In honour of International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating five of our favourite girl bosses. Having identified gaps in the make up and skin care market, these brilliant women took matters into their own, very capable hands – building results-driven, trailblazing brands you can trust.
Huda Kattan of {Huda Beauty}
With 18 million Instagram followers (and counting), Huda Kattan has amassed legions of Huda-holics, who’re addicted to her charm, seemingly boundless beauty wisdom and now, her eponymous range of eyelashes and liquid lipsticks. Having struggled to find the perfect ‘faux cils’ to complement her stunning make up looks, she decided to start her own line – which has since grown to include her bestselling {Lip Contours}, incredible stay-fast {Liquid Mattes} and that eyeshadow palette… Join us in saying ‘Hooray for Huda’!
Anastasia Soare of {Anastasia Beverly Hills}
St-architect turned browchitect Anastasia Soare turned her talents to taming LA’s errant eyebrows – reining in strays and assisting an impressive client-list to frame their faces flawlessly. Arriving in the US straight from communist Romania in 1989, Anastasia (an architectural engineer) secured a job as an assistant aesthetician when she realised that the customers were rather sparse of arch… met with resounding disinterest when she broached this with her colleagues, she took matters into her own (very capable) hands.
Having studied the ‘golden proportion’ to learn how to complement clients’ bone structures, she soon had supermodels (Cindy, Stephanie and Naomi to name a few) queuing up to access her unique eyebrow-spertise. She now counts Kim Kardashian among her star-studded devotees, as well an impressive, ever-growing horde of beauty addicts who’re addicted to her {Brow Wiz}, {Contour Kits} and her breathtaking, internet-breaking eyeshadow palettes…
Cashmere Nicole of {Beauty Bakerie}
For Beauty Bakerie’s founder Cashmere, there is nothing wrong with having a sweet, gentle nature – it’s all about finding the perfect balance between ‘firm’ and ‘graceful’ – an ethos she so effortlessly upholds. A single, 16-year old mother on welfare, society’s odds were already stacked against her, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to come to terms with months of treatment and a traumatising double mastectomy.
More than enough to suppress most people’s fighting spirit, Cashmere refused to be defeated and instead, sought to realise her artistic ambitions. She admits to feeling “I needed to hurry up and excel so that my daughter wouldn’t know these feelings and feel badly about her life or worse, aim low” and {Beauty Bakerie} – a stand out make up range (the {Lip Whips} are beloved by Beyoncé) was born. An inspiring story for those who need a ‘nudge’ to realise their long-held ambitions.
Jen Atkin of {OUAI Haircare}
High profile celebrity hair stylist Jen Atkin is renowned for creating the enviable ‘mussed up’ looks that grace innumerable red carpets and catwalks. Effortlessly tousled, Jen sought to make every woman’s #hairgoals a reality, with her extensive range of Insta-worthy treatments and innovative, fuss-free styling products.
Bolstered by a network of influential women, {OUAI Haircare} promises that cool, insouciant ‘French girl’ texture – loose, care-free waves with a bed-head aesthetic. Marrying style with substance, this is basically skin care for hair – boasting incredible ingredients, heavenly fragrances and a dollop of ‘je ne sais quoi’.
Annie Tevelin of {SkinOwl}
“I had skin I was ashamed of” says Annie of SkinOwl. “As a professional make up artist, I was fortunate that I had the skills to conceal every blemish, but the process was painstaking and high-maintenance, and I was so unhappy and frustrated in my own skin. I was obsessed with my complexion and {SkinOwl} is very definitely the product of my own issues.
Cripplingly lacking in confidence, Annie sought to understand what went into the products she was using, and having enrolled in a cosmetic chemistry course at UCLA, she learned about the pros, cons and potentially harmful effects of the ingredients and formulations she had placed her faith in. {SkinOwl} is a pure, super-natural range of ‘drops’ and targeted treatments, to normalise skin and inspire self-love.