INFOCUS

EMBRACING BEAUTY

AND EMPOWERING WOMEN IN KANSAS CITY

WRITTEN BY SOPHIE OSWALD PHOTOS BY JAMI BOWMAN

Ashley Maurin Rodden has brought her desire to help women feel confident in their own skin to life with LOVER® Cosmetics. She loved beauty as a child, but the realization that this could be a lifelong career didn’t hit her until college. While attending KU she became fond of a store in the area that inspired her love of makeup. She realized one day she’d want to open a makeup boutique of her own.

After interning at Chanel in New York City, Rodden returned to Kansas City and worked at various marketing jobs. In 2006, she founded LOVER Cosmetics. In 2009, she made her way to Paris to attend makeup school at the renowned Christian Chauveau makeup artistry school, then returned to Kansas City and fine-tuned her own brand.

“LOVER is nothing like it was when I first started the line. I started with about 25 different individual eyeshadows and about 10 different blushes and lip products,” Rodden explains. “All the pieces were individual like you see at most makeup counters today. But after doing hundreds of makeovers, women kept saying the same two things: ‘I don’t know how to do my makeup’ and ‘I don’t have time.’ That made me start the process of testing magnetic palettes and making prototypes.”

The products made at LOVER Cosmetics are all cruelty-free and made in the USA (with the exception of a few pencils). Nearly all are also EU-compliant, gluten-free, paraben-free, and many are also vegan. “I am able to visit the manufacturers, talk to them about what goes inside the products, and give our customers the best quality,” says Rodden.

But LOVER is more than a makeup brand offering gorgeous, clean products in helpful magnetic packaging.

Above: Ashley Maurin Rodden, owner of LOVER® Cosmetics

Rodden also provides countless women with lessons and an easy makeup routine they can take with them into everyday life.

“I wrote a formal five-step makeup regime and brought our customers the magnetic palette. These two things make getting ready, travel, organization, and the morning routine simple!”

Simplifying your life is one of the main goals at LOVER Cosmetics. “We want women to apply makeup each day, and easily take it with them on the go. And here’s why—when you’re put together you feel better, so looking good feels good and changes your entire attitude all day,” Rodden explains.

They have created a new space to better serve women. “The Makeup Lab by LOVER is what women have been waiting for. It’s a safe, comfortable place to ask questions about makeup and beauty, and where you can get a new look or update your current look. It’s a quiet place to learn how to apply makeup—simply and naturally, never overdone—using amazing products,” elaborates Rodden.

Rodden has made it clear that makeup does not have to be complicated. “When women book a makeup lesson, it’s the best way to individually learn how to apply makeup simply, naturally, and quickly. I also have the chance to talk to the client in a one-on-one, in-person setting and ask what her specific makeup needs are—what she prefers color-wise and product-wise. Then we at LOVER can cater to a woman’s individual beauty questions and needs,” Rodden explains.

From weddings to photoshoots, whatever your makeup needs are, LOVER Cosmetics can help. They even provide professional dance teams and companies with customized palettes through Dance Glam by LOVER.

“I met Ashley [Rodden] many years ago but just recently have been doing more projects with her. I love her energy on set. Whether working with models or more corporate projects she is a perfect fit,” says photographer Kenny Johnson, a client of LOVER Cosmetics.

“The product itself was amazing and provided a pigmented and elegant look for my bridal photoshoot makeup. As far as Ashley [Rodden], she was so great to work with! She is kind, experienced, and dedicated to LOVER Cosmetics,” says fashion model Sophia Edmunds.

If you are looking for guidance and tips within the world of beauty, look no further.

LOVER Cosmetics • 751 E. 63rd St. Ste. 120 B, Kansas City, MO • 816.695.3469 • lover-cosmetics.com • @shoplovercosmetics

SIMPLYkc Special: When calling or booking a makeup consultation with LOVER Cosmetics, mention this SIMPLYkc article for a gift with your purchase.