Sisters of Cosmetics
Our Hello Sister list of women-owned cosmetics brands are also approved by Leaping Bunny, the global gold standard for cosmetics, personal care products and household products.
Founded by San Diego native and makeup artist Emma Fortini, 14e Cosmetics uses aloe vera (that’s right, no water) and skin-calmig ingredients such as gotu kola and licorice root.
SHOP 14eAu Naturale Cosmetics, based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, is both a brand and a cause: a line of cruelty-free, vegan, organic, paraben-free and ethical makeup, plus a demand for stricter regulation of cosmetic products.
BUY AT AMAZONAntonym Cosmetics was founded by Miami makeup artist Valerie (Val) Giraud, who wanted to create the best organic makeup and makeup brushes that are cruelty-free and gentle on the skin.
BUY AT AMAZONLike many of us, Be Fancy founder and Agnes Scott College graduate Natalie Miscolta Cameron struggled to find makeup brands intended more for function than glamour, and couldn’t afford most brands that prohibited parabens, PEGs, and phthlatates. Be Fancy products are made in an FDA-registered, Good Manufacturing Practice-compliant lab, and all will always be under $20.
SHOP BE FANCYBased in San Antonio, Texas, Caley Cosmetics is a the company of daughter-mother team Annie and Cindy Holland-Rodriguez, the second and third generations of women in the beauty business (after Annie’s grandmother, Sue). The company now has its own lab and eco-friendly facility to create cruelty-free makeup.
SHOP CALEYElate Cosmetics, founded by Melodie Reynolds, offers vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics made in Canada. They’re also gluten-free, so if you already shop for foods that are, you may feel better when your makeup is, too.
SHOP ELATEFounded by former ballet dancer Gertie Wilson, and based in Austin, Texas, Elevé Cosmetics is an award-winning vegan-based beauty line packed with antioxidants, peptides, and other anti-aging ingredients.
SHOP ELEVÉEspionage Cosmetics is a Nerd Makeup company based in Tacoma, Washington, that fuses a love of comic books, video games, pop culture, nostalgia, and fandom with an adoration of bright colors and cosmetics.
SHOP ESPIONAGEDesigned by an Ottawa makeup artist, JACQUIE. Cosmetics are ethically sourced, vegan, non-toxic, paraben-free, made in Canada, and always cruelty-free.
SHOP JACQUIE.Jouer founder Christina Zilber discovered her love for beauty and style at an early age. Her mother, a former fashion model, taught Christina makeup should be classic and effortless. She also works with UNICEF to help create opportunities for women around the world.
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We love when a Hello Sister list includes brands created by actual sisters, like KAB Cosmetics, founded by Kim, Ariana, and Brielle Biermann. Each lip kit was formulated and designed with high quality packaging and ingredients in mind. KAB Cosmetics is a proud partner of PETA.
SHOP KABFounder Sheena Yaitanes was introduced to cosmetics at a young age by her mother, who worked in the industry. Sheena’s fascination with makeup and artistic expression lead her to study chemistry and painting at UCI, and then to create Kosås, named for the philosophy of the five interconnected layers, or “kosas” of the self: the physical, energetic, mental, intellectual, and soul.
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LaPierre Cosmetics is as an eco-chic beauty brand inspired by the founder’s mother, Jacquelyn Marie LaPierre who embodied elegance and class loved to do her nails. In 2013, LaPierre was diagnosed with lung cancer and was limited to the brands of nail polish she could use. Shortly after, her daughter created a ‘7 FREE’ brand that LaPierre could use, while also creating a legacy.
SHOP LAPIERREFrom their combined decade in the makeup and retail industries, Melt Cosmetics founders Lora Arellano and Dana Bomar identified a need for highly pigmented, ultra-matte, bold shades in the cosmetics world. So they invested their life savings to create five shades that sold out the moment they launched online. Their 420 line is smoking hot.
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OFRA founder Ofra Gaito, a therapist and makeup artist, earned her post-graduate diploma from the prestigious CIDESCO (Comité International d’Esthétique et de Cosmétologie) in South Africa. After the success of her first salon and spa, Ofra began to distribute European cosmetics in South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, and grew to 400 new locations. By 1994, OFRA Cosmetics was introduced, and in 1998 a manufacturing facility opened in Ft. Lauderdale. The first OFRA Day Spa and Laser Center soon followed. Today, OFRA is an internationally recognized name in the beauty industry, with a distinguished client list. OFRA is also the top supplier of beauty kits to over 950 United States cosmetology schools and salons. It even has a page devoted to some of its favorite makeup bloggers, like Marianne Hewitt, below with Jessica Alba.
SHOP OFRASeeing the blank space that exists between K-beauty/J-beauty brands and mainstream American/European beauty houses, Founder Yu-Chen Shih created Orcé as a solution for international Asian women who find themselves having to compromise when it comes to makeup style and suitability. Specially formulated to meet the unique traits and demands of Asian skin and complexions, Orcé is a high-performance makeup line that combines precious, skin-loving ingredients with breakthrough technology.
Toronto resident and SAINT founder Joanne Montesano wanted to create cosmetics that deliver traits at opposite ends of the beauty world: high end luxury and non-toxic wellness. The result is a line of plant-based skincare products that use natural Ecocert ingredients such as aloe vera, coconut oil castor oil, shea butter, sunflower seed oil, jojoba, rosemary extract, and Kakadu plum.
BUY SAINT AT THE GREEN JUNGLEBased in Portland, Oregon, Spela Cosmetics was founded by former attorney Maryam Behrouzi, who who serves on the board of Women Led, which helps women entrepreneurs. Spela offers long wearing formulas that are vegan, cruelty free, non-toxic, and E.U. Compliant — there are only 11 cosmetics ingredients banned by the U.S., while has Europe has banned over 1300 ingredients! All Spela products are made from start to finish in the U.S.A.
BUY SPELA AT THE GREEN JUNGLEOur list concludes with another success story about sisters. TōN Cosmetics founders Vicki and Maria Barillaro combined their complementary skill sets and career experiences: Vicki has a degree in marketing and ran a family business for 20 years. Maria studied Journalism at Concordia University and became Online Beauty Editor for one of Canada’s leading fashion magazines. Now their story is that of one of Canada’s fastest growing makeup brands.
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“Lip Gloss” by Lil Mama
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