular belief, but that did not stop Iman from breaking the glass ceiling and making history."
The UN: How did Dosso Beauty Begin? What makes you stand out?
KD: "Dosso Beauty was founded in February of 2018 and has hit the ground running ever since! My grandmother passed away a few months prior and she was always my biggest advocate, best friend and I knew that she would want me to pursue my dreams in her honor. So, I decided to start my business after a night of brainstorming, praying, and conducting research. Afterward, I identified where I could source high-quality products to provide to consumers and began to test the market. Dosso Beauty’s debut products were 4 styles of 100% Mink Eyelashes, and they were a hit! I then began creating personal care products ranging from Whipped Shea Butter, Beard Oil, Lip Balm, and Lip Scrubs in my kitchen. Currently, Dosso Beauty has a catalog of 85 products, and we plan to continue to grow over the next few years. My goal is to ultimately create a franchise of organic beauty supply stores that also offers hair care and cosmetic services on site. In addition, I would like to begin offering scholarships, grants, mentorship programs, and professional development offerings to ensure that people have access to the necessary tools that they need to be confident and succeed.
Dosso Beauty claims its presence within the beauty space by providing our clients with quality organic cosmetics, skincare, and hair care products that are gender-neutral and affordable. We strive to ensure that people of all genders, races, and creeds understand the importance of self-care and how that translates to their everyday performance and overall confidence. What sets us apart from others is our true commitment to offering organic and cruelty-free products as well as sustainable packaging. We have been certified as cruelty-free and vegan by Peta as many other companies have done, but we have taken it a step further in ensuring that we are providing sustainable packaging for both our products and our shipping methods. In our efforts to acquire more sustainable packaging for our products we are seeking to source reusable packaging and recyclable inserts for our loyal customers to continue to shop with us and to save the earth from one less item that will go into landfills.
Another way that Dosso Beauty sets itself apart from other beauty brands is our goal to create professional development and mentoring programs for teenagers who do not have access to the resources that will lead them to success. I did not grow up in a very good neighborhood but I was fortunate enough to have my family ensure that I was placed into every extracurricular, scholarship program, and resource that would lead me to success. For many others, this is not the same scenario. 21% of children within America are currently living in poverty. Success to them is survival, not utilizing their talents and dreams to create a better future because most of them don’t believe that they will have a future. It is imperative that we use the key Twi term (West African) ‘Sankofa’ which means to reach back while climbing. Dosso Beauty is committed to going the extra mile to ensure that our community experiences hope."
The UN: What’s your daily skincare routine?
KD: "My daily skin routine consists of three key steps.
Step 1: After my shower, I make sure that I lather my entire body with my Dosso Beauty Whipped Shea Butter. It keeps my skin hydrated and subtle and has a very natural scent that compliments any perfume that I accompany it with.
Step 2: I use my Dosso Beauty Perfect 10 Oil Cleanser to clean my face while replenishing it with 10 incredible natural oils that will not make me look oily but will give me a natural glow.
Last but certainly not least, I apply my Dosso Beauty Hydrating Moisturizer to make sure that I’m locking in as much natural moisturizer that I can to protect my skin from the sun, dirt, and other particles in the air."
The UN: What did the pandemic teach you about yourself? What did you learn about your business?
KD: "The pandemic has shown me how nimble I can be. I shifted my business model from being 75% in-person sales and 25% e-commerce to 98% e-commerce. I quickly realized that we need to make we increase our marketing, outreach, and PR in order to make this huge shift work while growing our business. Naturally, I’m a great saleswoman in person, but I had to quickly translate those same in-person skills digitally. I leaned on my Dosso Beauty team to assist me with this and to bring it to life."
The UN: In your opinion, what makes a successful entrepreneur?
KD: "A successful entrepreneur is someone who continuously strives to improve their product/service and has the ability to inspire others to follow their dreams."
The UN: When did you recognize the need for men’s skincare/beard products?
KD: "The day after I launched my brand with the 4 styles of mink eyelashes all of my male family/friends called and texted me asking how they can support and expressed that they wanted to buy and use my products as well. So, I went straight to the kitchen and tested formulas and sent them samples to try. Eventually, I revamped the formula about 4 times trying out different carrier oils, bottles and then the current Fresh Beard Oil was born and was a hit. My brother along with various other customers were able to grow their beard, fill out patchy spots and learn more about personal care just by simply maintaining their facial hair properly. After I created the beard oil, I knew that skincare would be a gender-neutral market that I’ve always wanted to tap into, and then my infamous Whipped Shea Butter was born!"
The UN: Where’s your favorite travel destination thus far?
KD: "The best travel destination that I’ve been to by far would be Ghana, West Africa. When I visited Ghana for two weeks it completely changed my life and helped me to see who I wanted to become. From the food to the beautiful people to the culture and history I was blown away and will never forget that experience and how it affected my life."
The UN: What did attending an HBCU teach you about balancing friendships/relationships and achieving goals?
KD: "Attending Hampton taught me the importance of valuable relationships and that being authentic to who you are will take you much further than who others may want you to be. My 3 best friends (Kennedy, Laura & Samara) and I met on our first day of freshman year while walking to the cafe and the rest was history. We are sisters for life and support one another in all of our endeavors although we’ve been out of college for over 3 years. We balance our relationship as friends by holding each other accountable for our goals."
The UN: If money wasn't an option, how would you expand Dosso Beauty LLC?
KD: "I’m currently building Dosso Beauty to become an Organic Beauty Empire. Essentially, my goal is to become the fastest shipping Organic Beauty Supplier or the Amazon of Organic Beauty Supplies. Outside of being a retailer, I’d also like to include in my franchise full-service salons to provide hairstylists, makeup artists, and other estheticians a place that supports their artistry as well as one that will propel them to be their own boss."
Follow Kadidja on IG: dossobeauty
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