The businesswomen who lead the world of cosmetics

Huda Beauty, Charlotte Tilbury, Natasha Denona, Rihanna or Kat Von D. Sound familiar, right? Her cosmetics are the ones that now star in the top of Sephora's best sellers. This is an unusual fact to date and one that we do not often notice. But it's not just the 3 of them who share the makeup market: Bobbi Brown, celebrities who became businesswomen like Rihanna or Kylie Jenner, and other women like Anastasia Soare, Tony Ko, Carisa Janes, Wende Zomnir, Anita Lucia Roddick or Maria Hatzistefanis are shadow names behind brands that may already be in your virtual shopping cart. The Olympus of cosmetics is feminine.

It already happened in fashion, with the arrival of Gabrielle Chanel. Her irruption turned the market upside down. Until then, it was men who designed what a woman should wear, but where was the feminine point of view? Chanel was the first to eliminate corsets and uncomfortable garments from the wardrobe. Pants, low heels or directly flat shoes or fabrics that allow greater mobility were some of her innovations. Although those changes are now an everyday thing for us, they were the highlight, the first time that women designed for women.

While Chanel's legacy in fashion was followed by designers such as Donna Karan, Diane von Fürstenberg, Carolina Herrera or Stella McCartney, the cosmetics sector remained paralyzed until professional make-up artists such as Bobbi Brown or Pat McGrath, after years struggling to find products that fit their needs, they ended up creating their own, and the rest is history. More recently, the rise of YouTube and other platforms has brought women who have already become millionaire businesswomen to this Olympus of beauty, as is the case with Huda Kattan.

pat mcgrath

She is a regular makeup artist at fashion week and, in the words of Anna Wintour, "the most influential makeup artist in the world", so her constant search for a cosmetic that was pigmented and light, as well as long-lasting, ended up becoming a makeup brand with its name, its formulas and its characteristic packaging (its Christmas tribute collection to Star Wars is an example). In the photo, Mini MatteTrance Lipstick Trio Color Blitz (on sale at Sephora for €31.95).

Debra Perelman

Her name is one of the most popular among beauty executives. The president and CEO of Revlon has led a spectacular transformation. The company recently released its results for the third quarter of 2021, during which Debra has reinforced strategic initiatives that are driving revenue growth for Revlon's brands and producing strong ebitda performance.

When Debra joined as CEO in 2018, e-commerce sales represented a small percentage of the company's global business. However, this past quarter Revlon has seen double-digit growth in online sales, as well as a very strong 2020 for its e-commerce channels. Debra had implemented many digital innovations, allowing the company to continue to meet customer expectations while physical stores were closed during the lockdown. Revlon has onboarded digital teams, improved employee training, and driven more agile collaboration. In addition, the company has learned from consumers that they are no longer resistant to buying beauty products online, so today Revlon is driving a more holistic omnichannel approach, digitizing in-store experiences and personalizing online experiences.

In her recent visit to Spain to the manufacturing plant that the multinational has in our country, she has stressed the pillars of maximizing the global strength of the company's emblematic brands; digital transformation; sustainability initiatives; Revlon's global growth accelerator. Debra is focusing her attention on maximizing the global strength of iconic brands like Revlon and Elizabeth Arden. In the third quarter, all of the company's segments grew from the previous year, with double-digit growth in the Elizabeth Arden segments and its various product ranges.

dr roebucks

Enter into those wonderful cosmetics that have medical expertise. The Roebuck marriage of doctors paid special attention to the skin of their daughters Kim and Zoe. Living in Australia, where the hole in the ozone layer is a reality, their skin was much more exposed to environmental aggressions and for this reason they developed their own ointments with natural and local ingredients. Years later, Zoe and Kim created the Dr. Roebucks brand using the formulas and names of their parents. No Worries Cream (€38.95).

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Zoe Boikou - Zoeva

Greek emigrant in Germany. Behind her brand there is a story of overcoming in which problems of domestic abuse are added to her early immigration, something that is reflected in her brand. One of her main motivations is to make luxury cosmetics accessible to all women. She started selling her brushes on eBay and now she can boast that they are some of the best sellers in our country. In the picture, Rose Golden Luxury Set Vol.1 (€76.55).

Natasha Denona

Her popularity also began to skyrocket after doing makeup for top celebs and models like Bar Refaeli. Her brand, with the same name, was successful all over the world, but it was not until 2019 that it began to be marketed in our country. Extensive eyeshadow palettes, finishes of all kinds and, above all, the defense of ultra-illuminated skin have elevated her to Sephora's top sales, specifically her Palette Love (€69.55) ranks second among the most sold from the store. In the photo, Eyeshadow Camel Palette 5 (€42.95).

Huda Kattan - Huda Beauty

In her early days, she was often called the Kardashian of the Middle East, even though she was born in the United States. A YouTube channel with more than 3 million followers, an Instagram with 33 million followers and a university career in Business led her to bill millions of dollars for her image. First it was her false eyelashes and now Huda Beauty has made sure that her eyeshadow palette never disappears from the top sellers of Sephora.es. But it's not the only product of hers in her top 10 best sellers, her Obsession Eye Palette is the third.

From the brand itself they assure that its essentials worldwide are also the 3D Highlighter illuminator palette and the Liquid Matte lipstick. Today, Huda Kattan's empire, still the majority owner of Huda Beauty, ranks her as the 37th richest woman in the world with an annual income of $200 million and a worth of $1 billion according to 'Forbes' magazine. "Beauty can alter the way women see themselves. In my opinion, when a woman is confident in herself, she can conquer the world." Strong phrase of the businesswoman.

Charlotte Tilbury

Another woman who has managed to sneak up to 3 products into the top ten of Sephora is Charlotte Tilbury. Although the brand has been available in our country since October, the success of the British makeup artist (and raised in Ibiza) has even reached the Victoria's Secret parade. Celebrities like Olivia Palermo or Paula Echevarría always show off her products and even Kate Middleton, Victoria Beckham or Salma Hayek have a lipstick with her name on it.

In addition to creating one of the most coveted creams of the moment, Magic Cream, this star make-up artist has made Hollywood Flawless Filter Perfecting Filter (€40.55) lead the top sales of make-up products and her Matte Revolution lipstick (# 3), Light Wonder Foundation (#10), Cheek To Chic Rouge (#11) and a long list of etc. are some of the most demanded makeup products in our country.

Kat Von D

But in addition to the women entrepreneurs who made their business their profession, there are those celebrities who expanded their businesses by diversifying their talent. In this section, the most advanced is Kat Von D. She rose to fame as a tattoo artist on the reality show 'Miami Ink' and her brand was born from her need to find makeup capable of covering dozens of tattoos. In 2008, she launched her line in collaboration with Sephora, and 11 years later, her makeup products are consistently top sellers.

Rihanna - Fenty Beauty

Another of the most successful launches in recent years has been that of Fenty Beauty. The brand, created by Rihanna to respond to the diversity of her fans, had a perfectly orchestrated global launch to achieve $100 million in revenue in its first 40 days on sale. SuGloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer (€17.55) is ranked #8 of the best sellers.

Also aiming for these statrospheric figures, but breaking all possible records, the youngest of the Kardashian clan, Kylie Jenner, created her own brand of lipsticks in 2015, which was extended to all kinds of cosmetics and today, in addition to occupying the Ranked 27th of the richest women according to 'Forbes' magazine, she is the youngest millionaire in history with a heritage of more than one billion dollars. It's hard to calculate. Unfortunately, her cosmetics are not for sale in Spain.

Anastasia Soare - Anastasia Beverly Hills

But in cosmetics there is life, and a lot of it, beyond fame. The most famous eyebrows in all of Hollywood have a name, Anastasia Soare. The make-up artist has designed and polished the eyebrows of all the celebrities. You may not know her by her first name, but surely you have heard about Anastasia Beverly Hills products on more than one occasion. 'Forbes' considers her a self-made woman since, after emigrating from Romania and creating her brand, she has achieved annual income of 200 million dollars. Her star products are the Tinted Brow gel, the Modern Renaissance eyeshadow palette, and her DIPBROW Pomade brow cream.

Carisa Janes - Hourglass

And did you know that behind the behemoth Urban Decay there is a woman? Wende Zomnir went from being a beauty queen or selling behind closed doors to creating a cruelty-free brand that is in the top 3 of the best-selling cosmetic brands online according to a study by L2. Their makeup setting sprays, primers, and eyeshadow palettes are some of the best-selling products in the makeup industry. Carisa Janes, CEO of Hourglass, one of Sephora's latest additions, has also managed to place her products among the most desired by Spanish women.

Maria Hatzistefanis - Rodial

Also self-made, although her unpronounceable name is not the most popular, is Maria Hatzistefanis, founder of Rodial, her Dragon's Blood serum went around the world when the Kardashians confessed to using it, but the savoir faire of this Londoner of Greek origins it comes precisely from the cradle of civilization. Studying the plants and remedies used by her grandmother Maria, she fought through market research and scholarships to create Rodial. Currently, the firm is one of the most sold internationally, present in 35 countries and with a value of nearly 90 million dollars.

Among the best-selling cosmetics on an international level, there is also Tony Ko, the South Korean creator of Nyx, who, after making Nyx a brand of semi-professional finishes at a very reasonable price, sold it to L'Oréal and now accumulates 270 million Dollars. Nor do we lose sight of Anita Lucia Roddick, the first makeup artist interested in achieving cosmetics not tested on animals and made only with natural ingredients, or what is the same, the creator of The Body Shop.

Adding to the list of cosmetic leaders is the creator of ALPHA-H, Michelle Doherty; Lan Belinky (behind Boscia); Rebecca Morrice Williams of Becca Cosmetics; Petra Strand, behind the successful Pixi, or Terry de Gunzburg, from By Terry, one of Sephora's latest additions.

It is therefore quite clear that, also in the world of cosmetics, women have a lot to say. Proper names like Huda, Charlotte, Rihanna, Anita, Kat or Kylie have dethroned the great classics. Experience? Empowerment? The market has already spoken.