Meet Sasha Anne, Teen Influencer and Creator of Teeny Wee Lip Gloss
You may recognize Sasha Anne from her incredible makeup transformation videos and tutorials. She’s used her YouTube Channel to recreate a ton of stunning cosplay makeup styles including Elsa and Anna from Frozen as well as lots of informative hauls and reviews. She also recently got into her first choice college, launched her own line of tiny lip glosses, and received a Shorty Awards Audience Honor for empowering young women with her Gal Gadot and Wonder Woman inspired makeup and cosplay video.
(Sasha Anne with her Teeny Wee lip glosses)
Sasha Anne totally slays, but beyond her passion, talent, and drive she’s also a regular teenager. She enjoys writing poetry, spending time with her family, and singing. She is part of a choir group that has performed everywhere from the iconic Lincoln Center to Carnegie Hall. She also loves donating her time to charity, helping others realize their dreams, and makes it her mission to empower others to feel confident. Despite how it may seem to outsiders, Sasha Anne knows that building a brand and launching a line don’t come easily. They require a lot of hard work and dedication which she’s proven over and over that she’s fully capable of. Her passion for makeup began around 11 years old, by 13 she was sharing her makeup expertise on YouTube, and now at 18, she’s launched Teeny Wee, her line of pocket-sized lip glosses. From using her dyslexia as an advantage to never letting a potential opportunity pass her by, Sasha Anne’s story and positivity is incredibly inspiring and we’re so excited to share it with our YAYOMG! readers.
Get to know more about Sasha Anne as she shares the story of launching her Teeny Wee lip gloss line, the lessons she’s learned throughout the process, and her inspiring advice on how to stay confident.
Meet Sasha Anne, Teen Influencer and Creator of Teeny Wee Lip Gloss:
How did you first discover your passion for makeup?
SASHA ANNE: I always enjoyed dressing up and putting on makeup. It would be difficult to find a photo of me after the age of three not in costume. By the time I was eleven and experimenting with real makeup, I realized I was skilled at applying it. I started studying faces when people spoke and when they were silent. Faces speak to me and I love enhancing the beauty of a face. I never get tired of it.
What are some of your favorite looks and styles to create?
SASHA ANNE: I love to create looks that are based on how I feel that day. For example, if I’m feeling happy, I will put on my pink “princess” lip gloss and create an eye look to match it. If I’m feeling confident, I will put on a bold lip color and pink, rose gold or gold glitter pigment on my eyes to bring out my brown eyes. Regarding face paint and transformations, I like to challenge myself. For example, the Princess Glitter Skull look was challenging but it was so much fun to make!
You’ve used your struggle with Dyslexia as a way to empower yourself as well as others. Can you share a little about this?
SASHA ANNE: I view dyslexia as a gift. It allows me to look at the world from a different perspective. It forces me to fine tune other areas of my brain, such as the visual, the sensory. I need to listen very hard when people speak and I am very thoughtful before I speak. All of which is good. In a world where everything happens so quickly, it’s a gift to have to stop and to take a deep breath before plunging in. I know what if feels like to not find the right words. I have learned that it’s not always words that speak. We can all communicate in other ways. And when we can express ourselves we feel empowered. Everyone wants to be seen. Everyone wants to be heard.
We are loving your Teeny Wee lip glosses. They are so cute! Tell us a little about what inspired this idea and how you brought this product to life.
SASHA ANNE: As purses were getting smaller and phones were getting bigger, I watched my Ma struggling to put her iPhone and her normal sized lip gloss into an evening purse. She finally handed the phone off to my Dad to carry for her. I realized that we always want lip gloss for touch-ups during the evening or during the day or at school. Shouldn’t it fit in that small purse or pocket of your jeans?
I wanted to create high-quality glosses that are tiny enough to always fit in your purse or pocket so you can touch up on the go! I was very focused on making it happen. I asked everyone if they knew anything about lip gloss, branding, lip gloss tubes. I was very determined. By constantly asking, I found out about a New York based cosmetic company which allowed me to create my own line from their PETA certified product. I was thrilled. I had to source the tube and create a logo. I had to figure out how to label a Teeny Wee lip gloss tube. I now do it with a Teeny Wee labeling machine at home. But I had to find the company that made the machine. I had to retain a copyright and trademark lawyer. It was a steep learning curve but fun, exciting and empowering when it finally came to fruition.
What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of building your brand?
SASHA ANNE: Besides making videos and building my brand I love to sing. I am in an International Jewish High School choir called HaZamir, a musical youth movement of 38 choral chapters across the U.S. and Israel. The concert features over 400 performers. We have performed at Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Opera, and Carnegie Hall. It’s an exhilarating experience being part of one magnificent sound. I will graduate from HaZamir once I’m out of high school but I will definitely continue to sing.
I also write poetry and songs. I absolutely love to dance. I am the dance captain of my school’s competitive dance team. I love spending time with my family. My older siblings live all over the country and it’s great when we all get together. I also feel a strong need to give back for all the good I have been blessed with. I have loved being head of our School’s Social Action Committee, which visits senior citizens on a regular basis and takes them out for a day of activities they would enjoy. I volunteer for other charity events on a regular basis. It makes me feel good.
What valuable lessons have you learned from your experiences so far?
SASHA ANNE: I have learned to think out of the box and to do something different and creative while being true to my own aesthetic. I have also learned to listen to advice from those who have been in the business for much longer than I have. I learned to be confident enough to rely on my own instincts. I have learned that it’s ok to make mistakes, and that it’s important to learn from the mistakes. It is not going to be a home run every time.
We saw you got into the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), your first choice college. What will you be majoring in and how are you hoping your college experience will help shape your future?
SASHA ANNE: I am very excited about College. I will be majoring in Advertising and Marketing Communications the first two years and then I intend to continue with FIT’s Cosmetic Marketing and Fragrance for a BS degree. I realize now more than ever that to be successful in the beauty industry, it’s important to have a strong understanding of the business side of the industry. To be at FIT, staying in New York, taking liberal arts courses, creative design classes and business classes which complement my interests is a dream come true. FIT attracts students interested in the fashion and beauty industry from all over the world. I look forward to meeting new people and having the availability and benefit of FIT’s amazing resources, internship opportunities and teachers.
Tell us a little about Operation Prom and why you chose to support this great charity.
SASHA ANNE: When my first batch of Teeny Wee lip glosses came out, my very first instinctive thought was that I would like to give a lip gloss out to every girl who goes to prom. It’s such a perfect size to put in a small evening bag. My school doesn’t have a prom and I always wanted to go to one so it was my way of vicariously experiencing the “magic” of prom. But, of course, I realized that I would never make a profit. So, I decided to try to make others girls’ dreams come true by donating a percentage of my profits to Operation Prom.
You were able to find your passion and confidence at a really young age. What advice would you share for girls who are feeling a bit insecure or unsure about where they’re headed?
SASHA ANNE: Everyone is a little insecure about themselves. We are our own worst critics. I am definitely still insecure and shy at times and that’s okay. I have grown more confident these past 4 years because I love what I do. I always loved playing dress-up and being in costume as a young child because I was able to be who I wanted to be at that moment. It helped me express myself. I loved playing with makeup and as I got older I loved applying my makeup more carefully and enhancing the features I love. I also learned to accept what I didn’t love. Not everyone knows what they want to do when they are young.
My advice is to always follow your heart and work hard to get to your goal. Follow your dreams because I promise that if you are determined and passionate about what you love they will come true. But, you have to work for it. I said that I wanted to create a lip gloss line. But, I didn’t just expect it to happen. I said it out loud one day and then I worked on it very hard for 2 years and I am proud of where I am now.
I highly recommend finding mentors and people you trust to support you and help you along the way in whatever interests you have. Much of what I have accomplished would not have been possible without the support of my parents, my mentors, my teachers and my friends. It’s important to surround yourself with people who believe in you. It helps you believe in yourself.
If getting to know Sasha Anne has encouraged you to follow your dreams, we think you’ll love our interview with Hannah Grace, a 10-year-old girl who started her own line of Bath Bombs!
