Headquarter In: Mill Valley, California
Founded in Year: 1999
Employees Headcount: 2-10
Women are changing the business world, and there’s no turning back. According to a study by the National Association of Women Business Owners, women-owned businesses are growing at twice the rate of all businesses. That’s because women are proving that they have what it takes to be successful in business. They’re creative, resourceful, and determined, and they’re not afraid to take risks.
One such woman who is spearheading the makeup industry is Christina Flach. She founded Pretty Girl Makeup in 1999 and since then she has been leading the company with innovative services.
The Journey
After quitting her day job as a personal shopper/image consultant, Flach began her journey as a makeup artist in 1995 with the goal of being able to make money doing what she loves. As a makeup artist and devoted mother, Flach was constantly on the go. Between shuffling kids to school and meeting with clients, Flach found that there was never enough time during the day to touch up her makeup. Every lip gloss she owned wore off within a few short hours of application.
For months Flach tested dozens of lip products, looking for a gloss that could withstand even her busiest days. When her search came up empty, Flach decided to create a makeup line of her own, Pretty Girl Makeup. Her mission was to develop a formula that was not only long-lasting, but also anti-aging, moisturizing, and hydrating. Self-funded since the beginning, her unique lip gloss line took over a year to formulate and design. She launched her line with colors that looked good on every skin tone so that every girl could be a pretty girl.
Since the launch of Pretty Girl Makeup, Flach’s career as a makeup artist has skyrocketed. She has worked with high-end brands such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton, has been featured in campaigns for Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bloomingdales, and has been featured in magazines including Vogue, Time, People, and Elle. Her celebrity clientele includes Condoleezza Rice, Hilary Swank, Isaiah Washington, Melissa McCarthy, Rita Moreno, Renee Zellweger, and Tyler Florence. In addition, Flach also writes articles about the best tips, tricks, and hacks in makeup and is featured as a beauty expert on California Live on NBC.
About the Astounding Services Offered
Pretty Girl Makeup is a line designed with the customer’s health in mind. Christina Flach believes that taking care of yourself with proper nutrition, meditation, laughter, love, exercise, and high-quality products are the key to a long and happy life.
Each lip gloss created by Christina is formulated with vegan, cruelty-free, and clean products that people will feel good about putting on their skin. Skin is the biggest organ in the body, and it deserves to be taken care of properly. People often have to decide between a product that works well but has bad ingredients or vice versa.
With Pretty Girl Makeup, customers are able to have the best of both worlds. Since the line was created by a makeup artist herself, customers know that her experience in the industry will translate into an amazing product that customers can trust.
Brilliant Milestones Achieved
Christina Flach’s work has been featured in campaigns with nearly every major news outlet, department store, and designer, however, she believes that every client she books is still exciting. Christina shared that working with People Magazine and Rita Moreno as well as Condoleeza Rice and Time Magazine were two of the most amazing moments for her as a makeup artist. She also noted that she has loved working with her long time client of over 15 years, Tyler Florence as his makeup artist for the Great Food Truck Race on Food Network.
In regards to Pretty Girl Makeup, Christina said that her proudest moment was seeing her lip gloss line in Instyle Magazine, right next to a feature on Miley Cyrus. “It was really amazing seeing my product in print next to a major celebrity. All of the time and effort that it took to create a product that I was genuinely proud of was worth it at that moment,” says Christina.
While Christina has had many amazing accomplishments to date, her work is nowhere near finished. She recently worked with Benefit Cosmetics on a commercial and is currently working with NBC as a beauty expert on their California Live segment.
Remarkable Moments of Pretty Girl Makeup
In 2013, Christina was given an opportunity that many makeup artists only dream of. For the opening night of The Art of Bulgari: La Dolce Vita & Beyond 1950-1999, Bulgari and Christian Dior handselected Christina to create a makeup look for actress Hilary Swank. Christina’s look was later featured in US Magazine when a photo of Hilary Swank was published. This was an incredible moment for Christina and the career that she worked so hard to build.
Leading with Intelligence & Bravery
Christina believes in finding a way to make money doing what you love. However, when you are starting out in the makeup industry, finding clients that are willing to take a chance on you can be extremely difficult. To solve this problem, Christina would go to her friend’s hair salons and offer free ten-minute makeovers in the hopes that someone would like her work enough to hire her in the future. She also reached out to photographers and offered to work with them for free to start building a client base. She encourages those who are just starting out to be comfortable being uncomfortable, take risks, and not be afraid of failure. She believes the only failure is not trying, all the other inevitable bumps are learning lessons or the universe pointing you in another direction.
Even after building an extensive clientele, Christina encourages those in the industry to always be team players and to have a positive attitude. “There are a million makeup artists to choose from. I never take it for granted and I never say no when my agents call to offer me a job,” says Christina. Most importantly, however, Christina wants to ensure that the person sitting in her chair feels like the best possible version of themselves. She believes in making someone feel as good on the inside as they do on the outside because that is what is truly important in life.
Christina’s Driving Forces
Christina’s greatest role model in life is her friend and celebrity chef, Tyler Florence. While working with him on The Great Food Truck Race in Los Angeles, Tyler would receive dozens of opportunities. She would listen to him on many conference calls and admired his positivity, enthusiasm, and grace with every opportunity he was given. Florence has inspired Christina to wake up every day excited and inspired to try new things.
There is always something new to learn or to explore in this world and you have to take risks. Another inspiring force in her life is the Bad Boy of Beauty, Berlin Fisher. He urged her to get out of her comfort zone, being behind the camera as a makeup artist to being in front of the camera as on California Live on NBC as their on-air beauty expert. Along with mental strength, Diana Stobo wellness expert, who inspires Christina to take the best possible care of herself that she can. They both believe in creating a life filled with balance . Wake up early, drink your green juice, and work out
but also remember to laugh with your friends and to take time to rest. Spread love and positivity in everything that you do and help others in any way that you can.
The Luminating Future of the Christina
Currently, Christina is working on a new line of products called “I’m Too Busy”. This line will include skincare, haircare, and makeup that is infused with CBD to provide customers with the maximum possible health benefits. The calming properties of CBD will help keep customers’ skin from being affected by the natural stressors in our environment.
Along with her new line, Christina will continue her passion of education and nutrition for underprivileged children. She started the Baby Beau and Ken Flach educational funds at the Northern Light School in Oakland ,California in honor of her son and husband. Her son Ben, Beau’s twin, also shares her passion and raised $55,000 in October at the Northern Light School/Vida Blue Celebrity Golf Tournament. He has raised over $125,000 in the past 7 years for scholarships for
children to go to this extraordinary school. Being a Sepsis awareness advocate, a cause she holds close to her heart after her husband unexpectedly passed away in 2018. She also helped Lisa Zimmer to fund the Beau Friedman Outdoor Classroom at the Edna Maguire School in Mill Valley, California. Christina believes that when children are given the opportunity to grow, study, harvest and cook with vegetables and fruits, they will be more open to healthy eating habits through out their life. Christina says that she will always continue to give back to the universe that has blessed her with
so much.
Christina also plans to continue appearing on podcasts. She loves being able to share her story with the world and talk about how mindset and manifestation can lead to a more fulfilled life. Christina believes in helping everyone to feel like the best possible version of themselves and spreading positivity in everything that she does. Through podcasts, TV, and writing for publications, she is able to spread her message to people all over the world.