This week, I chatted with the founders of some of beauty’s hottest brands about how they converted their expertise in makeup, skin and hair into their own lines. Additionally, Maison Crivelli joins the growing perfume row along Paris’s Rue Saint-Honoré, and Caudalie Group makes its first major acquisition.
‘The best stage is before you launch, because nobody knows you’re launching’: Three of beauty’s top founders share the secrets to building a brand
You’ve seen Mary Phillips’ work for years. The makeup artist has worked with everyone from Penelope Cruz to Hailey Bieber, translating her signature underpainting technique into red carpet-ready glamor. But you may have only learned her name in 2023. That was when creator Tara Sigari posted a now-viral tutorial outlining Phillips’ approach to makeup.
Phillips, already an established makeup artist, knew it was time to take the next step. In 2025, she launched M.ph Beauty with a line of lip liners and lipsticks and, of course, her underpainting contour and highlighting palette.
“I was just getting, like, thousands and thousands of videos, and I knew that was the moment,” said Phillips.
But being a successful makeup artist is different from being a successful brand founder. On Friday, Glossy welcomed Phillips, along with Dr. Shereene Idriss, founder and CEO of the Dr. Idriss skin-care line, and Mara Roszak, founder and CEO of Rōz Hair, to Glossy POP NYC at the Fashion Institute of Technology. There, the three founders shared their stories of translating their expertise in their respective fields to some of the hottest brands in beauty.
Below are excerpts from their conversation, edited for clarity.
On doing it on your own
Roszak: “I had 20 years as a hairstylist as background. So again, product [was] locked. But how to build a business? Not a clue. And I thought I needed a partner, like a co-founder, to start. I did end up doing it more on my own. I never found the co-founder. And I feel like that was such a great lesson. And any time I talk to an entrepreneur now, obviously I only know my own story, but I’m like, ‘You can do this. When you think you can’t, you can. Just talk to anyone that will pick up the phone that can teach you something.’”
On taking your time
Dr. Idriss: “The best stage is before you launch, because nobody knows you’re launching. So take your time. We were in development for, like, two and a half years, and it just felt like a silent pregnancy. It’s actually the best time, because that’s the time you can really take your time. Once you’re out of gates, you don’t really have that luxury so much, and so really enjoy that quiet time.”
On sharing your secrets
Phillips: “I was kind of hoarding my techniques for so long. My clients, when I would do underpainting on them, would be like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve never had anyone do this before.’ And I was like, ‘Really?’ We don’t see what other artists do. I see what other hair stylists do. I never get to see the makeup artists in action. So, before, I’m aging myself right now, but before Instagram and the internet, I didn’t really know what other people were doing.”
Image credit: Benjamin Esakof/Halo Creative Studios for Glossy
Executive moves:
- Swan Beauty brings on Dr. Michelle Henry as chief medical advisor. The board-certified dermatologist will work with the smart mirror brand to create educational content around skin care.
- Dermalogica named Vivianna Blanch as global chief marketing officer. Blanch previously held roles at LVMH and L’Oréal, including most recently as svp of U.S. marketing and international at the LVMH-owned Benefit Cosmetics.
- The Fragrance Foundation UK appoints Kelly Reade as CEO. Reade, who most recently served as vp, global communications at Jo Malone London, succeeds Linda Key Jackson in the role.
News to know:
- Puig to take full ownership of Isdin in a €1.2 billion deal. The Spanish conglomerate announced on Monday that it will assume Corporación Químico-Farmacéutica Esteve’s 50% stake in the sunscreen brand, giving Puig 100% ownership.
- Maison Crivelli opens its first store in Paris. The French niche perfume brand founded in 2018 opened shop on Rue Saint-Honoré, joining numerous other fragrance brands with an outpost on the high-end shopping street.
- Caudalie Group takes a majority stake in Talm in its first acquisition. Talm was first launched in 2021 with a focus on post-partum and pregnancy-friendly skin-care products. Founder Kenza Keller will remain as CEO.
Stat of the week:
More than 2,000 attendees visited Sephora’s booth at the U.S. Open Finals Fan Fest weekend. The LVMH-owned makeup giant signed on as the first beauty retail partner of the New York City tennis tournament, following the likes of beauty brands like Dove and Mecca that have invested in the sport.
In the headlines:
Are you showering all wrong? Catching up with 7 of the “golden era” beauty YouTubers. The Lipstick Lesbians give update on Leaked Labs following Leak 001 product backlash. Influencers didn’t ruin the U.S. Open. They just made it more boring.
Listen in:
In today’s episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast, Milani Cosmetics CEO Mary van Praag sits down with host Lexy Lebsack to discuss Milani’s growth engine, including the tactics and retail partnerships she’s betting on to reach $500 million in annual sales in the next three years.
Need a Glossy recap?
Ulta Beauty doubles down on wellness with the launch of Midi Health. Dedcool is betting on a $1 million NYFW pop-up, OOH blitz to break through the crowded fragrance landscape with new launch. Westman Atelier and ShopMy are taking affiliate shopping IRL. Pop Newsletter: How Ariana Grande’s R.E.M. Beauty capitalized on the Eternal Sunshine Tour to drive engagement and sales
