When you grow up in a town of 250 and in a Jehovahs Witness household - you really have to be creative . We only had the corner store and what I learned in school. My stepfather was a carpenter and I would take his red and black wax pencils and use them for makeup - that is until my mom put a stop to it . Being a strict JW - we were taught to minimize our beauty , I fought it every step of the way , and won . My mother finally said if you gonna wear it ,wear it correctly and respectfully. I would ask Mrs. Venet my 6th grade teacher for her old makeup and skincare products and she would bring me a few items that my mom approved . The older I got - I focused on skin . I got my first look at someone that looked like me , when Whitney became uber promonant , I remembe very vividly she was the first black woman to be on the cover of a major magazine , tv show, number one movie and alnum all in the same year . I wanted flawless skin like Whitney - and my mom bought me my first jar of Noxzema , I was hooked , I did not care if it burnt my skin lol. Thank God for growth and education , I really used to put a menthol base product on my face then followed it with St Ives . Those were all I had access to . Being a Nurse and MUA quickly taught me , while you did not see Women that looked like me as standard of beauty , we all had the same desire , great skin . Being a Healthcare Professional in the beauty industry , I knew I had a bigger responsibility - SAFE products . After taking care of so many cancer patients , I wanted to create a line that was safe enough for them , and my baby was born . Face Front Skin - the name is derived from a desire to inspire people to see themselves as fierce , beautiful and to face the camara head on , no need for a good side . Because at Face Front Skin , we give good face through our products , volunteer efforts , donations and care . I truly love being a mentor and giver of light in a sometimes dark industry. I want young girls to know they are special and beautiful . xo Melinda