PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Amira Ashley has already accomplished more than most at just 10-years-old. She’s the boss of her own flavored lip gloss line called Boujee Vegan Girl.
“Sometimes people call me the ‘boss with the gloss,” she said. “I have … a strawberry lip gloss, I have pineapple, bubblegum, orange.”
Amira started selling her lip glosses two months ago during the pandemic and quickly sold out after just the first launch.
“My mom, she wanted to wait until the pandemic was over, but I didn’t. I just wanted to go straight for it,” Amira added. “Then people just started buying and buying until it was sold out.”
Her mother, Amber Ashley Dines, is her biggest supporter. Dines, who also has a vegan makeup line called ‘Boujee Vegan Beauty‘ inspired Amira to want to start her own lip gloss brand.
“I always am playing with my mom’s makeup she got a little tired of it, of me playing in her makeup, but I was testing out all of her stuff and I just wanted to have my own,” Amira said.
From planning to packaging, the two worked together to turn Amira’s dream business into a reality.
“My mom always says do what you want to do. Go for your dreams,” Amira added.
Dines said when Amira first started working on her brand she had been told that she couldn’t be the boss of her own business, but Amira didn’t let other’s opinions stop her and became even more determined to prove them wrong– and she did.
“I am more than proud of her. She has a strong message she’s been told because of the color of her skin that she can’t be something and I feel like when she heard that it was like a switch just went off in her mind and she was just like wait you told me I can’t. I’m gonna show you I can,” Dines said.
Today, she’s sold hundreds of her candy-flavored and scented lip glosses to kids and adults. Amira says she hopes her success inspires other young girls and boys to chase their dreams regardless of age, race, or gender.
“My message to them is not to be afraid to go for your dreams,” Amira said. Both credit Amira’s success to their faith in God.
Amira is already focusing on her next business goals and hopes to one day selling her lip glosses in stores and add more beauty products to her line.
