

Meet The SHEeo: Alicia Scott Of Range Beauty - A Foundation Line For The Forgotten Shades
With the rise of more and more black women breaking away from traditional 9-5s to become their own bosses, the CEO is getting a revamp as the SHEeo. In the Meet The SHEeo series, we talk to melanated mavens leveling up and glowing up, all while redefining what it means to be a boss.
While working behind the scenes in the fashion industry, Alicia Scott noticed that models of color would show up to shoots with their own makeup due to the lack of shades available. Noticing her own limited collection for her sensitive skin, Scott created RANGE Beauty— an affordable, high-performance, clean beauty line for forgotten shades, designed to appeal to a broad range of melanin-enriched skin tones. RANGE currently offers foundation in 21 shades and 3-4 undertone options that nourish the skin with wear.
Meet Alicia Scott of RANGE Beauty.
Photo by Tailiah Breon for xoNecole
Title: Founder & CEO of RANGE Beauty
Year Founded: 2017
Location: Atlanta, GA
# of Employees: Just me!
30-Second Pitch: RANGE Beauty is high-performance, clean beauty for the forgotten shades.
What inspired you to start your brand?
I previously worked in the fashion industry and noticed on shoots and runway shows backstage, the Black models would bring their own makeup kits for the MUAs to use. This in turn made me look at my own makeup collection which I found non-existent due to lack of shade range availability and my highly sensitive skin. I knew I had to stop wondering why these brands couldn't expand their shades and use non-toxic ingredients and decided to create the line myself.
What was your a-ha moment that brought your idea into reality?
My biggest a-ha moment was when I made my first order with the manufacturer. Fortunately, they have low minimum order quantities and I was able to start with $150 of inventory to test and play with. The day the order arrived, from the base ingredients, I was able to make 15 different shades of brown. I was shocked at the range that sat before me because if I was able to do this in one day, in my kitchen, with $150, what valid excuse did these large corporations have for not trying? I knew I could really put something great out for people of color made by someone who looks like them.
Who is your ideal customer?
My ideal customer is any person of color who feels that their skin tone is of ignored by beauty brands or not genuinely thought of, age 18-34, and ingredient-conscious.
What makes your business different?
RANGE is different because I truly want to make clean beauty for people of color accessible. I am my customer, so transparency and really giving customers a great product is important to me. EWG completed a study that revealed beauty products marketed specifically towards Black women contain two times more toxic ingredients than other groups. There needs to be more clean alternatives in the market and I want to really push that forward. As far as our specific products, we are unique in that they are dual makeup/skincare that actually nourishes your skin with wear instead of causing damage.
"RANGE is different because I truly want to make clean beauty for people of color accessible. I am my customer, so transparency and really giving customers a great product is important to me."
What obstacles did you have to overcome while launching and growing your brand? How were you able to overcome them?
Prior to launch, the biggest obstacle was picking a launch date and sticking to it. I kept pushing things back because I wanted perfection. There is such a stigma around Black-owned brands not being or looking on level with other brands and it caused me to fear launching. I finally got over it and realized the difference between perfection and professional. After launch, my biggest obstacle was keeping up with demand while bootstrapping the company. I didn't take out any loans so the company was growing based off revenue and anything extra I put in which can slow your growth in some areas. I'm still dealing with this but thankfully I've been in some great pitch competitions like Jackie Aina's Noir Tank where I received a grant for $5,000 and currently looking towards crowdfunding.
What was the defining moment in your entrepreneurial journey?
The defining moment in my journey is after being in business for a little over a year, I had Target reach out about us! Aside from our customers' support, it was the most validating moment for me. I mean I had it on my five-year goals so it just made me know even more that was I created is something really of value and significance.
Where have you seen the biggest return on investment? (i.e. marketing, ads, vending, social media)
The biggest ROI has absolutely been from influencer marketing, non-sponsored features. When influencers or MUAs believe in what you have and want to post about it based on that, it really hits home with turning their viewers/supporters into our new customers/supporters.
Do you have a mentor? If so, who?
I don't have a traditional mentor. I've been fortunate to connect one-on-one with the most amazing women who are business owners like Melissa Butler of The Lip Bar and Beatrice Feliu-Espada of The Honey Pot Co, who have dropped the realest knowledge and gems I've ever heard about being in this business. I also have a spectacular village of business women around me like Noor Farooq of Skin Glass by Noor Face and Raven Nichole of Legendary Rootz. We teach each other things, speak on resources, and go hard in supporting each other.
Biggest lesson you’ve learned in business?
The biggest lesson I've learned is just staying true to yourself and this God-given purpose. You can't solely be in this for the money or you won't last long. The belief and faith I have in what I'm doing is what's most important at the end of the day and will keep things going.
Anything else you would like for people to know, or take away from your entrepreneurial story?
I'm just so happy and proud to be here! It's a true roller coaster ride but it's my baby and I love it. I hope anyone who reads this who is doubting starting their company, knows to just go for it now!
For more of Alicia and RANGE Beauty, follow her on social: Instagram & Twitter.
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Russell and Nina Westbrook Dish On The Key Ways To Avoid Resentment In Relationships
Russell and Nina Westbrook are one of those low-key, unproblematic couples we don’t talk about enough. They met in college and got married in 2015. They also have a beautiful family with three kids. While Russell is an NBA star, Nina is a licensed family and marriage therapist and a mental health advocate.
She recently launched the podcast The Relationship Chronicles with Nina Westbrook, and in the latest episode, she had none other than her husband on as a guest. The college sweethearts dived into important topics from marriage to children and how they navigate it all.
One of the topics they touched on was dealing with resentment in your relationship. The former MVP highlighted the sacrifices his wife has had to make in order for him to pursue a career in the NBA, and that’s why it’s also important for him to support his wife whenever he can.
“For me is respecting and understanding what your partner do and the time it takes,” Russell said. “Not kind of downplaying what they do, understanding the time and energy and effort they're doing to make sure whether it’s their job or making sure home is taken care of, and understanding that, I think that is the challenge of not being resentful.”
Nina agreed and also shared her thoughts on resentment. According to her, one of the best things couples should do is have their own identity and passions outside of the relationship in an effort to be fulfilled.
“I also think that when you’re in a relationship, that’s why it’s so important that each individual kinda pursue their own passions and follow their own dreams as I feel like it only becomes or leads to resentment when one person is not feeling fulfilled in what they're doing in their lives,” she explained.
“And so, they will start to look at the other partner who’s happy or excelling or promoting or moving along in their journey, then they’re left feeling stuck like they sacrificed themselves, their happiness, their career, their future and have not pursued it in the name of the relationship or their partner. So, it’s so much easier to avoid those feelings of resentment when you’re each equally pursuing your passions.”
The couple has many passions that they work on together and separately. Outside of basketball and his family, Russell has become known for his eclectic style and started the fashion brand Honor The Gift. Nina has her podcast, and she also started the mental health website Bene. Together, they run the Why Not? Foundation, which works with kids in underserved communities.
“I’m a firm believer that one person can’t be everything to you, so you have to sort of seek out those different friendships or groups or hobbies or activities that help to fulfill you,” Nina concluded.
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Feature image by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Religion of Sports