I was 13 when I bought my first magazine. A moment that marked my life forever. I was fascinated by the makeup on the model’s face. I had never worn makeup, but I read the page where the makeup artist explained what to do and which products to use, after hours of trying to blend my eyeshadow for the first time, it’s safe to say I did not look like the model. From this day on, my passion for makeup began. Makeup has been around for thousands of years. Something as simple as a “cat eye” can boost your self esteem and make you feel more confident in seconds. It is a form of self-expression and it celebrates beauty of all forms. These days there are hundreds of brands out there. Brands owned by powerful women. Women who started with just an idea and fought to become who they are now. Unstoppable, beautiful, self-assured and strong. In honor of women’s week, here are four (4) brands owned by empowering women you should definitely try and their stories.
1. Kat Von D Beauty
Tattoo artist Katherine Von Drachenberg Gelano, better known by her stage name Kat Von D, has one of the biggest alternative makeup brands out on the market. She serves as an inspiration to Latina women everywhere. Her brand was born after Kat noticed a lack of cruelty free and vegan products, both topics being very important to her, on the market and decided to make her own. Her brand brakes the rules and encourages women to express themselves and experiment with bold colors while being conscious of the environment. Her line is currently being sold at Sephora and online.
2.Anastasia Beverly Hills
Entrepreneur, Anastasia Soere, immigrated from Romania to the United States of America without knowing the language or having any money, but that never stopped her. She was determined to have her name being talked about in the beauty industry. Anastasia is attributed as the starter of the “brow revolution”. Her product line began with brow shaping tools in 1990 which gained popularity later in 2014. It took her years to become the “big name brand” she is today, but she never gave up. Her products are fully cruelty free and contain high volumes of pigment currently sold in many stores and online.
3. Benefit Cosmetics
Benefit’s beginnings are rather unusual. They, Jean and Jane, started out with a small store called ‘The Face Place’ in San Francisco, 1976. They never thought their makeup would one day be such a ‘household name’, but in 1977 one of their products started gaining popularity; “The Benetint”. Back then it was called “Rose Tint” and, while today it’s a lips and cheek stain, it was used by exotic dancers to make their nipples pinker. Now, known for their unique packaging, Benefit Cosmetics is a leading brand in the makeup industry sold in many stores and online.
Fun Fact: Benefit holds a Guinness World Record for most eyebrow waxes in eight hours by a team!
4. Laura Mercier
By this point, who hasn’t heard of the “Laura Mercier translucent setting powder”? Every “YouTuber” in the beauty community has hyped this product repeatedly and with good reason. Laura started at age 17 to study art at a painting school in Paris but decided to switch her canvas for a face. She attended Carita Beauty School where she later became a teacher and represented the prestige beauty school as a makeup artist (MUA). She didn’t stop there, as she continued to work hard and even got to be the MUA for celebrities like Madonna, Celine Dion and Julia Roberts. In 1996, Laura launched her own brand and has since become a luxury brand for skin care and makeup. It’s definitely not a cheap brand, but it’s very high quality and the celebrities swear by it.
Express yourself; express your creativity. Don’t let anyone stop you from being the amazing woman you are. So, which brands are you going to try next?