There are two things I love supporting: women and beauty products.
Even more so, I love supporting women of color who have their own businesses. So, in this article, I decided to feature a Stony Brook Alumni, Toni Senior a.k.a. Toni Roy. Despite only recently graduating in May of 2017, with a major in Entrepreneurship/Business Management, Ms. Roy has already begun to create her own line of beauty products; starting with her line of dual-purpose loose powders, which can act as both highlighters and eyeshadows.
I only had the pleasure of knowing Toni very briefly, just for one semester. However, within that short span of time, I could tell that she was a creative spirit who radiated good energy. She was a certified Makeup Artist (MUA) and Cosmetologist who hailed from the Bronx, and she was both beating faces on campus and serving looks in class. She was an entrepreneur and student, and I was thoroughly impressed that she was balancing it all.
Toni Roy sporting her Toni Roy Beauty Loose Glow Powders in “Royalty” (left) and “BYOB” (right); Ms. Roy also specializes in makeup artistry
On account of all the success she has had since graduating, I felt the need to profile her and conduct an interview.
How was it being a student with a business?
Toni: “It was a process between being a freelance MUA and building a brand while balancing my studies. I’m somebody that likes to be engulfed in my passion and I like to put all my energy into that, so when it came to balancing my education, it definitely had its challenges.”
Did Stony Brook University, or college, in general, shape your business in any way? How?
Toni: “For the most part creating my own makeup and enhancing my skills has always been a personal goal; my talent was always out on display, Stony Brook provided the stepping stones for how I chose to go about creating my platform. Only a few people really knew that the creation of my handmade cosmetic highlighters was going to come to life, but for those who were unaware, all through my senior year I had been conducting my own research, sending surveys, and taking the time to learn about ingredients and mixing processes; all things that I probably would have been too lazy to do if it wasn’t for that push from my favorite business professors.”
What made you want to pursue creating your business?
Toni: “I don’t like to be told what to do! I like to do my own thing and I hate being molded into an organization/company. Although I still work for another makeup brand, I like to move comfortably. One of the best feelings is waking up, checking my online orders for the week, and being able to work in my own creative environment rather than being cooped up in somebody else’s space. I have always loved beauty which is why I took so much pride in being a Licensed Cosmetologist for the last 4 years. Once I really started to experiment with different brands I told myself “Hey I can spin off this makeup thing too! I have some colors and product ideas of my own that I would like to see in my kit so why not make my own?” Don’t get me wrong I use A LOT of different brands, but I was looking for some excitement in my career and creating my own products is definitely providing just that!”
Any advice to other student entrepreneurs?
Toni: “Don’t be afraid to talk about yourself. How else will people find out about what you bring to the table if you aren’t pushing yourself? Get involved on campus, go for leadership opportunities, network, talk, post. Everybody wants to be in their bubble but within the same breath complain about the things they aren’t experiencing. As an entrepreneur, you have to be willing to step out of your comfort zone and learn how to branch out.”
As we closed out the interview I had to ask the makeup guru what her Top 3 go-to makeup products are. She had the following to say:
Toni: “I have too many to count but I’m gonna try to leave it with 3! NYX Cosmetics Brow Pomade “Espresso” —to be honest any eyebrow products from NYX are a vibe— Nivea Recovery Lip Balm because I can’t be out here with cracked lips, it’s not okay. I have to pat myself on the back for my 3rd go to which would be my loose low powder in “Royalty.” It’s literally a warm, yellow gold and it just looks dope with warm eyeshadow looks.”
You can buy “Royalty” and her many other products at toniroybeauty.bigcartel.com. All of her products are hand-mixed, vegan, and cruelty-free!
You can also follow her on social media to see her products at work on Instagram @toniroybeauty and Twitter @toni_roy
“I really like unicorns, and I carry myself as such because [being] normal gets boring” -Toni Roy
Gif from GIPHY