Taylor Green of San Clemente is not your typical 15-year-old girl. Not only does she balance being a high school student and working a part time job, she is also an entrepreneur.
Green created her very own make-up line that launched Feb. 14 called Cosmetic Mafia. She began doing research on how the most effective way to run her company would be back in September 2018 and immediately dedicated her time and money into building a brand.
Cosmetic Mafia’s current line has a variety of different lip pencils, lipsticks and lipglosses. She recently launched a creamy concealer that comes in six different shades with a plan on releasing a mascara in the next month. She has kept her line fairly affordable with a range that starts with $15 for a lipgloss to the most expensive being her lipsticks for $20 each.
“I have always been really into make-up,” Green said. “I loved how it built up my confidence. I wanted to make a brand that helped other people through self-empowerment and self-confidence.”
Green’s make-up line is 95 percent vegan, paraben and gluten free, so the line is accessible for everyone to use. “I hope my company becomes a community of its own,” Green said. “I want Cosmetic Mafia to be the go-to site for all cosmetics.”
With the money Green has made through her part-time job as a waitress at a sushi restaurant in San Clemente, she has funded her entire business on her own. Julie Green, Taylor’s mother said, “We were going to give her a business loan, but Taylor wanted to do this all on her own.” She spent time saving up her money and doing the research on who her suppliers would be and the best way to use her money on her inventory.
Green got the idea for the name Cosmetic Mafia by breaking down the word “mafia.” Although it usually have a negative connotation, Green chose to focus on the positive. The word mafia is “a group of people who have an influence,” and Green wanted her brand to be a way to influence make-up lovers to improve their self-confidence and encourage ambition among the make-up community.
When Green decided to start her own business, this was not a huge shock to her close family and friends. Green said that since she was a little girl, her family always knew that she was ambitious and was going to be an entrepreneur.
Being a high-school student is hard on its own, but Green has been able to find a good balance for all of her responsibilities. She said that school always comes first but with whatever free time she has, 95 percent is spent on Cosmetic Mafia (with the remaining 5 percent being devoted to friends and family). Her brand is targeted toward young adults and teenagers, so she really leans to her friends and values their opinions on her make-up line.
“My favorite item from my line would probably be my cream concealers,” Green said. “They’re super buildable and the perfect size for travel.”
Green is looking into finding a location in Orange County to have a pop-up shop, so costumers can physically try out Cosmetic Mafia before buying the products. Go to cosmeticmafia.com to check out the entire line or shop through Instagram @cosmeticxmafia.
