Branded by the slogan “nothing short of magic”, Sheer Magic is a local, natural, cruelty-free vegan brand created by 22-year-old Lestra Miller.
Miller, a final-year Biology student at the University of Guyana, took time to recount her entrepreneurial journey in an interview with Guyana Times.
She explained that her business and brand stems from a hobby. Miller, in 2016, contacted her to embark on her natural hair journey but was unable to afford most of the suggested “best brands” for natural products and as such, sought alternatives.
“When I was transforming, I was also starting at University, so I didn’t have all the money to buy the fancy products and all the well-known brands. So, I decided to go on YouTube and research natural alternatives. So that’s where it started as a hobby, ”explains Miller.
She added that after much research, she started creating hair products for her personal use in the comfort of her home.
“I did it for the last four years and everyone kept asking what I use for my hair, what the product is and I told them I use my own things,” he said.
Following numerous inquiries and outstanding results, Miller said she feels motivated to turn her hobby into an income-earning venture. However, this took some time since she was a full-time university student.
Nevertheless, Miller noted that she found the appropriate time during the pandemic. She explained that she made the most of the lock-in and started making her products in large batches for retail.
“When COVID hit, it was a perfect time for me to balance going to school and making my product, so that’s when I started the Sheer Magic brand,” he told his publication.
In that regard, Miller said she launched Sheer Magic on May 23, 2020. She added that she operated online for just over a year until she earned a place at the Sack Store – a shared business space, in March this year.
“I saw the job that Sack was offering places to other businesses and I took the opportunity. So now I have a shelf in the Sack Store on Waterloo Street, ”he said.
The young entrepreneur promoted that her brand includes four types of products.
“So, I have the whipped hair butter, the herbal hair serum, body scrubs that come in coffee and turmeric along with body butter that comes in Japanese cherry blossoms, warm vanilla and apricots and peaches,” he detailed.
Miller highlighted that her products are suitable for all genders and all hair types; indicating that each batch is handmade with the same consistency and commitment.
“If you want your products at an affordable price, it caters for everyone; whether natural hair or chemically processed hair. Even males can use the products, ”he said.
To see Miller’s products, visit her business’s Instagram page “Sheer Magic Gy” or her shelf at Sack Store at 161 Waterloo Street, Georgetown.
