Suzanne Carter is an eco-conscious entrepreneur and innovator of BCorp Certified M·Y·O [Makeup Your Own] Cosmetic Cases®.
Who knew that when I created the eco-conscious M·Y·O Cosmetics Case in 2016, it would be a sanitation safety touch-up tool used on TV and Film sets by professional makeup artists? I was on a mission to design an innovative multi-product makeup case that reduced cosmetic packaging waste, increased makeup organization while keeping makeup healthy and safe.
My journey started as I was introducing a minimal makeup philosophy to my then-teenage daughters, which inspired me to want a more simplified makeup routine for myself and reduce the packaging, and unused cosmetics, in my overflowing makeup drawer and makeup bag. This started me on a path that led me to collaborate with the pros of the industry, professional makeup artists, and eco-minded young people to innovate a customizable refill reuse makeup system.
With 20 years of experience as a corporate training consultant, assisting businesses to improve efficiencies through their people, I assisted employees with strategies to help them do their jobs faster, easier, and more efficiently. Using my experience, the long list of criteria for the perfect multipurpose case, and working with innovative design engineers, the award-winning M·Y·O [Makeup Your Own] Cosmetic Cases was born.
It had to be a case that had solid benefits for both professional makeup artists and the eco-minded, everyday consumer. With a litany of innovations, our case offers the flexibility to be used at home, on the go, or on-set for pros! M·Y·O Cosmetic Cases design supports a minimalistic approach to makeup while accommodating multiple cosmetic types —pan, pencils, liners, and using our proprietary magnetic M·Y·O Makeup Pods (containers) creams, liquids powders, and more. Making makeup life easier!
With two Gen Z daughters, one of which is a Professional Makeup Artist, all my business decisions are made with the idea of preserving the planet for generations to come. From day one, I structured my business philosophy around the idea of sustainability and efficiency. This led me to operate my company in a manner that supported becoming a BCorp Certified Company. We received our official BCorp Certification status on Earth Day April 22, in 2020 – a huge celebration! Arduous and difficult to achieve, BCorporation Certification is a global recognition of companies, true leaders, operating at the highest standards of social and environmental impact. One of our main decisions, mindful of our carbon footprint, our cases are made in Vancouver, Canada with 90% of our materials sourced throughout North America.
Every aspect of our case design is intentional. Built for longevity, it is lightweight, portable, refillable, reusable, and at end-of-life, can be upcycled or recycled. Carefully chosen, our case and makeup pods are made of food and medical grade materials that keep makeup safe and healthy, while retaining the ability to be washed, sanitized, and disinfected.
With multiple features originating from the needs of professional makeup artists, our Pro M·Y·O Cosmetic Case Kit is used as a safety Touch-Up Tool reducing environmental exposure of makeup, which increases talent/client safety (and in our current environment a must-have!), saves valuable touch-up time and reduces excessive weight in makeup bags. You can find our M·Y·O Pro Kit in hands of artists on hundreds of TV/Film sets, including Batwoman, The Politician, Vikings, RuPaul’s Drag Race, POSE, Dead to Me, The Umbrella Academy, My Lottery Dream Home, Star Trek, Riverdale and more. It is in the hands of celebrity artists, backstage at Fashion Week, utilized on Broadway, and behind the scenes at photoshoots for publications such as Elle, Allure, and Vanity Fair.
Never more apparent in its importance, clean beauty and sustainable packaging are at the forefront of the Beauty Industry. Our consumer Zero-Waste Eco M·Y·O Cosmetic Case encourages a more conscious consumption approach to cosmetics. With over 140 billion units of cosmetic packaging produced globally per year, the majority of which ends up in our landfills. Our goal is to encourage consumers to purchase more eco-friendly, refill makeup from many popular brands (eye shadow, blush, highlighter) instead of disposable palettes of multiple colors, where we statistically use only 2-4 colours of an 8-colour palette. We know it’s time to RETHINK MAKEUP ROUTINES – REDUCE, REFILL, AND REUSE!
Sustainably committed, we are a proud signatory to The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, where plastic never becomes waste. Three actions are required to achieve such a vision and create a circular economy for plastic. We are committed to, and support the vision to ELIMINATE – plastics we don’t need; INNOVATE – to ensure that the plastics we do need are reusable, recyclable or compostable [M·Y·O is always prototyping new materials]; and CIRCULATE – all the plastic items we use to keep them in the economy and out of the environment. With our Take Back Program, we wash, melt and remold our cases, keeping them out of landfills.
My career, children, and concern for the future of our planet have driven all my decisions and gotten me to where I am today; an eco-conscious beauty brand owner. Knowing that I have created a sustainable efficiency tool for pros and the everyday person, brings me the greatest joy. My daughters continue to motivate me, to demonstrate what hard work can achieve and that we all have a responsibility to be part of the change we wish to see, ensuring a healthy planet for future generations.
