How Danielle Edmond Uses Glitter Makeup and Glowing Skincare to Empower Women
Danielle Edmond knows a thing or two about beauty—and that's not just because she's a former fashion model.
The entrepreneur and beauty guru first fell in love with the world of cosmetics during her modeling days, learning to create her own bold looks because most makeup artists simply didn't know how to work with dark skin. From there, she learned not just how to beautify her skin with makeup, but how to make it glow naturally with great skincare, and the ideas for both of her future businesses were born.
Today, she acts as the founder and leader of Stay Golden Cosmetics, a makeup brand focused on the most daring and most empowering glitter looks for eyes and lips, and uQueen Organics, a brand that treats skincare as a powerful act of self-care. We had the pleasure of chatting with Danielle to learn more about her history and what makes these two brands so special, and she shared it all with us in the interview below.
Name: Danielle "Danz" Edmond
IG handle: @Danz.Edmond
Hometowns: Kingston, Jamaica and Brooklyn, New York
1. Danielle was signed as a model at 17 in Jamaica, and got into beauty thanks to her modeling career.
"Before then, I was pretty much a no makeup-rocking tomboy. Once I tapped into modeling, and I had opportunities to model overseas, it was imperative that I knew the essentials of a quick 'beat' because back then (around 2007), MUA's didn't seem to get it right when it came to models with dark skin. I often found myself fixing what they'd create. Migrating to New York made me realize how climate affects my skin. Every winter, I would break out and that's the first time I started a skincare regimen with Proactiv."
-Danielle Edmond
(Image courtesy of Danielle Edmond)
2. Danielle is the founder of two different brands. Stay Golden Cosmetics was created with the mission of helping women "come alive" when wearing the brand's products and allowing them to stand out from the crowd, while uQueen Organics is a wellness brand focused on self-care and self-preservation through creating healthy, skin-loving routines.
3. Hearing her customers' stories helped her realize that her future was in the beauty industry—and one story, in particular, is her all-time favorite.
"There was a woman in her 50s who never got to go to prom. At the time, she had recently beaten cancer, and I remember the pictures and videos she shared with us. She was wearing the Burlesque Glitter Lip Kit. She was glammed up like the most striking bald-headed doll, in a gorgeous dress. She was stunning and bold. Her daughter took her to prom because she missed hers. It's one of those stories that makes me cry. She felt so beautiful, and I could see it in her eyes. Just knowing we were part of that moment made me feel like we're doing great things."
-Danielle Edmond
(via Stay Golden Cosmetics)
4. The name Stay Golden Cosmetics comes from the idea of the "Golden Rule": "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
"We treat everyone with love and respect, and our goal is to always make our people feel golden."
-Danielle Edmond
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5. Stay Golden's slogan is that they're "your party bestie."
"What it means is that we're here to make sure you look and feel your best—like a best friend. We cheer you on and we've got your back when it comes to looking glam in the beauty space. We're different because our goal is to have our customers feel like a unicorn; different from anyone else. With our products, it's hard not to be the center of glam attention."
-Danielle Edmond
6. uQueen Organics' simple message is that "you are a queen."
"This brand is for ladies, reminding them that they are queens and they should treat themselves as such."
-Danielle Edmond
(via uQueen Organics)
7. uQueen's slogan is that they're "skin and self-care for the modern gem."
"We're unique because we provide self-care kits that can transform your home into a spa session and show results in just a few days."
-Danielle Edmond
8. Danielle's must-have skin product is uQueen's Almond Shea Glow Butter.
"The Almond Shea Glow Butter is an absolute fave and everyday item for me. It's deeply replenishing for my skin, and as a result, leaves it super moisturized. Moisturizing is key to aging gracefully; more moisture means fewer wrinkles."
-Danielle Edmond
(via uQueen Organics)
Also read about: How Amy Hsiao's Taiwanese Heritage and Love of Food Inspired Cultural Food Kit Brand, Kitsby
9. The best piece of advice Danielle received recently came from former Jet Smarter co-founder Lolita Petrossov.
"We had a mentee-to-mentor type chat, and she told me to hyper-focus on what works and discard everything else. She understands my brands and what I'd want to achieve with them."
-Danielle Edmond
10. Danielle's habit of always learning new things and adapting to new information has helped her get to where she is today.
"I've taken a lot of courses and classes on anything I found that could be useful for my businesses. I also like listening to podcasts on marketing, entrepreneurship, skincare—basically, the things that surround my life.
-Danielle Edmond
(Image courtesy of Danielle Edmond)
11. She's also big on journaling and planning.
"Journaling has been an integral part of my growth; I use it to measure and remind myself of where I'm coming from and where I'm heading. For productivity, I use a daily planner. That's been super helpful with staying on track."
-Danielle Edmond
Also read about: Nakery Beauty Founder Liz Folce Talks All-Over Beauty and Inspiring Confidence in Your Own Skin
12. Her No. 1 skincare tip is actually to eat lots of fruits!
"Eating a surplus of fruits every day is possibly the yummiest and easiest way to care for your skin. There are fruits that can help hyperpigmentation, aid glowing skin, improve elasticity (lessen effects of wrinkles) and overall help you age backwards. While a lot of focus is spent on topical skin treatments, you can actually achieve a ton of improvement by increasing fruits and removing certain foods from your diet."
-Danielle Edmond
13. The most rewarding thing about her work is seeing how it impacts people's lives and knowing her skincare and makeup products bring them joy.
(Image courtesy of Danielle Edmond)
14. Above everything else, Danielle worked hard for everything she has.
"I'm the quintessential 'started from the bottom, now we're here' story. Very humble beginning didn't stop me from trying."
-Danielle Edmond
Love learning about the incredible women behind your favorite brands? Click HERE to read our interview with BAKEUP Beauty co-founder Jo Baker.