Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Fitzgerald.
Hi Lauren, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
This is my Why!
I started Hadassah Beauty Live Nourished in 2014. Hadassah is the Hebrew name for Queen Esther, which means “myrtle tree or nourished”. I always loved her story about being chosen as queen after 12 months of beauty treatments and because she was unique of all the maidens in Susa, Persia. Esther 2:12 NIV says, “Before a young woman’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics.”
My journey began when my husband Robert encouraged me to make my own shea butter and body creams by putting his money where his mouth was. He invested into me by buying me 25 pounds of shea butter.
My neighbor, Selena Balmer, and I had fun in our little Decatur, GA neighborhood getting our kids together while we played with different recipes and fragrances. By the time, Rob and I moved to Nashville in 2015, I was using the rest of the Shea butter on just me. I had so much that it didn’t run out until 2017.
Now, I had a new problem: Finding shea butter in Nashville!
I went to the beauty supply stores and all I could find was the yellow shea butter that smelled like Play-Doh. I was not impressed.
My husband and my mother-in-law introduced me to the annual African Street Festival at Hadley Park. That was our time as a people to celebrate our culture, our food, our art, our dance and our vending.
This was the one time a year that I could buy Shea butter! I knew other people who laughed and realized the same thing! There was no where to buy it except at Walmart or a beauty supply store, but in 2019, I changed that!
In 2021, we changed the name from Hadassah Beauty Live Nourished to Retrostank Beauty. Retrostank, which means “Originality” is the brand for people who love to look and be different.
We pray that you will be nourished by our products and by your relationship with God.
Retrostank Beauty has created a shea butter creme like no other. The finest-quality shea butter is blended with five nourishing oils, kissed with a memorable fragrance. We offer nourishing gift sets, as well as scented shea butters, earrings, popcorn & more!!
Our brand is centered on helping each person to see themselves as God’s unique creation.
You have your own distinctiveness and value.
Shea butter is known for healing, moisturizing, and soothing inflammation.. All products are mixed by hand and blended with a variety of tantalizing scents. Each aroma lingers pleasantly on the skin.
Welcome to Retrostank Beauty! “Put yo stank on it” = Originality
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Has it been a smooth road? No, not at all! My husband was key in helping me create my logo, labels, and story. In 2020, I decided to submit my brand to the USPTO as Hadassah Beauty Live Nourished. I was one month away from being officially registered with the USPTO when my trademark was opposed by a company claiming they had trademarked the word Hadassah. I was crushed! I did a three day Esther fast with no food or water and the outcome was just to change the name. I did not have the resources to fight it, however, it worked in my favor because there are hundreds of Hadassah Beauty businesses out there. We are distinguishable in the marketplace now because of our unique name.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
At Retrostank Beauty, we believe God made you! Because He made you, you are an original. There is no one else like you, so put your stank on it! We specialize in creating fragrances for all people and all noses. We celebrate the beauty of our uniqueness and what makes us different and we encourage you to do the same. We want to share the message of Jesus’ love and teach you to love who God made you to be. In the beauty industry, many companies profit off of women’s insecurites, but we want to empower you to love who God has made you and encourage you. Each jar has a scripture on the label to nourish your soul as you nourish your skin. We are most proud of our scented shea butter. All of our customers agree that there is nothing else like it, it absorbs quickly and does not leave your skin oily.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Being a light for Christ and making others smile makes me happy. I want other people to see the beauty in themselves because so many of us have been bullied, belittled, embarrassed and the list goes on. It is important especially in this social media/comparasion age to help young people see their own worth and value. My passion is youth and seeing them have hope for their own future. I am a teacher and I want to extend the lesson to love God and love others as yourself (Mark 12:30) beyond the classroom walls. My grandmother always told my two brothers, Jordan and Andrew, and I emphatically, ” God made you, God made you, God made you!!” and what she meant by that was love who you are, do not let anything or anyone take away your self-worth. God loved you enough to make you and die for you, therefore you should love yourself.
Pricing:
- 2 oz jar $7
- 4 oz jar $15
- 16 oz $20
- Gift basket with 4 16oz jars $65
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buyretrostank/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/buyretrostank
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@retrostankbeauty
