The Business of Beauty and Fragrance

On May 31, 2025, I graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design. I earned my B.F.A. in the Business of Beauty and Fragrance with a minor in Social Strategy and Management. I’ve taken the past seven months to reflect on this transition and achievement, and I want to share my experience, both the good and the bad, as well as what I have learned.

I have begun writing this post several times over the past few months, but I keep pausing and stepping away. I graduated almost eight months ago, and I feel as if I've just now found the right outlook to share on the Business of Beauty and Fragrance, so let’s begin.

I graduated from high school at 17 in 2021, during the COVID era. I was incredibly burnt out and eager to take the next step in my journey, preferably somewhere far from home. I was born in Connecticut and spent 18 years of my life in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, traveling often but not experiencing new things. I felt as if I was stuck in one way of life, and for some reason, I knew I wanted to go to college far from home. I made that decision around freshman or sophomore year of high school, and I am not entirely sure why. It’s not that I wanted to get away from my family; I just wanted to try something new. I never had a good 'reason”; I just wanted to leave. I honestly now believe it was God telling me that I was meant to go to Savannah.

Now, if you had talked to me between January and August of last year, I would never have told you that. I was so tired of SCAD and ready to be done. Maybe it was senioritis, maybe I had not properly reflected on the experience, but I have had time to really think about it. I even began writing this blog post in August last year, before I started graduate school, where I may have said I regretted my college choice, and I genuinely believe I have matured even more in the past few months. It seems to me that it was due to a combination of graduate school, technically still being “post-grad,” and turning 22.

I have never felt “called” to a specific path in my life. That might surprise anyone who knows me because I seem to have my life perfectly organized, and I achieve that by constantly thinking and second-guessing my choices and actions. When I was young, I thought I would go into the medical field, but I started passing out from blood and needles at age 7. Medicine was quickly ruled out since it's not something I can get over. Once I realized I couldn’t pursue that path, I was only interested in art, beauty, and cheerleading. I always knew I would go to college to get a degree, and art school seemed ideal. I initially chose fashion design and even received early acceptance to a school for it. Soon after, I discovered the Business of Beauty degree and set my sights on earning it. I wasn’t a fan of FIT in NYC, which left me with SCAD. I was so excited to move to a new state, and I truly believe it shaped who I am today.

I was a bit sheltered as a kid, and I am grateful for it because I enjoyed being a kid, even though I was ready to grow up. I traveled to a few places growing up for family vacations, mainly in the US. I “experienced” some cultures but never really understood that not everyone lived the way I was used to in New England. College allowed me to see that. From having roommates I met online to trying to make friends for the first time since first grade, it was an adjustment. I loved being in Savannah, so whatever struggles freshman year brought me, I was so incredibly independent that it didn't matter. I would get up early every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning (around 6 am) because I couldn't sleep in or relax with a roommate. I would immediately change and go for a long walk downtown, sitting either at Starbucks on River St to journal and watch the sunrise or at a coffee shop on Liberty St before heading to Forsyth Park. I loved just getting out and moving, alone, because, for the first time, I could. I met people from all different backgrounds, and I was just so curious to listen because I thought everyone grew up similarly to me. How was I supposed to know any different when I grew up with the same people for 18 years?

I decided to cheer at an All-Star gym in Savannah because I missed it so much, and I wasn’t one to party like a typical college freshman. That was one of the best decisions I made during those four years. I ended up coaching at the gym after that year, and I met so many wonderful kids and families. It might seem like I’m rambling, but I promise everything here connects.

I started my first beauty class during the spring quarter of my freshman year, and I fell in love. I was so excited. It was just the History of Beauty, but I loved every second. The general education classes we took were fun, but I was eager to dive into what I went to school for. By sophomore year, I had taken most of my major classes and really began to understand what corporate beauty was. I never considered what happens behind the scenes of the products I like to buy at the store, but I got to see a bit of that. Granted, we spent most of our time on marketing rather than exploring all aspects, but I still enjoyed it all.

In my junior year, I focused on my minor classes and a few beauty classes I needed to complete before senior year. Nothing too crazy happened, but I did start to love social media marketing. I also began to dislike the program somewhat because it all felt so repetitive. Unfortunately, I was assigned a professor for my packaging design class who was not the usual instructor, and I didn't get to learn how to render packaging the way I had hoped. This shifted my expected path and made me question my choice of the program. When senior year arrived, I experienced a mix of senioritis and slight regret. I was unsure about my future after graduation, which led me to apply to graduate school, specifically for an MBA. One reason for this decision was that I never secured an internship at a big beauty company, unlike many of my classmates. I don't regret my year working at the social agency, but I did question if I was truly cut out for this career path. As I mentioned before, I tend to question everything, even when everyone around me says I'm a hard worker and will achieve great things.

In December 2024, I traveled abroad for a SCAD Social Strategy class and had an incredible experience. If I could repeat anything from those four years, it would be that trip. I loved the professors who accompanied us and most of the people in the program. I am very proud of the project my group developed from it and the fun we had internationally. That trip took place during winter break of my senior year, so I returned feeling refreshed and eager to start capstone.

Capstone was a very long process that seemed to fly by. We are required to brainstorm, research, create, and market a beauty brand from scratch. This can be in the cosmetics, skin, hair, nails, or wellness segment. I decided to start a makeup line, specifically for all-star cheerleaders. After feeling unsure about what to create, my mom helped me come up with my topic about a year before starting the capstone. I’ve always loved cheerleading and wished I could have done it in college, so coaching while in school was a perfect compromise. I never wanted to completely step away from the industry, so after my years of competitive cheer and getting “full glam” for competitions, my product idea made sense. Creating a palette of all essential competition-day products seemed obvious, and I was surprised it had not been done.

After some research when starting my capstone, I found only two brands that made a product similar to what I wanted to create, but not exactly the same. My product would still stand out, and I hope to become a major player in the makeup market for cheerleaders. I struggled to come up with a brand name because I wasn't interested in the research. I just wanted to get to the fun part, which was building the product. I knew in my mind what I wanted to make, but I had to start with research before I could get there. I also felt like my product and concept development process was quite easy. I did not receive much feedback or corrections, which is good because I could do it my own way; however, I wish I had received some criticism to help develop it into the best version it could be. I did not want my judgment clouded, because everything was created based on my ideas with little outside help.

Despite the harsh criticism I almost wish I had, I am very proud of how Flipped Beauty turned out. I never would have developed the brand if I had not gone to SCAD and chosen to major in Beauty. I collaborated with many other students to bring Flipped Beauty to life and even had some of the girls I coached involved in the photoshoot for my final product.

I may not have felt prepared to jump into a corporate position straight out of undergrad, but I was fortunate to realize that early and get my Master’s degree. Thanks to my SCAD Beauty background, I have secured an internship this semester with RMS Beauty. I do not think I would have gotten the specific internship I am currently working on if I had not decided to stick with SCAD Beauty.

I did have a hard time meeting many people with the same morals, values, and interests as me, but I was lucky to find a few close friends. Living in Savannah, GA, for four years was, as of now, the best part of my life. I rediscovered myself, created new routines and habits, met so many Savannah locals that I still keep in touch with, and overall, enjoyed life. If I were to have stayed near home for college, I do not believe I would be who I am today. Being on my own, far from home, and trying to figure out life was the biggest life lesson I have learned so far. I believe I made the most of my time at SCAD, doing what I could to stay involved. I fell off of that a bit towards the end due to senioritis, but I do not regret or wish I did anything differently.

Looking back, I now understand that the Business of Beauty and Fragrance program wasn’t designed to hand me a clear, linear career path. It was designed to expose me to how the beauty industry actually works: the strategy, the marketing, the storytelling, and the realities behind the products we see on shelves. Even when the coursework felt repetitive or narrow, it gave me a foundation that I didn’t fully appreciate until after graduating. The program taught me how to think within a highly specific industry, speak its language, and approach ideas with both creativity and structure. It pushed me to look beyond aesthetics and understand the business decisions behind branding, packaging, and product development. Creating Flipped Beauty made that clear to me; I could not have built that brand or understood how to position it without the industry-focused lens the program gave me.

The Business of Beauty and Fragrance program challenged me, frustrated me at times, and ultimately shaped the way I think about the industry I want to be part of. It wasn’t perfect, but it was purposeful. And with time and perspective, I can say that choosing this program played a meaningful role in where I am today and where I’m headed next.