Rooibos cosmetics

Michael Bumgarner was not an avid beauty consumer before launching his CBD skin-care brand Cannuka in 2017, but he did have a history in rural farming that led him to see the power of cannabis. "Because of my background in farming, I got really interested in industrial hemp, and I wanted to create a brand that was very much approachable to the canna-curious consumer," he said. "Looking at the cann...

When beauty influencer and content creator Jackie Aina got her start on YouTube over a decade ago, her very new, public persona wasn't something she necessarily wanted to shout from the roof tops. "If you were a YouTuber in 2009 you were a weirdo," she said. "People were like, 'You're literally talking to yourself' and you're recording the process, so it wasn't something that I was like, 'Oh guys,...

Perfect Corp. is on a mission to transform the beauty industry through AR and AI innovation. For Alice Chang, the CEO of the Taiwanese tech company, it all started when she realized the power of giving someone the tools to make themselves feel beautiful. Founded in 2014, the tech company has launched a series of AR apps, like YouCam Perfect, which uses a 'beautify' function and other photo editing...

Unlike those suddenly hopping on the bandwagon, Robert Rosenheck has been working in cannabis for years. Growing up in a conservative family, Rosenheck avoided the recreational drug until finally sampling it with some friends during his senior year of college. He found it gave him a temporary release from the depression he had been struggling with for years. A few short years later, after a rock c...

Since its launch in 2012, Violet Grey has made a name for itself among multi-brand beauty retailers, thanks to a carefully curated selection of products that helps consumers cut through the clutter and get straight to the good stuff. As the company continues to grow and develop its offering, it's making a big push toward content and storytelling, to help consumers learn what Violet Grey is and wha...

John Demsey has spent over 13 years working at the Estée Lauder Companies, and throughout that time, he has seen the beauty industry go through massive changes. He's come to realize there's one thing about beauty that will never change: It will always be a good business opportunity, because people will always want to look good. For Demsey, the focus of the company has always been luxury products a...

When Esi Eggleston Bracey began her career nearly three decades ago at Proctor & Gamble, she wanted to find a way to help brands solve the problems their consumers were experiencing in their everyday lives. When she began working with Covergirl, she realized that not only did she love the industry, but also that it was chock-full of problems for her to solve. Now, in her position as evp and CO...

In 2013, Patrick Starrr was working as a makeup artist at MAC, but when the company started cutting his time at the counter, he found himself searching for a way to share his looks with the world. That's when he decided to start a YouTube channel. Now, six years and over 4 million subscribers later, Starrr has turned his hobby into a successful career as a beauty influencer and content creator. Pa...

When Stacy Panagakis took the helm as CEO of LimeCrime just over a year ago, at the same time it was acquired by Tengram Capital, she was thrilled by the untapped potential of the brand. Since stepping into the role, Panagakis has helped the brand expand its product offering into new categories, such as hair, as well as into new markets in the U.S. and beyond. On this week's episode of The Glossy...

On this episode of The Glossy Beauty Podcast, Drunk Elephant Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Tiffany Masterson sits down with beauty editor Priya Rao to discuss building a clean brand before that label existed, the challenges of fostering community on social media and what she would need to sell her company.

When Tom Seery started content and reviews site RealSelf in 2006, he wanted to create an honest and accessible resource for people seeking information on cosmetic aesthetics and plastic surgery by focusing on user generated content. Twelve years, 2 million reviews and a fresh round of funding later, Seery saud RealSelf is positioning itself as the Yelp of "modern beauty." On this episode of The Gl...

When Rob Robillard, vp of integrated beauty at QVC and HSN, started his job eight years ago, he knew there was a lot of untapped potential for modernizing these legacy retail brands. In this week's episode of The Glossy Beauty Podcast, beauty editor Priya Rao sits down with Robillard to discuss some of the ways he's contributed to giving the brands new life, including relaunching Beauty Bash, intr...

The world of beauty is rapidly evolving due to the impact of popular indie brands, and the hair-care category is no exception. Niche hair-care brands are finding success by sticking with one focus, whether it's a hair texture, color and or style. The secret, according to DevaCurl CEO Robert Schaeffler is being small and nimble, which allows the brand to adapt to its customers in a way the larger p...

When Katherine Power co-founded fashion and lifestyle brand WhoWhatWear in 2012, she wanted to democratize fashion. Now she is taking on clean beauty with a new brand, Versed. Just this week, Versed launched in 1,400 doors around the country, with an assortment of 19 different products, all under $20. The brand is currently sold both in Target stores and on a direct-to-consumer brand site, which a...

When Dino Ha first founded Memebox seven years ago, he wanted to find a way to bring K-beauty to new audiences, especially in the United States. But as time went on and his company grew, he realized that there was a disconnect between the brand's product offering and the consumers it was trying to reach, so he decided to do something about it. On this week's episode of The Glossy Beauty Podcast, M...

The role of the analyst in any industry is to monitor how that industry is evolving and track the movement of some of its most major players. Larissa Jensen's industry of focus is beauty, and she has spent nearly 15 years following everything from the rise of social media and consumer empowerment, to the explosion of digitally native brands and what she calls "the Kardashian effect." Now, as execu...

When Charles Denton took over Erno Laszlo in 2011, the massive legacy brand was flailing. Now, eight years into his role of chairman and CEO, Denton has big plans for the brand, including new efforts in clean products and sustainability, and continued global expansion. In this week's episode of The Glossy Beauty Podcast, beauty editor Priya Rao and Denton discuss why failure is a good thing, how h...

After a seven-year career at Goldman Sachs, Nancy Twine decided to try to make a company out of the curly-hair products she'd made for herself for years. So she presented her products at a trade show, received her first round of purchase orders from companies like Urban Outfitters, and six months later, Sephora called. Now, six years after launching her clean hair-care brand, Briogeo, Twine is tak...

When Moj Mahdara took the role as Beautycon CEO, she wasn't particularly interested in beauty. To this day, she doesn't wear makeup herself. What she was attracted to was the unique community and fandom around Beautycon, and finding a way to take it to the next level. In the years since, Mahdara has continued to push the boundaries of Beautycon, expanding into new markets with Beautycon POP, movin...

Before starting Hum Nutrition, Walter Faulstroh was a beauty junky with some frustrating skin problems. He had always had a passion for skin care, but no matter what he did, he couldn't seem to get rid of his breakouts. It wasn't until a nutritionist showed him the connection between health and beauty, that he finally found relief. Seven years ago, Faulstroh decided to share his personal discovery...

In the last few years, there has been a boom of investments in the world of beauty. Brands like Glossier continue to receive massive rounds of funding, and join the elite club of beauty brands that have received valuations of over $1 billion. According to Rich Gersten, a partner at Tengram Capital Partners who has been investing in beauty companies for over two decades, these success stories have...

When you look at Melanie Whelan's career path, it doesn't exactly point to SoulCycle. Prior to landing at Equinox and SoulCycle, Whelan held positions at Starwood Hotels and Resorts and Virgin USA. For Whelan, the through line of all of these companies was a core focus on hospitality and building meaningful relationships with customers. Now serving as the CEO of SoulCycle, Whelan sees the opportun...

It is no secret that with the rise of direct-to-consumer companies and e-commerce shopping, legacy retailers are struggling to maintain massive flagship stores and retail footprints. While some retailers are closing their doors, others are searching for ways to reinvigorate their spaces to keep customers coming back. Earlier this year, Bloomingdale's unveiled a completely renovated flagship experi...

If you're starting your day with lemon water or a turmeric latte, or practicing meditative breathing, you're practicing Ayurveda. Although the concept of Ayurveda is relatively new to most Americans, aspects of it have become commonplace among those pursuing healthier lifestyles. Uma Oils hopes to capitalize on these entry points, using them to introduce consumers to the larger world of Ayurveda a...

For over three decades, Rose-Marie Swift was one of the most sought-after editorial makeup artists in the world. But then, her health started to change. Once she started to dig into the industry, and the ingredients that were in the products that she was using everyday, Swift decided she needed to make a change, and that she was going to do it herself. Thus, RMS Beauty was born. Since it's launch...