The Vault Member Spotlight: Taylor McPherson
Taylor McPherson is an entrepreneur and creator of The Sustainable Sparkle Bar. Taylor is also an influencer and dating coach.
Taylor gave us insight on what prompted her to create her brand. She tells us, “I have always loved glitter, and I’ve always known I would work for myself. In 2016 I went to Coachella for the first time, there I saw so many other people covered in glitter and sparkles, right on my vibe. I knew I was at home. After that I started wearing sparkles in my hair and makeup everywhere I went. A year later I took all of my sparkles to a jewelry store on the beach in Asbury Park, New Jersey. The store was Miss Ellie’s Mermaid Haberdashery, and on the 4th of July I set up shop and started sparkling people. On that day, I made the same amount of money that I would have made in a week at my part time job and I knew I was on to something.”
"Over the next six months I continued to pop up in different places and work on growing The Sparkle Bar. In the beginning of 2018 I started applying to music festivals. That spring I was selected for the BottleRock Music Festival in Napa Valley. At the same time, I got hired by SUR Restaurant in West Hollywood to pop up for PRIDE. That opportunity got me featured on Bravo TV’s Vanderpump Rules. And after that I continued to make my way through the LA restaurant and event scene. I continued adding other major music festivals and corporate sponsorships to my resume. I worked with Malibu Rum, Ketel One Botanical, T-Mobile, Perrier and many more large brands at music festivals like Stagecoach and Austin City Limits.”
Some of the products created by The Sustainable Sparkle Bar include Swarovski Crystal encrusted faux mink eyelashes, biodegradable glitter, face gems, glitter tattoos, sparkle kits and assorted other sparkly accessories. Taylor says, "My products are unique because they’re eco-friendly and sustainable. They are created by a Black woman. And my creative eye and aesthetic allow my designs to be completely unique from anyone else. The way I handcraft and place the stone on my Crystal Lashes sets them apart from any other brand.” Taylor also went on to express what she loves most about her job and her company as a whole, “I love working for myself. I also love making people happy. It’s people's reactions to getting sparkled that is always my favorite part.”
We asked Taylor for her tips on balancing career, relationships and social life, and here’s the insight she gave us, “My career comes first. But fortunately I have built a business that operates very much around my social life. The Sparkle Bar pops up at trendy events and music festivals. Places I would likely be at anyway, but now I have the honor of getting paid to be there.”
Taylor talked about overcoming adversity during the pandemic: “These past two years of the pandemic have been a huge hurdle. Talk about adversity. I have an events based business that specializes in music festivals. This is the main activity that has taken the longest time to come back post-Covid. We’ve gone two years without a Coachella Music Festival, without a Bonnaroo. Two of my largest events and money makers for the year. I’m still working through all of that, but I am surviving. I am blessed and honored to get opportunities like this one, where I can share my story and get my name out there. Exposure and word of mouth referrals are invaluable to a business like mine. For that, I thank Modern Wife for selecting me for this feature.” As life eases back into normalcy we hope Taylor can come back to her festival roots and we wish her business the best! You can keep up with everything sparkly on Instagram: @SparkleQueenLA and www.sustainablesparklebar.com.
