In celebration of International Women’s Day, we tapped some of the most inspiring females in the beauty space for their best piece of professional and beauty advice, their can’t-live-without product and a peek into what makes them feel their most confident selves.
Carmen Tal, cofounder of Moroccanoil
Career Counsel: “Trust your instincts and believe in yourself no matter what anyone else says. Be open to the possibilities and trust the universe—something good is coming your way.”
Best Beauty Tip: “Allow yourself the extra time to style your hair in the morning. I find that when I give myself time for a blowout, I feel amazing and ready to conquer the day.”
Desert Island Product: “I can’t live without a good face moisturizer, but I obviously need to have Moroccanoil Treatment with me! I use it every day for softer, stronger, shinier, and healthier hair.”
Power Moves: “When I sit with my team and am part of the creative process, and something comes from it as moves the meeting forward, that’s what makes me feel most powerful—to be part of the amazing team at Moroccanoil. That, and high heels, of course!”
Carrie Strom, SVP AbbVie, President, Global Allergan Aesthetics
Career Counsel: “Hire for attitude, train for skill. A good attitude cannot be coached, either you have it or you don’t. This is especially important in customer-focused businesses like ours. When building our teams we look for people who embody the 5 H’s: happy, humble, hustle, humor and honesty.”
Best Beauty Tip: “Beauty is for yourself, not for others. If you want to cut your hair super short, go for it! If you love dark smoky eyes in the daytime, rock it! Do what makes you feel confident and happy.”
Desert Island Product: “SkinMedica Total Defense + Repair Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 34. If I’m going to be stranded on a deserted island, I’ll want a sunscreen that protects against not just UV light but harmful infrared rays, too.”
Power Move: “My most powerful workday look is a fresh, clean face, just after a DiamondGlow facial! Hair pulled up, glasses on, a dash of red lipstick and a well-cut blazer.”
Joanna Czech, renowned aesthetician
Career Counsel: “I was never given professional advice. Any professional choices I have made have been me following my own instinct.”
Best Beauty Tip: “Concentrate on your night-time routine, as products are about 60-percent more effective when the body is at rest. It was my mother who received it from her mother and also part of my culture growing up in Poland.”
Desert Island Product: “Environ A, C & E Oil. It contains the best combination of vitamins for skin health. It is strengthening, it supports collagen production and it is a great antioxidant.”
Power Move: “I feel stronger both mentally and physically when I am in shape, working out regularly and eating intuitively.”
Marianna Hewitt, cofounder of Summer Fridays
Career Counsel: “Don’t be afraid of being told ‘no,’ enjoy the journey, and it’s OK to not know everything. Your entrepreneurial journey has so many ups and downs, but these pieces of advice have helped me in so many ways, especially on the days that are tough.“
Best Beauty Tip: “Always wear SPF! I use so many products in my skin-care routine, like our Summer Fridays CC Me Vitamin C Serum, retinol and chemical exfoliants, that incorporating a sunscreen in my routine is a must!”
Desert Island Product: “If I was stuck on a desert island, I would need all the extra hydration. That’s why I would choose the Summer Fridays Cloud Dew Oil Free Gel Cream Moisturizer. It’s an oil- and fragrance-free gel cream formula with hyaluronic acid and glycerin. This would be much-needed for any type of weather and it’s a must in my skin-care routine!”
Power Move: “A good skin day, fresh blowout or a full face of makeup is when I feel the most confident. Also, my beauty routine—no matter how it varies—makes me feel my most powerful and confident.”
Nancy Twine, founder of Briogeo
Career Counsel: “Never rush into launching an idea—put in the needed work to make a business plan and learn the industry.”
Best Beauty Tip: “Don’t underestimate the power of regular sleep! I do my best to get eight hours of shut-eye a night. In the morning, my skin, eyes and face look and feel more refreshed.“
Desert Island Product: “Our Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask. When your hair is healthy, you don’t have to wear much makeup, or any at all, because your natural beauty shines through. This treatment hair mask is my staple for maintaining strong, healthy hair.“
Power Move: “When I’m able to maintain a regular workout schedule, I feel stronger, balanced and healthier from the inside out. On most days, I’m up at 6:30 a.m. and squeezing in a workout—it gives me such a burst of energy and helps me conquer the day!“
Susanne Kaufmann, founder of Susanne Kaufmann Skincare
Career Counsel: “Be authentic.”
Best Beauty Tip: “Adapt a holistic and clean approach that places prevention as the focal point of health. Your daily regime—that includes sleep, nutrition, fitness and skin and body care—can play a huge part in your overall health and wellbeing.”
Desert Island Product: “I swear by our Eye Cream Line A, it’s one of my favorite products. I always recommend applying an eye cream daily because for me, the first impression of a person is always reflected through their eyes.”
Power Move: “I always reach for a red lipstick whenever I have an important meeting or event.”
Shani Darden, celebrity aesthetician and founder of Shani Darden Skin Care
Career Counsel:“Work hard and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there! Be yourself and don’t be afraid that people won’t like you.”
Best Beauty Tip: “The best beauty advice I’ve ever been given was to start using a retinol as soon as possible. I saw early on what an amazing, transformative effect it has on the skin and fell in love with it.”
Desert Island Product: “Sunscreen, always and forever.”
Power Moves: “I feel most powerful when my hair is perfectly curled. A good pair of shoes doesn’t hurt either!”
Sarah Lee and Christine Chang, cofounders and co-CEOs of Glow Recipe
Career Counsel: “Always put your customer first. From the early days of Glow Recipe, our customers have been a huge part of the conversation and direction of the brand. In the current digital age, it’s more important than ever to make sure you’re listening to your customer base and truly hearing what they need from you.” –CC
Best Beauty Tip: “My mother instilled in me at a very young age the importance of keeping skin clean and bare as long as possible instead of leaving makeup on. When I would return from school as a young girl, it was my daily ritual to cleanse my face right away so that the dirt and grime from the day wouldn’t be sitting on my face longer than necessary.” –SL
Desert Island Product: “Our Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops, which is an amazing skin-care-makeup hybrid that has so many incredible usages.” –CC
Power Move: “I feel the most powerful when I can take a step back and be proud of the growth of our brand and the rockstar Glow Recipe team that has contributed to what it is today. What began as an inspiration from our mothers and grandmothers steeped in our Korean culture has become the foundation of a brand we are so proud of, which has been the most rewarding and powerful part.” –SL
“My daughter is one of my greatest inspirations. She helps me to see the world with fresh eyes. I started Glow Recipe when she was very young and she’s been able to see a lot of the milestones we’ve experienced along the way as she grows.” –CC
Hope Smith, cofounder and CEO of MUTHA
Career Counsel: “Your passion is your purpose.”
Best Beauty Tip: “Healthy skin is about taking care of your inside. Drink plenty of water because most fine lines and wrinkles are dehydration! Oh, and always double cleanse at night and single cleanse in the morning.”
Desert Island Product: “MUTHA Body Butter because skin health is my priority and this is thick and full of goodness.”
Power Move: “Changing the lives of the most vulnerable amongst us makes me feel more powerful than anything else I do. One of the ways we do this is through our giveback partnership with International Medical Corps to educate nurses and midwives where maternal and infant mortality is the highest. Also, on a lighter note, Pat McGrath Labs Full Panic Lipstick is my power color for when I’m all business.”
Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton, founder and CEO of Chillhouse
Career Counsel: “Always stay working on your personal brand. You are more than your business, or your employer. Don’t forget to look out for you—whatever that looks like.”
Best Beauty Tip: “Gua Sha is nature’s Botox. Facts.”
Desert Island Product: “Caudalie Beauty Elixir and a good SPF oil.”
Power Move: “A day of healthy decisions where I get a quality workout in makes me feel my best. It’s often the days where work flows nicely, opportunities pour in, and everyone around me is in a good mood. Ha!”
Leyla Milani-Khoshbin, cofounder and CEO of HAIRtamin
Career Counsel: “Collaboration over competition. In the fast-paced age of social media, and the ‘overnight success’ stories, it’s easy to compare yourself to just about anyone. I learned early on, it’s always in your favor, especially as a woman, to collaborate and share ideas with others rather than compete. We all win when we come together as women.”
Best Beauty Tip: “Don’t wash your hair every day and less is more when it comes with injectable fillers.”
Desert Island Product: “A good, hydrating lip balm, preferably with SPF. I love the COOLA Liplux and of course our HAIRtaminGummy Stars to satisfy my sweet tooth while keeping my hair healthy and growing.”
Power Moves: “For me, it’s all about setting goals, both short-term and long-term, and pushing myself every day to achieve it all. Knowing my daughter is watching me along the way pushes me even further to set a great example for her future.”
Alicia Yoon, founder and CEO of Peach & Lily
Career Counsel: “Run to the problem! If there’s a tough obstacle, an issue that needs to be resolved or anything that will pose a risk to the business, that’s the first thing to address. Not only does it ensure problems don’t fester and grow into bigger issues, but it also makes sure the issue doesn’t create a cloud hanging over your head and lets you be clear-minded and at your best to manage your business.“
Best Beauty Tip: “Consistency is king. I’ve been told this by our family facialist in Korea who is still my biggest skin-care mentor to this day, and in my own experience as an esthetician, I have seen that being consistent with a basic routine will still pay off far more than being inconsistent with a routine that has all the bells and whistles.”
Desert Island product: “Our Glass Skin Veil Mist. It keeps skin powerfully hydrated, soothed, nourished, and supplemented with antioxidants.”
Power Moves: “Take a moment to seek perspective. No matter what I’m facing, with the right perspective, all things can be approached with increased calm, confidence and peace. A simple minute or two to pause, gain perspective, then proceeding forward is empowering for me.”
Huda Kattan, founder of Huda Beauty
Career Counsel: “My mother always told me to be patient growing up and I only now appreciate that advice through building our Huda Beauty brands. Patience and persistence would definitely be my advice. I know they seem contradictory but with a balance of the two everything seems to turn out the way it needs to. If we wait but are persistent and focused on our goal, the best things come.”
Best Beauty Tip: “Embrace what makes you unique. Sometimes we try to cover who we are or where we come from because it isn’t ‘beautiful’ according to society’s beauty standards. But, I felt the most beautiful the moment I started embracing my skin, my heritage, my name and ultimately, what makes me…me.”
Desert Island Product: “Tweezers were the first beauty product I ever owned and if I were on a desert island, I feel like tweezers could definitely do more for me than just plucking some brow hairs; they seem practical!”
Power Moves: “Feeling comfortable and confident in my own skin makes me feel powerful! I have had the longest skin journey and path to loving myself and while I may not fully be there yet, being closer has never felt so good. I am no longer as uncomfortable being under the spotlight and cameras with no makeup on and it’s truly liberating.”
Gucci Westman, celebrity makeup artist and founder of Westman Atelier
Career Counsel: “Make decisions and move on. The process is the reward.”
Best Beauty Tip: “Never touch your eyebrows—ever. My mother always told me never to touch my brows. Regrettably, I didn’t listen and tweezed them into a really thin shape. Now I’m left with quite sparse brows that I’m always obsessing over.”
Desert Island Product: “My Beauty Butter Bronzer. I can’t live without warmth in my skin! The true matte terra-cotta shade gives you the most natural just-in-from-the-beach glow.”
Power Moves: “When I’m able to engage, listen and learn from other female founders, that’s when I feel the most powerful, supported and inspired.”
Jessica Richards, founder of SHEN Beauty
Career Counsel: “The best professional advice I’ve been given is a combination of two things: Find a job where you live for Monday, not Friday, and to not burn bridges because you never know where, when or how you will run into that person again.”
Best Beauty Tip: “I know it sounds so cliche but wear SPF 365 days a year and reapply every two hours. It’s literally the key to anti-aging.”
Desert Island Product: “If I were going to be stuck on the island forever and never be rescued then it would be a face oil that could be used on my body as well such as Supernal. If I were going to be rescued eventually then it would be Elta MD Sport 50 because I wouldn’t want to be rescued and look like the woman from About Mary.”
Power Moves: “The thing that makes me feel most powerful would be an early-morning workout. I think getting the blood flowing and having that moment to myself is what sets my day up for success. It’s also where I create all my wacky ideas.”
Sarah Gibson Tuttle, founder and CEO of Olive & June
Career Counsel: “Make sure you are all in. Starting a company is all-encompassing and can be very lonely as a sole founder. If you love it, you’ll enjoy every moment and the hard ones will all be lessons. If you are not in love, it’ll be a grind every single day.”
Best Beauty Tip: “Shani Darden tells me to drink more water and get more sleep, but I think the secret is really her retinol serum.”
Desert Island Product: “Can I say the Olive & June Mani System if it all comes in one box?! I paint my nails once or twice a week as a way to relax, so this is a must for me.”
Power Moves: “A fresh manicure always makes me feel powerful.”
Kendra Kolb Butler, founder of Alpyn Beauty
Career Counsel: “Marvet Britto once told me: ‘Always give with an open hand. Be kind to and supportive of other people and brands. If your hands are closed, you will also be unable to receive.'”
Best Beauty Tip: “Never take a razor to female facial hair, no matter how desperate you become.”
Desert Island Product: “Sunscreen, of course, for obvious reasons. I would need a never-ending supply of Supergoop! Glow Screen.”
Power Moves: “An early-morning workout makes me feel most powerful. I am loving bande.com at the moment because it’s in the comfort of my own home, but I’m working out livestream with a group of other motivated people full of energy which pushes me to perform.”
Abi Lawrence-Asedida and Jacqueline Kusamotu, cofounders of Candour Beauty
Career Counsel: “Have a plan, but be flexible. This has been hugely important throughout this last year and is proving necessary for the foreseeable feature, too.” –AAL
Best Beauty Tip: “When introducing new actives into your skin-care routine, always start slow and give your skin time to adjust.” –JK
Desert Island Product: “Over the years I have seen the effect of sun damage on the skin, including aging and pigmentation on darker skin tones so a good sunscreen is a must. I’ll always go for factor 50 or more in a hot climate. Dr. Barbara Strum’s Sun Drops is a favorite as it’s a unique hybrid of sunscreen and skin care and contains hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and chemical UV blockers.” –AAL
Power Moves: “The beauty of having textured afro hair is the creativity it enables. I love having different hairstyles and nothing makes me feel as powerful as when I have a new hairstyle.” –JK
“Lashes! Beautiful mink lashes have super powers in my opinion. Once I have a good pair of lashes on, I feel I can face whatever the world brings my way! In addition, my morning mindfulness session, which includes prayer, meditation and journaling really grounds me and puts me in the right frame of mind to tackle the day.” –AAL
Jess Mulligan, cofounder of Winged Women’s Wellness
Career Counsel: “Be yourself. Early on in my career I was insecure that I didn’t present as corporate or experienced enough. I am a woman who loves to smile, to hug, to tell jokes and to connect. In those early days I did none of that because I thought successful corporate people kept it very ‘professional’ at all times. I finally learned that being prepared is important but equally important is being your authentic self.”
Best Beauty Tip: “Take collagen. Anyone over the age of 25 can benefit from collagen as that’s when it degrades in our skin. Early adoptions will prevent the need for expensive trips to the face doctor later.”
Desert Island Product: “A good, organic facial oil. I love La Prunier Plum Oil, Drunk Elephant Argan Oil and Winged Facial Glow Oil.”
Power Moves: “I have a gold charm bracelet from the 1960’s that was gifted to me when my stepfather’s mother passed. It is full of charms my stepfather bought his mother. It’s so old, and has so much meaning, that when I put it on I feel powerful. Red lipstick helps too.”
Sahara Lotti, founder of Lashify
Career Counsel: “Create a business that makes money while you sleep.”
Best Beauty Tip: “Drink as much water as possible. Water is life.”
Desert Island Product: “Lashify, hands down. Honestly, that’s why I created the system. Because you don’t need anything but beautiful eyes.”
Power Moves: “Being surrounded and supported by my tribe makes me feel powerful. People of like minds can accomplish anything together.”
Lydia Sarfati, founder and CEO of Repêchage
Career Counsel: “Be tenacious—never give up. I’ve learned that if someone tells me no, I try again. When I first opened business in 1977, everyone said I was crazy because everyone was leaving Manhattan; I couldn’t even get a bank loan as a woman. But I didn’t give up. I opened my spa on 5th Ave and 53rd Street and six months later we had a six-month long waiting list.”
Best Beauty Tip: “Always cleanse your skin two times a day with a soap-free cleanser, no matter how tired you are at night. Then, always follow with an appropriate toner. Toning restores the skin barrier and proper pH, and this is essential for healthy, vibrant skin.”
Desert Island Product: “I would choose the Repêchage Vita Cura B3 Serum Complex. In an independent laboratory study, it has shown a 58-percent reduction in the appearance of wrinkles and 41-percent reduction in the appearance of pores, so I would look fabulous too!”
Power Moves: “My mantra in business and life has always been if life gives you a lemon, make lemonade. I look at every obstacle as an opportunity.”
Whitney Tingle, cofounder and co-CEO of Sakara Life
Career Counsel: “Think of each setback as an opportunity for growth—it’s a growth mindset. In my opinion, this is one of the biggest keys to success.”
Best Beauty Tip: “Beauty starts from within. Don’t get me wrong, I love my topical skin-care routine, but for real change, it starts with what goes into your body. The right nutrition, hydration, and supplementation can make the biggest difference in skin clarity (the only thing that cured my acne!) and give you an overall healthy glow.”
Desert Island Product: “Hands down our Sakara Beauty Water Drops! I use them daily to transform my water and deeply hydrate my cells. People always want to know what the fountain of youth is—it’s water!”
Power Moves: “Since giving birth to my son earlier this year, I have gained even more reverence and appreciation for my body and the incredible things it can do. Even on days when I don’t feel great in my skin, I’ve been making it a commitment to take a step back and love my body for the way it is. We’re often so critical of ourselves that we forget how amazing our bodies are, and all that they’re capable of.”
Hope Gillerman, founder of H. Gillerman Organics
Career Counsel: “I always come back to these words: ‘Stay present, trust your intuition and don’t rush the creative process. If you take your time you will know when you have it right.'”
Best Beauty Tip: “Clean-beauty makeup artist Katey Denno taught me how to make my eyelashes fan out and look bigger, so I follow her credo: ‘If nothing else…give your eyelashes a good curl!’”
Desert Island Product: “Organic jojoba oil as it is the most versatile, long-lasting and natural beauty product. You can use it on your hair, body and face as it is noncomedogenic. Studies point to jojoba’s, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, wound-healing and anti-aging benefits—plus it doesn’t go rancid.”
Power Moves: “As an empath by profession, I need to release my emotional reactions throughout my day. If I don’t keep these in check, I can exhaust myself on the ‘small stuff’ and feel powerless to help my clients. I get grounded and regain my poise, and my voice by inhaling essential oils while practicing my breathing coordination exercise. I relax and slow down my exhale until I am breathing about nine, full, deep breaths per minute.”
Mazz Hanna, founder of Mazz Hanna and owner of Nailing Hollywood
Career Counsel: “When I was working in advertising, an owner of an agency once said to me, ‘If you’re not afraid, you’re doing something wrong,’ and it always stuck with me. I have since learned that many blessings are hidden behind fear.”
Best Beauty Tip: “Don’t cut your cuticles! The more conservative you are with cuticle-cutting, the less maintenance they will need.”
Desert Island Product: “Definitely my Mazz Hanna Cuticle Oil. Because it also has an amethyst roller ball it’s technically two products in one.”
Power Moves: “I love a funky, colorful nail to make me feel like I have my whole life together. For this I love Orly’s chunky colorful glitter in Turn It Up. Because it’s a glitter it’s super forgiving and easy to apply, even when I’m in a rush.”
