The debate about who runs the world is still up for debate, but certainly in the beauty world, women are taking the industry by storm. If there was ever a perfect time to celebrate women in the industry and their glowing achievements, now is the time.
Each of the brands we'll be focusing on in this article are the brainchildren of women. Each have their own unique and inspiring stories on what urged them to start their own brands and what experiences led them to dabble in beauty.
Our list includes much loved brands from celebrity icons like Rihanna's Fenty Beauty and brands with their own cult followings, such as Drunk Elephant and Glow Recipe.
We've rounded up some of the best female-founded beauty brands worth keeping on your radar for 2020, check out the full list below.
Best female founded beauty brands
1. Carol's Daughter - Hair Milk Curl Enhancing Styling Pudding
Founder - Lisa Price
The birth of this brand is truly a beautiful one, created in 1993 by Lisa Price in her Brooklyn kitchen, she began creating products for the skin and hair in the hopes she'd find that perfect combo. The good news is, she did.
Inspired to follow her dreams by her mother, Carole, this also gave the brand it's name. The brand has since become a staple in the beauty indexes for women of colour. From selling her recipes at flea markets in the humble beginnings, Carol's Daughter is now available in over 30,000 stores across the US.
The best selling curl milk offers a flake-free shine, for curls, waves and kinks; whilst being free from parabens, mineral oil and other chemicals.
Price: £17.49, Amazon - buy here now
2. Fenty Beauty - Slip Shine Sheer Shiny Lipstick
Founder - Rihanna
Since its launch in 2017, Rihanna's cosmetics line Fenty Beauty has paved the way for beauty collections far and wide.
What set the brand apart was the extensive range of shades available, the Fenty foundation was originally launched with 40 shades (now 50) making it super inclusive for everyone.
Another unique selling point was the attention to detail when it comes to undertones and flattering pigments for everyone.
The slip shine lipstick range comes in 10 colours and is an everyday, long wearing lipstick that keeps lips smooth.
Price: £19, Harvey Nichols - buy here now
3. Glossier - Super Pure Niacinamide + Zinc Serum
Founder - Emily Weiss
Glossier's no nonsense and fun approach to skin care, beauty and everything in between has awarded it a huge cult following, with customers repeatedly going back for more since its 2014 launch.
The founder created the brand with the idea in mind, to make beauty as much of an element of personal style as fashion.
This niacinamide + zinc serum is one of the brands bestsellers, it's vegan cruelty free and a recipe for dewy, glowing skin.
Price: £24, Glossier - buy here now
4. Briogeo - Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask
Founder - Nancy Twine
Nancy Twine left her position at Goldman Sachs in 2014 and then birthed the idea for Briogeo Hair. The brand now has a legion of loyal followers, thanks to specific ranges for for different hair textures.
The range is much loved for being free from a lot of the chemical nasties found in a lot of hair products, including sulfates, silicones and parabens. Instead, all ingredients are ethically sourced and cruelty-free.
The repair mask is one of their bestselling products, it's clinically proven to reduce hair breakage by 75% after just three uses.
Price: £34.99, Briogeo Hair - buy here now
5. Uoma Beauty - Stay Woke Concealer
Founder - Sharon Chuter
Inspired by her Nigerian heritage and keen to push the envelope when it comes to catering to a more diverse audience, UOMA Beauty is the line to think about.
The brand has an award winning foundation formula, available in a very generous 51 shades. The range is fun, presented in adorable packaging and massively pigmented for bold colour you'll love.
The Stay Woke Concealer offers full coverage and is available in over 20 shades.
Price: £12.50, Beauty Bay - buy here now
6. Glow Recipe - Papaya Sorbet Enzyme Cleansing Balm
Founders - Sarah Lee and Christine Chang
There's a lot to love about this cult beauty brand, the simple and colourful packaging is just one thing to love.
Glow Recipe was founded by dynamic duo Sarah Lee and Christine Chang, with a combined 20 years of experience in beauty field, you know it's bound to be good.
The brand specialises in Korean beauty, utilising fruit powered ingredients for effortless glowing skin, if you don't believe us - check Instagram and Pinterest. Their Papaya Cleansing Balm is a hit as the first part in your k-beauty regime.
Price: £29, Cult Beauty - buy here now
7. The Mane Choice - Tropical Moringa Sweet Oil & Honey Endless Moisture Sealing Cream
Founder - Courtney Adeleye
Some could say Courtney Adeleye stumbled upon this venture, it all started with her documenting her personal hair journey on Youtube. Soon enough she had a legion of fans asking her for tips, tricks and updates, which is how The Mane Choice was eventually born.
As of 2019, The Mane Choice is the only fully black-owned and operated hair care brand in the market.
For kinky, wavy and curls to die for, the brands Moisture Sealing Cream is a great option, infused with Moringa seed and biotin for healthy hair growth and retention.
Price: £19.25, Amazon - buy here now
8. Drunk Elephant - Hair & Body Littles Kit
Founder - Tiffany Masterson
Unless you've been living under a rock, Drunk Elephant needs no introduction. Bottles and jars emblazoned with an elephant graphic and colourful lids are how we recognise the brand. The host of skin loving ingredients is what makes us love the brand.
After suffering with skin concerns of her own, founder Tiffany set out to create a range that is gentle on skin, but super effective. The range has been developed with both natural and synthetic ingredients, it's doing something right because the internet is crazy about the brand.
This set of minis for your hair and face is great to discover your personal favourites.
Price: £41, Space NK - buy here now
9. Cienna Rose - Pretty in Pink Collection
Founder - Carla Opoku
Vegan nail brand Cienna Rose was born after founder Carla moved to Africa and discovered she has a lack of access to long lasting nail lacquers.
The 12 Free formula is enriched with vitamins and minerals to increase your experience and keep nails healthy.
The Pretty in Pink collection is perfect for summer and comes in an array of pigmented tones, from the nude and pale pinks to the bold hot pink tones.
Price: £40, Cienna Rose - buy here now
10. Cake Beauty - The Thick Trick Volumizing Styling Foam
Founder - Heather Reier
The first notable thing to mention about Heather Reier's brand Cake Beauty, is everything and we mean everything smells delicious.
With a range of gorgeous smelling, vegan and cruelty-free products to choose from - whether it's hair or skin care there's something for everyone.
15 years ago the brand was developed in a kitchen, now it's quickly establishing a cult following (of course it would when everything smells like cake).
Pink packaging and very reasonable price tags are just another reason to love the brand. The Thick Trick isn't a trick, it really works and again, smells ridiculously good.
Price: £8.99, Boots - buy here now
If you're a makeup enthusiast, now is the time to top up on your summer beauty must-haves. Check out the best new makeup palettes available to buy in the UK today.
