Our latest Beauty Boss is Cashmere Nicole, Founder and CEO of Beauty Bakerie—a wildly successful (and super cute) cosmetics line inspired by baking. Her fun and innovative products include the Brownie Bar Mini Palette, Cake Pop Lippies, and many other beauty treats that will satisfy your sweet cravings minus the calories. Nicole’s vision was to create an all-inclusive, high-quality brand for men and women who had previously been underrepresented in the beauty industry.

A single mother and breast cancer survivor who put herself through college and nursing school, Nicole built her brand from the ground up. After a successful recovery from a double mastectomy, she started a crowdfunding campaign to share her story and raise funds to expand her company—eventually drawing the attention of Beyoncé, who reached out and featured Nicole on her website as part of Breast Cancer Awareness month in 2014. Since its inception, Beauty Bakerie has become one of the most popular beauty brands in the country, has been featured in Forbes, and is sold in more than 700 locations.

Nicole has always been passionate about giving back, and in 2016 she launched Sugar Homes—a nonprofit with a mission of “sweetening the lives of others” by donating money, clothes, toys, and other things needed to orphanages around the globe. To date, Sugar Homes has raised more than $100,000 to help as many children as possible by providing qualified orphanages with funds and supplies. The first orphanage that Beauty Bakerie worked with is the Hopeworth Children’s Foundation, a female-led orphanage based in Uganda that has been caring for suffering children for almost a decade.

We chatted with Nicole, who shared what inspired the creation of her brand and nonprofit, secrets to success, her favorite beauty and wellness tips, and more. 

When was Beauty Bakerie founded and what inspired its creation?

During a challenging but successful fight with breast cancer, I became extremely health-conscious and research-driven about the products we put in and on our bodies.  I founded Beauty Bakerie in 2011 with the mission to be sweet and sweeten the lives of others. 

The Beauty Bakerie brand is a direct reflection of my perseverance and passion for both high-quality and healthy ingredients that enhance the beauty in everyone, every day.

What’s your favorite product from the brand?

All my products are my favorite and it’s impossible to choose one over the other. I would feel like a parent who has to choose between her children...you love them all the same. Our customers on the other hand, have always loved our Liquid Mattes and our Flour Setting Powders, as well as a lot of my other products.

Where are your products sold?

 I continue to grow my global brand, which is now sold in over 700 locations. It embodies the sweet life not only by developing cruelty free, all-inclusive cosmetics, but more importantly, implementing initiatives such as the 501(c)3, Sugar Homes, which I founded in 2016 to support the needs of orphaned children in Uganda.

What inspires you?

I'm inspired by my faith. I think it’s difficult for some to imagine, but for me it’s very real and it’s the driving force behind everything I do.

Secret to success?

Success comes in many fashions. And while some think success is based on dollars and cents, for me it’s having the time to enjoy the simple things in life. And doing what you love the most is not only gratifying, it’s real success.

Beauty & wellness tips?

The one secret to beauty is recognizing that it’s not what’s on the outside but how you internalize life’s most pressing challenges. I’ve learned not to be ‘Bitter but Better’ because of those challenges.  I met myself during those challenges and had to choose to be angry or become better because of it, and I chose the latter.  

I’ve faced other challenges in my life, like in the past year I discovered I had a gluten allergy, which put a damper on my ability to eat my favorite foods. I’ve learned to cook grain-free and corn-free dishes now, and of course, most restaurants offer gluten-free dishes.

And of course, drinking lots of water, exercising, and living in the present moment helps to keep you balanced and that's beautiful.

Best advice?

Best advice I would like to share is to enjoy what you do best. And never worry if others don’t agree as it’s your life.  If you want to change your life, your career, your hair or makeup, just do it! 

Favorite ways to relax?

I enjoy listening to podcasts or learning a new skill. I've found that being in creative solitude is where I’m restored, so any quiet activity recharges me in many ways—spiritually, creatively, and intellectually.

For more information, visit beautybakerie.com and follow on Instagram: @beautybakeriemakeup @cakeandcashmere @sugarhomes

[Images courtesy of Beauty Bakerie]

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk