✨ Off the Shelf | Issue No. 2 — Fall 2025
A quarterly legal-ish newsletter built for beauty brands, not lawyers.
Brought to you by Trezanay M. Atkins, founder of tmalaw—your legal team for brand protection, regulatory compliance, and go-to-market confidence.
💡 The Big Idea
Don’t Wait Until You’re Big to Act Like a Brand
Founders wait too long to protect their brand.
They wait until launch.
They wait until they get traction.
They wait until something breaks—or someone sues.
But protecting your brand in beauty isn’t just about filing a trademark.
It’s about building legal structure into everything your business touches—before the risk shows up.
Here’s what that really looks like:
- ✔️ Federal trademark protection to own your name and identity
- ✔️ MoCRA compliance so your products are legally shelf-ready
- ✔️ Formula protection through trade secret strategy, NDAs, and contract controls
- ✔️ FTC-compliant marketing that won’t get flagged for product or ingredient claims
- ✔️ Vendor and manufacturer agreements that protect you, not just your co-packer
- ✔️ Clear documentation with labs, consultants, and influencers so everyone knows their role—and their limits
This is the boring, brilliant execution that builds lasting brands.
💬 The beauty brands that survive aren’t just beautiful—they’re buttoned up.
We’ll be unpacking all of this in the months ahead. But start here:
🧴 If the FDA, FTC, or your co-packer showed up with questions tomorrow… would your brand be ready?
If you’re not sure where you stand? Let’s talk about it.
You don’t have to become a client. You don’t have to book a full consult.
📦 Fresh Off the Shelf
This Trademark Just Got Registered: Nippy Hipperds®
Big shoutout to our client Nippy Hipperds®, a Black woman-owned body care brand that started before the pandemic and is now leveling up for future retail growth. From whipped butters to nourishing formulas, this brand has positioned itself to scale—and now their name is legally locked in.
✨ Soft skin, strong protection.
🧴
Check out their website and follow them!
🎧 Podcast Drop: The [Secret] Formula
What the End of Ami Colé Means for the Rest of Us
Boring, Brilliant Execution Might Be the Real Secret Sauce
When Ami Colé announced it was closing, the beauty world paused. The brand was beautiful, intentional, and deeply resonant—especially for Black women. But as the headlines rolled in, so did the hard questions:
- Are founder-led beauty brands built to last?
- Is the industry still making room for cultural specificity?
- What does it really take to stay on shelf long-term?
In this episode of The Secret Formula, I break down:
- The revenue realities founder-led brands are up against
- Insights from Beauty Independent and Business of Fashion
- Why “boring, brilliant execution” is more powerful than virality
- And how tmalaw partners with founders under $10M to build legal strategy that lasts
💡 You don’t need to fear the headlines—you need a foundation.
📅 Mark Your Calendar
Here’s what’s coming up:
- 🗓️ Founder Events
Business 101 for Emerging Brands
📍 Indianapolis, IN | 🗓️ December 11, 2025
Hosted by the Indiana Black Expo's Black Business Training Institute
Trademarking 101 for Emerging Brands
📍 Indianapolis, IN | 🗓️ December 13, 2025
Hosted by the Indiana Black Expo's Black Business Training Institute🖇️
- Now Accepting Subscription Clients:
We’re currently onboarding beauty brands into our flat-fee subscription plans. If you’re ready to get legal support off your to-do list and onto ours, grab your spot now →
🎁 Coming Soon: Our Legal Giveaway for Beauty Brands
This October, we’re launching a special giveaway for 3–5 emerging beauty brands to receive a high-impact legal service package—at no cost.
📋 The giveaway will include:
- Label & packaging compliance review
- FDA and FTC advertising audits
- Intellectual property & trademark health check
- Bonus: real legal strategy from real attorneys who know your space
💬 If you're a founder doing the work, we want to support your next big step. Keep an eye out for the announcement and application link—dropping soon.
💌 Like What You’ve Read? Stay in the Loop.
You’re building a smart, stunning beauty brand—and we’re here to help you keep it legally strong. Subscribe to Off the Shelf to get legal updates, podcast drops, and brand wins delivered straight to your inbox every quarter.
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