It happened by chance. I own the Kuráž store in Prague’s Letná district, and at the turn of 2019 I handed over the day-to-day management to my talented colleague, Eliška Soukupová. I needed a change of environment and wanted to immerse myself in new activities. I met many inspiring people and expanded my social bubble with new relationships and ideas. The year 2019 was a turning point for me. Everything I learned then became invaluable during the COVID year of 2020, when I started making lipsticks.

I needed the term natural to give people an idea of what to expect from the ingredients. Even more than natural, though, I focus on handcrafted. Words like organic, non-toxic, and similar labels feel too misleading to me, while natural seemed like the least complicated option.

The legislation surrounding claims on packaging, the origin of raw materials, and marketing is a huge topic in itself. I think the easiest approach for customers is simply to use common sense. If they want to dig deeper, Vít Syrový’s book is an excellent resource—it explains virtually every ingredient you might find in cosmetics, allowing you to judge for yourself how natural a product really is, regardless of what the label says.

I’ve also been considering applying for CPK Certified Natural Cosmetics certification. However, it’s expensive—it would increase the product price by roughly 40%—and interestingly, the certification still allows a certain percentage of synthetic ingredients. So I’m still undecided.

I believe my Lipstick Family (my testers and customers) is perfectly capable of checking the ingredient list themselves. 🙂 And if they’re unsure, they simply ask.

I spent about nine months blending and testing them at the same time. These lipsticks were created thanks to collaboration with many amazing women. It took a while before I found the right formula. The entire development process involved questionnaires, improving formulations, consultations, and laboratory testing. My dream team at Kuráž has also been an enormous help.

In simple terms, there are three stages.

The first is preparing the pigments. It’s a bit like mixing paints, except it’s more challenging because you’re mixing them for one specific shade.

Then comes preparing the oils and waxes. Here it’s essential to maintain the right temperatures and cool everything at exactly the right moment.

Finally comes pouring the mixture into molds. From my perspective, this is the hardest part. It took me a very long time to master the technique of transferring the lipstick from the mold into the tube. Countless failed castings and remaking molds were simply part of the process. And honestly, I’m still learning.

I started researching which oils produced here in the Czech Republic are suitable for cosmetics. During that research, I discovered that the Czech Republic—together with Turkey—is something of a poppy seed powerhouse.

I tested oils from several suppliers before finding the right one. It’s raw quality, the most expensive option, and comes from Czech fields. It also has wonderful properties that make the lipsticks incredibly comfortable to wear.

Poppy seed oil – keeps the lips soft and nourished.

Cocoa butter – helps soothe cracked lips and spreads beautifully.

Waxes – create a protective barrier.

Fragrance – the finishing touch that gives the lipstick its character.

The permanent collection includes ten shades. I also release seasonal limited editions, and I’ve recently introduced lip balms.

For about a week now, I’ve also been selling a multi-purpose tint and a hand balm. During the summer I don’t make lipsticks because of the temperatures, so I’m currently testing illuminating and mattifying powders instead.

The lipsticks have been on the market for sixteen months. Considering everything—the pandemic, face masks, and the higher price caused by using mostly local ingredients—I’m incredibly grateful for the support and enthusiasm of the Lipstick Community.

It’s worth mentioning that making lipsticks is my side business, and that was intentional from the beginning. It allows me to spend more time developing and testing products instead of rushing them onto the market before they’re truly ready.

A woman who wears many different hats in life—and simply wants to make her smile shine a little brighter.

Some of my customers have been asking for a long-lasting lipstick. Unfortunately, that’s something my current formulation simply can’t achieve.

That’s why I’m currently developing and testing a synthetic liquid lipstick in which silicones will play the main role.

Long-lasting lipsticks are primarily made from pigments together with the silicones dimethicone and isododecane.

Put simply, these ingredients allow the lipstick to adhere firmly to the lips while remaining water-resistant and smudge-resistant much longer than wax-based formulations. It’s all about durability.

Silicones solve a very specific problem: people want their lipstick to stay on all day. If that’s the priority, these ingredients are the solution. Of course, frequent use may dry out the lips over time.

But imagine a bride who wants her lipstick to last for sixteen hours. In that situation, this type of product makes perfect sense. It’s all about personal choice and how often you use it.

My philosophy is always to choose the lesser evil. You could easily create a product made entirely of synthetic ingredients. Or you can invest the effort to find a better balance. Some formulations contain ingredients similar to those found in nail polish, while others rely on gentler synthetic alternatives. It’s important to remember that both synthetic products and products made mostly from natural ingredients consist of substances that have been tested, approved, and are legally allowed for cosmetic use.

As always, the dose makes the difference. That may sound cliché, but I think people often take good intentions to extremes. The same happens with greenwashing—overstating the benefits of natural ingredients. Personally, I prefer balance.

I’m a strong believer in consuming less and choosing wisely. I don’t judge customers—that’s not my role. Everyone is in a different stage of life with different priorities and possibilities. For example, if you need a product to create a highly durable finish that lasts longer than waxes allow, silicones become the practical solution. Or if you’re trying to mix water and oil—you could keep stirring forever, or you can use a synthetic ingredient that actually makes it work. I listen to my community, and there is genuine demand for a long-lasting lipstick. So for me, it’s a challenge worth exploring.

There are several ways to look at this issue, but I’ll repeat what I said earlier: I believe in choosing the lesser evil—or more accurately, in considering the amount. A manufacturer can either misuse the term or use it honestly. It’s a choice, just like the choices customers make when deciding which products to buy and why. The market is the market—it has its own rules. It’s very similar to the word local.

No. The requirements are exactly the same. Anyone placing cosmetic products on the EU market must comply with the same legislation, regardless of whether the products are natural or synthetic. That includes toxicological assessment, the product safety report, label approval, and registration in the CPNP database, the European database for cosmetic products placed on the market. The biggest difference is simply the cost—both financially and in terms of time. Assuming everything is in order, the approval process alone takes around 90 days. From developing the initial formula to seeing the product on a store shelf, the entire journey can easily take a year. Large companies have budgets for this. Small producers simply have to plan accordingly. That’s the reality.

For now, the only place—both online and in person—is Kuráž. I’ve received offers from other retailers, but my goal isn’t rapid growth. So I’m happy staying with Kuráž.

I discussed the packaging with my group of testers, and the answer was clear: plastic combined with metal. Paper simply isn’t durable enough. After a relatively short time it starts to wear out, and the product no longer looks appealing. There’s also the hygiene aspect. You can easily wipe and clean plastic and metal packaging, but not paper. The same applies to disinfecting tester products in stores. So in the end, plastic and metal were the obvious choice.

My customers, testers, and supporters will answer that for me. After the pandemic, I’ve stopped making rigid long-term business plans about where I want to be. These days I follow a feeling rather than a growth target.

I simply hope that everything connected with the Michala brand continues to be made from quality ingredients, remains something people genuinely want, fulfills my customers‘ needs—and above all, continues to make sense to me.