Whether it’s discovering more Black-owned fashion brands, exploring different Asian-owned brands for your everyday essentials or opting for women-owned beauty brands, supporting businesses owned by those part of historically marginalized communities is one of the easiest ways to champion these communities and the individuals who comprise them. Plus, it’s a great way to discover fantastic products.
That’s why we’ve rounded up our favorite female-founded beauty brands, all of which you can explore and support below. We also heard from the founders and CEOs on how their identities as women have impacted or influenced their success — from prioritizing a community of support and empathy to redefining standards of beauty that are inextricably linked to white supremacy and patriarchal ideals.
Kulfi
Great eyeliner pencils are hard to come by, which is why we keep singing Kulfi’s praises. The brand’s kajal eyeliners are super creamy, long-wearing, pigmented and perfect for achieving that on-trend blended cat-eye. While the black and brown shades are must-have makeup bag staples, the other colors (the blue in particular) are winners and perfect for more experimental, creative looks.
“As a South Asian woman, I didn’t see myself in the beauty industry I worked in: in beauty media or tastemaking or executive teams at beauty companies,” says founder Priyanka Ganjoo. “I didn’t feel beautiful growing up because I didn’t see myself in beauty magazines that pushed a Eurocentric beauty standard.” These experiences, combined with a lack of makeup products that worked with different skin tones and undertones, led Ganjoo to start Kulfi.
“We are celebrating and centering South Asian beauty and culture,” Ganjoo says. She explains how the brand’s launch was around a message of defining beauty through one’s own gaze as a challenge to “the patriarchal lens that has been imposed on women and gender-expansive people of color.”
Whether you like smoked out liner or a precise flick, Kulfi's creamy pencil can help you achieve it. The liner glides on and blends out effortlessly, but doesn't budge once it sets. This is a makeup bag essential for anyone that uses eyeliner regularly.
This new brow gel comes with a dual-sided brush and comb, in addition to the spoolie applicator, so you can shape and set your brows exactly how you want them. The waxy gel is flexible and easy to use, allowing you to create a fluffed-up, feathered brow or a slick, laminated look.
Glossier
Perhaps the buzziest beauty brand around, Glossier was founded by Emily Weiss in 2014, and it continues to be one of the most powerful beauty brands out there. Catapulting the your-skin-but-better movement that’s still around today, Glossier’s strengths lie in hero products like Balm Dotcom, Cloud Paint, Boy Brow and editor-favorite perfume Glossier You.
“I’m incredibly proud that?people?and?community?are the heart of Glossier and that truly starts internally with?the incredible team?we have working behind the scenes,” Weiss tells us. “We have an entirely-women leadership team, which is rare even in the beauty industry. The amount of thoughtfulness and intention that the team brings to every product launch and every big moment continues to leave me in awe. And of course, this resonates externally:?Our customers?are passionate about the products and experiences we create. We’re delighted to meet them in person at our stores, grateful for the feedback they share online, and are always eager to listen to their thoughts and continue to surprise and delight them with incredible customer experiences.”
This year, Glossier dropped five bronzer shades in its fan-favorite Cloud Paint formula. The light-as-air pigment is perfect for giving a wash of color, and we even recommend mixing your preferred bronze shade with your favorite Cloud Paint blush color for a natural, sun-kissed flush.
Boy Brow is a longstanding editor-favorite brow product. It's available in seven shades, and we love how it fluffs up the brows and can make even unruly brow hairs behave.
Warm, inviting and uniquely "you," Glossier's signature skin scent perfume boasts an enchanting blend of pink pepper, iris, ambrox and ambrette seeds that smells different on each individual.
Bloomeffects
“Bloomeffects was born out of equal parts love story and scientific breakthrough,” says founder Kim van Haaster. She recalls launching her brand the same year she was pregnant with her daughter, and seeing the world and her brand through a new lens — one that had her questioning what kind of world she wanted to create for her daughter.
Today, people around the world love Bloomeffects’ award-winning beauty products for how clean, sustainable and effective they are. And personally, we think the Tulip Tint Lip & Cheek Balm is everything you need for those naturally flushed, glowing-from-within, no-makeup makeup days.
“From a product standpoint, many of our products were actually developed out of necessity during my pregnancy — like our Tulip Nectar Skin Repair Body Balm,” says van Haaster. “As a woman, it was even more important during that time to create safe products that really worked and were enjoyable to use.”
As van Haaster mentioned, this oil-rich balm restores dry skin all over the body and is made with natural ingredients that cocoon and condition the skin.
For a flush of color on the lips or cheeks, this multi-purpose product will give you just enough of a pop for a no-makeup makeup effect.
Danessa Myricks Beauty
Known for her creative, colorful and radiant looks, Danessa Myricks took her chops as a professional makeup artist to start her eponymous brand, Danessa Myricks Beauty. Focused on multipurpose products that work for everyone, her brand epitomizes versatility and accessibility.
A key example of this? The brand’s award-winning Colorfix Eye, Cheek & Lip Cream Pigment, which can be used as an eye shadow, lip color and blush — all while being waterproof and long-wearing. It’s the perfect product if you’re looking to slim down your beauty routine or rock a dewy monochrome look, which is totally in style right now.
The Blurring Balm Powder boasts a truly innovative formula that melts into the skin like a balm but sets in a matte finish like a powder. It's become one of our all-time favorite complexion products.
This high-performing pigment has color payoff that can't be beat. It comes in matte and metallic finishes and a total of 35 shades for an infinite number of looks.
Filled with essential neutrals, this multi-use palette features each shade in two formulas so you can blend and sculpt like a pro makeup artist.
Dieux
Since its launch in 2020, Dieux has become a trusted brand among skin care fanatics, thanks to its trio of female founders. With seasoned cosmetic chemist Joyce de Lemos as head of product, brand builder Charlotte Palermino as CEO and creative entrepreneur Marta Freedman as creative director, the co-founders built Dieux on the foundation of creating products that are “religious about results.” Accountability is big for the brand, as the ingredients are responsibly sourced, packaging is as sustainable as possible and each product comes with price transparency.
The first launch was a set of reusable silicone eye patches, which quickly went viral and became a status symbol for in-the-know beauty folk. Since then, Dieux has launched a solid lineup of gentle, skin-barrier-supporting formulas that are a great foundation for a simplified skin care routine.
The best moisturizer for sensitive skin that we've tested, Instant Angel is a ceramide-rich formula that keeps the skin barrier happy and healthy.
Another trusty moisturizer to keep in your rotation, this lightweight option is best for oily or acne-prone skin. We like to use this one during the day and Instant Angel at night.
One of the pioneers of the reusable eye mask movement, Dieux's silicone patches can be used with any eye cream, face serum or moisturizer safe for the eye area, helping the product absorb better by holding it close to the skin.
Touchland
Hand sanitizer has become an unavoidable part of our daily lives, which is why Touchland is one of our favorite self-care discoveries. It’s hand sanitizer that doesn’t just keep your hands clean — it helps them stay soft, comfortable and smelling oh-so-good. The packaging is intuitive and chic, the micro-mist makes application a dream and, overall, Touchland just makes applying hand sanitizer a joy, which is truly priceless.
“Like many women leaders, tapping into my emotional intelligence has been instrumental in Touchland’s success to date,” says Andrea Lisbona, CEO and founder of Touchland. “While I am someone who has strong values and is aggressive — and someone who considers herself fearless — I am at the same time compassionate and nurturing.” This idea of meeting her team members where they are and taking into account their feelings (both in the day-to-day operations and as part of Touchland’s bigger shared vision) has been key to the brand’s success.
Thanks to Touchland, gone are the days of nose-stinging hand sanitizer. Instead, the signature Power Mist comes in 14 refreshing scents — including Mango Passion, Vanilla Blossom and Pure Lavender — plus unscented.
To accompany your new favorite hand sanitizer, grab a case that you can attach to your keychain or lanyard. It'll keep your Power Mist safe and stylish, as the case comes in eight color options to coordinate with the spray.
APTO Skincare
Marta Cros launched Apto Skincare in 2016 in an effort to show that clean skin care doesn’t have to be complicated, pricey or inaccessible. The line features uncomplicated hero products like turmeric mist, turmeric oil and pomegranate moisturizer, with prices between just $5 and $20 — making it ideal for busy moms. You can check it out over at Target, Walmart and Grove Collaborative. “I don’t believe things like clean beauty or organic produce should be available just for a lucky few,” Cros says. “Democratizing access to ‘good things’ has always been close to my heart.”
Safe for acne-prone skin, this is one of our favorite face oils. It's made with anti-inflammatory turmeric, soothing rosemary and a blend of omega-rich plant oils.
Infused with niacinamide, these shimmer drops add a healthy glow to the complexion while providing skin care benefits.
Sahajan
An Underscored-editor favorite, Sahajan is bringing scientifically proven Indian traditions and trusted ingredients into the beauty mainstream. Back in 2015, founder Lisa Mattam and a team of scientists collaborated with leading Ayurvedic doctors in Kerala —?India’s home for Ayurvedic study and Mattam’s family home —?to develop the line.?That authenticity shows in the brand’s products, with some of our personal favorites including the Lip Karma lip balm (which works wonders on chapped lips), Nourish face cream, Radiance Face Serum and Brightening Mask, which is packed with turmeric, hemp seed oil and AHAs to help reveal instantly brighter skin upon just one use.
This balm balances hydration and shine, providing a layer of hydration with castor oil, rapeseed oil and argan oil. It's available in four conditioning flavors; our favorite is vanilla.
Made with Ayurvedic ingredients, this brightening mask gently exfoliates for a refreshed complexion. It features anti-inflammatory turmeric, calming hemp seed oil and a blend of fruit acids for a naturally derived treatment.
Ayurvedic triphala, gotu kola and coconut oil nourish the skin, while providing anti-aging benefits like reducing fine lines and wrinkles and maintaining hydration.
Hero Cosmetics
For those of us with sensitive skin, introducing new products can be stressful, even when their aim is to help. That’s why we love Hero Cosmetics and its gentle, shockingly affordable skin care products that repair your skin by working with it as opposed to against it. The brand is best known for its Mighty Patch line of products, commonly referred to as pimple patches, that pull the icky out of your spots overnight so you can wake up blemish-free, without any popping or squeezing.
“The beauty and personal care industry is full of amazing women, and it is a great honor to have founded a brand where 72% of the team identifies as female,” says founder Ju Rhyu. “Women have a lot of strengths, such as intuition, listening and communication skills and empathy — these are things that I try to put into practice but also mark as important in the Hero culture. … Being female-led has had a lot to do with not only our financial success but also our strong culture.”
The Mighty Patch are some of our favorite pimple patches. The hydrocolloid stickers help blemishes disappear overnight, without any harsh ingredients.
For when you give into temptation and pop a pimple, Rescue Balm is here to help. The treatment relieves irritated skin, helping it heal with beta glucan, oligopeptides and panthenol.
Briogeo
Briogeo was born from the need for hair products that could work for every hair type. Founder Nancy Twine realized that there was an opportunity to impact the natural beauty world with clean, plant-based hair care that wouldn’t just work with, but enhance, all different hair types. Fast forward, and Briogeo is a cult-fave brand known for its range of products that work for just about anyone — our personal fave is the Don’t Despair, Repair! Collection, which is oh-so-nourishing and truly revives dry and damaged hair.
“Like many entrepreneurs, I’ve faced obstacles and setbacks, but I never let the disappointments get in the way of me ultimately chasing my goals and achieving success with Briogeo,” says Twine. “Any dream is possible with hard work, discipline and the right mindset.”
Twine also credits fellow beauty founder friends, noting that success is never found alone. “We test and promote each other’s products while also sharing business perspectives and celebrating each other’s wins. People falsely assume that you need to be competitive in the beauty industry in order to survive, but every brand has its own unique story and products, and there is room for everyone here.”
Heat protectant is an essential step if you are using hot tools on your hair. This cream is one of our favorites as it helps tame frizz and and enhance shine with nourishing oils including argan, rosehip and coconut.
Great for damaged locks, this hair mask brings strength back to the strands with clean ingredients and a proprietary NOVA Complex that fortifies and protects the hair.
Chillhouse
Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton founded Chillhouse in 2017 as a destination in New York City for all things self-care — think manis and pedis, facials and massages. Today, its flagship location in SoHo is thriving, and the brand has expanded and now offers a full suite of products you can enjoy anywhere in the world.
The brand’s Chill Tips — reusable, press-on nails — are some of our favorite press-on nails on the market. The designs are chic yet unique, and the application is intuitive yet super durable; we once had a set that lasted a whole month.
We love the low-effort, high reward of a press-on manicure. Chillhouse makes some of the cutest press-ons out there, and we're especially smitten about these pastel checkerboard tips.
In between press-ons or gel manis, it's important to care for your nail beds. This two-piece set includes a crystal nail file and a nail serum to help strengthen your nails.
Lilac St.
False lashes used to look theatrical and over-the-top, but now we’re seeing a softer side to falsies thanks to brands like Lilac St. “Elsewhere in the lash market I saw commoditized, plastic-y products that looked fake and felt heavy and scratchy, and I wanted to offer an alternative with the wearer and her needs, wants and comfort as our primary focus,” says Alicia Zeng, the founder of Lilac St.
The brand’s false lashes allow the wearer to create custom looks as each of the styles come in multiple lengths (8 mm to 18 mm) and you can mix and match the clusters as desired. The long-wearing adhesive also means you can fake a lash extension, wearing the falsies for days.
“Lilac St. was founded based on my personal relationship to beauty products — I’ve always been enamored by how delightful, expressive and infinitely creative makeup and beauty can be, and I wanted to build a brand centered on that individuality and artistry,” Zeng says.
Lilac St.'s false lashes are some of the most natural-looking falsies we've tried. The cluster format is easier to apply than a traditional lash band, and the adhesive is waterproof and long-lasting so you can even wear them overnight. The Starter Kit includes three different lengths of the Originals, lash glue, lash applicator and a finishing Crystal Coat.
We found the Pro Lash Glue to be the best option for applying false lashes. The wand applicator allows you to apply it to your natural lashes like mascara, and then you fuse the falsies to the underside of them with the tweezer-like applicator. Once bonded together, the lashes can last for days.
Ranavat
“Ranavat is inspired by rich cultural traditions that have been forged and perfected by generations of women over thousands of years,” says founder Michelle Ranavat. The brand’s super-luxe skin and hair care products are all about the best ingredients and high efficacy. All the formulas are made in India using naturally sourced ingredients, each of which has been strategically picked and methodically extracted.
“Building a beauty brand that’s rooted in Ayurvedic practices makes me feel even more connected to my own heritage, and specifically to all the powerful women in my life,” says Ranavat. One of our favorite products from the brand is its Brightening Saffron Serum, an all-in-one serum that works for both your morning and nighttime skin routine. It’s lightweight yet nourishing, and helps with brightness while addressing other skin concerns like hyperpigmentation.
This oil serum features turmeric, saffron and licorice root to brighten and nourish. It has transformative results for those with dark spots and hyperpigmentation, thanks to its thoughtful blend of natural ingredients.
This face cream fights signs of aging with bakuchi seed (an antimicrobial herb), lotus flower, ashwagandha and triphala. It softens fine lines and wrinkles, while hydrating and balancing the skin.
LYS Beauty
At just over a year old, LYS Beauty is already making waves as the first Black-owned clean cosmetics brand sold at Sephora. A makeup artist turned beauty business maven, founder Tisha Thompson is proving that you don’t need to sacrifice anything to reap the benefits of clean beauty products. She’s also filling a much-needed space in the clean beauty market for women of color in particular, who have yet to be able to access clean products that have been created for a diverse range of skin tones and undertones and that target concerns more common for women of color.
“Being a Black woman has shaped my life’s experiences, and therefore my perspective, so I really lean into that to inform how I want people to feel when interacting with this brand across different touch points,” says Thompson. “It’s important that they feel seen, heard, celebrated, represented and respected here.”
Thompson describes how the goal of LYS Beauty is to help people uncover their inner confidence — the confidence that’s often needed to exist and thrive as a woman. “I cling to my personal experiences as well as those of my family, friends, team and customers to determine the best steps for this brand — from product innovation to selecting the brands we collaborate with.”
This velvety lip liner comes in seven beautiful shades to enhance the lips. Wear it under lipstick for a classic look or layer it with lip gloss for a plumping effect.
Eadem
Eadem is a skin care brand by and for women of color — and it’s why co-founders Alice Lin Glover and Marie Kouadio Amouzame invented Smart Melanin Beauty. A technology and process that considers the skin care needs of people of color first and foremost, Smart Melanin Beauty is “made by women of color chemists, vetted by women of color dermatologists and tested on skin of different shades.” This means that the brand’s products have no lightening or bleaching agents, are all pregnancy- and nursing-safe and surpass FDA requirements. One product that fans swear by is the brand’s Milk Marvel Dark Spot Serum, which is formulated specifically to fade dark spots and prevent new ones from forming on skin of color.
“As women, we’re so frequently spoken to through language that says we’re not enough — skinny enough, pretty enough, young enough, desirable enough. As women of color, we feel that tenfold because we typically don’t fit (and can never meet) Western standards of beauty,” says Glover.
“We founded our company on the belief that women of color not only are enough, but that they’re beautiful as they exist now. Everything we do — from campaign castings to product formulations that don’t bleach skin tones to commissioning essays by women of color — reinforces and perpetuates that idea so celebrating women of color as they exist becomes the new normal.”
The brand's newest launch, this exfoliating toner helps brighten and even the complexion with gentle exfoliants and calming colloidal oatmeal.
Tarte
The beloved beauty brand has been around for over two decades, and shows no signs of slowing down. “Tarte grew out of my love for makeup,” says founder and CEO Maureen Kelly, “and my identity as a woman has informed so much of my journey.”
Whether it’s the brand’s award-winning Shape Tape concealer or its 4-in-1 mascara (one of our holy grail products), Tarte has a super-wide range of products — there’s truly something for everyone.
Kelly explains that as a woman who has personally experienced and witnessed the power and benefits of financial independence, she wanted to make sure other women could experience those same benefits. Through programs like Tarte’s $150,000 Small Business Awards Program, Big Ego Girl’s Scholarship Fund and Heart to Tarte grants, Kelly is doing just that. “I am proud to be a woman,” she says, “and I am proud to have founded and continue to lead a successful business that celebrates and empowers all aspects of women every day.”
This ultra-slick lip balm gives a gloss-like finish while treating the lips with vitamin-C-rich maracuja oil, conditioning grapeseed oil and collagen-supporting goji.
This creamy concealer is a viral hit, with over 30,000 5-star ratings on Ulta. It doesn't settle into fine lines and creases, yet seamlessly hides under-eye circles and can camouflage blemishes in a breeze.
Providing all-day lift and curl, this smudge-proof mascara is worth the hype. It creates thicker, fuller lashes and has earned devotees that have been using it for years.
Juvia’s Place
If you’re looking for the most affordable, high-quality eye shadows we’ve ever come across, look no further. Founded by Chichi Eburu, Juvia’s Place was born from a need for makeup that complemented her deep skin tone. The result is beautifully pigmented, rich and often brightly colored makeup that is flattering to all skin tones, but deeper skin tones in particular.
Juvia’s Place has long held a coveted spot in our makeup bag because of how great the brand’s eye shadow palettes are, specifically, the Nubian Eyeshadow Palette, a warm-toned dream where every single shade is a winner.
We love the flexibility of a blush duo. This palette includes two powder blushes that you can strategically layer and blend or use on their own. We even like swiping it on as eyeshadow for a monochrome look.
Freck Beauty
If you love the simultaneously bold yet minimal makeup favored by Gen Z, we’re here to introduce you to your new favorite makeup brand. Born from the idea of creating a cosmetic product that would replicate natural-looking freckles, today Freck Beauty offers a whole suite of clean beauty products that are also a ton of fun.
“As a cis-identifying woman, who admittedly appears younger, it’s tough to be taken seriously as a founder, business owner and champion of all voices,” says Freck founder and CEO Remi Brixton. “I am grateful for the other trailblazing badass women, and other marginalized community leaders, for making space for me and others to build businesses. It’s that foundation that has led to building Freck Beauty to have a strong voice and an undeniable attitude that champions all — that I’m so proud of.”
Freck made faking freckles cool with this product. The OG Freckle Pen creates natural-looking faux freckles and is now available in two shades.
This top-rated liquid liner combines jet black pigment with a peptide-infused lash serum. We love a double-duty product.
Beautyblender
If you know anything about beauty, you know about the original Beautyblender makeup sponge — a tool that changed makeup application for makeup amateurs and professionals worldwide. And its success, particularly among professional MUAs, should be no surprise given founder Rea Ann Silva’s background as a Hollywood makeup artist.
Since its launch, the brand has expanded beyond its namesake product to a whole line of complexion products — one of our favorites being the Bounce Always On Radiant Skin Tint.
Our reigning champ for the title of best makeup sponge, the Beautyblender holds its reputation among makeup artists and beauty editors as an invaluable beauty tool.
A lightweight skin tint that has a gorgeous radiant, buildable finish, this is the perfect type of product to apply with a damp makeup sponge, which makes total sense for the brand.
Tower 28
After years of dealing with clinical-feeling beauty products due to sensitive skin and eczema, founder Amy Liu left her job as a beauty executive to create the brand she wasn’t finding anywhere else. “As a mom of three, I know that it truly takes a village, and building a business is no different,” says Liu. “Being a first-time founder is a lot like being a first-time mom. You have so much fear and doubt and you care so much but don’t really know if you’re doing a great job. Gratefully, I have found community and support in my friendships with other founders.”
Nontoxic, non-irritating, vegan and cruelty-free, Tower 28 is quickly becoming our go-to brand for beauty everyday essentials. From its ShineOn Lip Jelly to the BeachPlease Luminous Tinted Balm, Tower 28 absolutely nails chic products that are also just good for you and your skin. One of our holy grail products is the brand’s SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray, which is a dream for soothing red or irritated skin.
“I’m so lucky to be surrounded by a team of the smartest, most creative women I know,” says Liu. “All of whom are integral to Tower 28’s success.”
One of our favorite tinted moisturizers, this noncomedogenic, buildable formula features broad-spectrum mineral sun protection. It's a makeup-artist-approved option for sensitive skin too.
You'll want to stock up on more than one shade of the ShineOn Lip Jelly. It feels juicy and light on the lips, while providing an ultra-shiny finish.
We love this calming face mist, especially when we can feel a breakout coming on. The simple three-ingredient formula helps soothe and calm irritation with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial hypochlorous acid.
Tatcha
A longtime favorite of ours, Tatcha is one of the most popular skin care brands for good reason. The products are clean yet effective, gentle on all skin types and such a joy to use. Founder Vicky Tsai started Tatcha after traveling to Japan in search of a more holistic approach to beauty that could help ease her acute dermatitis. The rituals and ingredients she learned about are the inspiration for many of the ingredients and formulas used in Tatcha products today.
“As a woman, a mother and a businesswoman, it’s always been important to me that Tatcha uplifts all women,” says Tsai. “I feel honored every day that I get to be part of a company that cares for women, develops women leaders and funds girls’ education around the world through our Beautiful Faces, Beautiful Futures education fund.” She also notes that as a mother, the opportunity to impact the lives of girls is immeasurable, and that through this work, we can “show the world that beauty is much more than just skin deep.”
Available in four versions — Classic, Deep, Gentle and Calming — this powder face wash uses Japanese rice bran to exfoliate and cleanse the skin. Just add water to activate it and transform it into a foamy, creamy face wash.
Tatcha's new cleanser gives a deep clean to pores with Japanese kyo-matcha and naturally derived alternatives to beta hydroxy acids. Namely, willow bark extract and coix seed have a clarifying effect that helps decongest pores and balance the skin.
Supergoop
Supergoop founder ??Holly Thaggard started her brand nearly 15 years ago, at a time where daily sunscreen use wasn’t a common thing. Her goal with Supergoop was twofold: changing the way people thought about sunscreen (not just a thick, gloopy lotion you wear exclusively at the beach) and helping people reduce their risk of skin cancer by wearing sunscreen regularly.
Supergoop’s revolutionary products were some of the first that opened our eyes to the fact that sunscreen can be lightweight, makeup-friendly and not a pain to apply. A couple winners include its Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 and Superscreen Daily Moisturizer SPF 40, though we have yet to try anything from the brand we don’t love. Plus, all Supergoop’s products are reef-friendly, cruelty-free and made with clean ingredients.
Unseen Sunscreen is one of our favorite truly invisible sunscreens. It has a silky gel texture that dries matte and wears nicely under makeup
This product really leaves skin glowing. It's recommended to use it as a face primer, and even with makeup on top, its sheer, pearlescent finish gives a lit-from-within glow.
This hybrid SPF combines chemical and mineral sunscreen filters to protect the skin. The new formula acts as a skin tint, allowing you to minimize the steps in your makeup routine.
Bur Bur
Founded by childhood friends Anna Dzhilavyan and Ksenia Zaytseva, Bur Bur is a beauty brand with heritage at its heart. “As two lifelong friends, we founded Bur Bur as a heartfelt homage to our shared heritage and the secret recipe of our grandmother,” says Zaytseva. “It feels like giving her traditions and spirit a new life.”
The collection centers around the burdock plant, a hero ingredient that Kaytseva calls a magical herb. According to the co-founder, it has been used for generations to promote hair growth and wellness. Harnessing plant power, Bur Bur’s hair oil and face oil combine burdock with other botanicals like nettle leaf extract, rosehip oil, marula oil and more.
"Born out of a need for genuinely clean hair care in the market, Bur Bur products work for all hair types while addressing unique hair needs," Zaytseva says. The signature product is this pre-shampoo treatment that helps strengthen and condition the hair and scalp.
Infused with nettle, vitamin C, marula oil, sea buckthorn and more, this nourishing face oil also has brightening and restoring benefits thanks to its cocktail of natural ingredients.
Glow Recipe
This adorable Korean beauty-inspired skin care brand was founded by Christine Chang and Sarah Lee, who met while working together at L’Oréal. They realized that their shared bicultural, bilingual background and passion and knowledge of Korean beauty could only mean one thing: that they should be the ones introducing it to an American audience. While Glow Recipe first started as an e-retailer for various Korean brands, the brand as we know it today launched in 2017.
Glow Recipe’s products utilize proven active ingredients from different superfruits to create skin care products that truly do keep your skin glowing. Whether it’s the cult-fave sleeping mask that launched the brand into the mainstream or its nourishing hyaluronic serum with plum-derived ingredients, you can’t go wrong with any of the skin care goodies, and they’re even safe (and coveted) for teen skin care routines.
This light, jelly-like toner is a refreshing first skin care step after cleansing the face. It contains cloudberry concentrate, coenzyme Q10, glycerin and rice water for an antioxidant-packed complexion booster.
A fan-favorite, the Glow Drops smooth and plump the skin. We love wearing them under makeup for a flawless base,. Plus, Glow Recipe dropped a tinted version for an extra level of enhancement.
Dae
Dae’s dreamy, totally gorgeous products have been impossible to miss on social media. The clean hair care brand was founded by Amber Fillerup Clark, who describes Dae as “a very warm and kind brand that is inclusive and approachable to everyone” — traits she says she hopes to embody herself.
The brand is Arizona-based, which is?also where Fillerup Clark calls home. In fact, many of the products in Dae’s products are inspired by Arizona,?from its orange blossom scents to its use of nourishing ingredients derived from desert botanicals like prickly pear and cactus.
We think this multitasking treatment is wonderful for applying before heat styling or using as a curl cream. Plus, it smells delicious — always a huge plus when it comes to hair care!
With a thicker consistency, a little of this hair oil goes a long way. We love the instant shine and softness it delivers.
Kosas
If the thought of makeup that actually improves your skin sounds appealing, we’re happy to introduce you to Kosas Cosmetics. Founded by Sheena Zadeh-Daly in 2015, the brand originally launched in 2015 with just four lipsticks. Today, the brand boasts a whole range of makeup and skin care products, all of which come in super-fun, modern packaging.
A true five-star concealer that makeup artists, editors and the internet love. It’s a super-creamy concealer that has that perfect amount of medium coverage. The formulation boasts ingredients like caffeine, hyaluronic acid and arnica, all of which work to smooth, brighten and plump your under-eye area while concealing imperfections.
A sleeper hit from the brand, this eyebrow pencil effortlessly fills in brows. It has a triangular tip for precision and a spoolie end for blending and shaping.
Drunk Elephant
Drunk Elephant is one of the most popular skin care brands on the market, loved by many for its chic packaging, clean formulations and super-effective products. Founder and chief creative officer Tiffany Masterson started Drunk Elephant after discovering six specific ingredients in traditional skin care that were contributing to a host of skin issues. Once she eliminated them and her skin returned to its “healthy and balanced state,” Masterson realized that the products she needed didn’t exist in the market, so she decided to create her own skin care company.
“I’ve found that many of the ways that I approach the business are informed by the way I take care of my kids and my role as a mom,” says Masterson. “My goal is always to arm the consumer with the knowledge they need to best take care of their skin. It’s a different way of approaching the business, and one that puts more of an emphasis on education. We’re not trying to just sell you a product; I want to offer a unique philosophy and troubleshooting solutions that will help consumers have their best skin for years to come.”
Masterson also recalls starting Drunk Elephant at the same time she was raising her kids, sharing that the quality time she spent with them — even more than the quantity — made all the difference. “I feel the same way about our consumer,” she says. “I love their suggestions and feedback; it’s how I grow as a brand and as a founder.”
These viral bronzing drops enhance the complexion with a radiant, effortless glow. Plus, the formula has skin benefits with a peptide blend and antioxidant-packed cocoa extract.
We love using this sensitive-skin-friendly formula as a daytime face cream. The lightweight gel-cream moisturizer provides a hydrated, plump base for makeup and keeps skin moisturized throughout the day.
