I wanted to present a different cosmetic: natural quality products, not tested on animals and sustainable from their origin. I am happy that today Vegala has also become a meeting place and vegan militancy.
For many years I worked as a store manager for an international makeup firm and as a freelance makeup artist at fashion shows and sessions. The job required me to wear makeup every day, and I began to notice the ravages of chemistry on my skin: my eyes were red, I got pimples on my face, I suffered from irritations.
I started looking for an alternative makeup, more natural and less invasive for the body. And at the same time, I became vegan and many questions began to arise: would there be brushes that were not made with animal hair? Red lipstick that did not have chinchilla or beeswax? Cosmetics not tested on animals?
I discovered that there were a lot of people concerned about these issues like me and I saw a world of possibilities.
DARING, NATURAL AND RESPECTFUL COSMETICS WITH ALL
Here and there I was discovering brands and firms that worked with natural products, both in their formulation (mineral and vegetable, avoiding chemicals) and in saving waste in their production or packaging system, known as zero waste. I understood that taking care of yourself is not incompatible with the environment.
I like to do my makeup and I love vintage fashion, so I take a lot of inspiration from the pinups of the 1950s.
At first, it was impossible for me to find a daring cosmetic in the naturist environment, but in my eagerness to remake my makeup bag and start to make up my clients with a natural and quality product for all styles, I managed to find several products that They totally changed my way of seeing this type of cosmetics.
The more I informed myself, the more I saw that there was no space in my city where I could buy these products or find out about them, so an idea ran through my head: What if I open a vegan cosmetics store? The possibilities of this space grew in me, and I began to spend my sleepless nights devising the decoration, the services, the customer service.
I finally rolled the blanket over my head and quit my job at a large company to start from scratch. I spent a few months in an on-going course for entrepreneurs until I mastered what was a scandal, stock management, the development of a website and a thousand and one concepts that until then I had no idea.
I was also fortunate to have the help of my partner, family and friends, who advised and guided me, and together we matured the project.
A MEETING POINT WHERE YOU CAN FIND ALTERNATIVES TOGETHER
I did not want the store to be only a space for selling products, but also a place for meeting and discussing an alternative way of taking care of oneself. An innovative space in which to merge my experience in fashion with my vegan lifestyle.
I wanted to find products that met quality and sustainability standards, and I found them many times in small brands in our country, with which I am proud to collaborate and with which we have ended up having a friendship relationship.
It seems that when you take an interest in the environment and animals and meet another person who cares about the same things, a special connection is established, and nothing is the same. Every day I meet new people, both on social media and in person.
“I like cosmetics and when I decided to change my lifestyle and went vegan, I did not give up my passion, but decided to create VeGala”
In a short time, I went from having meetings and marketing objectives to spending the day in a pleasant space with my dog Tomás (yes, the store is obviously dog-friendly), selling products that I believe in and that I have chosen personally one by one, and knowing every detail of its preparation and marketing.
At the store, we not only sell products to take care of ourselves and beautify ourselves without harming the environment, animals or ourselves. We also give courses, support causes… I have been lucky enough to meet many people with the same concern who come to the store to learn how to make natural soaps or make cloth sanitary towels, for example.
NO WASTE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Because at VeGala we believe that we must be aware of the impact we produce on the Earth and we have realized that people are very concerned about the amount of waste that is generated daily with products such as swabs, makeup remover wipes and discs, razor blades, pads and tampons.
We are happy to offer quality and inexpensive alternatives to these products. In fact, biodegradable toothbrushes and cloth pads are among the best sellers. Therefore, although we have been little open, we can affirm that the decision to abandon everything for an illusion has been worth it.
