She was 30, with two children, when the company she worked for closed.

She had 30 days to work out what came next.

Danessa Myricks went on to launch her own beauty brand at 44. At 50, she saw it arrive at Sephora.

Welcome to Episode 9 of The Reinvention Series.

I’m Wanda, founder of Estetika. I started my own business at 50, and now, at 54, I’m building a global beauty accessories brand and still learning every day. Danessa’s story is one I keep coming back to.

Thirty days to work out what came next

Before makeup, Danessa worked in sales and marketing for a company that published hair magazines.

During photoshoots, she would watch the makeup artists at work. She admired their creativity and the joy they brought to what they did. It was a world that felt a long way from her own.

Then the company closed. She was 30, a mother of two, and suddenly needed a new plan.

Self-taught, one book at a time

Danessa had no formal training. She had books, a small makeup kit and a willingness to learn.

That was enough to begin. She built a career in makeup artistry, then went on to teach and to develop products for other beauty brands. Each step gave her more experience, more confidence and a clearer picture of what was missing.

I love this part of her story, because it is so easy to skip over. We often see the successful brand and miss the woman figuring it out along the way.

A brand of her own at 44

In 2015, at 44, Danessa launched Danessa Myricks Beauty: versatile makeup made with different skin tones in mind.

Her brand is built on the belief that makeup should be for everyone, regardless of age, skin tone or experience. After years of creating for other brands, she was finally telling her own story.

In 2021, when she was 50, Danessa Myricks Beauty arrived at Sephora. It was around then, she has shared, that she finally paid herself. By 2023, her Sephora sales had grown by more than 50%.

Building a business takes years of quiet work that nobody sees. Danessa built hers in her 40s.

Why her story stayed with me

I started Estetika at 50, after a completely different career. I had no background in manufacturing or ecommerce, and there were plenty of days when I was learning as I went. Our beauty cases are designed here in Sydney, and every new collection still teaches me something.

What I take from Danessa is this: when we begin again, we don’t start from nothing.

We start with everything we’ve already learnt.

If you’re standing at the edge of something new, I hope Danessa’s story gives you a little nudge.

Women over 50, we’re not done. Not even close.

And if you know a woman who needs reminding that it’s never too late to start something extraordinary, please send this to her.

Watch Episode 9 of The Reinvention Series: Danessa Myricks

Wanda x
Founder, Estetika