According to Research and Markets, by 2020 the beauty industry is predicted to be worth a massive $675 billion (that's just over £500 billion). With a trajectory that's not set on slowing down any time soon, the opportunities to take a piece of the beauty pie for yourself are endless.
Which means, more importantly, that there has never been a better time to be a woman in the business.
We caught up with four epic female beauty founders changing the game for women in the industry. From nailing that first investment, to starting their brand from the ground up, they reveal the trials and tribulations of being your own boss in the beauty biz...
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The vegan indie brand, whose fans include Cardi B and Beyoncé, made headlines last year for re-jigging the shade numbers of their Cake Mix Demi-Matte foundation, switching the darkest shade to number one, and the lightest shade to number 59.
When it comes to being your own boss, Cashmere admits 'I don’t think I was inspired by anyone when it came to launching my own brand, but being a teen mum, I wanted to show my daughter that dreams are achievable if you work hard enough.'
Before Beauty Bakerie launched in 2011 and became a $5 million company, Cashmere was actually working as a nurse, 'being an entrepreneur is something I’ve always wanted to do and it wasn’t easy, but if you love something you won’t be able to stay away'. Being a one-woman show may seem daunting, especially when it comes to getting started, 'Women are so powerful when we all stand together, seeing some women being harmful to one another, like men sometimes treat us, makes me realise they don’t understand that women are leading the way in this industry'.
ELLE Edit: Beauty Bakerie
Her namesake beauty brand launched in 2010 and has since crowned her the Queen of all things green. 'My Stepfather being diagnosed with cancer really made me examine everything that was going into my body and I couldn’t find a brand that was 100% natural, non-toxic and non-artificial, so I decided to create it,' Tata Harper explains. Since then, the ingredients in her game-changing skincare are home grown on her own farm.
Harper admits that, initially, she was laughed at for wanting to create natural products that actually worked on your skin, 'I proved people wrong but I do feel a degree of ignorance is key for an entrepreneur, if you knew everything, you might not want to take that first step'. Besides her unlimited stock of products, the CEO admits her biggest asset is 'the fact that I’m my own customer. Being a woman, we’re more connected to what we want and what resonates with us, so it makes the business intuitive.'
ELLE Edit: Tata Harper
The perfume legend has over 20 years experience in the business. After defeating breast cancer at the age of 38, Malone came back and launched her second brand in 2011, Jo Loves. 'I don’t really know any other way than to be my own boss,' Jo admits. 'My first job was working in a family owned flower business, so I didn’t have any preconceived ideas of what a business should be like.'
Having received an MBE, Malone was awarded a CBE last year, celebrating British creativity. Talking on the beauty industry, Jo believes there is no time like the present when it comes to creating a business. 'There are so many great British beauty brands around, many of them owned by women. Right now is the moment of the entrepreneur.'
ELLE Edit: Jo Loves
Created by Anna Ayers and her husband, hairstylist Fabian Lliguin, Rahua's line of all-natural haircare products are inspired by the women that live in the Amazon rainforest. 'After meeting these ladies, I was inspired by their love for their family and community and how they work to protect the rainforest,' says Anna.
'I’ve always been a creative person, so starting my own business became the perfect place to express that. I wanted to bring something to life that would help others, whilst benefiting the rainforest'. Her advice for anyone thinking of starting their own brand? 'You have to be relentless and always remember, you attract respect by respecting others.'
ELLE Edit: Rahua
Charlotte Bitmead (she/her) is the Senior Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. She has over six years experience writing about beauty and has previously written for ELLE and The Sunday Times Style, covering everything from politics to sustainability to inclusivity within the beauty industry. When she’s not writing in-depth features, testing out the newest skincare fad or trying to decide what nail art to get, you can find her overspending in bookshops or shouting at Arsenal matches. Find her on LinkedIn
