15 Successful Women on How They Got Their Start in Beauty

The beauty industry is known for being tough to get into, to the point that a lot of young, promising women can’t manage it. With that being said, there’s also plenty of successful ladies who did manage to make it through. 

Lots of these women shared how they got their start in beauty, and we’ve found the top 15 stories for you to take a look at. So keep reading to learn these amazing tales, and when you’re done, go check out the story of Black Opal Beauty. 

1. Annie Tevelin – Founder at SkinOwl

We’ll kick things off by looking at Annie, Founder of SkinOwl. She describes it a lot like a foot in the door, saying that she “moved to Los Angeles to work in the music video and commercial world and had a lot of exposure to makeup artists while on set.” She also says she “learned the importance of building a strong team and understanding people as a whole.”.

2. Kristin Breen – VP at Beauty and Health Media Relations

Up next is Kristin, the VP at Beauty and Health Media Relations. She describes her approach as “a more roundabout way. I was convinced that I wanted to be in fashion PR after college and spent weeks researching firms and fashion houses from my temporary admin assistant job.”

3. Julie Schott – Co-Founder at Starface

The next lady on the list is Julie, the co-founder of Starface. She speaks about having “studied creative writing at Pratt, which meant that internships were available year-round, not just during the summer. So my first real internship was at Elle Accessories”. She also advises anyone trying to get into the industry to “just say yes”. 

4. Jessica Richards – Founder at Shen Beauty

Jessica is the founder of Shen Beauty, and her advice for any woman trying to get in is “work hard and stay humble. For my beauty store, though, it is to sell what I truly love. People buy from people, so I know if it’s in my store, I stand behind it.”

5. Joan Mallory – President and CEO at Alterna Haircare

Joan is the president and CEO of Alterna Haircare. Her advice for anyone is that “I’ve managed a lot of people in my career and I’ve seen a lot of people succeed and a lot of people fail. The key difference between the two is that those who succeed have real passion for what they do”. Passion, it’s a pretty vital thing. 

6. Gina Marí –  Founder at Gina Mari Skincare

Gina is the founder of her well known skincare brand, and is also committed to lifelong learning. Her suggestion is “keeping a copy of Fitzpatrick’s color atlas and synopsis of clinical dermatology on hand at all times.” 

She also espouses a mentality of constantly learning and developing, which is always good advice! 

7. Orrea Light – VP of Product Development and Global Marketing at Estée Lauder

Number seven on the list is Orrea. Her approach is a lot like Gina’s, in the sense that she advocates learning constantly, saying “Learn all you can about every and any aspect you are involved in. Believe me—you will use it at some point and time in your career.” 

8. Romy Soleimani – Celebrity Makeup Artist

Romy is a professional makeup artist, and she has plenty of advice for young professionals. She recommends accepting that it’s “all about hard work, staying strong, being ready for anything that comes your way, staying calm”, and that the best career advice she can give is being “open to any opportunity that comes your way. Something can always lead to something else.”. 

9. Fiona Stiles – Celebrity Makeup Artist

Another celebrity makeup artist, Fiona’s advice is simple. 

“Be quiet and listen. Absorb everything that is happening around you; look at the lighting on set, observe what the editors and stylists are doing.”. 

Wait patiently and learn from everyone. Pretty good advice, if we do say so ourselves! 

10. Nancy Twine – Founder of Briogeo

Nancy Twine entered the beauty industry with a unique skill set – seven years in the finance sector. This definitely equipped her with the practical knowledge she needed to thrive, and she launched her own winning brand in 2014. 

11. Miko and Titi Branch – Founders of Miss Jessie’s

These two sisters have created one of the most popular and exciting brands out there. Their secret? Their grandmother. They credit her with teaching them the value of independence, which was a valuable characteristic for success. 

12. Cashmere Nicole – Founder of Beauty Bakerie

For this thriving entrepreneur, her company came from struggle and hardship. Being a mother in her late teens and then a brush with cancer propelled this woman into the beauty industry through sheer force of will, proving that anyone can thrive. 

13. Pat McGrath – Founder of Pat McGrath Labs

For the last two decades, Pat McGrath has been at the heart of makeup revolutions. Her power in the industry really took off in the 1990’s with a collaboration with Georgio Armani. Definitely one hell of a name drop to make at parties. 

14. Myleik Teele – Founder of CurlBox

The founder of CurlBox began life as a pioneer after driving way too far for a beauty product she didn’t even use, and describes her enterprise as “a means to save you the drive and the money. curlBOX gives women the opportunity to try several products for the price of one!”. 

15. Iman – Founder of Iman Cosmetics 

Iman got into the beauty game to make a range suited for the black, Latino, and multicultural women everywhere who wanted something bespoke. She definitely succeeded in that regard.