Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Terrazas.
Hi Taylor, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I never in a million years would have known or believed I’d be making my living off of natural makeup. When I was young, I had a very fraught relationship with makeup. I felt deeply insecure about my appearance and used it to hide myself, which always felt really oppressive. The desire to be able to look at my authentic self in the mirror and find beauty became an important driver and major focus. I stopped wearing makeup entirely for several years and not only noticed those internal shifts happening but also how drastically my skin cleared up once I started to let it breathe and stopped using conventional makeup with terrible ingredients.
In my early 20’s I enrolled in the Wildflower School of Botanical Medicine where I received a certification in clinical Herbalism and got a really great base for how to make tinctures, salves, creams, & lotions. My sister was also living with me at the time and had gotten into wearing very bold lipstick colors. Even though I still felt a disconnect with “beauty”, it was inspiring to see her expressing herself in such a bold way through makeup. I didn’t want to return to chemical-laden products so I began experimenting with making my own. The very first product I ever made was a lipstick that I still sell today called “Brujita”. I wore that lipstick for years, even on my wedding day in 2017.
I’m an artist and musician so creating has always been second nature. I have an obsessive mind and an insatiable drive to make things and love interacting with the world through those creations. I opened my Etsy shop at the end of 2018 on kind of a whim, just to see what would happen. The Brujita lipstick was the product that people got the most excited about and I started to notice that there were a lot of individuals out there with a similar story to mine and a similar complicated relationship with beauty. That was what really inspired me to get in the kitchen and experiment more, ultimately creating the Eye Potions and now all of the offerings you see today.
Through the support and encouragement of my partner, I eventually decided to leave my full-time job with benefits in September of 2020, go all-in on myself, and see how far I could take this.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has been bumpy of course! Everyone talks about how much work having a business is (…and it is), but having a business also reflects yourself back to you in a lot of ways. It amplifies the things you struggle with and that can extend into emotional territory as well.
Learning to be a good boss to myself has been a huge lesson, one that I’m still working on. I’m constantly sifting through internalized beliefs about my self-worth being tied to productivity or that I’m only deserving of rest based on my output. Coming from a Mexican background, a lot of that is cultural as well. Burnout is very real and I’ve had to learn to be vigilant with my needs and with my boundaries. I can only do as much as I can do, and that’s enough.
On the practical side, you also have to wear all hats — CEO, accountant, marketer, designer, photographer, and maker — which means you need a massive skill set or a strong ability to ask for help. There have been moments when I felt like I had failed and that the business was done for, but something always seemed to come through. Since the very beginning, I’ve had such encouraging customers and friends who have supported the business and lifted me up. They are the reason Terra Stoma is still going.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Terra Stoma is a Holistic beauty brand specializing in clean makeup, ritual body care, and botanical medicine — all crafted with heart & intention to support beauty from the inside out. We are best known for our high-performance natural makeup, with bold & unique color offerings that flatter a diverse array of skin tones.
Every single product is hand-made in small batches with great care. Ingredients are Cruelty-free, Vegan, & Organic. All herbal formulas are made using high-quality, fresh, or garden-grown herbs and certified organic cane alcohol.
I call this model Holistic Beauty because it encompasses the person as a whole; incorporating physical & mental well-being and reclaiming “beauty” as the bravest form of self-acceptance and authenticity. This is why offerings range from clean cosmetics to herbal formulas and even Wellness consultations. We are all worthy of feeling safe and seen and have a right to feel good in our bodies. The intention is to cultivate a safe and inclusive platform where people can creatively express themselves with products that won’t cause harm to them or to the Earth.
The name Terra Stoma literally translates to “Earth Gate” and represents the continual exchange we have with each other & the living world around us. It is an invocation for interconnectedness and reciprocity. As an earth-first company, Terra Stoma prioritizes sustainable approaches and implements several environmental programs such as Container Return, Container Reuse, and the Plastic Tax which donates money to organizations making the world a better place. As a founding member of Small Business for Big Change (SBBC), I work alongside other like-minded businesses who want to see a real change in the supply chain and help drive sustainable innovation.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Austin has an incredibly supportive community of makers & creatives. I tend to see more collaboration than competition, with people lifting each other up. The Austin customer base is also very loyal and informed and loves to support unique makers.
What I like least is everything that comes along with a fast-growing city. My family is originally from Austin and my mom grew up on the Eastside, so the change can be jarring at times. It also feels like there is a severe lack of advocation and support on the city’s part to protect its residents. Austin seems to be more concerned with attracting money than with preserving the people and cultures that make Austin special.
Contact Info:
- Email: terrastoma@gmail.com
- Website: www.terrastoma.com
- Instagram: @terrastoma
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/terrastoma
