CINCINNATI — A mother mixing her own makeup said social media turned it into a six-figure business after COVID stopped everything. 

What You Need To Know

  • Brea Reliford wanted to open a makeup store, but her business partner died and her baby was hospitalized

  • After one year off, she said she was started back up this time using social media to help

  • In eight months, she said she started making six figures and has just opened her own space for "The Makeup Lab"

Mother of four Brea Reliford had it all planned out. She was going to open a makeup store with her best friend, but she said when COVID hit, everything came to a tragic stop. 

“How do I figure out how to keep going through all of this?" said Reliford,  “Nobody really understood, like I have this vision, but I also have my kids that come first and I have a business partner that I’m still trying to grieve,” she said.

Her friend got sick with pneumonia and suddenly died. 

Shortly after that, her youngest baby was sent to the hospital, suffering from severe allergies. 

At that point, she said there was no makeup business, and with the pandemic keeping more people at home not wearing any, she was told there wouldn’t ever be a makeup business. 

“A lady came up and told me, 'makeup is gonna be non-existent in a minute.' It didn’t discourage me,” said Reliford.

Instead, she said she remembered part of the reason she wanted to run a beauty business.

“Being a Black woman, we don’t have cosmetics that really fit our skin tone if you really want to be honest, so I was dealing with different vendors who was very limited,” said Reliford.

One year later, she started mixing her own colors and ingredients to create her own makeup. 

When she posted it to social media, her business took off.

“In eight months, I did it. I said this year, I’m gonna be making six figures and I did,” said Reliford.

She now has a manufacturer making her makeup. She made enough money to open her own wholesale space in Cincinnati and a brand called “The Makeup Lab.” 

Inspired by her friend’s memory, motivated by her little ones and determined to make a difference, she said this is just the beginning. 

“We’re gonna keep going up,” said Reliford.

For more information about "The Makeup Lab" click here.