10 Female Beauty Brand Founders to Support During Women’s History Month and Beyond

You’ll flip for these illuminating beauty brands and their inspiring female creators.

March has been nationally recognized as Women’s History Month since the 1980’s, and while celebrating women-owned brands is engrained in the DNA at Beautytap, we’re reflecting on an array of game-changers you (and your skin!) will be grateful to learn about.

Here, meet ten powerful brands and the awe-inspiring women who bring them to life.

1. Kim Kimble Haircare

Stylist to the stars Kim Kimble comes from a long line of strong, hardworking women: Kimble’s mother and grandmother were both stylists. Before she launched her own haircare line and styled the hair of stars like Beyonce, Halle Berry, Rihanna, and Mary J. Blige, Kimble learned the basics from her roots. In her early career, just after graduating from beauty school, Kimble worked at her mother’s salon shampooing hair. Those early days laid the groundwork for her to create the innovative techniques she’s known for today.

For Kimble, success is all about combining hard work and mindset. “You know the phrase, ‘When preparation meets opportunity?’ You always have to be ready for something,” she told E! Online. “When you get your mind set in preparing for something, you don't have time to doubt.”

2. CLE Cosmetics

Lauren Jin, founder of innovative, minimalist brand CLE Cosmetics, took her inspiration from her career beginnings in the world of fashion. She loved the way each garment could tell a story and wanted to expand that concept through beauty and skincare. CLE is guided by a philosophy that there is no right or wrong way to feel beautiful, and that embracing your truest natural self is the best way to highlight your inner glow.

The brand’s inclusive approach encourages an open-ended beauty experience, in which each customer creates their own rituals based on their own unique identity and skincare needs. After all, beauty is better when it’s inclusive!

3. Versed

Versed founder Katherine Power is known for making her mark on brands that bring more joy into the lives of women - including Who What Wear, Merit Beauty, and wine brand Avaline.

Versed started with a simple goal: to be the cleanest drugstore skincare brand. With formulas and packaging created with an eye toward the health of both your skin and the planet, they’ve more than succeeded. Power’s eye toward brands that women will love has made Versed a cult hit and filled a key void in the world of clean beauty.

4. Keys Soulcare

The story of Keys Soulcare, a brand created with music legend Alicia Keys and board-certified dermatologist Dr. Renee Snyder, has been in the making since long before its official launch in 2021. Back in 2016, the “Girl On Fire” singer stopped wearing makeup when she realized she’d become dependent on it for her confidence. When she ditched the lipstick and mascara, she dove deeper into her long-held passion for skincare and ancient beauty rituals. 

Those interests are reflected in each of Keys Soulcare’s products, which intend to inspire consumers to celebrate their inner goddess. Keys Soulcare is designed as an experience and encourages you to “turn your routine into ritual,” including featuring inspiring affirmations on the packaging. 

Just like Keys’ music, Keys Soulcare encourages confidence and clarity on exactly what we want, and exactly what makes us happy.

5. 54 Thrones

54 Thrones founder Christina Tegbe knew from the beginning of her business that she wanted every angle of her brand to lift women up. “When starting 54 Thrones, I knew I wanted to create a business that supported and empowered women in the workplace, but it was also important to me that all facets of my business reflected this,” Tegbe told Beautytap. “Which is why I have partnered with amazing women-led collectives throughout Africa to source our natural ingredients. When you empower a woman, you empower a community, a nation, and the world at large. 54 Thrones not only honors and respects the women that have helped shape the brand into what it is today, but it also pays tribute to the women that have come before us, by carrying on their ancient beauty rituals, keeping their traditions and memories alive.”

54 Thrones celebrates the richness and diversity of the African continent with clean yet decadent skincare. 54 Thrones’ products are rooted in beauty rituals that have been handed down from generation to generation of women.

“I have been blessed to be warmly welcomed into a community of strong and successful women that have shared their experience, wisdom, and time to help me grow 54 Thrones,” she shared. “As a business owner this is something I will continue to pass down to the next generation of aspiring entrepreneurs.”

6. Tata Harper

Tata Harper’s clean beauty brand is inspired by the women in her family. "As a young girl, I grew up in a household of strong, entrepreneurial women that loved beauty,” Harper told Beautytap. “From a young age, I had an appreciation for helping women embrace their individuality and helping women to be the best version of themselves. As a female entrepreneur, I want to motivate young women to become leaders and it gives me hope knowing that so much change is underway.”

When Harper couldn’t find all-natural beauty products that met her standards for quality and efficacy, she tapped into her own entrepreneurial roots to create her own. Along the journey of running her business, Harper has become even more passionate about economic opportunities for women.

“As a brand we believe that women deserve equal opportunity in the workplace,” Harper said. “Gender equality and women’s rights have gained so much well-deserved presence in the media and global stage. It is inspiring to see women all over the world standing up and demanding to have our voices heard, though we still face many challenges. I have more hope for my daughters and future generations as women today are paving the way for a more equal future."

7. Mer-Sea

Founded by two close friends, Mer-Sea is inspired by all things travel. Founders Lina Dickinson and Melanie Bolin launched the brand with the goal of capturing the nostalgic scents that take us back to our favorite vacations and memories. Today, the brand has expanded to include a captivating array of travel essentials to carry with you on your next adventure.

The ladies have some wisdom for fellow female founders: stick with it. “Persistence is resilience,” they told Authority Magazine. “If someone tells you no, keep at it. We’ve been told ‘no’ what feels like one million times. You have to keep your focus and carry on in what you believe you can accomplish.”

8. Tower 28

Inspired by the sunny SoCal coast, Tower 28 was designed with sensitive skin in mind. Founder Amy Liu had sensitive skin her whole life, which always made choosing beauty products a complicated process of trial and error.

When Liu had daughters who experienced similar skin sensitivities to her own, the idea for Tower 28 was born. Liu created a fun, non-toxic brand her daughters could use that wouldn’t irritate their skin - and the rest is history!

9. Kosas

Kosas is a stylish beauty brand that puts skincare first, with clean beauty products that feel smooth and comfortable on your skin. The products are formulated to provide skincare benefits that last long after you wash off your makeup for the night.

Kosas founder Sheena Yaitanes first discovered an interest in beauty as a little girl, when her mother worked in the cosmetics industry. Yaitanes told Live The Process that her childhood home was filled with boxes of products from her mom’s job, which she would play with as she learned more about how cosmetics worked. Now as a mom to a daughter of her own, she’s continuing her family’s legacy of strong, confident women in the beauty industry.

10. Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury’s iconic beauty brand celebrates all things glam. Tilbury has long been a champion of women, supporting organizations like Women For Women International and encouraging all women to celebrate what they love most about themselves. 

The brand is operated on the belief that “beauty is not an exclusive club,” and that every woman should have the tools at her fingertips to transform her appearance into any look she feels most confident in.