Stacey Fraser didn’t just make her own daughter’s dress-up dreams come true when she developed Cassie Kids makeup. She also taught her about the possibilities of entrepreneurship.
Remember the magic of watching your mom get ready for a night out? Remember trying to copy her, opening your mouth just a little as if it would help you apply the mascara more evenly, pursing your mouth so you could get the lipstick just so?
That’s a rite of passage for most little girls, as is the desire to create your own special look, with your own makeup. Cassidy Fraser was no different – but when the makeup bug bit, her mom, Stacey, did more than buy her a sparkly palette. She created her own range of child-friendly, environmentally friendly (and everything else-friendly, too) cosmetics.
Stacey explains that the idea for Cassie Kids was born out of her search for makeup that would do justice to Cassidy’s glamorous aspirations – but, sadly, all she found were poor quality formulations or products that had been tested on animals.
A self-described A-type, Stacey’s usual reaction to a closed door is to break it down. With the idea of creating a range that she’d be comfortable for Cassidy to use brewing, she designed a Canva mock up featuring four potential products (pink, purple and bronze eyeshadow and a blush), sent it to her friends to gauge interest – and was met with an overwhelmingly positive response.
Now came the hard bit: “I actually had to find out how to make makeup!” Finding tutorials about mixing cosmetics wasn’t too challenging – it was sourcing ingredients that posed the real problem. There were a lot of boxes to tick … suppliers had to source their products in a sustainable, ethical manner, plus, those products had to be non-toxic and skin friendly. This ruled out a lot of ingredients. Mica, although widely used in the cosmetics industry, posed a problem, because producers typically use child labour. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, also commonly used, had to be carefully investigated – if the particles are too small, they’re absorbed by the skin. Beeswax, valued as an ingredient that provides a protective barrier on the skin without clogging the pores, is not always sourced sustainably. Meanwhile talc, also almost ubiquitous in eyeshadows and powders, is sometimes mined next to asbestos – which means there’s no guarantee that it’s not contaminated.
Stacey patiently sifted through potential partners, following the same process for boxes and containers for her products, until she was happy with the final result. Cassie Kids’ first customer was able to pout and preen in May 2021 – and the company has been going from strength to strength since, with the product range now including “a little bit of everything”. Stacey has also created a number of sub-brands. There’s Cassie for tweens and teens, Buoys and Boats (a rage of colognes, lip balm, bath products and hair gels inspired by Stacey’s son, Declan), and Paws and Claws, a nose- and paw-balm for fur siblings (“because if you don’t have a sister, who can you pamper other than your pet?”). The latest addition to the range is Cassie Kids Africa, formulated using indigenous African oils from plants like marula, baobab and Kalahari melon seed, and Stacey has recently created packs featuring these products, along with a heart-warming storybook and a bracelet beaded by women who work for an empowerment project, with proceeds going to a conservation charity.
The number of stockists has grown, too – apart from selling at markets like Kamers Makers and online, Cassie Kids is available at Faithful to Nature and has a growing market overseas.
All of this has meant that Stacey is no longer able to mix and blend products in her study. The family has set up a purpose-built ‘artisan lab’, where one employee is responsible for manufacture while the other looks after packing. Cassie, herself, is also heavily involved. Apart from creating the brand’s social media reels, she and Declan help sell at markets. “I wanted Cassie Kids to be more than about making money. I want to show my children how their hard work pays off. And I want the brand to teach them other things, too – sometimes, if I can see a little girl’s mom is hesitating about buying her another product, I’ll pop something extra in her bag, because I believe in giving.”
Stacey still finds it ironic that a woman who wears make up “maybe five times a year”, and who hates the idea of kids growing up before their time, has created a thriving makeup range. But, she points out, makeup can actually be a beautiful part of childhood – think of the joy and sheer magic of dressing up and pretend play, for example.
And what does Cassie, who is now nine, think of having her ‘own’ makeup range? “She often talks about the business as if it’s hers! Seriously, though, I love that I have been able to show her that she can do anything. I took a chance and tried something new, and it paid off – and, hopefully, she’ll one day have the courage to do the same.”
Stacey’s advice to aspiring mompreneurs
While Stacey loves her full-time corporate career, she’s had enormous fun being a ‘mompreneur’. It’s not always easy, though, she admits: “Part of the challenge comes from now knowing where you’re going, but you have to be able to let your journey unfold as it feels right. Yes, you need business goals, but you also have to allow the business to develop in its own way. Moms often refer to their business as ‘their baby’, and I do think that businesses have their own energy and need to be given time and respect, just as a person does.”
Text: LISA WITEPSKI. • Main photo: MEGAN BRETT
