How long did it take you to find the perfect conditioner? More importantly, how much money did it take? If you’re Dana Hill Robinson (she / her), the answer to both is: You don’t want to know… So to save other Black women the same arduous journey to the perfect morning routine, she founded COCOTIQUE, a deluxe subscription box of beauty products curated for women of color.

Together with our sponsor Amazon, we asked the 55-year-old how she went from Vogue insider to entrepreneur, why a backbone is good for business, and tips for prioritizing self-care this season. You can discover great small businesses like COCOTIQUE when you shop Amazon’s Small Business Gift Guide.

What inspired you to launch COCOTIQUE?
The underrepresentation of Black beauty products in our aisles. That, coupled with [the fact] that I’m a beauty fanatic. It’s been historically difficult for women of color to find the right products, so I’m always trying different things. I found myself wasting so much money on products that just didn’t work, so my goal was to provide a solution that saved women of color time and money. Also, when the subscription box craze first started, I subscribed to a few. They were great products, but not always specifically curated to me, so I wanted to fill that niche.

Where did the name “COCOTIQUE” come from?
It’s a combination of “Cocoa Brown” and “boutique.” I wanted to have a little upscale European cache, French type of thing. My background is in fashion as well, so it marries the two.

What did you do in fashion?
My first job out of college was assistant fashion editor at Vogue. It was my absolute dream job! Before I graduated, I worked in PR at Calvin Klein and became friends with a head designer. When I graduated, I reached out to his old boss and arranged an interview. Then I moved to Harper’s BAZAAR and assisted the fashion director there. Then I worked for Russell Simmons when Phat Farm first launched. Working in entrepreneurial environments helped lay the foundation for starting my own company. So many people had told me, “You need to do your own thing,” so when I launched COCOTIQUE, I just dove in.

What’s an obstacle you’ve had to overcome?
When I first started, nobody knew who I was, so it was hard to get brands onboard. It was a lot of cold calling, and my PR background came in handy because you have to have a strong backbone. Taking no for an answer doesn’t mean an ultimate “no.” You just [have to] keep pushing. One of my big wins early on was Cover FX. They reached out because they had seen [us] on social media, and it helped create that legitimacy for other brands to come onboard.

How has selling on Amazon impacted your business?
It’s opened up our business to a wider audience and helped us scale faster. And financially, it’s helped immeasurably, from the Amazon lending features to my winning [of] the Amazon Black Business Accelerator Grant!

Do the products you pick only work for women of color?
They work for everybody! It’s funny, on Amazon, I’ll get customers that say, “Well I’m white and I love your box!” So it’s not just for women of color, but it is a space where they can feel comfortable knowing everything is curated specifically for them.

What’s something holiday shoppers should know about COCOTIQUE?
Women spend so much time taking care of others, so our goal is to provide an opportunity for you to take time to pamper yourself. I get messages from our subscribers telling me how happy they are because they would’ve never found these products if it weren’t for COCOTIQUE, and how they enjoy sharing them with their daughters. That brings me joy because [it reminds me of] my mom. I didn’t grow up with her and was such a tomboy, so when I visited and saw her putting on makeup, it opened up a whole new world. She was a big part of my love of beauty and was the beginning of my obsession with trying different products.

What are some of your favorite beauty products right now?
Oh, I can’t say. There’s so many! For my hair, I try to stick to the same things, because you just don’t want to take too many chances. There’s this product, Pura D’or apple cider vinegar shampoo, and oh my goodness, it’s amazing. Ever since I tried it, it has not left my shower. A lot of our subscribers have said the same thing.

*Hi there. This is a sponsored post.