Our Favorite Small, Female-Owned Businesses to Shop From

by Lauren Rosker

As a majority female ran company ourselves, we at SO SEIZE love our small, female-owned businesses! It is so important to uplift our fellow she-eos especially during such difficult times with Covid around. We compiled a list of our personal favorite female-owned small businesses to give you some inspiration for a few cute small businesses you can support! There are businesses that focus from fashion to skincare with different price ranges so you are bound to find at least one you can support! Otherwise you can also show your support by giving them a follow or reposting their Instagram posts on your story, whatever you feel comfortable with!

 

Hero Cosmetics

@herocosmetics

Hero Cosmetics is a great skincare brand that was formulated for sensitive skin and ensured the use of clean, gentle ingredients. CEO Ju Rhyu created the brand in 2018 when her skin was breaking out from the harsh chemicals in existing products. It began with their product called the “Mighty Patch,” which you may or may not have seen before on social media or in drugstores, which are gentle pimple patches found in South Korea that do not strip or agitate the skin. They now have over 30 products to treat acne, dark spots, rosacea and more and their products range from about $12-$25!

 

Smoon Lingerie

@smoon_lingerie

Smoon Lingerie is brand that creates underwear to be worn during menstrual cycles so that you do not need to use pads or tampons. The owner, Mathilde Houset, created this brand after the birth of her daughter, because she realized that there are clothes for every occasion and weather but no innovations for menstrual cycle-wear since the 1930s. The underwear provides 12 hours of protection without any odors or humidity, it is seemless so that you don’t see the stitching and so that it is more comfortable, and you can reuse them for up to three months. This is a great environmentally friendly alternative to your typical hygiene products. The brand also makes bathing suits and leggings to wear on your period, as well as bralettes! Their products range from 39€-89€ but are definitely worth the investment!

 

The Heather Collective

@theheathercollective

The Heather Collective is a Female-Owned brand that creates genderless jewelry. The she-eo of this business openly expresses her struggle with mental health, especially during the pandemic, when she began making jewelry. She then decided to start selling her jewelry and a portion of her proceeds now are donated to a mental health awareness organization.

Heather on starting her own business: “To anyone wanting to start a business, it’s never too late, you’re never too old, you’re not inexperienced or unskilled. You’re scared, it’s fear and whispers holding you back. Listen to your heart, that’s where your passion is and if you want it and think about it every night and everyday then put fear and failure aside and just go for it! If it doesn’t work out, you still did it, you did all the work, you learned something new and hopefully if all goes well you can live out your passion through your creation.”

The company uses very high quality gold vermeil jewelry so it can be worn in water but will still last a long time. Their prices range from $95-$395.

 

abacaxi

@abacaxinyc

abacaxi was created by a South Asian-American designer who loves to incorporate different bold colors, patterns, textiles, and designs to create beautiful, unique looks. All items are produced with natural fibers in New Delhi or made-to-order in NYC to be more durable and to be better for the environment. abaxaci sells everything from dresses to press on nails, with designs ranging from being very bold to more simple. Prices start at $20 and can go upwards of $500. Definitely check out the beautiful pieces that this business creates!

 

Susan Alexandra

@susan_alexandra

Susan Alexandra is such a cool brand that sells very unique pieces, from bags, to dog collars to plant holders. The she-eo started taking a jewelry and metalwork class one day which then transitioned to metal work with enamel, which people started paying attention to. Eventually, Alexandra quit her day job and decided to devote all of her time to Susan Alexandra. Overtime, the brand gained some popularity and expanded their range of products. Their products are a bit pricey but are definitely unique statement pieces you would keep around forever. Prices range from $45 to upwards of $700.

 

In My Moods

@in.mymoods

In My Moods is a Melbourne/Perth based business owned by influencer @jacquiealexander and her boyfriend. They create very cute sweatsuits, baby tees, trucker hats, tote bags, and more. Their drops typically sell out pretty quickly but they are always coming out with new designs and color ways. Prices range from 30€ to 80€ so their items are more or less affordable!

 

Pink Moon Label

@shop_pink_moon

Pink Moon Label is a UK based brand. The owner, Kase, handmakes all items in her studio and always had the dream of creating a business to sell “quirky and exciting day to day wear.” Pink Moon Label mainly sells corset type tops but also sells prints and will be coming out with more styles like outerwear and jewelry. Their items range from about 5€ to 113€.

 

Et toi

@et_toi_paris

Et toi is a Parisian brand with pieces handmade by artisans. They have beautiful unique pieces that are perfect for people who like to add a little spice to their jewelry while simultaneously not having the jewelry be too flashy or out there. The pieces are also affordable, ranging from 6€ - 119€ and are 18k gold plated over sterling silver so the pieces can be worn in water!

 

We ❤️ small businesses! There are so many more incredible small businesses out there and we would love to know your personal favorites so we can also support some new ones! We hope that you enjoyed discovering these small businesses as we definitely love them and let us know in the comments which one is your favorite!

Gifts to Spoil Yourself With Post-Valentine's Day Madness

by Lauren Rosker

Valentine’s Day can be a great day filled with love from family, friends and partners. You see people posting pictures of their Valentines all over social media or you see the cutely decorated Galentine’s Day parties and dinners. However, I know for many it can be easy to get down in the dumps about this holiday. Regardless of whether you had a Valentine this year or not, you will always be your own number one Valentine, so why not show yourself that! We’ve decided to put together a list of gifts that you can treat yourself with as a reward for surviving the craziness of Valentine’s Day. These gifts range in prices and styles but you are bound to find one that you can treat yourself with.

 

Heart Shaped Coffee Mug

Click on the image to be taken to the product’s website.

The cutest mug you’ll find and the best way to be reminded of your self-love every time you drink a tea or a coffee. You’ll also be supporting a small business by making this purchase!

 

We’re Not Really Strangers: Self-Love Edition

Click on the image to be taken to the product’s website.

You may or may not heard of We’re Not Really Strangers before, but it is essentially a card game that you can play with whoever, regardless of how close you are, to form a deeper connection. They have come out with many expansion packs and separate packs since the original, and the Self-Love Edition is one of them. This one is not an expansion pack, so you do not have to have the original game to get this. This edition has 51 cards to spark self-love and self-reflection and it is to be played alone. This is the perfect gift for you to show yourself that love that you show everyone else and to reconnect with yourself.

 

Madhappy Journal

Click on the image to be taken to the product’s website.

The cutest self-care journal. This journal helps you let out your emotions and work through them with daily prompts. It also works as a tracker to note your progress in different facets of your life, such as physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Since we’re still living through the difficult times of a pandemic, some self-love and mindfulness is crucial. Get this gift to allow yourself to have a space where you can just let out your emotions.

 

Cold Brew Maker

Click on the image to be taken to the product’s website.

Attention all coffee lovers! If you are not a coffee enthusiast, this gift may seem a little random, but if you’re a cold brew lover like me, this is definitely one of the best gifts on this list. This is the easiest way to make cold brew at home, and this cold brew maker creates 1.5 liters of cold brew! Every morning when you reach for your homemade cold brew, you will be eternally grateful that you got yourself this gift. What better way to show love than with a cup of delicious, homemade coffee?!

 

Boy Smells Candle

Click on the image to be taken to the product’s website.

You’ve surely seen these iconic candles plastered all over your feeds, and if you haven’t, here’s your chance to discover them. Boy Smells is a popular company that sells fragrances and candles “for every identity.” They are meant to be gender neutral scents so that regardless of gender, every individual can find the perfect scent for them. When we think of self-care, the first things to come to mind are typically lighting some candles, doing a face-mask, and taking a bath. Here is your fix for the candle part! Not to mention that these candles are incredibly aesthetically pleasing and will double as some cute decor for your room.

 

Engraved Gold Lighter Case - Are You Am I

Click on the image to be taken to the product’s website.

For all of my bougie friends, this gold lighter case is for you. This is a pricier gift for yourself but you are guaranteed to feel like a badass with this lighter case. Since it is a case, you can keep this around for a long time and just switch out the lighters. If you are not a smoker, you can use this for your candles (maybe a Boy Smells candle, wink wink) or you can bring it with you for when your friends need a light. The engravement also adds the cutest personal touch to this gift.

 

“I ❤️ Me” Zip-Up Hoodie - Any Other Time The Label

Click on the image to be taken to the product’s website.

What better way to show self-love than a hoodie that literally says “I ❤️ Me”? This is the cutest zip-up hoodie that you can wear around the house as some cozy loungewear or incorporate into a fabulous outfit. By purchasing this lovely gift for yourself, you’ll also be supporting a woman-owned small business!

 

Red Checkered Blanket - Lonely Ghost

Click on the image to be taken to the product’s website.

Lonely Ghost is another woman-owned small business that focuses on mental health, with slogans like “I love you, say it back” and “Text me when you get home”. This blanket is part of their new home collection and is claimed to be the softest blanket ever. It is also very stylish so it is a great throw blanket to decorate your living room or your bedroom. This is a perfect gift for yourself to snuggle up and watch your favorite feel-good movie.

 

Humanrace - Skincare Routine Pack

Click on the image to be taken to the product’s website.

Humanrace is Pharell Williams’ skincare brand that is made with simple and clean ingredients. These products are not targeted towards any specific gender and can be used by anyone and everyone. Taking care of your skin is so important and this simple three-step routine can help you out with that. This is a great gift to treat yourself and your skin.

 

Gifts from Shop Canna Style

Click on the image to be taken to the product’s website.

For my stoner friends: this online store will make all of your dreams come true. Shop Canna Style creates the absolute cutest smoking accessories and often come out with new themed drops. They recently released a Valentine’s Day drop which has accessories with hearts and roses on them. Otherwise they have items with themes like Kawaii, hippie, celestial, retro, mushroom and more. Gifting yourself one of these accessories will guarantee to make your sesh better and leave you loving yourself for getting it.

 

Flowers!

Image credit: Pinterest

If you’re not looking to order anything online, you can go to your nearest florist and get yourself a bouquet! Then you can look at this bouquet for (probably) around a week and it will fill your days with happiness. My personal favorite is to buy different flowers and put together my own bouquet at home because it allows for me to put my personal touch on it and be proud of the beauty I created!

 

Chocolates

Image source: Godiva

Another classic…chocolates! Head over to your nearest grocery or convenience store and pick up a tasty box of chocolates. Treating yourself to a nice box of chocolates is a great way to practice self-care. You can then cuddle up and watch your favorite TV show while munching on them.

 

That concludes our post-Valentine’s Day madness gift guide! We hope you have found at least one of these gift ideas to treat yourself with or at least a little bit of inspiration on how to show yourself love! Let us know in the comments below whether you’ve decided to get yourself any of these gifts!

2020’s Skincare Most Raved About (Sometimes Small Business) Beauty Brands: Everything from Affordability to Sustainability.

By Lexis Jackson

During these last few months of dealing with the weather changing and mask acne, I cannot be the only one whose skin is freaking out! I spend so much time scrolling through influencers' Instagram’s, Tiktok’s, and skincare blogs, trying to find what products will fix me. We all know that taking care of our skin is an investment and something that will never go out of style. With that being said, it seems that skincare trends are constantly being updated, and new products coming along. 

So how do we start, and how do we separate a good product from its marketing? I have compiled a list of the most talked-about brands this year and more information about who the company is, their sustainability approach, and top-rated products. This list, including the most talked-about brands small businesses that are breaking through the scene, and black-owned skincare that you can invest in this winter. 

Buying beauty and skincare items are always a process that requires trial and error. No products fit everyone, and that is why there are so many out there. While I cannot guarantee you the best product for your skin, I will do my best to put these brands' most loved products. Always do extra research to make sure whatever product you look for works with your kind of skin! 

 

2020 Raves: 

First Aid Beauty

The mission of First Aid Beauty is to maximize skin health through efficacious, sensitive, skin-friendly, problem-solving products that are also enjoyable to use and made with clean products. 

Doing some research on this brand, in 2019, Refinery29 did a piece about this skincare and sampled and reviewed every single product. While a pretty lengthy article, her conclusion was… "just about every cleanser, moisturizer, mask, eye cream, and serum I tried, I came to just about the same impossible conclusion: It's really good. (Also, why doesn't this cost more?) … Overall, my month and a half of testing nearly 35 products proved overwhelmingly positive."

First Aid Beauty is cruelty-free. They do not test on animals during the production or sell any products where animal testing could be required by law.

 

Most popular products:

·   Facial Radiance Pads 4.7/5 stars

·   Ultra Repair Lip Therapy 4.4/ 5 stars

·   Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer 4.8/5 stars

·   First Aid Beauty 5-in-1 Face Cream SPF30 4.6/5 stars

Krave beauty

Krave beauty's mission sticks to the fact that less is more and uses the hashtag #PressReset to tell their clients to change the way they look at their skincare. Created by Liah Yoo, an influencer who worked in the Korean beauty industry, she reaches over 1.5 million people with her platform promising to achieve healthier and clearer skin with her unconventional tips. While most companies overwhelm you with many options, she believes that all we really need is a few key products and is very determined to help her consumers finding themselves through this liberating journey.

All KraveBeauty products are vegan-friendly, cruelty-free, and formulated without fragrance, essential oil, colorant, and potential allergic sensitizers.

Most popular products:

·   Great Barrier Relief 4.3/5 stars

·   Beet the Sun 4.4/ 5 stars

·   Kale-lalu-yaha 4.8/ 5 stars

Skin Ceuticals 

Skin Ceuticals is a skincare brand with a dedicated purpose to improve skin health backed by science. Created from skin cancer research, this brand found breakthroughs in their antioxidants; with their high potency formulas, the brand has developed proven formulas to penetrate 'optimally' into the skin. This clinical skincare is also used by dermatologists, plastic surgeons, spas, and home-care. While on the pricier side, its clinical formulas are dedicated to getting the most troubled skin looking fresh. This brand specifically targets to correct signs of aging, protect healthy skin, and prevent future damage.

*ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT IMPACT:

'SkinCeuticals is committed to improving its impact on the environment in all aspects of development. Through optimization efforts, we continue to reduce our use of shipping cartons and corrugate material. In 2016, we modernized our fulfillment center to use wind turbines to measurably improve our carbon neutrality.' Skin Ceuticals Website

Most popular products:

·   SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic 4.5/5 stars

·   SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF 4.6/5 stars

·   SkinCeuticals Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier 4.6/5 stars

·   SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 4.7/5 stars Best Beauty Buys: Instyle 2020

The Inkey List 

This Brand is buzzing. Loved by influencers and talked about by beauty editors across the board, The INKEY List wants to simplify the most known trending products to help you make the right decisions about your skin. They have a platform askINKEY where you can ask questions at any time to professionals. You can also take the Recipe Builder quiz on their website to create a customized skin routine based on your troubled areas. They also aim to keep prices affordable without compromising their ingredients.

*The Inkey List is Cruelty-free! None of The Inkey List's ingredients, formulations, or finished products are tested on animals, anywhere in the world. Most of the products are vegan and don't contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products. However, not all of The Inkey List products are vegan. 

Most popular products:

·   The INKEY List Squalane Face Oil 4.5/5 stars

·   The INKEY List Retinol Serum 4.5/5 stars

·   The INKEY List 15% Vitamin C and EGF Brightening Serum 4.4/5 stars

·   The INKEY Salicylic Acid Acne + Pore Cleanser 4.5/5 stars

Banila Co

Founded in 2006, this company aims to help makeup lovers fully realize all their dreams. They believe that beautiful skin is the first step to creating a perfect face, and you don't have to sacrifice skin for your makeup obsession. As a leader of K-beauty, they continue to set beauty trends through easy-to-use advanced formulas. Banila Co's most popular product Clean It Zero cleansing cream is so effective and popular that it is purchased every 3.1 seconds by beauty experts worldwide. The company's bottom line points out that your bare skin will look better with these products, makeup looks smoother, and it will last longer.

 

Banila Co is not technically cruelty-free because they manufacture in Korea but sell in China. Throughout our development process, we do not test any ingredients on animals. Due to restrictions finished goods manufactured outside of China must be tested to sell there* Hallyuhouse 

Most popular products:

·   Clean It Zero 5/5 stars

·   Clean It Zero Foam Cleanser 4.4/5 stars

·   Dear hydration toner 4.7/5 stars

 

Paulas choice 

This Seattle company was founded in 1995 by Paula Begoun. Whether it is the ingredients in the product or the non-ingredients in the ingredients (all ingredients do not contain dyes, fragrances, phthalates, etc.), the ingredients are the brand's real core. In fact, the brand's website even provides a useful ingredient dictionary. Products with their cult-like followers can meet the needs of almost all skin types.

Paula's Choice is cruelty-free. This brand has confirmed that it is truly cruelty-free. They don't test finished products or ingredients on animals, and neither do their suppliers or any third-parties. They also don't sell their products where animal testing is required by law* Cruelty-free kitty

Most popular products:

·   Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant 4.2/ 5 stars

·   Paula's Choice RESIST Advanced Smoothing Treatment 10% AHA 4.1/5

·   Paula's Choice Smoothing Primer Serum SPF 30 4.0/ 5 stars

Small business: 

It is more important than ever during this time to support small businesses, below I will give you a list of a couple of small business beauty brands that have made a name for their brands all on their own.

Soko Glam

Charlotte Cho and her husband founded this Korean skincare brand. Based in New York City, the Soko Glam team regularly travels to Seoul to educate and re-vamp their products. Soko Glam is famous for popularizing the "Ten-Step Korean Skin Care Program" in the West and other regions. It has featured major publications such as The New York Times, Vogue, Allure, and Into The Gloss. There is no time like now to jump into the 10-step skincare routine to improve your skin.

 Soko Glam is Cruelty-Free. They do not test on animals during the production or sell any products where animal testing could be required by law.

 

Most popular products:

Missha's Time Revolution Artemisia Treatment Essence 4.0/5 stars

Neogen's Real Ferment Micro Essence 4.4/5 stars

Good (Skin) Days C's The Day Serum 4.0/5 stars

Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm: Winner of the Allure Best of Beauty

Captain Blankship

 Founded by Jana Blankenship, the brand supports small farms, putting the earth first, and is completely free of parabens, synthetic preservatives, and other harmful toxins. Captain Blankenship's main goal is to create organic beauty products that directly link with nature. Using ‘cold-pressed organic plant oils, flowers, seaweeds, sea salt, and organic essential oils bring us back to the primacy of experience with the land and sea.’

Most popular products:

Sailor Deep Blue Face Moisturizer 5.0/5 stars

Golden Waves Sea Salt Shimmer Spray 5./5 stars: Bazaars Editors Choice: Beauty 150 Winner

Sailor Sea Splash Cleanser 5.0/5 stars

French Girl Organics

This all-natural collection originally started as a range of products found on founder Kristeen's Etsy shop and can now be found on anthropology shelves and beauty editors lists. Since day one Kristeen has been committed to creating conscious free products through 'organic, sustainable ingredients, ethical business practices, and a cruelty-free supply chain.' Since the beginning of the brand, they have been big proponents of water-free formulas and only use botanical extracts, herbs, and flower distillates in their ingredients. This great brand influence comes from the founders' life-long love of nature, French heritage, and lifestyle' to create an experience of guilt-free indulgence! 

 

Most popular products: 5/5 star reviews on site

Lumière Body Glow Oil - Jasmin

Rose Sea Polish - Smoothing Treatment

Rose Lip Polish

Fleur De Rose - Rose Facial Polish

 

Also check out: Greenbeauty Market

Founded by previous professional beauty industry workers Robbie ter Haak and Geertje van Bavel, the launch of Greenbeauty Market aims to disrupt the beauty industry in a new way. Green beauty Market is your one-stop-shop for all your vegan, natural, and organic beauty products! Highlighting the best indie brands who are passionate about clean beauty because we know it's the future. 

 

Black-owned businesses 

Kaike

Founded by Keli Smith in 2015 the brand Kaike (pronounced cake) is a plant-based skincare brand promising to make dull skin a thing of the past. This brand aims to create minimal and multi-purpose products to solve a range of skin issues specific to melanin-rich skin. Using the #pieceofkaike to celebrate their delicious simple recipes. As reviewed by Elle, Byrdie, Refinery 29, Forbes, and Readers Digest. 

 

Most popular items: 5/5 star reviews on site

Sugar Scrub

Frosting 

Melt oil facial cleanser 

 

Shani Darden Skincare

Professional cosmetologist Shani Darden is regarded as the secret of Hollywood's most perfect face and stands out with her result-oriented skincare method. Her passion for simple, effective solutions has won her clients' trust and respect, including Emily Ratajkowski, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Chrissy Teigen. Although on the more expensive side this product gets raving reviews and awards. 

 

Here are the most popular items:

Cleansing Serum: 4.8/5 stars: Winner of Women’s Health&Beauty Awards 2019

Sake Toning Essence: 4.6/5 stars

Weightless Oil-Free Moisturizer 4.7/5 stars: Editor’s Bazaar choice award

Retinol Reform: 4.8/5 stars Celeb Fav and multiple award winner

 

Hanahana Beauty

Hanahana Beauty by Abbena Boamah Is an All-Natural Skincare Brand whose Mission is to Empower Women of Color. Abena Boamah grew up in Ghana using ultra-moisturizing raw shea butter on her skin. She states on her website 'As a child, my mother would heat shea butter and cloves and add them to her own body butter concoctions for our family to use. If you had a muscle pull, "use nkuto" was the answer (nkuto is the Twi name for shea butter). Your head hurts? "Rub nkuto." Dry skin? "Use nkuto"—it was the go-to in our household.' This leads her down the road to create her own skincare brand with the best and raw ingredients that come straight from Ghana. The best-selling shea Body Butter, available in five natural scents and is a must-have staple this winter!

 

Must-have!

Shea body butter

Mary Louise Cosmetics

 23-year-old Akilah Releford has gained big attention with her skincare brand Mary Louise Cosmetics. This natural and vegan skincare brand is getting people very excited…because it actually works wonders. In 2016 Releford begun sharing skin tips on social media and instantly gained a huge following. She connected to young women who were frustrated about ineffective, unnatural products and not vegan free. She took her community request and created amazing skincare products that are effective and affordable.

The first product born from this brand and one of their best sellers is the Mississippi Mud Mask. Another must-have from this brand is the Miracle Serum that has received raving reviews online.

Beneath Your Mask

With an amazing and inspiring story, Dana Jackson's brand Beneath Your Mask is definitely one to hear. After overcoming a struggling battle with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, she was determined to come out even stronger on the other side. To find products that would help repair the skin damage caused by lupus and chemotherapy, she decided to create her own skincare products. There were far too many products on the market that she found contained harsh chemicals, synthetic fragrances, and harmful toxins. She realized her immune system would have to work double to detoxify. So while fighting this battle, 'Beneath You Mask' came to light. The name of the Brand comes from her willingness to take off her mask, tell her story, and create a brand from an incredible story with clean ingredients, morals, and lessons she has learned. 

Most popular products: 

·   Illuminate Clarifying Face Mask 5.0/5 stars

·   Indulge Total Body Elixir 4.9/5 stars

·   Nourish Skin & Hair Serum 5.0/5 stars 

·   Polish Detoxifying Body Scrub 5.0/5 stars

 

 

 

 

 

From Beauty Icons to Business Moguls

By Kathleen Sharp

Gone are the days of beauty gatekeepers like Chanel and Dior in department stores or Maybelline and L’Oréal in drugstores. Skincare and beauty, it seems, can (and are) being launched by any celebrity and beauty influencer with an engaged fanbase. In fact, many of today’s biggest stars who have in the past starred in traditional beauty and fashion campaigns (the Kardashian-Jenners, Hailey Bieber, Serena Williams) are now launching their own lines and filing trademarks for beauty brands. Why? The beauty market is exploding with growth and projected to continue to grow annually by 4.4% for the next few years. The growing collection of celebrities and influencers hope to cash in on a get-richer-quick trend best modeled by pop culture icons-turned-beauty moguls Kylie Jenner and Rihanna.

Kylie models for Kylie Cosmetics. Image Credit: Instagram /@kyliecosmetics

Both women had their net worths boom after launching their lines and becoming successful businesswomen. Rihanna, whose beauty line “Fenty” is an LVMH brand, has an estimated net worth of $600 million—which is the highest net worth of any female musician and despite not having released an album since 2016. Kylie Jenner is a classic rags-to… erm, well, riches-to-more-riches tale being named by Forbes the world’s youngest self-made billionaire after selling half her company Kylie Cosmetics to beauty multinational Coty Inc. in 2019.

Recently Hailey Bieber, tennis superstar Serena Williams, and Gwen Stefani have all recently filed for beauty trademarks, and Cardi B has announced plans for a beauty line, showing that career background doesn’t matter much, as long as you have a large enough platform to start from. It makes sense that celebrities and beauty influencers would use their already huge platforms to promote new entrepreneurial endeavors. Their existing network of followers on social media means they have direct access to loyal fan bases—and thereby potential customers. These figures then become the both literal face of their brands, and in consumers’ minds, the brands often become synonymous with the same values and personalities of their celeb founders.

For a natural look, actress Millie Bobby Brown applies a light coat of mascara. Image Credit: Instagram /@florencebymills

For a natural look, actress Millie Bobby Brown applies a light coat of mascara. Image Credit: Instagram /@florencebymills

For instance, young fans of Millie Bobby Brown might go for the more natural, understated makeup looks worn by the 16-year-old actress and sold by her makeup brand florence by mills. Selena Gomez fans love the message behind her brand Rare Beauty which champions individuality and loving oneself because they know Gomez has long been a proponent of self-love per 2011 pop banger. “Who says you're not beautiful,” anyone?

While it certainly helps, you don’t have to be an A-list or internationally known celebrity with tens of millions of Instagram followers to launch a successful brand. Instagrammer and influencer Negin Mirsalehi began her own hair brand called Gisou Hair. The brand uses beeswax (propolis) as a fortifier, an idea she thought of because of her family’s history of beekeeping. Self-funded through Miraselhi’s earnings as an influencer, Gisou brought in nearly $3 million in sales last year.

Promotional photo for an Osée Beauté hair serum. Image credit: Instagram /@oseebeaute

Promotional photo for an Osée Beauté hair serum. Image credit: Instagram /@oseebeaute

Recently announced, Osée Beauté, founded by French fashion blogger, television presenter and actress Caroline Receveur is a hair care brand already receiving lots of attention from Receveur’s fans. Her tosselled, wavy hair is part of her signature look, and after two years of work and product development, Osée Beauté’s Instagram already has over 100 thousand followers, undoubtedly ready to snatch the new products up!

Beauty and wellness bloggers Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Gores Ireland launched their own skincare company called Summer Fridays which is now carried at Sephora, Mecca, Selfridges, and Cult Beauty. This cruelty-free, vegan brand quickly grew a cult-like following for their lightweight serums and masks.

There are many other perfect examples of influencers and celebrities’ successful forays into the beauty product business, and we can only expect this trend to grow as influencers turn to product selling as a more steady form of revenue.

Do you have any other favorite celeb or influencer beauty products? Let us know in the comments.✨