Entrepreneur Opens Downtown Cosmetic Goutique

With a solid background in corporate sales and a life long love of makeup, Larissa McLaughlin has rediscovered that her hometown is a great place to set up a new cosmetic boutique business, the Blush Beauty Bar, at 29 Centre Street in downtown New Bedford. Over 100 friends, family and business owners attended a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, June 6th to kick off the official opening of the Blush Beauty Bar on June 7th.
“This is a place for women of all ages to come for quality cosmetics, fragrances, and skin care. Men are also welcome,” said Larissa. “People always want to feel good about themselves and they like to feel comfortable when selecting or learning about cosmetics. The Blush Beauty Bar has an intimate, friendly atmosphere. It’s a place for customers to relax, to play and to enjoy themselves. Everything about this is a quality experience – special and unique.”
Larissa, a New Bedford native, graduated from New Bedford High School in 1995. She moved to Pittsburgh to attend Duquesne University and majored in psychology and health sciences, and lived there for many years before moving to the Attleboro area. Recently she returned to the city and saw new potential. “New Bedford is a great destination place, a growing seaport with unique shops and restaurants. I always wanted to be an entrepreneur and now with my experience in corporate sales I have the skills and confidence to do what I’m most passionate about. It’s the right time to settle in New Bedford,” she said.
Mayor Scott W. Lang said, “This is a niche business venture that will draw a new customer base to the area and will prove to be a positive addition to the downtown business district. We welcome Larissa and wish her great success.”
In pursuit of her passion for makeup, Larissa worked and trained with M.A.C. Cosmetics as a makeup artist. The cosmetic products found at the Blush Beauty Bar are featured in Vogue, Allure, Glamour, Lucky and O. “We carry everything from the everyday to the trendy. It’s cutting edge from New York and LA,” Larissa explained.
The New Bedford Economic Development Council provided financial support. “This start up loan is an example of how a small business that meets our lending criteria can take advantage of our assistance,” said NBEDC executive director Matthew A. Morrissey. “Sometimes entrepreneurs like Larissa need a financial boost to get them from the idea to the actual business operations. It’s exciting to see our clients arrive at the point of cutting the ribbon.”
Clients can buy products, take makeup application lessons to achieve the look they want, and have an inventory check of their makeup bags. Larissa will sort through and recommend products that blend with your skin color and complement your best facial features, and help clients find quality cosmetics made specifically for them – everything from foundation to lipstick and from anti-wrinkle agents to fragrance. Clients can schedule individual appointments, after-hour parties and on-location wedding service.
Mr. Morrissey said, “A diversity of small business talent builds the economy. Larissa has brought another example of the creative economy to our mix of entrepreneurs and business owners.”
With a steady stream of customers in its first few weeks, the Blush Beauty Bar is off to a success start. Most popular has been the “make over”. “One man gave his wife a birthday gift of a full ‘make over’ and stayed to watch. Our men’s line is selling very well and we’ve had several after hours parties. They’re a blast. Many women have expressed appreciation for the one-on-one service in a private, quiet setting. So far, I’m surpassing my goals,” Larissa said.