The Journey of Destiny Jones: Building Matic Cosmetics with Heart

A decade ago, as a college student, Destiny Jones started Matic Cosmetics (originally called Lipmatic) with a simple yet powerful mission: to create high-quality, organic lip glosses that made people feel good - both about how they looked on the outside and who they were on the inside. "I wanted to have a brand that resonated with people like me and was made to feel inclusive," Jones recalls of those early days.

That commitment to uplift and empower her customers has remained at the heart of Jones' approach as her initial "passion project" steadily blossomed into a thriving cosmetics company. 

"As I grew older, it was more important to me to pay more attention to my customer from a perspective of not just what they want to wear, but what their hopes and dreams are and how they feel inside," she explains. "Over the years, I've put my heart into it more, and it resonates more with our customers."

One of the key products showcasing this customer-centric approach was the Matic Cosmetics highlighter, part of their Classic collection. This highly pigmented and attention-grabbing highlighter received rave reviews from both makeup artists and enthusiasts. For Jones, the enthusiastic response was a moment of inspiration. 

"I definitely felt inspired by that success," she says. "I felt like if we're selling this fast from just my main customer base, I can only imagine if more people knew about this brand and knew about this product."

Authenticity and Inclusivity: The Matic Difference

Part of what makes Matic Cosmetics unique in a crowded beauty industry is its broad, inclusive appeal. "It's one of those brands that's for every woman, whether you wear heels and you're super glamorous or you like to wear your sneakers and your more streetwear," Jones explains. "A lot of our customers are not necessarily makeup lovers. A lot of them are just fans of hip hop or are just fans of streetwear clothing."

This versatility has enabled Matic to carve out a distinct lane and cultivate a loyal community. "I feel like that was a huge part of what resonated for me and what makes us in a different realm than most makeup brands in general," Jones reflects. It's a sentiment echoed by Natalie Mitchell, Matic's web developer and brand creative, who first teamed up with Jones in 2019.

"A lot of the times I'm thinking what Destiny's thinking or Destiny's thinking what I'm thinking," Mitchell says of their in-sync dynamic, despite being based in different cities. "As time grew by, one of the major projects that I had with Destiny was migrating her over from Squarespace to Shopify, which gave us so much more capabilities. And then from there, it was just building the e-commerce shop the way she wanted it, as well as also the best way of putting the brand in the best light."

Engaging Customers Through Content and Care

With an expanded online presence, Jones and Mitchell have focused on crafting an authentic brand voice and providing value beyond just pushing products. For the Matic team, this customer-centric approach is all about building genuine relationships.

Central to this has been Jones' vision for Matic's email newsletter. "It just felt very one-dimensional," she says of their previous email blasts. "It was really hard for us to gauge our customers in a more personal, dynamic type of way, to show them, hey, here's what's going on in the world as far as beauty goes and how this can help you. And here's a link that we can refer you to. And here's more information about that. We just didn't have those steps."

Migrating to a new email platform has enabled Jones and her team to build out the rich, value-adding newsletter experience she'd always envisioned. "Now that we have those steps, we're able to see how we are really able to build a community now with the newsletters," Jones shares. "It's not just based on consumerism and buy this, buy that. But we're giving helpful tips now and sending articles and links and showing you things that you can make at home, remedies and things for your skincare."

For Jones, this shift has been game-changing. "They know that we actually care about them as a customer rather than we're just trying to push them and sell them things," she says. "And we noticed that we've gotten a lot of progress with that new format."

Whether it's helpful makeup tutorials, curated looks centered around Matic's high-performing products, or personalized email check-ins, the goal is to make customers feel heard, appreciated and empowered to express themselves. As Mitchell puts it: "It's not commercial, it doesn't sound chintzy. It's like, hey, we really care about you. How are you doing?"

Championing a New Generation of Beauty Founders

As a young woman of color in the beauty industry, Jones has defied the odds, building a brand with decade-long staying power while staying true to her vision and values. "What makes me the most proud right now is that I started this from just an idea that I had as a teenager," she reflects. "It makes me proud to know that when I started, nobody was doing this. No one was putting out their own makeup lines. They were collaborating with bigger brands. And a lot of the people who started making their own lines after me, it didn't have longevity."

Her hard-won advice to other aspiring founders? "Only start a business that you are truly passionate about - something that you would do even if you weren't getting paid," Jones shares candidly. "It is not easy. It is a lot of work, but the thing that keeps me going and gets me up in the morning is knowing at least it's fun. At least I actually like what I do."

A Brand Built for the Future

As Matic Cosmetics enters its second decade and looks ahead to exciting milestones like an upcoming lip kit launch with Amazon, Jones remains fueled by the same passion and purpose as when she mixed her first gloss.

With new products, an expanded retail presence, and a growing digital footprint all on the horizon, Jones and Mitchell are laying the foundations for a beauty brand built to stand the test of time. "We're not just trying to build for tomorrow," Jones emphasizes. "We're trying to build for the future. We're trying to build for when I'm no longer here." 

It's a powerful statement that captures the heart of the Matic Cosmetics ethos - one rooted in timeless values, authentic connection, and the transformative power of pursuing one's passion with openness and optimism. In an industry often dominated by flash-in-the-pan trends, Jones and her team are daring to do things differently, building a brand that aims to empower and inspire generations.