Cosmetics Brand & Ecommerce Launch
CaptiveColour Cosmetics is a Houston-based startup offering affordable, high-quality makeup products designed to inspire creativity and confidence.
Client
CaptiveColour Cosmetics
Year
2017 - 2021
Services
Brand Strategy, Brand Design, Shopify Website Design & Development, Graphic Design, Social Media, Photography
Technologies
Figma, Adobe Creative Cloud, Shopify, Mailchimp, HTML/SCSS, JS, Liquid, Ruby on Rails, Github, Sony Alpha 7
Project at a glance
From concept to market.
Built CaptiveColour Cosmetics from an early brand concept into a customer-facing cosmetics business, spanning brand strategy, product development, e-commerce, and marketing.
Brand development
Developed the CaptiveColour name, positioning, visual identity, packaging, and supporting brand assets from the ground up.
Product research & development
Researched manufacturing partners, explored custom lipstick formulations, and tested product samples before moving into larger production orders.
E-commerce & digital experience
Designed and managed the Shopify experience, creating a cohesive path from brand discovery through product exploration and purchase.
Marketing & audience growth
Supported launches through social media, email, influencer and ambassador outreach, events, and promotional campaigns, growing the social audience from 0 to approximately 400 followers.
The challenge
CaptiveColour Cosmetics was entering a crowded cosmetics market filled with established brands and an abundance of choices for consumers. As a new brand with no existing audience or recognition, the challenge was creating a distinct identity and product experience that could capture attention, build credibility, and give customers a reason to engage.
At the same time, the brand had to be built from the ground up. From product research and manufacturer selection to packaging, e-commerce, and marketing, each decision needed to work together to create a cohesive experience and successfully introduce CaptiveColour to the market.
Developing and positioning a new cosmetics line within a competitive beauty market.
My approach
I took CaptiveColour from an early concept through brand development, product sourcing, ecommerce, and launch. The process combined research, creative direction, product testing, digital design, and marketing to build a cohesive brand and introduce it to a new audience.
Define the concept
Brainstormed the brand direction and name, researched the cosmetics market, and defined how CaptiveColour could establish its own identity within a competitive beauty space.
Research & develop
Researched manufacturers and labs, evaluated product options, and tested lipstick formulas and samples before selecting products for larger production runs.
Build the brand
Developed the visual identity and translated it across packaging, ecommerce, photography, print collateral, social media, and other customer touchpoints.
Launch & grow
Built and managed the Shopify experience while supporting launches through social media, email, events, brand ambassadors, influencer outreach, and ongoing marketing content.
Research product + development
From idea to product
Researched manufacturing partners, evaluated product options, and tested formulas and samples to determine what would represent the brand before committing to larger orders.
Formula Testing
Packaging testing
Brand Development
Building the CaptiveColour identity
Developed the visual identity from early logo exploration through packaging, photography, and customer-facing brand materials.
Logo exploration
Liquid Lipstick Box Concepts
Ecommerce
Creating the shopping experience
Designed and managed the Shopify storefront, translating the brand into a responsive ecommerce experience that supported product discovery, launches, and ongoing content.
Shopify Website
Lipstick Collection
Marketing + Launch
Bringing the brand to market
Built awareness for a new cosmetics brand through social media, email, events, brand ambassadors, influencer outreach, photography, and promotional campaigns.
Event Promotion
Campaign Photography
The outcome
CaptiveColour Cosmetics launched with a cohesive brand and customer experience that extended across product, packaging, ecommerce, marketing, and in-person touchpoints. The polished packaging, marketing presence, and ecommerce experience helped establish credibility for a new cosmetics brand, while organic social media, events, partnerships, and community engagement supported early audience growth and positioned CaptiveColour within a competitive beauty market.
Cohesive customer experience
Created a consistent journey from brand discovery and product exploration through purchase, packaging, and product use.
Ecommerce experience launched
Launched a custom Shopify storefront that gave customers a dedicated place to discover the brand, explore products, and purchase online.
Growing brand community
Built the social presence from 0 to approximately 385 followers while expanding awareness through events, ambassadors, influencer outreach, and organic content.
COLORS
Pantone Medium Purple
Pantone 255 C
Black
White
TYPOGRAPHY
What I learned
Building CaptiveColour Cosmetics gave me firsthand experience with what it takes to turn an idea into a business and bring a physical product to market. I learned how to move from an initial concept through market research, brand development, product sourcing, testing, ecommerce, launch, and ongoing promotion while making decisions across many different parts of the business.
Working directly with manufacturers and cosmetic labs taught me how to evaluate potential partners, communicate product requirements, compare formulas and packaging options, test samples, and refine products before committing to larger orders. It also showed me how interconnected product quality, packaging, branding, pricing, and customer expectations are.
Customer experience became a major part of how I approached the brand. I had to think beyond individual touchpoints and consider the full journey, from discovering CaptiveColour through social media or an event, to exploring products online, placing an order, receiving the packaging, and ultimately using the product. Each interaction needed to feel consistent with the brand while making it easy for customers to understand the products and feel confident purchasing from a new cosmetics company.
Launching and promoting CaptiveColour also expanded my experience in marketing and community building. I coordinated events, developed social and email content, worked with brand ambassadors, researched influencer opportunities, and networked to build awareness from the ground up. This taught me the importance of meeting customers where they are and creating multiple ways for them to discover and engage with a new brand.
Most importantly, CaptiveColour taught me to look at a business as an interconnected experience rather than a collection of individual deliverables. I learned to balance customer needs with creative direction, business goals, budgets, timelines, vendor relationships, and marketing priorities. That broader perspective continues to influence how I approach UX, web design, and digital strategy today.
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