Thunder Bay woman's beauty products heading to the Oscar awards
Thunder Bay's Michelle Hamer showcasing her company's natural beauty products during Academy Awards week
A former Thunder Bay, Ont. resident is hoping her natural beauty products will be a hit in Hollywood.
Michelle Hamer launched Bee23 Natural Beauty while living in Thunder Bay, and has been operating the company from Toronto for the last few years.
But now, she's on the cusp of cracking a major new market — Hamer has been working with a Los Angeles, California -based PR company, and has landed an invite to one of the famous Academy Award gifting suites, giving her a chance to promote her Hotty Balm directly to big-name celebrities.
Trade show setting
"It's almost like a trade show setting," Hamer said. "They invite different celebrities, and they come with their assistants, and you introduce your product."
"Part of why we're going there ... is the brand recognition," Hamer said. "You get your picture with celebrities that are interested in the product, we put it in their bag."
Hamer will be in Los Angeles for one week around the time of this year's Oscars, which take place on Feb. 26.
While Hamer and her team are out west, they'll be making the most of the opportunity, she said.
"We're going to do some really fun guerilla marketing," Hamer said. "We've got to book meetings, and see what other type of events we can get into."
"I do have a few friends down there that are working to see what other possible venues we would be able to do meet and greets at."
To fund the trip, Hamer launched a Go Fund Me campaign on Dec. 20, 2016. The campaign, called Hotty Balm Goes Hollywood, aims to raise $5,000 for the trip and as of January 15, it had brought in nearly half that amount.
"I can't believe I've gotten the support I have," Hamer said. "I'm a little dumbfounded."
"I never realized how much people believed in what I was doing."
For more information, visit gofundme.com/hottybalmgoeshollywood.