Meet Stephanie Nicole Smith | Founder of Prism Botanics & Professional Makeup Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephanie Nicole Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie Nicole, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Years ago I developed a bit of an obsession with health and wellness and connected with the idea that beauty radiates from the inside out. A persons lifestyle can really been seen on their face and body. Over time, as I dialed in the best routines for my internal health, I saw the positive changes in my complexion. Topical products were always the icing on the cake – transforming good skin into great skin.

As a professional makeup artist, it was hard to not imagine having my own line of skincare that encompassed my philosophies. I wanted to create a line that was organic, botanical based and fused with powerful antioxidants and acids that really can help take ones complexion to it’s optimal state. That is how Prism Botanics was born.

What should our readers know about your business?
Between flights and photo shoots as a professional makeup artist, I have spent a decade attending to the skincare needs of celebrity clients and friends alike. I love to make people look and feel good, and so much of how we interact with the world starts with our skin. Ensuring its resilience and preserving its luminosity has been my focused pursuit whether I was working fashion shoots in New York or film shoots in Los Angeles. After years of experimenting with so many products, and seeking out that elusive line that could provide extraordinary results without extraordinary effort, I decided to create my own. Prism Botanics was born of my deep desire to develop breathable, flexible, products that generate incandescence in natural ways.

Combining practical, science-based research with pure, distilled ingredients, Prism Botanics does the heavy lifting of shielding your skin from environmental damage while delivering anti-aging formulas that simultaneously refine texture, tighten pores, and erase fine lines. This streamlined approach to great skincare combines high-impact healing botanicals with lightweight absorption to nourish and protect your skin. Our products are made with organic botanical ingredients, natural antioxidants, and exfoliating acids. From the ink printed on our boxes to the plant ingredients inside – everything about Prism is carefully selected, cruelty-free, and produced right here in the United States with a conscientious, low carbon footprint.

This was not an easy journey. Upon inception of the idea I spent two plus years developing the product line inside and out. My biggest challenge was coming towards the end of the development stage and the pandemic beginning. This delayed the release of my product for about a year. Despite feeling discouraged, knowing that so many other people’s lives were severely complicated in ways that were far more impactful than my own journey helped put things into perspective. I never gave up my dream and exercised patience and a little bit of ingenuity to finish seeing this project through. As my income came to a dead stop I spent countless hours looking for the right business loan to help me push me across the finish line. It wasn’t how I wanted to approach this project but, it was the only way forward. It was a lesson in using all available resources – and also a test to see how much I believed in my own product. Would this line be successful? Will I be in debt for years to come? You have to throw all of your chips in – take great risks for great reward.

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?
Los Angeles – what a beautiful city. I love when good friends and family visit because I get to live vicariously through their experience. I remember what it felt like to move here – almost 20 years ago. Simply walking down the street and catching the scent of jasmine and eucalyptus fills me with the nostalgia of the first few years of my journey in this city. I’ve been so lucky to experience all corners of this city through my work. My absolute favorite places to visit and revisit in the city are the Huntington Gardens, LACMA Museum, Will Rogers State Beach, hiking from Fern Dell to the Griffith Observatory, hiking Eaton Canyon and Switzer Falls and my favorite – a new years day hike to Inspiration Point in the Altadena neighborhood. I suppose I find myself escaping mostly to gardens and hiking areas more often than not! It’s hard to resist the natural beauty that is weaved in and also surrounds this sprawling city.

In terms of restaurants, Los Angeles has made some huge strides in the culinary scene in the last couple of decades. I am not sure it was really known for it’s food until somewhat recently. My favorite places to eat in the city are Gigi’s in West Hollywood, Crossroads Kitchen, Millie’s for brunch, Larchmont Cheese and Wine for the best sandwiches, Gracias Madre, El Condor, Marugame Moto, and for the best taco truck in the city – Angel’s Tijuana Tacos in Eagle Rock. I’m not much of a bar person but, I do enjoy the warm atmosphere at Bar Flores in Echo Park and the hollywood classic Dresden Bar in Los Feliz.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have been lucky to be surrounded by so many hard working artists and entrepreneurs and call them friends. I believe my social environment helped inform my continued confidence and belief in myself to steadfastly go after my goals – personally and professionally. If you’re a friend – and reading this – you can count yourself among this group. It’s important to surround yourself with people who expand and inspire your world and support you one hundred percent of the time.

Website: https://prismbotanics.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prismbotanics

Other: https://www.instagram.com/stephanienicolesmith/

Image Credits
First image – Photo, Tess Comrie Product Images Second Page uploads – Photo, Brad Lansill