Entrepreneur to launch unisex make-up brand

A YOUNG entrepreneur who provides make-up services to trans women is launching her own unisex make-up brand aimed at the LGBTQ community.

Jessica Blackler, 21, from Llandaff, is a qualified make-up artist who honed her craft at the Delamar Academy in London where she studied make-up, hair and prosthetics for film, TV and fashion.

On her return to Cardiff in 2015 she launched Jecca, pursuing freelance work within film, TV and the fashion industry.

However, she soon after she started to explore what make-up services were available for the transgender community and began working with a number of trans clients, providing them with makeovers and tutorials.

Ms Blackler said: “I want to create a safe space for clients to be themselves and relax in my company. And in 18 months I’ve had over 200 customers, with clients travelling from London, Southampton and from within Wales too.”

To better understand the needs of her clients, Ms Blackler frequently meets with LGBTQ charities, speaking with potential customers and building her reputation within the trans community.

Her most popular service is a threehour session where she shares tips and demonstrates make-up looks for her clients that work for them, tailored to each individual.

Now she is expanding her budding beauty empire to launch her first ever make-up product, which has been designed specifically for transgender customers. The colour corrector and concealer palette is a unisex product that has been formulated to offer fuller coverage to tackle issues such as beard shadow that many transgender women and cross dressers can experience.

The launch of her first product, which will be available to buy later this year is the realisation of a lifetime ambition to launch her own make-up brand.

The brand, which will be called Jecca Cosmetics, has been a year in the making, with Ms Blackler working full time on the company for the past nine months, getting the product market ready and working with cosmetic chemists, brand designers and a website developer.

She already has ambitions to launch a full make-up range in the future.

In the process she has hired her first full-time employee to manage her marketing and social media channels.

“Jecca Cosmetics is inspired by my clients who want to stand out and be themselves. It celebrates individuality and can be used by everyone. The products will be really bold and colourful, but the ultimate message behind it is supporting diversity and encouraging everyone to have confidence in themselves,” she said.

In the early stages of developing Jecca Cosmetics, Ms Blackler approached transgender woman Jamie Eagle, 25, to model for the brand. The pair have worked together regularly since, with Ms Eagle helping Ms Blackler to better understand her clients’ needs, while also acting as a model for her make-up tutorials.

Ms Eagle, who is from Bridgend, said: “Jessica’s services are so important for trans women who are trying to find their style and confidence. She helps trans women understand how to use make-up properly and make the most of their features.

“Jessica is an accomplished make-up artist, but importantly she is also an open and accepting person who makes people feel really comfortable in her company.”

Alongside her make-up services and developing Jecca Cosmetics, Ms Blackler also founded social networking site The Tran Space, a safe place for the LGBTQ community to interact.

In developing the idea, she worked with other young Welsh entrepreneurs who supported her in designing and creating the website to get the social network up and running.

Ms Eagle is a regular user of The Tran Space, and said: “Transgender people are often overlooked in society and the social network is providing a safe space for trans people to interact. Often trans people don’t have the right support around them, so this website opens up a network of likeminded people to share stories and support one another.”

Ms Blackler is based at Natwest’s Entrepreneurial Spark hub in Cardiff.

She received mentoring and business support from Big Ideas Wales, part of the Welsh Government’s Business Wales Service which is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Chris Howlett of Big Ideas Wales said: “It’s wonderful seeing how far Jessica has come since our initial conversations about her business plan, to now gearing up for the launch of her first product at the end of this year.

“She’s a fantastic example of a young person applying entrepreneurial thinking to the skills she has under her belt already to achieve her ambitions.

“We’re looking forward to seeing how her business grows in the future.”