A message from Bee
Makeup, entrepreneurship and beauty are things I’m literally obsessed about! I love the idea of women striving to make their own way In life and being unapologetically independent. I had such strong influences of bold, brazen and outspoken women in my life growing up, I feel so blessed. I would watch my mom get ready for work every morning, as she would put her makeup on and take rollers out of her hair. I remember at a very young age thinking, “wow she’s so glamorous”! My grandmother would go to church religiously and I would give her these extravagant earrings and watch as she put this insatiable red lipstick on and blush her cheeks. The smell of her perfume would permeate the halls of her home. I was hooked on how beauty could transform and empower. The idea, StunnerBee Beauty, the brand was formed out of the need to have Makeup Luggage that made me perform more efficient as an artist, looked luxurious and was portable. So I designed The BlackOut Collection and The ShellShock Case to fill this void in the marketplace. Product development is near and dear to my heart and it’s something I enjoy immensely. I hope you enjoy the brand as much as I do creating it.
XOXO
Makeup, entrepreneurship and beauty are things I’m literally obsessed about! I love the idea of women striving to make their own way In life and being unapologetically independent. I had such strong influences of bold, brazen and outspoken women in my life growing up, I feel so blessed. I would watch my mom get ready for work every morning, as she would put her makeup on and take rollers out of her hair. I remember at a very young age thinking, “wow she’s so glamorous”! My grandmother would go to church religiously and I would give her these extravagant earrings and watch as she put this insatiable red lipstick on and blush her cheeks. The smell of her perfume would permeate the halls of her home. I was hooked on how beauty could transform and empower. The idea, StunnerBee Beauty, the brand was formed out of the need to have Makeup Luggage that made me perform more efficient as an artist, looked luxurious and was portable. So I designed The BlackOut Collection and The ShellShock Case to fill this void in the marketplace. Product development is near and dear to my heart and it’s something I enjoy immensely. I hope you enjoy the brand as much as I do creating it.
XOXO
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00 - Hello, hello, and welcome back to Shop Essence Live.
00:03 I am your host, Noni Donovan,
00:05 and this is a show in partnership with New Voices Family,
00:07 where we bring you new Black-owned businesses
00:10 to shop live with us every single week.
00:12 I'm so excited.
00:14 When I tell you everything I get,
00:16 everything we review on Shop Essence Live
00:18 comes right on time,
00:19 'cause my makeup bag and my travel life
00:23 needed a makeover, okay?
00:24 So I am going to bring in Brianna Meshack.
00:29 She is the founder of Stunner Bee Beauty,
00:32 and we're gonna review this incredible travel bag line.
00:36 We're gonna get into all the things.
00:37 Here we go.
00:38 Say hi, Brianna.
00:40 - Hello.
00:41 - Hello.
00:41 (laughing)
00:44 So much for joining us on Shop Essence Live.
00:47 - Thank you.
00:48 - You are stunning me.
00:49 First of all, you could tell,
00:50 she just got her whole life together,
00:51 just by her face.
00:52 (laughing)
00:54 - Well, thank you so much.
00:55 - She's gonna help us get our lives together right now.
00:57 So before we get into the line,
01:00 please tell the people watching
01:02 about you and how you got started
01:05 with this incredible business.
01:06 - Absolutely.
01:07 So I have been in the makeup industry for 20 years,
01:11 so it's been a long time.
01:12 I've taught thousands of students
01:13 the art of makeup and aesthetics,
01:16 and when I look at Stunner Bee,
01:17 it started out of being on set one day
01:19 and seeing a young lady come in
01:21 with a huge travel piece to do one face,
01:24 and I was kinda like, huh,
01:26 what are we doing and what are we building
01:28 when we get there that requires this much stuff?
01:30 So, (laughing)
01:32 Stunner Bee kinda happened out of that epiphany.
01:35 So I was like, there has to be a better way,
01:37 and so I designed a better way for us
01:39 with our flagship product called the Beauty Boss Backpack.
01:43 - Ooh, that's good, okay.
01:44 But then now, for people like me,
01:47 I'm not a professional,
01:49 but I tend to have to do my makeup quite often.
01:52 So my travel life,
01:53 right now I'm traveling with multiple different bags,
01:57 and it's just like,
01:58 so you have seen a growth in just everyday people
02:02 using the product. - Yeah, absolutely.
02:05 So, originally Stunner Bee,
02:07 well, it is designed to help artists
02:09 prepare, pack, and transport beauty supplies and products
02:13 efficiently, methodically, without sacrificing fashion.
02:16 But what I found is just jet-setters
02:20 and people that are beauty enthusiasts
02:22 or people that just love to travel around the world
02:24 like myself, it has really helped them.
02:26 Another stretch market that we didn't even think about
02:30 is going to be moms.
02:31 So we have a variety of moms that are our customers
02:35 that carry our bags 'cause they're tired of carrying
02:37 like giraffes and elephants on stuff.
02:39 (laughing)
02:41 So it makes a very fashionable diaper bag
02:45 because it comes with three compartments
02:47 and inserts inside of the bag.
02:48 So it has been a blessing to me.
02:51 I love it.
02:53 - I did not even think of the diaper bag world.
02:57 My kids are 10 years apart
03:00 and I've had to experience in my 20s and my 30s.
03:02 And when I tell you, I love the fashion of these bags.
03:07 You don't have to sacrifice.
03:09 And I love that little marketing thing you slipped in there.
03:12 I just wanna repeat that
03:13 because that was kind of mind blowing.
03:15 What was it, efficiently and methodically
03:18 without sacrificing fashion?
03:20 - Absolutely, absolutely.
03:22 I think you can be cute and efficient and methodical.
03:25 (laughing)
03:27 - So let's get into what we are talking about.
03:32 This beautiful line and there's so much of it,
03:36 which is amazing.
03:37 So what do you wanna highlight first?
03:39 - So the first thing I wanna highlight is my baby,
03:41 which is the Beauty Boss Backpack.
03:42 So the Beauty Boss Backpack,
03:44 I designed that about three or four years ago.
03:47 And so, for people in the East Coast,
03:50 when it originally, my thought process
03:52 was for people in the East Coast at first,
03:54 because they travel, it's a backpack society in New York.
03:57 And so, the Beauty Boss Backpack,
04:00 it comes with five exterior pockets
04:02 with the largest being on the very front.
04:05 It opens from the back, which is amazing.
04:08 And inside of the back, it's so good
04:11 'cause you can hold it against your body
04:12 and don't have to worry about people going in
04:14 and out of your bag or trying to steal from you.
04:15 - That's all, we need that in New York.
04:17 I'm in New York.
04:18 (laughing)
04:20 So I'm taking this to every amusement park,
04:22 all those places.
04:23 - All those places are amazing.
04:25 So what's also cool, and this is one of my favorite things
04:28 that people don't see, but I like to talk about,
04:30 is the nylon-infused threading.
04:32 So nylon is what bulletproof vests are made out of.
04:35 So it gives the bag strength and integrity
04:37 so it's not snapping on you if you load it, right?
04:41 I love that.
04:41 That's my favorite thing to tell people
04:43 about the nylon threading.
04:45 Don't play with black women and engineering.
04:47 (laughing)
04:49 - Inside of the bag, you get three carry-all inserts
04:53 that look like this, right?
04:54 So it allows you to segment your toiletries.
04:58 Another cool thing is like, you know,
05:01 when you travel and you roll up underwear and bras
05:03 and socks and things, like I just think it's amazing
05:06 to be able to segment those things
05:08 and put them like in the drawers in the hotels
05:11 in the carry-all inserts
05:13 so you don't have to put your stuff in those drawers, right?
05:15 And for the beauty community, it allows us to segment
05:18 in the way we actually apply makeup.
05:21 So I use one bag for skin prep.
05:24 I use another bag for complexion, foundations and concealers
05:28 and then I use the last bag for powders.
05:30 So I set up in the way I apply
05:32 so I'm in and out of a job quickly.
05:34 - She's so nice.
05:37 - And another thing that's really cool
05:39 is it comes with the cross-body strap.
05:41 So a lot of our customers forget
05:43 about the cross-body strap inside of the bag.
05:46 Yeah, it's in the bag.
05:47 (laughing)
05:50 - How do you put that on?
05:58 - Yeah, so it turns into a cross-body.
06:00 So like say you just run it through the airport, you know
06:02 and you just wanna throw it across, you can do that.
06:05 And there you go.
06:08 There's not a lot of backpacks that allow you
06:10 to turn it into a cross-body
06:11 'cause you have these grommets on the side.
06:13 So you can do that.
06:15 And it comes in three colors.
06:18 So the black, we call black out
06:21 and then it comes in our beautiful Calvary green.
06:24 That's our second best selling color.
06:26 We call that Calvary, it's our army green.
06:28 And then it comes in red rum, which is our burgundy.
06:31 So we are so excited.
06:33 Our newest color is going to be cadet, which is our blue.
06:38 So it's been a blessing to our shop.
06:40 - Oh my gosh, I'm obsessed.
06:43 So you see me with this bag every day.
06:46 I don't wanna hear it.
06:47 - Oh, I love that.
06:49 - This is my bag.
06:50 - Oh, you look so chic.
06:53 It's so chic.
06:54 I love it so much.
06:57 - Oh my gosh, I'm in love.
06:58 Okay, okay, okay.
06:59 - Thank you so much.
07:00 - I love it.
07:01 - Now, because the Beauty Boss backpack needs accoutrements
07:05 we're like, okay, so we have that for our customer
07:08 and we have to make sure they're efficient across the board.
07:11 I designed the pencil hive wallet.
07:13 So this is the pencil hive wallet here.
07:17 I love this 'cause it fits in the Beauty Boss backpack.
07:20 So I'm trying to get our industry to condense
07:22 the amount of things they have to carry at once, right?
07:26 All of it looks cohesive, so it matches.
07:29 So you're not showing up tacky.
07:31 (laughing)
07:34 - Sacrificing fashion, y'all.
07:36 (laughing)
07:38 - The one that you have is not loaded.
07:43 I have it actually loaded.
07:44 So look at that, right?
07:46 - Oh my God.
07:46 - So it fits 42 to 84 pencils
07:50 because you can double them up, right?
07:52 So like, if you look at how many pencils you can fit in here
07:55 so it's great for artists, it's great for crafters,
07:58 people that scrapbook, right?
08:01 It's great for cosmetologists.
08:04 So I love this piece.
08:06 And it comes in the colors to match the backpack.
08:10 So this is the pencil hive wallet.
08:12 It's a great accoutrement to the Beauty Boss backpack.
08:15 And we're trying to condense the amount of things
08:17 artists have to carry.
08:18 So that's what it is.
08:21 - First, it's so fancy with accoutrement.
08:24 Now I'm gonna say that every episode.
08:26 And we know that's from Brianna.
08:29 Accoutrement.
08:30 (laughing)
08:33 (indistinct)
08:35 Oh wait, before we go.
08:38 Before we go any further,
08:40 'cause I don't want them to get me.
08:41 If you're putting this in your cart,
08:43 she actually has an amazing discount for you guys
08:46 just for Shop Essence Live.
08:47 Can you tell us what it is?
08:49 - Absolutely.
08:49 So we're offering our Shop Essence Live community,
08:52 our New Voices family community,
08:53 everybody that's watching a 30% off discount.
08:57 And you use the promo code Essence for 30% off discount.
09:00 And that runs until New Year's Eve
09:02 'cause we want you to step in the new year and start.
09:05 (laughing)
09:07 - Come on, and this would be such...
09:09 I know everybody has that fly fashionable person
09:13 in their lives,
09:14 but they could just use a little more organization.
09:16 - Yeah.
09:17 - So they can start an organized crew.
09:19 They would appreciate it for life.
09:21 - And then the one more thing I wanna show you,
09:23 something we just launched and it's the cutest thing.
09:26 And I'm gonna have to send this to you too, Nany.
09:28 It's the cutest thing.
09:29 It's our vanity toolbox.
09:30 (gasping)
09:33 - Hold on, keep it up.
09:36 Hold on.
09:36 - It's the bees on it.
09:39 It's adorable.
09:40 - Oh, what is that called?
09:44 - It's our vanity toolbox.
09:46 - Oh my gosh.
09:47 - It comes in a mini version as well.
09:50 - Stop it.
09:51 (laughing)
09:53 Now, what does that look like when you...
09:56 Oh, what does that look like when you open it?
09:58 - Yeah, so when you...
10:00 Like, oh my goodness.
10:01 So you don't open it all the way.
10:03 What you do is drop your things in here, right?
10:05 So you carry it just like a little toolbox,
10:08 like a little toolkit.
10:09 - That is so cute.
10:12 That is too adorable.
10:14 - We partnered with the...
10:15 - I use that for all my tools at Essence Festival.
10:18 We just carry around a million things.
10:20 - Absolutely.
10:20 - And I can be cute.
10:21 I can be cute.
10:22 - Yeah.
10:24 (laughing)
10:25 - That is so good.
10:26 (clapping)
10:27 - Thank you. - All right.
10:28 Sold.
10:29 Sold on that.
10:30 You do have a ton of other sizes of...
10:34 What would you call these?
10:35 - Yeah, so that's our Beauty Cuties.
10:37 So our Beauty Cuties, like when I would travel,
10:40 what happens is, I was like,
10:41 "Okay, there has to be a better way."
10:43 And then I travel with my cousins sometimes
10:45 and they're bringing grocery sacks.
10:46 I'm like, "You can't travel with me with a grocery sack."
10:48 So we have to have cute things to travel with.
10:50 (laughing)
10:52 - They travel in with what?
10:53 - Right, like grocery bags and different things
10:56 and they don't have their luggage game together.
10:57 - I'm like, "Yeah, I'm not that bad.
10:59 "I'm not that bad."
11:00 (laughing)
11:01 - We can't do that.
11:02 So our Beauty Cuties are our travel pieces
11:06 for our toiletries and our skincare
11:09 and undies and personal items.
11:13 And they come in three sizes.
11:14 They come in small, medium, and large.
11:16 So this is our medium,
11:18 which is pretty big for a medium size.
11:21 And then we have our small, which is this right here.
11:24 And I put bottles in there
11:25 so you can see how much it holds, right?
11:27 - It holds so much.
11:28 - And then we have our large as well.
11:30 And it comes in pink, which we call chameleon,
11:34 which looks like this.
11:35 And it comes in purple.
11:39 You know, there's a whole purple movement right now
11:41 with the color purple coming out.
11:42 - Color purple!
11:43 - We in purple right now, we in purple boxes.
11:46 - Yeah.
11:47 So that's our Beauty Cuties.
11:48 - I love the metallic finish on that as well.
11:51 - Thank you so much.
11:52 - That is great.
11:53 Imagine pulling that out of, come on.
11:55 - Yes.
11:56 - And then just stopping.
11:57 - It's so cool.
11:58 And then the last thing we have on our line
12:00 is our set jetter.
12:02 So this is our set jetter.
12:04 And so it's another accoutrement to the Beauty Boss backpack.
12:08 And this is great for like carry-ons.
12:10 You can carry on the Beauty Boss backpack on the plane.
12:13 It's CSA approved as well.
12:14 And so is this.
12:16 You can carry this as a personal item.
12:18 I put palettes and different things in here as an artist,
12:21 but many people carry this just as a personal item,
12:24 like a purse on and off the plane.
12:26 You get two huge compartments on the side as well.
12:29 And then you have this PVC here, but it's easy to clean.
12:34 So even if you get something on it,
12:36 you can clean it pretty easy.
12:38 So I love this.
12:39 This is our set jetter.
12:40 And what's cool about the set jetter,
12:41 it also comes in that purple metallic that you love.
12:43 - I love it.
12:45 I love the clear top as well.
12:47 - Thank you.
12:48 - You know what?
12:49 See what you got going on.
12:51 Oh, this is so good.
12:53 - Thank you.
12:54 - So I just want the beauty community to be better
12:57 and for us to grow and learn and look organized
13:00 and professional when we show up on set to do a good job.
13:03 - I'm gonna tell you something though.
13:05 The beauty community cannot gatekeep these because
13:08 (laughing)
13:09 mom's gonna be using this,
13:11 everybody's gonna be using this
13:12 because there's so many uses for it.
13:14 It's so fashionable and such a great way to be organized,
13:19 but be fly too, which is so, so cool.
13:23 - Thank you.
13:23 - Oh, I'm in love.
13:24 My heart is beating fast.
13:26 Hold on.
13:26 Okay.
13:27 The bee thing is just like gonna live in my mind, run free.
13:32 But we have to talk about,
13:33 you are a member of our New Voices family,
13:37 which we do in partnership,
13:38 shoppers inside of a partnership with.
13:40 Can you say a little bit about what it's been like
13:43 for you to be a part of that community as a black entrepreneur?
13:46 - New Voices has been such a blessing to me.
13:50 You know, I have learned so much from our fabulous mentors
13:55 and people that are steering the program.
13:59 I am in camaraderie with some amazing founders and women
14:02 that we really pour into each other
14:04 and really listen to each other.
14:07 And it has been a blessing in my life.
14:10 I'm part of the Madam CJ Walker program
14:12 and Madam CJ Walker, I mean, my goodness,
14:15 she is just such an icon in our community.
14:20 So I just, I can't say enough about the New Voices program.
14:24 It's just been amazing in my life.
14:26 - So, so good.
14:28 Brianne, I gotta let you go.
14:31 We're at the end of it.
14:32 But I'm just so excited to see
14:36 where your business goes from here.
14:38 Hope to see you maybe at Essence Festival or something.
14:41 - Yes.
14:42 Yeah, I'm gonna remind everybody one more time.
14:45 If you are putting things in your cart
14:48 and you're shopping,
14:49 she's got an amazing promo code going on
14:51 till the end of the year,
14:52 30% off if you type Essence out on your checkout
14:56 and you can get an incredible 30% off this one.
15:00 Make sure y'all follow me
15:01 'cause you're gonna see this bag.
15:02 DM me when you see me with this bag
15:06 'cause you're gonna see me with this bag.
15:07 I am now completely obsessed,
15:09 but thank you, thank you so much
15:11 for bringing your products to the show.
15:13 I wanna thank everybody so much
15:15 for watching Shop Essence Live
15:16 and make sure you tune in week by week
15:18 as we bring you more black-owned brands.
15:21 - Thank you so much for having me.