It’s beyond difficult to launch a beauty brand that becomes a household name. It’s even harder to do it twice. Yet here are these skincare and makeup visionaries, and they’re sharing some of their magic. Ahead, serial entrepreneurs Bobbi Brown, Wende Zomnir, and Nyakio Grieco share the inspiration behind their latest ventures, reflect on the current state of the beauty industry, weigh in on what consumers *really* want, and more—all in his own words.
Then: Bobbi Brown Cosmetics
Now: Jones Road Beauty
What: Hassle-free multitasking makeup and skincare.
Where: At jonesroadbeauty.com and credobeauty.com
How many: $7 to $44 per product and $68 to $114 per kit
courtesy image
How would you describe the aesthetic of Jones Road?
It is really a fresh and healthy look. There are thicker, fuller coverage, sleeker brands out there, but that’s just not my vibe. With Jones Road, I am finally allowed to do what I believe in: beauty that is easy and makes people look better but still like themselves.
Where does the name Jones Road come from?
It was important to me to launch this on the same day that my non-compete ended. Nothing was going to stop me, except the name. We had containers, we had formulas, but we had no name. I was driving to the Hamptons one day and I saw “JonesRoad” on Waze and I was like, “Oh my gosh! The beauty of Jones Road!” The team loved it.
Brown launched Jones Road 25 years after selling her eponymous makeup line to Estée Lauder in 1995.
You have a lot of followers on TikTok. How did that start?
My son helped convince me to get into TikTok. He pulled the phone from him and said, “Okay, mom, go away.” I was literally bombarded with hundreds of comments like, “I can’t believe you’re here! What makeup should I wear? So I started giving lessons and our sales quadrupled.
Many of Jones Road’s products are multi-purpose. What inspired that?
I am easily distracted and don’t always put things back where they should be, so I never know what’s in my makeup bag. I’ve been like this all my life. If I go to someone’s house for dinner and all I have is a brown pencil and some lip gloss and I just have to be rudimentary and think that it works. So I’ll take the brown pencil. I’ll outline my eyes. I will lightly fill out my forehead. I’ll probably use it to cover a couple of gray hairs, and in a pinch and I’m not recommending it to anyone, if there’s a lip balm in there somewhere I could mix it up and make some cream blush or lip balm. stain. I really like the idea of just a few products that can be used to do a bunch of different things.
Of all the products in your line, what do you tell people to try first?
The Mascara and the Miraculous Balm. People say our mascara is not just the best clean mascara, but the best mascara they’ve ever tried. And once you try Miracle Balm, you’ll be hooked and want to know what else is out there. It is such an easy product to use.
Shop the Jones Road Beauty Collection:
Jones Road The Face Pencil
Jones Road Best Eyeshadow
Then: urban decay
Now: Caliray
What: Eye, lip, and face products with skincare benefits, clean ingredients, and a makeup-free feel.
Where: At caliraybeauty.com and sephora.com
How many: $13 to $39 per product
julia abner
What is the inspiration behind the new brand?
When I was traveling the world launching Urban Decay, the first thing people would ask me was, “Tell me about California! Do you drink kale smoothies? Do you surf? They were universally interested in the California vibe: the freedom and the feeling of sunshine.
Caliray focuses on wellness. Have you always been into it?
I’m trying to highlight and amplify things that I did in Urban Decay that weren’t so obvious on the surface. At Urban, we were one of the first brands to remove parabens from our products. We had a zero-gas office with yoga classes for team members and a biodynamic garden where people could hand-pick produce to make salads. I have a background in wellness and am really leaning into that with Caliray.
Zomnir co-founded beauty giant Urban Decay in 1996. The brand is now owned by L’Oréal.
How are you managing sustainability?
We use eco-friendly materials and packaging as much as possible, and if there’s a case where we have to use something like virgin plastic, I’m honest with the consumer about it. Transparency is key. There is also a large part of the population that does not know or participate in sustainable beauty, and we are trying to change that. One of the reasons our packaging is so bright and happy is that people associate sustainability with a joyful experience. I recently saw a statistic that it takes at least seven times for someone to internalize something they see, so we’ll keep emphasizing the importance of being better for the planet until it sticks.
Besides the internet, what’s the biggest difference between starting a beauty brand in 2022 and 1996?
You don’t have to be part of a big corporation to make it big. There is a whole cottage industry around supporting independent beauty founders. Even the big contract manufacturers go to great lengths to pick a few different brands that fly under the radar and think they might blow up. I like to think that I helped pave a small dirt road that eventually became a super highway for all this independent beauty to happen. For me, that’s really gratifying. There are so many great little brands and people with creative vision. That’s all it is.
If you had to choose two Caliray favourites, what would they be?
I would say our Come Hell or High Water Mascara and our Freedreaming Clean Blurring Skin Tint. I have heard women complain about mascara for years. They want volume and length without staining. This formula does all of that: it’s high performance and the tube is made from 100% recycled ocean plastics. And our leather dye is so easy and flexible. If I’m just running down the street or around town, I put a few drops on my fingers and dab it on and instantly look a little brighter and more groomed.
Our Caliray Favorites:
Caliray Freedreaming Clean Blurring Skin Tint
Caliray Glazed & Infused Lip Plumper Gloss
Caliray Come Hell or High Water Volumizing Tube Mascara
Caliray Just Add Rays Universal Translucent Shine Enhancing Drops
Then: Nyakio
Now: Relevant: Your skin seen
What: High performance skin care formulated with all skin types and tones in mind.
Where: Enrelevantskin.com and trecelune.com
How many: $28 to $76 for individual products and $88 for a set
nyakio greek
How do you approach inclusion in the beauty industry?
I always say that inclusion is not a trend for me. I have been black all my life and always will be. I love being part of a collective of people of color who are on a mission to make the beauty industry more inclusive and are creating products for everyone. There is a myth that black and brown people make products only for black and brown people. Of course, when we create our products, they have to work for our skin and hair, but Relevant is truly for everyone. We all have skin worth seeing, worth considering.
The beauty space is very crowded. What makes a brand stand out?
You need a reason to exist that is not just a product. Gen Zers and younger consumers are shopping for good, shopping for sustainability. People often buy from people before they buy a product, so it’s important for founders to stand their ground and share what they’re passionate about and how they’re serving others. You can build an extremely profitable business and do good at the same time.
Grieco launched his first brand Nyakio Beauty (now owned by Unilever) more than 20 years ago.
You launched Relevant with just one product: One & Done. Why?
I am a busy mom and do-it-yourselfer, so I wanted to create a daily moisturizer that would follow all the steps at once. One & Done is a four-in-one moisturizer, foundation, serum, and SPF. Melanoma rates are rising, and many black and brown people are skipping SPF, likely due to a lack of education about the harmful effects of UV exposure or an inability to find a sunscreen that blends easily into the skin. There’s no excuse not to use this formula – it has no white cast and makes skin glow.
He is also a co-founder of the e-retailer Thirteen Lune. What are some of the products you currently love on the site?
All the brands we sell have a rich history of founders. They all have beautiful, effective products and important stories to share. Personally, I am obsessed with Mary Louise’s Mississippi Mud Mask and Ami Cole’s Lash Amplifying Mascara. Every time I try to switch it up and try a different mascara for the day, I end up saying, “Ugh, I wish I was wearing my Ami Cole.” I love him so much.
What excites you about the future of Relevant: Your Skin Seen?
As a founder who has been around for literally decades, I am finally in my happy place. I didn’t always have a seat at the scientific table, but now I get to work with the best cosmetic ingredients and chemists and new innovations on the market. So when I think about expansions into other categories like fragrance and skin and all the wonderful things that I’m developing, I feel so empowered. It all comes from a place that is very thoughtful about how to best serve all communities in beauty.
4 must-try picks from Relevant: Your Skin Seen:
Featured: Your Skin Seen One & Done Everyday Cream SPF 40
Relevant: Your Skin Seen Melt It Off Balm Cleanser
Relevant: Your Skin Seen Sol Tone Resurface & Glow Solution
Relevant: Your Skin Seen Lights Out Resting Mask