Swan River-based cosmetics brand seeks ‘bigger breakthrough’

A makeup and skincare brand led by a newcomer out of the town of Swan River is looking to expand its reach.

Jossy Nelson describes her business, Adaluxe Cosmetics, as a one-stop shop for those interested in the science of beauty — cruelty-free, paraben-free and inspired by her studies in botany and medical product manufacturing.

The full line, which is meant to include products for every step of any skincare and makeup routine, is available online, or at her storefront in a medical clinic in Swan River, a town about 380 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

While Nelson, a 43-year-old who was born in Nigeria and came to Manitoba from Ireland in 2023, has found success locally since calling Swan River home, her next step, she hopes, is widespread expansion.

“The major issue now is kind of pushing the product out there for people to use,” she said. “People that have tried it, they’ve spread it like wildfire — so it’s been going out there. But we really need a bigger breakthrough in the area of distribution.”

The brand is a lifetime in the making for Nelson, who grew up wanting to own her own business, and fell into her niche while working for international beauty brands. She is now studying esthetics at the Canadian Beauty Academy, where she said her products have been brought in for students to try.

The five-hour drive from Swan River to Winnipeg is long — she rents a home in the city while studying, while her husband and two children remain in town — but moving to rural Manitoba, she said, has given her a chance to focus on growing her business.

“We just thought it was a nice place for us to start … connecting with so many people here, the right people, the right organizations and institutions, it’s been working so well for us.”

In Swan River, Nelson is a settlement worker, helping her fellow newcomers adjust into their new community. It’s a chance to help others feel as welcome as she has, Nelson said.

“As a newcomer to this community, it’s been amazing, because it’s been all about people accepting me and accepting my product,” she said. “The journey so far has been so good.”

She’s part of a growing trend of small-business owners taking root in rural and small towns across the country.

Statistics Canada data from 2023 found while rural and small town-based firms accounted for 13 per cent of all businesses, the number had grown nearly six per cent compared to the year prior, and small businesses in rural areas reported having higher average annual revenue than their city-based peers.

In Manitoba, some rural brands have gone particularly far.

A prominent example out of the town of Ste. Anne: the family who owns La Cocina Foods celebrated the company’s 40th anniversary last year.

Originally a local small-batch tortilla chip brand, its chips went national at Wal-Marts across the country last year. The family plans to add a third production line to its factory in 2027.

Swan River Mayor Lance Jacobson said businesses like Nelson’s have been filling up storefronts faster than usual in the community of around 4,500.

“In the last eight months, we’ve seen, off the top of my head, about three or four new small businesses opening in town and these are the ones that have storefronts, but they’re local people,” he said.

There’s been enough action Swan River’s council is currently mulling creating an economic development officer position for the town, Jacobson said.

“That’s somebody who could help to foster more of these small businesses … We have to do something to keep giving that attention and growing that small business,” he said. “Because that’s really important for our community, any community.”

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca