Storm Menzies is a shining example of Australian entrepreneurs’ resilience and determination to turn a challenge into an opportunity, and to covert that opp into an innovative, inclusive and successful venture.

Newcastle-based founder of ByStorm Beauty, Storm has dealt with what she describes as mild cerebral palsy on her right-hand side throughout her life, but coped with the condition and found ways to live life to the full until she broke her left hand.

“I went to open a tube of mascara and thought, oh my gosh, how am I going to do this?”, Storm recalls. Upon looking for accessible makeup options, she drew a blank. A conversation she then had with friend who also has cerebral palsy was both a shock and a ‘lightbulb’ moment. “Makeup isn’t made for people like me,” her friend lamented. “No one thinks we’re beautiful, so why would they bother?”

This conversation identified the need for accessible eyebrow pencils, lipsticks, mascaras, nail polishes and all the other products women cherish that are not ‘fiddly’, with the market norm being small and sleek bottles, brushes and applicators. Storm set out to design larger products with more surface area so women with conditions that challenge their dexterity would be able to apply their own makeup.  

Storm taught herself 3D modelling and 3D printing. After testing more than 100 iterations to fit the cylindrical products in the makeup industry, Storm devised a universal adaptive grip that makes mainstream beauty tools easier to open, hold and control without changing the products themselves. This innovative process involves injecting liquid silicon into moulds she designs with her 3D printer.

The Hunter becomes the hunted

The idea was validated at the Hunter Disability Expo, where 400 people joined the waitlist at Storm’s very first stall. “From tinkering with clay from the Charlestown $2 shop to commercial launch in June 2025, the Hunter Valley and Newcastle communities has been the proving ground for a movement that’s now catching national attention,” Storm enthuses.

“ByStorm Beauty offers adaptive makeup tools designed to restore independence and joy to daily routines.,” Storm explains. “Beauty should adapt to you, not the other way around.”

Co-designed with the members of the disability community, Storm’s solutions require no glue, no DIY hacks, and no redesign of the makeup itself.

Accessibility equals affirmation

“This isn’t just about appearance, it’s about confidence, control, and getting your routine back,” Storm says. “Early users report being able to get ready for job interviews without help, go out with friends on their own timeline, and participate in beauty culture that previously felt off-limits.

“When brands don’t see people with disability using products, they assume we’re not a market, when the real issue is the products are inaccessible,” Storm adds.

ByStorm Beauty has intentionally been posited as a third-party accessibility layer for beauty brands.  “I can hold the risk for brands,” Storm explains. “My tools let them dip a toe into accessibility now, while we help them learn and redesign packaging for the future. Many brands are too scared to ‘fail’ in the accessability space, and often find it complicated to redesign their products.”

By collaborating with brands Storm helps them design products in their own colours and branding.

In its first month on the market, ByStorm sold 1,000+ units, supported by a collaboration with Celeste Barber, who not only backed the idea but bought her first 1,000 products and promoted them to her followers – a partnership that Storm says has already “opened up conversations to redesign packaging, websites and EDMs with accessibility in mind”.

Storm’s dedication has seen her being named among the finalists in the Australian Disability Service Awards (ADSA) in the category ‘Most Impactful Assistive Technology Solution’, with the winner to be revealed next month.

“My goal is to make accessibility the standard in beauty,” Storm concludes. “That includes new tools , more brand collaborations, and education so retail staff feel confident serving customers with disability. I don’t want a ‘special’ beauty aisle. I want everyone to use the same trending products because beauty is for everyone.”

• This story was originally published on Inside Small Business.