Safe to Sip : Manassas woman fashions face coverings for the new normal

Before the coronavirus pandemic, Andrea Cropp-Arguin of Manassas was looking for a job.

She had been a stay-at-home mom for 19 years, but her four children had gone off to college, and she needed something to keep herself busy.

One day in the spring, she and her husband, Wayne Arguin Jr., were visiting Hillsborough Vineyards in Loudoun County. The owner of the winery complemented the masks Cropp-Arguin and her husband were wearing, which Cropp-Arguin had made herself, and wished that there were masks that people could drink through.

That’s when inspiration struck.

Days later, after some trial and error, Cropp-Arguin created the Safe and Sip Mask. It looks like any other regular face mask, but it has a flap in the front connected by a magnet, and the wearer can lift the flap to reveal a small hole to drink through. Once finished drinking, the wearer can shut the flap with the magnet.

Believing the masks to be “genius,” Cropp-Arguin decided to try to patent the invention.

“It’s a genius invention. The Safe and Sip’s innovative design balances protection and convenience in a single, fashionable face covering for the new normal,” she said.

The same vineyard that inspired the Safe and Sip Masks became Cropp-Arguin’s first business customer. Cropp-Arguin made about 50 masks for the vineyard, which sold out almost immediately, causing another order to be placed.

The business really began to boom, however, when Cropp-Arguin began posting about the masks on her Facebook page, and her daughter created a viral TikTok video about them that has amassed over 750,000 views and resulted in 800 to 900 orders.

“So it just started growing like crazy. It went viral,” Cropp-Arguin said.

Since then, she and her husband have created stores on Etsy and Facebook to sell the masks and have supplied Safe and Sip Masks to multiple businesses and events, including the Lake Ridge Nursery, the Naval Academy Reunion, and WineStyles Wine Bar.

To date, they have made almost 3,000 masks, received about 1,200 orders, and made close to $30,000 in revenue, with masks ranging from $12-$29 apiece. To fulfill the demand for the products, they have even begun hiring workers.

“I have a team of 11, and I’m kinda hiring daily. We’re getting more wineries; we’re getting more storefronts,” Cropp-Arguin said.

The masks have received rave reviews from customers and a shout-out from Dani Sauter, the owner of the award-winning Blonde in the District Blog, who called the masks “her personal favorite.”

“Love my mask!” said a review on Cropp-Arguin’s Etsy shop, “Great craftsmanship, and customer service was great!”

Even with all her success, Cropp-Arguin is planning to expand more. Recently, she sent a trial batch of “Safe and Play” masks, the same as Safe and Sip Masks, to Virginia Tech for use by the band. The masks, although not yet officially purchased and approved by Tech, would allow students to play woodwind instruments while masked.

Now, with ongoing trials for a coronavirus vaccine occurring, Cropp-Arguin is beginning to think about what she might do once there is no longer a need for her masks. She does not currently have any other invention ideas, and sees the Safe and Sip mask’s creation as simply a stroke of luck.

“I mean this just kinda fell in our lap,” Cropp-Arguin said. “I mean this lady said, ‘Can you make a drinking mask?’ And I just said, ‘Yeah, we can try.’”