Don’t use the term ‘makeover’ around Buttercup Beauty Bar owner Maryann Power. Even though she owns the city’s premiere destination for cosmetics lovers, she’s not into making over the city’s unsuspecting beauty-challenged.

“It implies I have to fix you, that you’re doing something wrong,” says Power of the commonly used term. “Definitely some women could use some advice on how to pick better colours and have a little more finesse in their application, but it should be fun. It’s all about what fits into your comfort level, your lifestyle. If you are in good hands and you’ve got really great product to choose from, then you should be able to relax.”

This is what Power set out to accomplish when she set up shop on the fashionable boutique row of Academy Road, opening her doors for business in October of 2005 and carrying such elite brands as Lip Fusion, Jaqua and Kevyn Aucoin. With soft pink walls, true halogen lighting, art deco chandeliers and built-in application stations offering tissues, disposable brushes and makeup remover, this beauty bar is a girly playground for product lovers.

When she signed the lease, Buttercup’s location was right in the middle of two of the area’s most established businesses, which meant she would be tapping the long-standing clientele who frequented the area. Power was first introduced to the boutique shopping area while she attended nearby St. Mary’s Academy. A self-proclaimed makeup junkie, she has always loved the variety of products and practiced applying them on herself and friends.

“I didn’t really wear a lot of makeup,” recalls Power, who still favours a more natural look. “I just liked collecting it, being able to find different colours and textures and getting my hands into it.”

But it wasn’t a potential career path that exactly pleased her mother, who didn’t really see a future in the cosmetics industry. Power understood her concern. “Back then unless you became a personal makeup artist to a celebrity there probably wasn’t much that you could do with it.”

It was while dabbling in a variety of educational and career pursuits that never quite filled Power with passion that she began spending time between semesters working in New York City. In 1997, Power’s world changed when she and her mother were shopping in Manhattan.

“That’s when I discovered Sephora,” says Power, of the ubiquitous American beauty product store. “We were in the concourse and we turned a corner and there was this store – I had never seen anything like it, there was makeup everywhere! It was like a mirage in the desert! And that was it. I thought, this is what I want – I want to live in a makeup store!”

It took time for the idea to come to fruition, and most of that time saw Power camped out at the Osborne Village Second Cup reading business how-to books. But she kept at it and took the time to develop a plan, find a space and start building stock.

“The cosmetics industry is one of the most solid segments of consumer purchasing” says Power, who always believed in her concept. “It’s recession proof. Bread, milk, eggs, mascara. You might buy cheaper mascara but you’re still going to get mascara!” And with Winnipeg’s more forgiving cost of living, she was able to go forward with less cost and less competition than she would have faced in other urban centres.

“I’ve been fortunate, Winnipeg’s been wonderful to me and I’m very thankful,” she says. “Make a few dumb decisions in Toronto and you’ll be out of business in six months.”

Having learned from her experiences visiting the makeup counters, it wasn’t just about the brands or the variety but about creating an accessible environment for women. “What I really wanted was to have the store be everything I always thought a makeup counter should be. It’s a fluffy industry, we’re not curing cancer, we’re selling lip gloss. But it really does have some value. If you can make a woman feel better about herself, you never know how much or how little that might mean to someone.”

The biggest learning curve has been the transition from makeup lover to cosmetics industry businesswoman, and all that goes along with it. Finding good staff proved to be invaluable, and Power’s primary desire is strong makeup-artistry. Applying for a job at Buttercup involves the daunting task of applying Power’s own makeup.

“When you find people who really know what they’re doing, you know as soon as they pick up the brush,” she says.

With four employees and a budding roster of freelance makeup artists, Power has capitalized on creating branches for her business that include bridal and private makeup applications, and is looking at adding esthetics to her services. This has all meant a great build-up of business for a store that is really still in its infancy, with room for growth and improvement.

“Retail is changing a lot in Winnipeg,” says Power. “Winnipeggers are becoming much savvier. They’re more exposed, they’re traveling more and they want what they see in other cities at home.” And it’s just what Buttercup is doing, keeping savvy Winnipeg women looking beautiful.

Beauty Bag

The new year is a time to refresh and revitalize, so don’t forget to include updates to your beauty routine. Maryann Power of Buttercup Beauty Bar gives some advice on products you can add to your makeup bag for an instant update this year.

Nude lip liner
Having a liner is really important because it’s going to hold the colour on. There’s a much better selection of nudes in lipliners and women are now learning that rather than just drawing an outline, you fill in the entire lip. It will last longer and it will wear really easily.

Blotting tissues
If you’re going to be touching up your foundation during the day, the first thing you want to do is remove the oil. If your nose gets shiny, you don’t want to keep applying more powder because then you end up with paste. You need to remove the oil without disturbing the makeup and blotting tissues are essential for that.

Black eyeliner
A great simple trick for evening is to add black eyeliner to the eye makup you applied that morning. If you put on black eyeliner and smudge it a little bit, it’s like instant drama and kind of sexy. It’s pulled together and polished and made up without having to redo everything.

Convertible colour
It’s multipurpose. You can use it as a blush, put it on your lips or retouch your entire face for a quick, monochromatic look. And it’s something you can apply quickly in the bathroom with just your fingertips, without having to carry a full set of brushes. It’s great for faking a fresh new look with minimal effort.