International Women’s Day is the perfect moment to celebrate the women behind some of the best beauty products we all know and love, founders who have built brands and reshaped the beauty industry. This edit is dedicated to women-founded beauty, skin and body care brands that empower, innovate and inspire.
Female entrepreneurship, to me, is about courage! Backing yourself, trusting your vision and creating something that didn’t exist before. It’s about resilience, creativity and building communities, not just companies. I have so much respect for the women who have taken their expertise and personal experiences and turned them into incredible brands. It’s inspiring on every level.
Alexis’s background as a dermatologist really shows with this gorgeous brand. I have been using JOONBYRD products since they launched in 2024 and haven’t looked back. Her clinical expertise is combined with modern, high-performance skincare and every product feels smart and effective, yet also super luxurious and comforting.
JOONBYRD feels like the kind of skincare you can truly trust. One of my favourites has to be Sunday Sofa, it’s such a nourishing, calming body butter that I use daily. Enriched with hydrating hyaluronic acid, it leaves my skin super soft, supple and glowing without ever feeling heavy or sticky. I also love Little Love Body Lotion for everyday hydration. It’s lighter than Sunday Sofa, perfect for mornings, but still leaves skin feeling smooth, comforted and subtly scented. And the Moon Swim Body Wash is such a treat in the shower. It’s creamy, gentle and cleanses without stripping and leaves the skin feeling fresh and silky!
I’m always so impressed with the results, JOONBYRD manages to feel like indulgent spa level care while actually delivering real, visible benefits.
RUM Beauty was founded by three beauty industry experts, Sam Chapman, Sali Hughes and Jo Jones – three incredibly talented women who also happen to be lovely friends of mine. Between them they bring years of experience across beauty and editorial, so it’s no surprise that everything they’ve created feels so thoughtful and well considered.
Their Wrap Party Mascara is amazing! I use it most days and absolutely love it. The wand is brilliant, the vegan formula is beautifully pigmented and it doesn’t smudge or transfer throughout the day. It gives gorgeous lift and definition without clumping, creating the softest, fluttery lashes. Available in black and a deep navy and at a fantastic price, £21!
I’ve always admired that Jamie makes beauty feel fun, expressive and completely accessible. With VIEVE, she’s taken everything she’s learned as a makeup artist and creator and translated it into a brand that feels like her. Jamie’s products and formulas are high-performing, easy to use and designed to enhance natural beauty. These are the products you reach for daily; whether you’re doing a quick, polished look or something more elevated.
Skin Nova Primer is a glow base that has become a staple in my routine, and I know I’m not the only one. It adds such a beautiful, dewy glow and primes the skin perfectly for makeup. I’m also a huge fan of the VIEVE brushes and the Eye Wands, they are so easy to use and available in so many gorgeous shades and blend like a dream. Each product feels thoughtfully designed to make your routine easier, while still letting you play and experiment with colour and texture. I also love the gold packaging!
My lovely friend Lisa Potter‑Dixon co-founded Velvet Smoke with her creatively minded partner Lia Briamonte and together they’ve created something wonderfully unique in the world of scent and lifestyle. The brand began with the iconic Filthy Rose candle, inspired by their love of bold, striking scents and the electric energy of a late night 70s dance floor. The candle is absolutely stunning… The velvety rose and smoky tobacco notes fill the room with a warm, indulgent aroma that feels both glamorous and effortlessly inviting. It’s become the signature scent of my home!
What I love about Velvet Smoke is how that playful, creative energy shines through in every product – from their candles and Bath Soak to their sexy Salty Rims Margarita Glasses and ceramics. It feels luxurious and sophisticated, yet full of personality and a cheeky sense of fun. I can’t wait to see what they bring out next!
Jones Road Beauty was founded by the legendary makeup artist Bobbi Brown, who has always championed the idea that beauty should feel effortless, wearable and grounded in confidence. After decades of shaping some of the most recognisable makeup looks in the industry, she launched Jones Road to bring that same philosophy to a new generation; focusing on high-quality, multi-tasking products that are genuinely easy to use.
Bobbi wanted easy, cool staples that could work for any look… Whether it’s fresh, no-makeup makeup or something with a little more impact. That’s exactly what Jones Road delivers. The performance is brilliant and I always really enjoy using her products, there’s a simplicity to everything that makes getting ready feel uncomplicated.
Miracle Balm is such a standout for me! It gives the most beautiful, light-reflecting glow and makes skin look fresh and healthy in seconds. I love how versatile it is too, you can use it as a bronzer, blush, highlighter and so much more, which makes it such a brilliant multi-tasker in any makeup bag.
I’ve also been loving the Just Enough Tinted Moisturiser. It evens everything out while still letting your skin look like skin. It’s perfect for those days when you just want a fresh face – especially on holiday when you don’t want to wear too much but still feel put together.
Coming from digital and content backgrounds, Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Ireland knew exactly what their audience wanted when they co-founded Summer Fridays. This was hardworking formulas that look beautiful, feel luxurious and actually perform! The brand has become loved by so many for their glow boosting, skin loving products.
The Lip Butter Balms are a firm favourite of mine. They’re deeply nourishing, give the most gorgeous glossy finish and make lips look instantly smoother and fuller. The Jet Lag Mask and Jet Lag Eye Patches are other hero products! They’re perfect before events, when travelling or whenever skin feels tired and dehydrated.
Lisa Eldridge is one of the most respected makeup artists in the industry, with years of experience across campaigns, red carpet makeup and editorial shoots; but what I’ve always valued most is her genuine understanding of real women and real faces. She doesn’t just follow trends; she understands colour, texture and how makeup makes people feel. Every product is built on everything she’s learned as a makeup artist. Refined, considered and beautifully formulated. Every new product, I fall in love with! I use the Seamless Skin Tint most days.
Her True Velvet Lipsticks are iconic for a reason and one of my personal favourites! The pigment is great, the shades are gorgeous and they feel comfortable and velvety on the lips. The Seamless Skin Foundation is another winner for me. It gives that perfected second skin finish we’re always trying to achieve and it wears so well throughout the day. It’s buildable and melts into the skin beautifully.
Lorna is someone I’m lucky enough to call a really good friend, so it’s been amazing to watch her bring No98 Beauty to life. Lorna created the brand after her own experience with hair loss and wanting products that actually support healthier, stronger hair without complicated routines. Her focus is on high performance formulas that feel luxurious but are simple to use and really effective!
The Hydra Bond Hair Mask is a hero product and it’s such a brilliant treatment. It deeply hydrates, smooths and strengthens the hair while still feeling lightweight. I love how it leaves the hair so soft, glossy and much more manageable. I also love The Gloss Miracle Oil, which is a multi-benefit treatment perfect for smoothing the ends, adding shine and keeping frizz under control. Together they make such a great duo and leave hair looking healthy, polished and beautifully glossy.
Her palettes are truly iconic and honestly I reach for one of them most days. I absolutely love I Need a Nude and The Glam Palette. They’re so versatile and just work for everything. Whether I’m creating a soft daytime look or something more elevated, I get so much use out of them. The eyeshadows blend beautifully and give a high impact, flawless finish every time.
I’m also a big fan of the Hy-Glam Foundation and Concealer, they’re stunning on the skin and give that perfected, smooth look while still feeling comfortable and lightweight. It’s that combination of artistry and performance that makes Natasha’s products such staples in my kit and everyday routine.
Since joining the beauty community and launching her blog Really Ree in 2010, Ree has been passionate about sharing her love of makeup and the confidence it can bring. Ree was one of the first beauty bloggers I met when I was working at MAC.
It’s no surprise that after years of discovering, testing and sharing beauty, she felt like the natural next step was to create something of her own with Reeson. She worked with some of the best formulators in the business to develop a carefully curated edit of skincare-infused makeup that delivers an instant boost while caring for your skin over time.
These hardworking, versatile products are the ones you’ll reach for every day. I particularly love the Bronzing Balm, which adds the most gorgeous natural warmth while including active ingredients to hydrate and smooth the skin. Another favourite is the Highlighter Duo, a beautiful balm that gives a radiant, healthy glow. Both are effortless, effective and such a joy to use!
Dcypher was created out of a simple question: why should anyone have to compromise when it comes to their skin? Ruth spent 15 years in the beauty industry, working with brands like LVMH, Charlotte Tilbury, and UOMA Beauty. She saw the gap between what brands promised and what they could realistically deliver. Shade ranges kept expanding… 50, 70, even 100 options, but the fundamental problem remained, mass production can’t create a product tailored to you.
Their Custom Foundation is the result of that insight. It’s an incredibly clever concept and gives perfectly personalised coverage that feels lightweight, natural and radiant. The kind of foundation that truly works with your unique skin tone and texture. It’s a game changer and the shade matching is always so accurate! I also love the Glow Custom Drops and wear it most days.
Suzy Griffin Dunne launched Hildún Beauty to provide luxury, high-performance makeup that feels top-tier without the premium price tag. I have so many Hildun favourites! The formulas are brilliant and I find them so easy to work with and they deliver polished, elevated results.
One of my favourites has to be the Silk to Set Kajal Liner, it glides on like silk, smudges beautifully for a smoky effect and sets perfectly so it stays put all day. The Lip Pencils are gorgeous too, the creamy, highly pigmented formula is waterproof, transfer-resistant and long-wearing, making them a dream to apply!
Victoria Magrath started her career as a content creator and influencer, where she developed her understanding of what people truly want in high-quality beauty products. ByFrow reflects her belief that beauty should be luxurious yet approachable, empowering people to feel confident and effortless in every step.
Victoria is known for her attention to detail, meaning every product is thoughtfully formulated for performance, wearability, and a touch of glamour. I’m loving the new Pigment Pencils, they’re buttery soft and a dream to apply. Lips look sleek and naturally enhanced without feeling heavy; these pencils capture everything she knows about creating comfortable, wearable lip products, with a formula that glides effortlessly while still holding its shape beautifully.
Amy Liu spent over 15 years in the beauty industry, running marketing and brand strategy at Smashbox, Kate Somerville and Josie Maran, but she kept running into the same issue that nothing really worked on her sensitive, eczema-prone skin. That’s when she created Tower 28. A line of makeup and skincare that’s gentle, fun, safe and inclusive for a wide range of skin types!
Amy’s experience in beauty, her personal journey with sensitive skin and her dedication to creating gentle formulas have helped Tower 28 become one of the most talked about indie beauty brands! I absolutely love the MakeWaves mascara, it gives gorgeous soft and fluffy lashes and is so gentle on the eyes. The BeachPlease Lip + Cheek Cream Blush is also amazing! Its creamy formula blends beautifully into the skin for a healthy wash of colour on both the cheeks and lips.
