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Cosmetics entrepreneur opens Victoria shop, sharpens pitch for second stab at Dragons

Salmon Arm resident Missy MacKintosh now boasts two stores, expanded line
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Missy MacKintosh, founder of MisMacK Clean Cosmetics with stores in Salmon Arm and Victoria, is taking another shot at appearing on CBC’s Dragons’ Den. (Photo contributed)

Missy MacKintosh is ready to take another stab at the Dragons after a busy 2021.

In April she opened a store for her MisMacK Clean Cosmetics line in her hometown, Salmon Arm. In November, she opened a second MisMacK store on Broad Street in Victoria.

Before both openings, MacKintosh had plans for her business that involved a possible appearance on the CBC television show Dragons’ Den.

In early February, after submitting a successful application to be on the show, she spoke with producers and later wound up working with one who would help MacKintosh perfect her pitch video.

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With the opening of her two stores, MacKintosh said some people have mistakenly assumed she made it onto the show and was successful in garnering support from one or more of the Dragons. But this wasn’t the case.

“We ended up getting ghosted because my producer left and went to Family Feud,” MacKintosh said, laughing. “So, really funny story. It was all great, they got all the products, they couldn’t wait to pitch us to the executive and then nothing.”

Determined to be on the show, MacKintosh reapplied and has another audition, armed with two new stores and a line that goes beyond cosmetics.

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“I kind of thought, well, maybe I don’t need the Dragons, I can do this all on my own. I want the T-shirt to say that I did it for myself. If I get one, great, if I don’t, it’s totally OK. I will find a way because I always do.”

MisMacK Clean Cosmetics, named for its products billed as ethically sourced, green, Canadian-made, cruelty free, vegan and sustainable, has since reached new loyal fans in California and Maryland in the U.S., as well as Kitchener, Ont.

For her previous pitch, MacKintosh was going to ask the Dragons for support for her MisMacK Makeup Artistry online education program. This time around, she’s looking for support with “branding and expanding,” focusing on e-commerce, fixing the MisMacK website and getting more stock in, “because we’re small batches, so we can elevate and grow and build more stores.”

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