It’s been almost a decade since Beyoncé reminded us who runs the world, and a generation of ambitious women have been admirably driving home the point louder than ever. Strangely enough, in an industry dominated by female consumers, many of the biggest beauty brands are still run by men. Not to say that a man can’t run a successful beauty biz (see: Estée Lauder, L’Oréal, and MAC Cosmetics, for the proof), but there sure is something to be said when the boss is completely entrenched in the products with the overflowing makeup bags, meticulously towered shelfies, and impressive shower lineup to show for it. Enter: a group of powerful women behind female-owned beauty brands who are quickly dipping into the multi-billion dollar industry with innovative new product lines, empowering messages, and cult followings to boot.
These inspiring beauty bosses each entered the market with a product that fulfilled a need missing in the current landscape. For some, it was immaculate ingredient lists. For others, it was sticking true to low-maintenance ways, and for a few, it was tapping into cultural roots to bring century-old rituals to the modern-day beauty lover.
In the spirit of powerful women supporting powerful women, here’s a collection of 18 splurge-worthy gift ideas from some of the industry’s thriving female-owned beauty brands. The future is female, and here’s the cold hard proof.
