There’s a new lipstick brand in town, and it’s aiming to put big smiles on many women’s faces. Bulletproof Cosmetics was founded by Elly Seddon and Cera Neima-Stewart in Vancouver as an innovative hybrid jewelry and makeup brand, designed to empower women to feel confident both inside and out. Beyond the striking array of bold and beautiful lipsticks, which come in a range of stunning shades, and a unique applicator that doubles as a necklace and symbolizes the fearless, bulletproof girl inside all of us, the brand is also proud to support the Bulletproof Foundation, which will provide legal representation for women at risk of harm or in need. We chatted with the co-creators to learn more. —Vita Daily
Please tell us a bit about yourselves to start.
Elly: I am a mother of twin boys, and have been a practising lawyer since 2013. My passion to help women in abusive situations stems from a personal story. In addition to Bulletproof Cosmetics and Bulletproof Foundation, I continue to practise law. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my husband and my two boys, carving out time for my girlfriends, playing volleyball, skiing and running.
Cera: I have been designing and making jewelry since 2004, becoming a certified gemologist while in Canada and later moving to Florence, Italy to study advanced metal-smithing techniques. After completing a master’s degree at the fashion institute Polimoda, I worked with jewelry brands in London, UK and settled back in Vancouver as a custom fine jeweler. Outside of Bulletproof, I continue to make custom jewelry for clients and I am a wife and mother of two girls.
When and why did you launch Bulletproof Cosmetics?
Elly: As a teenager, I found myself stuck in an emotionally and physically abusive relationship—a traumatic experience made even more difficult by attempting to navigate the complex and imposing legal system. As a young girl, the idea of navigating the justice system without resources was demoralizing and frightening, making it feel more difficult to leave the harmful situation than to stay. Now, as a practicing lawyer, I am passionate about connecting women in harmful or potentially harmful situations, like the one I was in, with the appropriate legal professionals and other critical resources. Bulletproof Cosmetics was born out of this passion and need. A portion of each Bulletproof purchase is put directly into Bulletproof Foundation, which empowers women in abusive situations by connecting them with free legal support within their community and crucial resources. With access to legal support, and education about legal rights in the face of harm, a woman can feel strong, confident and unbreakable. She can feel Bulletproof.
Cera: Bulletproof Cosmetics officially launched this May but we have spent the last two years developing the perfect necklace and lipstick formulations. The result is a wearable work of beauty with a powerful purpose. The Bulletproof pendant is the embodiment of strength and resilience to make whoever is wearing the necklace feel Bulletproof.
What niche were/are you aiming to fill?
Cera: We wanted to create a hybrid product that didn’t exist but that solved a problem. By creating a beautiful necklace with a lipstick inside, you get more than just jewelry, you get a hands-free lipstick with 5 amazing shades or a nourishing balm. We wanted to mix jewelry and beauty together, two of our favourite things!
Elly: We wanted to solve the problem of needing to tuck your lipstick or lip balm in a purse or a garment in order to have it readily accessible on a day or night out. We also want to fill a niche of being a stylish product that ultimately aims to grow a community and empower women.
What products do you currently offer, and what makes them unique?
Cera: We offer five matte lipstick colours that we designed to compliment a wide variety of skin tones, and a lip balm was a must-have. What makes the product unique is the fact that you can wear it around your neck in our beautiful necklace. The necklace allows you to click our Ammo (shades) in and out, so you can swap shades whenever you feel like it!
Elly: We are proud that our lipsticks are made in Canada, we carefully formulated our products to be sure that what is going on your lips is made with safe and proven ingredients.
In designing the “bullet,” what was your inspiration?
Cera: The design of the bullet represents our core mission to help women feel Bulletproof.
In creating the different shades, and naming them, what inspired you?
Cera: We were inspired by the women in our lives, and by each other, who are empowered and badass, and we wanted our lipsticks to help everyone feel strong, bold, beautiful, badass and bulletproof. Even if you don’t feel that way all the time, we want Bulletproof to be a talisman to remind you of the force that you are.
Elly: The name of each Bulletproof shade represents a core component of what we feel it takes to “Be Bulletproof,” i.e., to be resilient, educated and empowered in the face of harm. For example, “Be Strong” represents strength through intelligence and awareness. By feeling armed with knowledge about your legal rights and appropriate behaviour, a woman can feel the most strength. The shade associated with each name is our physical representation of each of these core components.
Tell us more about the charitable/give-back component here, and why it matters.
Elly: A portion of all sales of Bulletproof products will go toward Bulletproof Foundation. The funds will be used to create and continuously renew and maintain a central database of all of the legal support and resources across various communities throughout Canada and the U.S., accept applications from women who apply to the program, and connect those individuals with the appropriate legal resource within their own respective community. We believe that by becoming a trendy accessory that people will love to wear, people will hear the message behind our brand and know that Bulletproof is somewhere they can go to in a time of need, and we will have access to, and will connect them with, the appropriate resource to assist them.
If you each had to pick a bullet (gold or silver) and shade, what would your top pick be?
Cera: I love both the gold and silver and switch them up depending on what I’m wearing, now that the weather is warmer I find myself gravitating to the silver. I always have the balm on me, but my favourite colours are Be Badass and Be Bulletproof.
Elly: I am a silver/white-gold accessories girl so my natural pick is the silver necklace. It goes with everything I wear. In terms of shades, it depends on what I’m wearing and what type of mood I’m in, but one of my favourites is “Be Beautiful,” which is our soft nude shade.
One lucky Canadian winner will a Bulletproof Necklace + 3 Lipsticks Of Their Choice! To enter, follow @bulletproofcosmetics.ca and @vitadaily.ca on Instagram and follow the entry rules on our corresponding post. Contest opens May 18, 2023, and closes May 25, 2023. Rules and regulations here. Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadaily.ca. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding.
