By Nicole S. Daniel
The Birmingham Times
Shecovia ‘CoCo’ Moore owner of a cosmetics business in Birmingham doesn’t like to say she “makes over” or “reinvents” her clients.
“I ‘enhance’ what’s already there,” she said. “I do that because I want women to feel good about what they see when they look in the mirror without makeup on.”
This summer, Moore hosted her second annual Beauty Summer Camp to help girls ages 7-17 to feel “good about themselves, build their confidence, self-esteem and to feel good about who they are at their core.”
“People think it’s just makeup but it is not. I started doing makeup to make people feel good and I like to make people look good, I want to teach younger girls about feeling good.”
The owner of Coco Moore Makeup feels this young generation has more access to what makeup can do for the skin compared to when she was younger. “I want to help them realize you can put on all the makeup in the world but who you are on the inside matters.”
Since opening her business in 2018, Moore has become a go-to makeup artist. She’s hosted beauty summer camps for girls at her studio, taught classes to Birmingham teenagers and adults, participated in a community service day at a shelter, created a beginner makeup guide and launched a makeup line.
Makeup To Cover Up
Moore remembers first doing makeup in 2010-2011 “just to help one of my friends get through a rough patch. She was in an abusive relationship and makeup was our thing to hide her scars,” said Moore.
At the time she and her friend would look on YouTube for the latest makeup trend. “I was having my own personal issues as well therefore I thought, ‘well, if this helps her feel better why not try to put it on myself.’ I truly believe when you look good you feel good no matter what you’re going through.”
Moore’s friends would come to her to get their makeup done. Around 2013, she enrolled in makeup courses and trainings under a professional makeup artist. “I transitioned to be taken more seriously,” she said. She posted her friends on social media after applying their makeup her clientele increased and “I would have appointments before and after work.”
Moore launched CoCo Moore Cosmetics from her apartment in Homewood, AL. “I started with lashes and I was inspired because of my friends. I named a lash after every single friend. They are the reason I got started. She now has 15 named lashes.
She later released a line of lip colors and named them after family members like her mother and four stepsisters. Since the launch of her cosmetics line, she has expanded from lashes and lip colors to foundations, concealers, powder, eye shadow palettes, and lip liners.
Walking Into Her Purpose
In November 2017, the beauty enhancer was laid off from her real estate job. “My boss told me to stop working hard at his dreams and work at mine so he laid me off. He doesn’t consider it laying me off, he says he pushed me into my purpose.”
That’s when Moore decided to see how far she could go with makeup. “I told myself all I can do is fail or not fail.”
As the Thanksgiving season came, Moore’s clientele began to increase. That’s when her mother told her “If this is what you’re going to do, you can’t have all these people coming in and out of your home.”
In 2018, she found a small salon online to work from. “I was kind of nervous and the rent was about $500 a month. At that time my clientele wasn’t the best and I didn’t know if I could afford to pay it.”
She applied to the salon and got approved. “The first weekend I moved in I made my rent. That’s when I told myself, ‘I can do this.”
Wanting to expand to a larger space as her clientele increased, Moore moved into her own space now called The Beauty Room by CoCo Moore located at 275 West Valley Avenue.
Her business which employs 5, offers services such as microshading, eye brow wax and tinting, a nail technician, an esthetician who does facials and skin treatments and she and other local entrepreneurs sell retail products.
She describes her business as a “one stop beauty shop” where clients can expect an attainable luxury experience.
“Makeup itself is a luxury service but, your experience here is going to be an upbeat one. … You will be greeted by an energetic receptionist, and we offer wine and complimentary snacks.”
Coming Up On The East Side
Moore grew up on the east side of Birmingham where she attended Huffman High School and graduated in 2008 and then attended the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL majoring in early childhood education.
“I did not finish school because. I was planning to go to real estate school. When I was about to start I was let go from my [real estate] job in Vestavia.”
Asked her plans for the future, she replied “growth in education and teaching more classes and doing mentorship, launch more cosmetic products, have more events and a lot more community involvement.”
Besides running a successful beauty salon, Moore loves to try new restaurants. “I’ll take my laptop or a journal and just write. Whether its new ideas for my business or just releasing mentally in my journal. That’s really my time for me.”
In addition, she loves to read, spend time with friends and family and travel. “My go to place is Dallas, Texas. My best friend moved there so that’s a quick getaway for me. As of now the most favorite place I have been is Clearwater in Florida. I want to travel to Bali,” she said.
For more visit: Cocomooremakeup.com; Instagram @cocomooremakeup; Facebook Shecovia Dismuke Moore
