Today we’d like to introduce you to Dee Hannah. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I launched 21 BlueLash for my daughter in 2020. Our story goes back to 2004 when Isis was diagnosed with Autism. I was completely floored. At 18 months, Isis had an unexpected seizure. Shortly after she came home from the hospital, she regressed in speech and toileting skills. She wouldn’t look me in the eye anymore nor would she indicate when she was hungry/thirsty. I knew something was terribly wrong. I continued taking her to the doctors only to have them tell me she was depressed. 

It would be years before I earned a degree in Clinical Psychology. I had no knowledge or expertise to challenge the doctors’ claims, yet I knew in my heart it was not depression. I kept searching for answers until finally, I asked for a referral to see a specialist. We were referred to the Autism department. I was completely in denial it was Autism for Isis had reached all of her developmental milestones and was a happy, outgoing baby. 

I remember the day she was diagnosed as if it were yesterday. Dr. Nevada Reed saw Isis and gave her a battery of tests before informing me she was indeed Autistic. I broke down and cried. I couldn’t believe it. I had done everything right. I wasn’t a drinker or a smoker. I drank milk consistently throughout my pregnancy and took my vitamins faithfully. How could it be Autism? I didn’t understand how she could go from speaking and smiling and happily playing to suddenly staring at walls and making vocalizations I had never heard of prior to the seizure. 

I went into a deep depression for a year. I mourned the child I thought I had lost. It was as if the child I had bore was gone forever. After a year, I decided to help restore the skills she lost. I enrolled her in speech therapy. I was determined she would speak again. 

Many years later, I returned to college and graduated. Yet, it still wasn’t enough to help Isis. At that time, there were no schools with specific emphasis on children with autism. Isis was denied care by every daycare center. So, I opened my own daycare center so I could address her needs while being gainfully employed. 

Isis still continued to regress. Over the years she had multiple seizures that would seem to wipe out any progress she made in skill building. I clearly remember her loving to play with large, colorful balls. She would say “ball! ball!” However, after experiencing multiple seizures, she would forget how to speak again. 

I didn’t know what to do. I researched the best hospitals hoping to find providers who would help her. Eventually, we moved away from our family and friends closer to a hospital I hoped would assist her. Despite their best efforts, by 2021, Isis would “graduate” from high school as a low functioning–I really do not like utilizing these words to describe her–person living with Autism. 

Instead of being happy she was turning 18, I cried. I cried for the realization she would never go off to college the way I planned when she was a baby, she would never get married and have children, nor would she even go to get ice cream with friends hit me hard. My daughter was incapable of obtaining employment that would sustain her living expenses for she did not possess the cognitive abilities to comprehend job responsibilities most people take for granted. 

I sat and contemplated what I could do to secure her future. I never wanted my child to live in a residential facility and be cared for by strangers. It is my dream and my goal for her to live in her own home in peace for the rest of her life. I began to brainstorm what I was good at and how I could launch my capabilities into making Isis financially stable. I discovered I am very good at doing makeup and making others look and feel absolutely beautiful. I also have a love of psychology and how human behavior affects the world around us. 

Enter 21 BlueLash. I combined my love of makeup with subjects that may be considered taboo or are stigmatized in our society. The first palettes I launched were “Meltdown” and “Self-Injurious Behavior.” In our experience, when Isis has had meltdowns in public, people stared and have not understood. If she hits herself, they display similar behavior. I wanted to tailor the makeup to the unique experiences Isis faced as a young woman living with Autism. I also wanted to stand against the stigma hurled against people with disabilities. 

One could say the behavior is abnormal and should not been witnessed in public. I say, every aspect of Autism, or any disability for that matter, is absolutely beautiful and should be showcased. In designing our makeup, I wanted people with disabilities to embrace every part of who they are. For the logo and artwork covers, I worked with an artist to create two tangible representatives of how we view living with Autism. The twin girls were created by an artist in Sri Lanka and she drew them according to my specifications. 

The twins have no name, race, or ethnicity. However, they are Christian for my faith in Christ is how I’ve been able to stand through the storms my daughter has faced. My faith in Jesus has given me strength in times I was completely worn down and felt hopeless. 

The name and logo represents the “gamble” we are experiencing entering the makeup world. I designed the hand-throwing dice with lashes instead the dots you find on regular dice. I come from humble beginnings and it reminded me of watching my cousins shoot dice in our neighborhood. The teal and blue represent the colors of our birthstones: sapphire and topaz. 

I paid careful attention to every detail. Each of the names and colors of eyeshadow shades were carefully selected. Nothing was overlooked. In 2021, we earned the trademark rights to our business name and logo. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
No, it definitely has not been an easy road. In 2020, I became seriously ill. Locating the right vendors who could provide quality products was difficult. I found some to be reputable and some not. Once I discovered who I’d work with, I had to wait until after midnight to correspond with them. At one point the pain in my body had become so severe, I could not sleep. I remember having to switch back and forth on my sides repeatedly while I spoke with various vendors. For over a year, I was not able to maintain a comfortable position while lying down. Still, I kept at it. I was the only one who could design and develop our products. I was responsible to make payments and arrange for shipping. I am responsible for advertising and marketing the products. 

Advertising and marketing is the biggest hurdle I face. We are a small business. Although our products are beautiful and made of high-quality material, I am not a celebrity. I don’t have the large budget the “big” companies such as Anastasia Beverly Hills or L’Oreal have to market our products. In addition, I’m not 18. The competition is fierce in the market. However, we are unique in the message behind our products. I’ve never seen any makeup company–large or small attempt to showcase the relevance of embracing meltdowns, self-injurious behavior, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or advocating for women’s rights as we have with our latest launch: Amerisogyny. 

I created the concept “Amerisogyny” as the systematic oppression of women’s rights in the United States. I also filed a trademark application to secure the rights to the name before I launched the products. We stand out due to our vigilance in challenging stigma and social injustices. We have excellent products with excellent themes. However, not enough people know about us. Although the subjects we showcase are all-inclusive and affect people around the world, it has been extremely difficult to introduce our unique vision to the world. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about 21 BlueLash?
21 BlueLash specializes in commercializing makeup products that advocate for disabilities while shunning social stigma and injustices. I utilized my education and training in Clinical Psychology to design products that make people feel beautiful and relevant within our society. Whether you’re a 19-year-old or a 49-year-old who suffers from social anxiety, embrace it! If you have obsessive-compulsive disorder, don’t hide it–show it! 

Displaying self-injurious behavior is nothing to be ashamed of nor does it reduce the one’s relevance and beauty. What is labeled as “diagnoses” or “disorders” should be celebrated. People should not be made to feel ashamed of being “abnormal” when in reality abnormal doesn’t exist. Who is to say what is normal and what is not? 

People with “high functioning” Autism have the ability to speak for themselves. I created 21 BlueLash so Isis’s voice could be heard loud and clear. Although she is non-verbal, she has experiences that are important and inspirational. On the cover of our Amerisogyny palette, the girls display “abuse” and “dear Congressman” on their shirts. 

On one occasion, I discovered Isis had been abused and requested the assistance of a congressman to intervene and advocate for Isis. He acquiesced to my plea and as a result, Isis’s rights were fought for. I utilized this experience to fight for women’s rights across our nation. I am very proud we use our brand to advocate for others. I am also very proud our brand stands for the inclusion and acceptance of all people who are shunned and rejected by mainstream society. They have a voice. They have rights. They are relevant. This is what 21 BlueLash stands against Ableism. Above all, this is what sets us apart from other brands. We are radical. We are “in your face” while producing products that have the same level of quality and beauty as the other brands who strictly focus on beauty trends. 

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I define success as ensuring Isis is financially stable for the rest of her life. I do not ask for fame or unlimited fortune. My dream for her is simple. I wish for her to live in her own home for as long as she lives and never has to depend on a state institution to survive. How many of us take for granted we’re able to financially care for ourselves or move in with parents when things get tough. I will not live forever. I saw a story on TikTok where a young man with Autism lived on the streets after his mother died. It absolutely broke my heart. I do not know the young man, yet I feel his mother did everything she could to care for him. It was not her wish for him to be homeless. 

I am fighting hard for my daughter not to have the same fate. Living on her own is a small request, yet it is not free. I am willing to work hard to push 21 BlueLash into the limelight to secure her future–not because I chose this way of life–it is due to having no choice. I wasn’t given a choice of whether or not she’d be Autistic and non-verbal. I do have a choice in doing what any good mother does–give her a peaceful life. I wish for her to have friends. I wish for people to see her radiant, infectious smile and know she was born with a purpose. 

Although I was dismayed by her diagnosis in the beginning, over the years I have come to realize who she is was already determined before I knew her. Every struggle she has faced was not by accident. She has something special to give to the world. Success is knowing Isis for the kind, caring and charismatic individual she is. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.21bluelash.net
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hannahandautumn1209
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@21bluelash?_t=8VlgT4p3dJS&_r=1

Image Credits
21 BlueLash