She's a makeup pro with her own cosmetics line, but this young Milwaukee woman also helps kids get formal and business wear

Like most teens, Jakayla Bridges spent hours in front of a mirror, perfecting her makeup techniques.

And what started out as a hobby six years ago would lead the Milwaukee native to start a nonprofit to help teens get ready for prom and eventually launch her own cosmetics brand years later.

Bridges learned the ins and outs of contouring, applying eyeshadow and blending while working at Ulta Beauty and often posting how-to videos on YouTube. Soon, she became the go-to person for doing makeup for high school students getting ready for prom.

But it was while working at Vincent High School on the northwest side in 2022 that Bridges heard a familiar story:

A student lamented she couldn’t afford to go to prom.

That mirrored Bridges' own experience. Family and financial troubles left her struggling to get the clothes and accessories she needed for prom.

“My prom experience wasn't the best experience for me,” Bridges, 23, said. “I remember just feeling like I needed help, and I didn't know who to go to.”

Bridges managed to find a dress at David’s Bridal. But the experience left her deflated, even though she was chosen prom queen and had fun with her friends.

“It was something that didn't really leave my mind for a while," she said. "It kind of trumped the happiness that was there."

Bridges didn’t want the student to miss out on her prom. So she started looking for prom dresses at Goodwill and making calls to find one. A teacher she reached out to at the school eventually gave the student a black one-shoulder knee-length cocktail dress.

Helping one person led Jakayla Bridges to start a nonprofit to help others

Inspired by the effort, Bridges founded Keeping the Khemistry last year.

The nonprofit collects new and gently worn formal wear and distributes it to teens who otherwise couldn’t afford them. The attire ranges from long evening gowns to cocktail dresses that are loaned out to students at no cost.

Bridges wanted to be a resource for other teens struggling to buy the necessities for their big event.

“I know how special I wanted to feel on prom ...,” she said. “So that has pushed me to step up and try to be that person and help people wherever I can when it comes to clothing and resources.”

The nonprofit does more than collect formal wear from proms. She also collects business attire like suits and ties to provide students with clothes for job interviews, graduation or senior photos. The clothes are inventoried by size, color and style. 

She loans them out based on the student's needs. If a student needs an item like dress pants for work on a regular basis, the student can keep it at no cost. All the items are professionally cleaned so they can be borrowed again. Her nonprofit targets youth ages 14-21.

Most of her clients come through word of mouth or social media.

Getting decent clothes can be a struggle for students growing up in challenging environments. Bridges said she was bullied for the clothes she wore. Helping students find clothing was one way she said she could help the next generation.

“My main thing was realizing what did I struggle with in high school that I could help teens with right now,” she said. “My biggest thing was clothing. I was someone who did not have clothing resources in high school. Like, I was continuously wearing the same thing.”

Bridges has collected more than 20 dresses, outfitting a similar number of students. She admits getting stylish attire students like is hard, especially plus-size formal wear. A lot of high schoolers like a certain style that’s revealing, with a lot of lace.

But Bridges has been amazed at the donations and support she’s received from the community.

“It was really nice to know that people cared about what I was doing,” she said.

Jakayla Bridges put her skill in chemistry to good use with her cosmetics line

The other part of Bridges' business venture came from her love of science, which oddly enough is the basis of her nonprofit’s name. In high school, her favorite subject was chemistry.

“I've always been a very big science person,” said Bridges, who studied geology when she attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for two years.

As a makeup artist, her science acumen paid off when she decided to launch a line of skincare products — Khemistry Kosmetic & Skin — last year. Her products include lip oils or lip gloss, body oils and an exfoliating body scrub — all made from natural and organic oils.

Lip gloss is Bridges' go-to cosmetic item, but sometimes glosses can be sticky and heavy. She wanted to formulate cosmetic products that are healthy without added fillers like silicone and other chemicals.

"There's no reason that this should be on someone's skin," she said. "There has to be more to makeup because a lot of this stuff is seeping into our skin so it should be a lot healthier than what it is.”

Bridges began making lip gloss using natural oils like sweet almond oil, kukui nut oil, coconut oil, juniper oil and sandalwood oil. She mixed these essential oils to evoke moods like calm.

She has created five types of lip oils, including Chlorine, a clear lightweight lip gloss, and Oxidized, a subtle bronze-colored lip oil.

“You can instantly feel the difference when the lip gloss touches your lips because of the oils that are in them,” she said.

For more information on upcoming formal wear drives or how to donate follow Bridges on Instagram at @keepingthekhemistry or email her at keepingthekhemistry22@gmail.com. If in need of formal wear or professional attire call or text (414)-213-3715.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee woman is a makeup pro with cosmetics line who helps kids too