11 best products now on sale from women owed beauty brands
it's already black friday.
hello!
it’s only monday but the entire mall is on sale, and i say that as someone recently returned from the mall. black friday is here early — so where to put our money? on top products from brands founded by women. 11 of my favorites are below (and i say that as a former beauty editor who honestly can’t believe how much better products are when they’re developed by the ladies). top choice: the beija flor. if it works for you, it’s amazing: the act+acre. best story: please read the backstory on ami colé, it’s amazing.
x
1 alpyn beauty’s cold cream cleanser: obsessed with this cleanser that’s not as drying as a bar or as oily as (yes) an oil. owned by Kendra Kolb Butler, formerly of dr. dennis gross. sitewide 25% off (30% for orders >$150) — i will add here that they just redid their wordmark and as a former beauty editor/current typography student i’m obsessed. (btw the cleanser still has the old one but if you want to see the new font see it on the barrier repair cream.) cold cream cleanser, was $39, now $29.25
2 ami colé’s midnight kiss duo lip treatment oil: add gold or silver sparkle to your lips, and it’s limited edition. cinna would love this (as do i, it’s like a versatile seasoning for absolutely any lipstick you own and instantly holiday-ifying.) founded and CEO’d by Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye, whose entrepreneurial story is extremely inspirational — like, it will literally inspire you to go after whatever it is you want. highly, highly recommended recommended. midnight kiss duo lip treatment oil, was $40, now $26.25
3 sol de janeiro’s beija flor elasti-cream: i (a) use this all the time, (b) have absolutely never, not once, observed that it is “elasticity-boosting” as promised, and (c) completely do not care because i love how it smells that much. founded by Harvard Business School grad Heela Yang, though the l’Occitane Group has been the majority stakeholder since 2021. everything is 20% off. beija flor elasti-cream, was $48, now $40
4 tower 28’s beachplease cream blush (in happy hour!): one product for cheeks + lips + there you go out the door, to a fabulous day. co-founded and CEO’d by makeup vet Amy Liu, formerly of josie maran, katie somerville and smashbox. 20% off, or 28% off with purchases over $50. beachplease, was $20, now $16
5 shani darden’s triple acid signature peel: i tried this peel the old-fashioned way (i.e. reading about it in vogue instead of watching about it on tiktok) and i’ve used it as a slightly gentler swap out for drunk elephant’s babyfacial mask. not on sale yet but watch this space — they did 25% off last year and you gotta think they’ll do it again. founded by the titular Shani Darden, the celeb-favorite Beverly Hills esthetician. triple acid signature peel, $125 (but watch that space)
6 dae’s cactus fruit 3-in-1 styling cream: having tried many of dae’s products, i have found them a little gentle for my hair, with the exception of their styling cream. it’s made for my fine, wavy, fragile and yet still frizz-prone hair, allowing me to air dry with fuss. if you’ve tried the others, give this a shot — if nothing else it smells like the best of vacations, and everything’s 25% off. founded by influencer/entrepreneur Amber Fillerup Clark. cactus fruit 3-in-1 styling cream, was $30, now $22.50.
7 act+acre’s stem cell scalp serum: as someone who’s written for the cut about fragile/breakable hair, i feel like this is one of the few products i’ve tried in the “hair wellness” space that made any diff, though remember you really do have to wait 3-6 months to see a change. co-owned by celebrity hairstylist Helen Reavey, with her husband. i haven’t tried their other products but have heard the daily care (i.e. shampoo + conditioner) are nbd, and that the other treatments are worth it (but don’t know first-hand). stem cell scalp serum, was $86, now $64.50
8 fara homidi’s essential lip compact: the price is horrible but the product is great and the packaging is amaze. slightly bonus: refills are about half as much. similar to shani harden: not on sale yet but keep an eye out, they did 25% off last year. founded by New York City makeup artist Fara Homidi. essential lip compact, $88
9 phlur’s vanilla skin: it’s not a dupe for my favorite perfume, le labo’s vanille 44, but let’s just say that it has the same spirit. owned and creative director’d by Chrisselle Kim. not on sale yet but it’s coming: vanilla skin, now $99
10 summer fridays’ jet lag mask: i’ve tried some products from this brand i didn’t love (like the super amino gel cleanser — basically the only cleanser i tossed before i finished it), but i actually use the jetlag mask every time i fly, if only to avoid my mom saying “you look really tired” the morning after i get home. foudned by Marianna Hewitt And Lauren Gores Ireland, with investment from private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners. jet lag mask, was $49, $39.20 with code CYBER
11 vyrao: truth, i’ve never smelled these, so i can’t vouch for them, but i have seen the bottles up close and they are gorgeous — check out the free 00. founded by Yasmin Sewell, a fashion industry veteran. their black friday deal: buy a 50ml perfume, get a free candle.
final notes:
laneige is definitely not female founded (“founded by Amorepacific Corporation”) but i love these limited-edition laneige lip sleeping mask in candy cane
every day this week a different brand is significantly discounted at sephora — today (and today only) it’s 30% off on fresh — i rec the soy cleanser (boring but effective) and the lotus youth preserve moisturizer, which i literally just lather on my face when i’m sad
lush has an extremely incredible array of wicked-related bath products rn. i love all of them even as i’m not sure i want to own any of them, if that makes sense, primarily the glinda’s wand bubble bar with rose oil.
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xx