Meet Faith (Audrey) Merritt (Monroe) | Cosmetic Business Owner | Makeup Artist | Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Faith (Audrey) Merritt (Monroe) and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Faith (Audrey), can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born and raised on the Northside of Birmingham, Alabama in a small apartment. Growing up, I watched my parents struggle to provide for my older brother and I. Their endurance during difficult times inspired me to strive to create a way to provide for them and myself. My late father showed me the importance of “handling my business” which meant to focus on my education and use my passions to create sustainability. My mother was influential in the woman that I am today. She instilled in me the importance of being, doing, and having the best. My parents worked hard to make sure that my brother and I could have the best in life. Their hustle and determination served as an undeniable foundation for me to achieve all my dreams and goals. One important lesson that my mother instilled in me was to write down everything down from my dream and goals and to work towards them. My father’s words,”Handle your business” echo to me daily and keep me motivated throughout my life. The foundation laid out by my parents has made me into the businesswoman, makeup artist, engineer, and determined person I am today!
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My love for makeup began in my late high school years. Makeup was a catalyst in my development of becoming a young lady—a young lady searching to build more confidence around myself and my appearance. Considering I was a tomboy growing up, I wanted to revamp and transform into my inner beauty side. I became interested in YouTube videos showcasing how creative one could be with makeup. The videos instantly caught my attention as they revealed how makeup enhanced the beauty of women. Subsequently, I realized I wanted to be a part of that process. However, I didn’t know the first thing about starting a business, let alone controlling the operations to sustain a business. But, I did know that I wanted to be the CEO of a cosmetics company. I began my research rapidly, searching to create a well-equipped ‘how-to guide for creating and sustaining a business. I’ll admit, I had to learn many things along the way as it was mostly trial and error. Despite the trial and error, I found that mistakes created the perfect recipe for cumulatively developing a business. I learned how to form a company, acquire appropriate documentation for licensing my business correctly, formulate cosmetic products, and establish health and wellness guidelines, to name a few. Like most successful entrepreneurs, I found myself becoming overwhelmed with the process. Consequently, I learned there’s a reward in taking a step back to handle obstacles one at a time. Fortunately, with my experiences coupled with plenty of research and talking to other entrepreneurs and lawyers, I acquired more knowledge toward forming a successful business. Daily, I continue to pursue research in sustaining my business.
I envision a global recognition of The A.A Collection Cosmetics as a bold and impactful brand that uplifts and encourages women to be their best brave selves!
The A.A Collection Cosmetics is an inclusive brand for women of all ethnicities, backgrounds, and walks of life. Our company’s mission and vision statement is “Let your Inner Monroe Come Out and Play,” which encourages each Beauty Monroe, also known as our customer, to bring out their inner alter ego we all possess once you begin to use the A.A Collection Cosmetics.
The A.A Collection Cosmetics manufactures high-quality, vegan, and cruelty-free beauty products for women of all ages and personalities. All products are curated in a vendor lab with quality pigments and formulas to ensure the customer is provided high-quality products. It’s a brand of versatility that features bright colors, cosmetics, and bold lashes for the girl who likes to be seen, as well as neutral tones for a woman who’s looking for a classic look.
The A.A Collection Cosmetics will leave a lasting imprint in the beauty industry based on its versatility. When applied, The A.A. Collection Cosmetics line ascents women from different walks of life, from the girl next door to the career woman, the classy & chic woman on the go, and the woman who doesn’t shy away from bold colors and loves a dramatic entrance.
At Audrey’s Artistry, we’re most proud of the community of support, especially during 2020. Makeup has allowed our Beauty Monroes across the globe to create a universal language of love. Our team loves receiving product reviews with our Beauty Monroes’ finished looks. Each look tells a story that allowed their “Inner Monroe” to “Come Out and Play.” Feeling good after using our products is a win for us.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I were to have my best friend visit for a weekend we will definitely be indulging in a lot of shopping on Collins Ave and adventuring around Wynwood. I love all the variety of food and restaurants Miami has to offer and that would be a must for us. Depending on my best friend’s mood and how much adventure she is looking for we will keep it simple or we will go all out with visiting local clubs, etc.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout goes to my support system and Beauty Monroes! I am overwhelmed by the people that have been placed in my life to help guide and support me. My support system pushes me to be my best self and to keep going because they recognize the dream within me. Without them, The. A.A. Collection Cosmetics line and my makeup artistry business would not exist today! From the constant push, brainstorming sessions, referrals, promotion, bookings and purchasing services; my “support system” is the reason I’ve made it thus far. Not only just my support system but each client and customer who believes in and uses my makeup products. From the reviews and constant social media posts, my Beauty Monroes are the best. Knowing that the product I am providing them is impacting their lives and makeup routines is the fulfilment that sustains me.
Website: www.audreysartistry.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/TheA.A_Collection & www.instagram.com/Audreysartistry
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/AudreyMonroe
Twitter: www.twitter.com/AudreysArtistry & www.twitter.com/TheAACollection
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theAACollectionCosmetics/
Image Credits
Product Photography: @nadiaanochiephoto Photographer: @shadshotit