Ashley Lee, Founder of Vegan-Friendly Beauty Brand Redefines Natural Beauty Through Canvas Colors 

How long does it take to create a beauty business?
Creating a beauty business depends on the creator of that business. With hard work, research, and proper planning, it took me 3 years to move Canvas Colors from an idea on my vision board to a finished product. It took me 3 years because I financed everything on my own from the research to the samples, and finally packaging.

Why did you start only with lipstick and lip gloss?
I started with lipstick and lip-gloss because they are staples within the beauty
industry. I know a lot of women who are not into makeup, but they love to wear little
lip color in the form a gloss or lipstick. Lip colors can be less intimidating to someone who may have a new interest in enhancing their natural beauty.

What helps you to decide on what colors?

I choose colors based on nature and purpose.
Nothing is more beautiful than the colors of nature. When I say purpose, I think of how each consumer can maximize the use of each color. When I make a purchase, I make my selection based on how much use I can get out of what I am buying. I like to think that each color can be worn on any end of the spectrum, from a casual day of running errands to an evening on the red carpet.

How did you come up with the brand name and identity?
I chose the name Canvas Colors because I love art. Makeup, beauty, and fashion are all forms of art. When I think of a canvas, I think of the fabric that artists use to paint on to create beautiful masterpieces. Canvas Colors represents those who don’t ascribe to society’s views of beauty. They look in the mirror and see beauty. We are all canvases who have the right to create ourselves into masterpieces in which we
choose.

Will, you created makeup foundations and eye shadows in the future?
Yes, it is my goal to turn Canvas Colors into a full beauty collection.

How do you feel about the male makeup business that blooming right now?
I think the male makeup business is a wonderful thing. The same way that women seek
to enhance their features. I think men are entitled to do the same.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and Ashley Lee is redefining beauty through her new beauty brand, Canvas Colors. The eco-friendly brand aims to bridge the gap between beauty and wellness. The North Carolina native is extremely passionate about fighting against societal norms while building confidence for all women. Societal norms are a way to box an individual in, and Canvas Colors was designed to pick women out of the box so they can create their own masterpiece. 

After being diagnosed with Endometriosis, Ashley began seeking out natural remedies in her everyday life to help alleviate some of the symptoms of her diagnosis. While her diet has always been pretty clean, the products she chose to put on her body is what caused an internal issue. Ashley turned triumph into advocacy, as her experiences inspired her to launch her lifestyle beauty brand, Canvas Colors. “I would like to see more women be mindful of what they put in their bodies, as well as on it,” says Ashley Lee. 

Canvas Colors is proof that natural beauty is obtainable.

Natural beauty doesn’t always mean bare face, it means clean and toxin-free. Canvas Colors is an affordable, luxury lifestyle brand that caters to a wide variety of women—from the health/wellness conscience woman, down to the everyday working woman. “Canvas Colors are designed with anyone in mind who unapologetically embraces themselves,” says the creative visionary. “I want anyone who wears my brand to know that they are enough, no matter who they are and where they are.”

Canvas Colors carries a variety of highly pigmented lippies that are long-lasting and infused with Shea Butter. They are Eco-Friendly, non-toxic, soy, and gluten-free; leaving clean, beautiful, and flattering lips. Canvas Colors enhances what’s already there while promoting internal beauty. Every woman deserves to look in the mirror and see beauty, and with Canvas Colors, Beauty doesn’t stop at the color of your lips, beauty is on the inside too.