Owner Profile

As a lifetime resident of Oklahoma City, The MakeUp Bar's owner, Alex Mendez-Kelley, realized that the exclusive lines of cosmetics in her former salon were in very high demand. She realized that many of her clients were having to purchase the stylish cosmetics via mail-in, the Internet or by travelling to Dallas, Chicago or NY to get the cosmetics they wanted.

"Most of the fashion and retail industry tends to overlook Oklahoma as part of its primary retail distribution," notes Kelley. "After explaining that a huge targeted customer base is available in Oklahoma to a number of leading suppliers, some of the top names in the business gave us a chance and it really paid off for them."

Kelley's introduction to the beauty business started at a very young age. She trained under some of the best makeup and skincare experts in Oklahoma City while working at Crème de la Crème, a full service salon and specialty boutique. She soon discovered that customers were requesting her advice and direction, so she decided to start her own business at the age of 21. The small fledgling business was initially located within another local salon, but in a few short years, it was busting at the seams. Kelley needed more space and wanted more control over the salon she had helped make a success.

So, after 12 years in the business, Kelley purchased the salon from the existing owner and quickly took it to the top. Although sales of her cosmetic and beauty products were a secondary focus at the time, demand for the exclusive lines was soaring. She found herself spending much of her time trying to meet customer demands, yet maintain her salon. It was then that Kelley noticed that Oklahoma City was lacking a true beauty outlet and The MakeUp Bar was born.

The MakeUp Bar is definitely a hit and Kelley is at the top of her game. She continues to run The MakeUp Bar and provide personal consultations and services, but these days, you will also find her at speaking engagements for corporations, fashion groups, beauty organizations and more. She is commissioned for photo shoots and weddings throughout the US thanks to her hands-on approach and forward-thinking attitude. Kelley is practicing what she preaches, for as she says, "The object is to have fun with makeup."

Today, Kelley's beauty store vision has become a source for the more than 1 million OKC Metro residents to sample and purchase the lines they are reading about in all of the fashion publications. "Throughout the day, you can find young teenagers sampling the hip products, while at the same time, mothers, grandmothers, and even men are purchasing the lines they can't find anywhere else," says The MakeUp Bar's manager, Tina Rogers. The hard wood floors, clean merchandising and knowledgeable sales staff make shopping at The MakeUp Bar exactly what they claim, An Intoxicating Beauty Experience.