Multidisciplinary Influencer Anaya Ivy Launches Her First Makeup Collection

There is no denying that Anaya Ivy is a jack of all trades as she is a wardrobe stylist, podcast host and Youtube influencer. Now she can add another notch to her belt as she is officially the founder and creator of her very own cosmetic line, Nayavista. Nayavista is Anaya’s online women’s boutique, which consists of hair extensions, lash extensions, jewelry and accessories. Although this is the first time that the New York native is releasing her own makeup collection, she has always had a knack for beauty. In 2018, she was one of the faces of Black Radiance, a makeup brand that celebrates the beauty of self-acceptance and inner strength of today’s black women. She also consistently creates content for her loyal following of 250,000 on Youtube, where she covers all things beauty, such as makeup tutorials, hair care tips, and skin care routines.

After being disappointed with the lack of support that black entrepreneurs and influencers receive in the beauty industry, Anaya decided that now was the perfect time to launch a cosmetic line. “Quarantine gave me the time to really reflect and I thought I have to do something about this,” says the business mogul.

Launching on Friday, June 19th, the collection includes lip liners, highlighters, lip mixer glosses and a dip brow pomade. Ahead of the launch, I got to chat with Anaya about her new venture.

Ashley: Did you always want to release your own makeup? And what gave you the courage to do so?

Anaya: What made me want to create my own line was the fact that I felt such a slap in face after reaching out to brands that I like and use to sponsor my Girl Boss Talk tour. I wanted to have products that I knew the girls that attended my tour would love. Not hearing anything back from any brands made me angry and upset. So from that, I decided I needed to do something about this. I have always been into makeup. I love lip liners and concealers. Quarantine honestly pushed me to do it. That solitude time to myself made me reflect on what I wanted to do with my image and my brand.

Ashley: What was the process like selecting the products you wanted to offer?

Anaya: For months I tried samples. I spent months communicating with vendors that I am working with because if I don’t like it, it’s not going out. I was originally going to launch on June 1st but with everything going on I decided to push the date back to June 19th. That also gave me the chance to give my products out to influencers so that I could get honest feedback.

Ashley: Did you worry about taking some time to focus more on beauty than fashion?

Anaya: When I first started I was doing accessories and clothes. But it got to a point where I didn’t enjoy it anymore. You have to constantly keep images up and find the latest and newest. It became more like work. And when you are the face of your brand it’s really hard. It started to mess with me mentally. So a friend of mine suggested that I start selling hair, since hair was something I was always into. Hair was another layer to me.

Ashley: What advice would you to give to influencers that want to have their own business?

Anaya: Think long-term and really plan out how you want things to go. Do you really want to continue to keep pushing your image with your brand, because eventually you won’t look or be like this forever. I would aim to have a brand that ties and represents everyone. When people know that it’s yours there’s a certain expectation versus them not knowing it’s your product, there is no expectation. This is something that I think young entrepreneurs that are launching a business need to take into consideration.

Ashley: What’s next for your brand? And what does the future look like for you?

Anaya: In the next five years, I would love to have a beauty bar, where women could come in and test and try out hair and get their makeup done. I would want hair stylists to have a station, makeup artists to have a station and have each of our own products sold. For example, if the hairstylist has her own haircare line she could sell it in the beauty bar and make profit in the store. I want that get your hair done in a salon vibe back and I think we are lacking that right now.

For more information visit @theanayal8ter on Instagram or shopnayavista.com.