The best of women-led clean beauty buys
Installment 3 of the female-founded holiday gift guide series
Female-founded, clean, and non-comedogenic beauty options for those on your gift list…but let’s be honest, for you as well.
There’s nothing like giving well-tested items with your personal stamp of approval already attached. This list is filled with products I’ve used time and again myself, and I remain fully in love with the performance and ingredients. Many of the female founders within this post have inspiring stories and were pioneers in the clean beauty movement well before it was recognized as a term and quite long before our culture started to have an epiphany about some of the harmful ingredients that are used in many cosmetics in the US (and actively banned from the EU).
Give clean this holiday season. Here are my picks.
Iris&Romeo’s Weekend Skin SPF 50 + Vitamin C + Glow - founded by former Smashbox Cosmetics Exec Michele Gough Baril in 2019. Not a day passes where I don’t have this formula on my face. I’m obsessed and have tried easily 15+ products on the market over the years. My first ever post was dedicated to this life-changing sunscreen, and for good reason. Many of my friends have since made the switch and I’ve only continued to hear praise. Iris&Romeo rolled out a darker shade of the product more recently. I’m also a fan of their new concealer, which arrived on the market with rave reviews.
Kosasport LipFuel Hyaluronic Lip Balm - founded by Sheena Zadeh-Daly in 2015. Sheena had a passion for creating clean formulas with ingredients that cared for your skin. This chapstick is the longest running product in my beauty kit. I fell in love with the Kosas formulation many years ago and have yet to find another product that fulfills my everyday lip balm requirements. I prefer a clear option, so their baseline color works great, but if you’re looking for a bit of tint, there are 3 additional options from which to choose. I also use Kosas Air Brow gel in clear and their Revealer Skin Improving Foundation - SPF 25 regularly if you’re looking to fill your cart.
Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask - founded by Tata Harper in 2010 on the farm she shares with her husband in Vermont. If I could only purchase one face mask for the rest of my life, it would be this one. Tata’s Resurfacing Mask is one of those products that gives instant results. Whenever I feel my skin looks a bit dull before an event or get together, I put this on my face while getting ready and it instantly smoothes and brightens in a way I haven’t seen with other products. This is one of those gifts that your friends may not purchase for themselves, but it will be much appreciated. If you’re looking for some other great items from Tata, I also happily use her Regenerating Cleanser, Refreshing Cleanser, and her Lip Cream in Blase for some color.
Pai Resurrection Girl Mask - founded by Sarah Brown in 2006. Raise your hand if you have dry skin in the winter? Ok, now that everyone’s hands are raised, here’s the mask I recommend for some extra moisturizing TLC when facing the dry climate. Instructions say to leave it on for at least 10 minutes, but I say leave it on for the full length of your Hallmark or Netflix holiday movie. Your skin will feel amazing once it’s removed.
Ilia Liquid Powder Eye Tint - founded by Sasha Plavsic in 2011. Once you go Ilia Eye Tint, you don’t go back. The formulations last all day and don’t get smudged across your eyes as the hours pass. I especially love the matte formulations for an everyday look. The fact that I own 5 of these, and previously wasn’t big into eyeshadow says it all. You can dive into my favorite shades featured in a prior post.
Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Liner - founded by Victoria Beckham in 2019. Okay, okay, okay….confession. I’ve wanted to try this liner for forever, but never pulled the trigger despite the rave online reviews. Then, after watching the Beckham documentary on Netflix, I was officially influenced by all things Victoria. Her makeup is always picture perfect, so I decided to take the leap. I went with the matte cocoa brown color (pictured above), but there are plenty of matte and metallic colors to choose from - especially as the holidays approach. I love this product because it’s highly blend-able but doesn’t smudge. I’ve never seen another liner that can achieve both at the same time.
Goop Cloudberry Exfoliating Jelly Cleanser - founded by actress Gwyneth Paltrow in 2008. This gentle cleanser is one of my favorite face washes because the formula is non-drying. My skin always feels nourished and fresh after using it. I also just started using the Amino Acid Shinebath Shampoo and thus far my hair feels softer than usual.
Crown Affair The Oil - founded by Dianna Cohen in 2019. I’ve tried many a hair oil over the past couple of decades and have yet to find one that rivals Crown Affair’s The Oil. I wrote about my love for it back in August. It smoothes and de-frizzes without being greasy and I find that the formula really softens the hair too. I’m a huge fan and always make sure I have enough of this product so I don’t run out.
Henry Rose Windows Down Eau De Parfum - founded by actress Michelle Pfeiffer in 2019. It’s difficult to find high-quality, clean perfumes that have long-lasting scents. Henry Rose absolutely delivers. Their most famous scent is called Jake’s House, which is beautiful in its fresh, citrusy way, but I lean toward the rich, bergamot qualities of Windows Down. Scent is always personal, so a gift card to a place like this certainly doesn’t hurt.
Tenoverten The Rose Wipes - founded by Nadine Abramcyk, Adair Ilyinsky, and Jaclyn Ferber in 2010. Over the past decade, it has been surprisingly difficult to find nail care companies that offer clean formulations and are sure not to compromise the health of your nails. As we enter the winter season where our nails risk becoming more dry and brittle, Tenoverten’s product lineup has everything you need to keep your manicures on point. I posted about my favorites from their assortment back in July.
Cadence Capsules - founded by Forbes 30 under 30 winner Steph Hon in 2020. These TSA-compliant capsules completely change the game when it comes to packing and traveling with ease. It’s amazing how much space is saved within my beauty bag when I’m on the go. And it’s nice to have peace of mind that my products aren’t going to spill in transit. Cadence was founded on the principles of amazing, intuitive design and eco-consciousness. The capsules have magnets throughout so they easily cling together and the material is made from recycled plastics. Earlier this year they rolled out a flex system with a greater range of sizes and colors.
Truffle Clarity Clutch - founded by Maria Harrington and Sarah Cusumano around 2013. Truffle’s high quality, clear pouches, clutches, and cases come in an array of accent colors and sizes. They’re sure to have everything you may be looking for. The pouches are TSA approved and perfect for blitzing though crazy holiday airport security. As I’ve attended events, I’ve even seen more and more requirements for clear pouches, so you can even use these for concerts and sporting events.
Have additional female-owned beauty finds to share? Please comment below.
x jz
Images | 1 - 3 | @b.g.mckay, styled by me | 4 | Tata Harper | 5 | Pai | 6 | @b.g.mckay, styled by me | 7 | Victoria Beckham Beauty | 8 | Goop | 9 | Crown Affair | 10 | Henry Rose | 11 - 12 | @b.g.mckay, styled by me | 13 | Truffle
I do not get paid for nor make money off of this post. All opinions are my own.