The Glossy 50 honors the year’s biggest changemakers across fashion and beauty. More from the series →
Born out of a mission to protect the bees and their environment, Gisou has evolved into a destination for high-quality, honey-infused hair-care products.
This year, the 9-year-old brand made strides by focusing on product expansion, community and creative marketing, said founder Negin Marsalehi. For example, in March, it launched a tinted assortment of its bestselling Honey Infused Lip Oils, which sold out in just three days. And in September, for the first time, it invited members of its community to its Mirsalehi Bee Garden in Amsterdam to experience the origins of Gisou firsthand.
In April, to promote the tinted lip oils, Gisou gifted select influencers with a Gisou x Create Fridge full of fruit and the brand’s bestsellers. Mirsalehi’s post about the “girl fridge” went viral, earning 14 million views and 700,000 likes. And in total, in just 11 days, the campaign generated $8.8 million in earned media value. Gisou gained 140,000 new followers across its accounts as a result.
Marsalehi said these social-first strategies have helped the brand achieve significant growth across its social accounts. This year, Gisou’s social community grew by 1 million followers, increasing its followers by 133% on TikTok and 66% on Instagram. On TikTok specifically, engagement has increased by 565% compared to 2023, while Instagram engagement has increased by 183%.
“Our greatest impact has been in the way we’ve connected with our community. We’re focused on fostering engagement and authentic connections,” Mirsalehi said. “We’ve proven that authentic engagement leads to sustainable growth.”
According to a June report, the company is projected to generate $50 million to $75 million in 2024 revenue. And, in April, Gisou had the highest EMV across all hair- and skin-care brands in the U.S. and Europe, according to creator marketing platform CreatorIQ.
Moving forward, Mirsalehi told Glossy that amplifying Gisou’s advocacy around the importance of bee preservation and expanding its product assortment will be top of mind. “We’re focused on expanding our product line with innovative formulations rooted in the benefits of our Mirsalehi Honey, deepening our connection with our community and growing our global presence,” said Mirsalehi.
