When shopping for Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics line this summer, IU sophomore Patricia Leonardo said she wondered why she couldn’t have a successful makeup collection like Jenner’s. But, as her mother pointed out, she could.
Through collaboration with her godmother, Lorena “Nena” Perez, Leonardo launched her own makeup collection this fall. The Patricia Collection is currently available online through Perez’s cosmetic company, NENA.
“To see Kylie do it — we’re the same age, and that’s so crazy,” Leonardo said. “I’m 19, she’s 19, and so I can do this too.”
The line features three products, a liquid lipstick, felt-tip eyeliner and mascara, chosen and inspired by Leonardo. Leonardo said she chose to make the mascara blue since it is a fresh new trend in the beauty industry.
“It’s supposed to accentuate your eye color with the reflection,” she said. “Instead of the black that people use, the blue color reflects off the whites of your eyes and makes your eyes look brighter.”
Perez, whose cosmetic company has a factory in New York and a store in the Philippines, said she was very excited when Leonardo came to her with the idea of creating her own makeup collection.
“I thought it was brilliant, and of course I agreed to do it because she’s my goddaughter and I would love to be able to mentor her,” she said. “She reminds me so much of myself when I first started, because we both come from entrepreneur families.”
Leonardo said creating the collection was more work than she first imagined. From creating the logo to choosing different colors and palettes, Leonardo said she wanted the collection to reflect her personality.
“I thought it would be easy at first,” she said. “From the surface it’s just like ‘Oh, all I have to do is promote,’ but I had to start from scratch pretty much.”
Now that the product is launched, Leonardo said she is in charge of the shipping and handling of the inventory and its promotion and marketing.
Perez said Leonardo has strong marketing skills but she is still showing her the ropes of the cosmetic business.
“A charming, likeable personality when you’re doing business is definitely a plus, so I see that in her,” Perez said. “I’m just trying to mentor her and polish all her skills. It’s a great start to have a passion for something that you’re doing.”
Although Leonardo, a biochemistry major, clearly has a passion for makeup, she said her ultimate goal is to become an optometrist. Despite this goal, she said she hopes to continue to create makeup collections with the help of Perez.
“This is just a side thing that I enjoy doing,” she said. “My parents are entrepreneurs, so I wanted to start my own business, and it’s good to start young even if it’s just a little idea, just get started.”
While Leonardo said she sometimes worries about people not taking her seriously as a business owner because of her age, she brushes it off.
“I’m not someone to care what people think and have it affect me,” she said. “I’m just doing my own thing. My goal is to inspire people. No matter how young you are or what dreams you have, just go for it. No one is stopping you except yourself.”
