Cosmetics

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.

14e

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.

Au Naturale

Au 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.

Antonym

Antonym 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.

Be Fancy

Like 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.

Caley

Based 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.

Elate

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Simplify your beauty ritual with our sustainable Capsule system. Did you know all of our compacts and palettes are made of Bamboo? This is a sustainable fibre that helps defend against soil erosion where it is planted. Our bamboo is water treated, so at the end of it's life it will decompose with no chemicals leeching out. From single eye colour to full PRO size palettes we have you covered! What is in your palette?⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #ownyourbeauty #loveelate #crueltyfree #greenbeauty #vegan #glutenfree #sustainableliving #toxinfreemakeup #currentlywearing #beauty #selflove #truebeauty #crueltyfreemakeup #cleanmakeup #lipstick #lowwaste #cleanbeauty #cleanmakeup #selfcare #sustainablebeauty⁣ #naturalbeauty⁣

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Elate 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.

Elevé

Founded 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.

Espionage

Espionage 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.

JACQUIE.

Designed by an Ottawa makeup artist, JACQUIE. Cosmetics are ethically sourced, vegan, non-toxic, paraben-free, made in Canada, and always cruelty-free.

Jouer

Jouer founder Christina Zilber discovered her love for beauty and style at an early age. Her mother, a former fashion model, taught Christina that makeup should be classic and effortless.  Beyond the world of beauty, she works with UNICEF to help create opportunities for women around the world.

KAB

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.

Kosas

Founder 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.

LaPierre

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.

Melt

From 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.

OFRA

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.

One Two

One Two Lash is the revolutionary first and only magnetic false lash. Founder Katy Stoka, a former luxury real estate development sales director, had a busy schedule and wanted lashes as easy to put on as a fashion accessory. One Two has now expanded to create other cosmetics products with the goal of Making Beauty Effortless™.   A portion of each sale goes to charitable causes, such as Women of Tomorrow.

Orcé

Seeing 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.

SAINT

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.

Spela

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“Well, today I wanted to share my excitement with you guys about these gorgeous lippies. 💗💗 For those of you who don’t know Spela yet, they are a Portland, OR-based company that is committed to creating high quality, long wearing formulas that are vegan, cruelty free and #nontoxic.🌿They launched in Oct. 2016 w/ a line of specially formulated Matte Liquid #Lipsticks in 8 shades that can be worn alone or blended for a custom look.
Paint & Play Matte Liquid Lipstick is formulated to last all day without reapplying w/ a single stroke for full color coverage. And best of all, it doesn’t dry out your lips, as it is enriched w/Vitamins C and E to add #antioxidant protection.” – @styledicatornw

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Based 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.

TōN

Our 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.