How it all started

Hello beauties!

Welcome to my first ever blog post! I am so excited to launch this new section on the website where I will be sharing tips, behind the scenes, new projects, lifestyle articles and more. But first, let me welcome you into my world and tell you a little bit more about Lalou Cosmetics.

Let's start with the name: why Lalou? Actually Lalou is the nickname I had growing up. I really don't know how my parents came up with this pet name that has absolutely nothing to do with my real name, but I grew up loving it. I may be  a grown woman today, but I will always be my parents little girl and when I was thinking about what to name my brand, I didn't hesitate for a minute: Lalou !

Why cosmetics? Well let's go back to when I was 16 years old. I got my first summer job at a cosmetics shop owned by a young woman who I've always admired. She was strong, successful and handling a whole business on her own, which I found AMAZING! I've worked there for 4 consecutive summers and learned so much from this amazing woman, and I've always told myself that one day I will be like her: a business owner. This dream grew in me and I promised myself I will make it happen one day, but I put it on hold for many years telling myself that it's not the right time to start.

Well who would have known that the right moment would be in the middle of a global pandemic?! Yes, the year of Covid-19 was my lucky year! It was in 2020 that I told myself "it's now or never" and I started to really work on making my dream a reality. I put all my energy, focus and savings into my project and officially launched Lalou Cosmetics on the 28th of November. I admit that it wasn't really easy in the beginning but giving up was not an option! I knew that it will get better with time, I just had to be patient.

Here's a picture of the night I launched the online website and celebrated with some wine while waiting in front of Google Analytics

In Spring 2021, and after a few months of being online, I wanted to take things to the next level. I decided to make a Lalou cart in order to expose my products in different locations. It all happened in my small apartment, with a bunch of wood material and paint. This was very energy and place consuming, but I was lucky to have my boyfriend who volunteered to help and designed the whole thing from scratch by himself (oh yes he's very talented!).

Hard work pays off!

Now, when I had to find a place to expose my products, I chose Montreux, a city I love and spent a lot of time in. But OMG the struggle was real! Let's just say that I wasn't taken seriously at all, and struggled to have an answer which was always ''sorry we're full''. Giving up wasn't an option, I knew that Montreux would be good for Lalou Cosmetics, so I fought for what I wanted and I had to show the people in charge that I was not going to give up until they give me a chance to prove myself. Finally, it happened and it was a BIG SUCCESS! More than I ever imagined it would be, and I came back to Montreux each month until the end of the season. People's comments and support gave me a huge boost and made me believe even more in myself and my brand.

Here's our famous pink cart in Montreux

After Montreux, everything just got better and better. I had a huge opportunity to have a pop up shop in Manor Vevey in December 2021 and I am SO excited for that!

Lalou's banner for Manor Vevey in December, yeay!

Well for a first blog, I've talked a lot lol! Let me just end this telling you with a small tip: believing in yourself is the first step to accomplishing anything. Don't let anyone make you doubt yourself and just keep fighting until you achieve your goals and make your dreams come true. That's what I did, and I can tell you it's not easy but it's so worth it!

Love,

- Lalou