Have you noticed that more and more beauty editors are starting their own brands lately? Yes, former (and current) beauty editors are at the helm of some of today's most popular brands (Glossier, anyone?).
When you think about it, they're perfectly poised to make the crossover — after all, they've spent years testing all different types of products while evaluating them from the POV of both marketers and consumers. As Zoë Foster Blake, erstwhile beauty editor and current founder of Australian beauty brand Go-To, jokes, "We're essentially double-agents who switched sides."
"The sheer volume of information, experts and products you engage with daily is brain-bending," Blake says. "And should you ever decide to make your own products, which I do, you're in a breathtakingly elevated position as a brand founder; you have a huge head start."
This head start's nothing to sneeze at, either: "You have credibility, you have consumer insight, you know which ingredients — much more important than products — actually work and, ideally, you understand the dizzying confusion and crippling choice thrust upon women each day as they try to undertake some level of self-care, and help them navigate that in a genuine and helpful way."
Really, it's no mystery why beauty editors are cooking up some of the most exciting brands currently on the market. Keep reading to see some of our favorite beauty editor and their brands.
Image via @zotheysay
Zoë Foster Blake, Go-To
If it's a job in the fields of beauty and/or writing, Zoë Foster Blake has done it. She's worked at publications like Harper's Bazaar and Cosmopolitan, started a beauty blog (fruitybeauty) and beauty site (Primped) and has written several novels and non-fiction titles to boot.
After 10 years as a beauty editor (and a little of everything else), Foster Blake started Go-To, a natural skin care brand with some of the cutest branding and best copywriting in the game (fun fact: she does all the copywriting herself). The brand launched in Australia back in 2014 and recently hit Sephora shelves here in the U.S. in July 2018.
Must-Have Products: Foster Blake taps the rosehip oil-rich Go-To Face Hero, $34, as a personal favorite (it smells amazing). We're also great fans of the Go-To Exfoliating Swipeys, $35 — they deliver near-instant results.
Image via @gotoskincare
Emily Weiss, Glossier
When it comes to beauty editors-cum-brand founders, does it get any more iconic than Emily Weiss? After a brief but memorable stint on "The Hills" back in 2007, Weiss went on to work for Vogue, where she quickly got the idea to start her own blog, Into the Gloss, which debuted in 2010. Next up? Weiss launched Glossier and its first four products in 2014 and the rest is history.
Must-Have Products: Where to begin? We love Glossier Lash Slick, $16, for fluttery, real-looking lashes and seldom leave home without a tube of the classic Glossier Balm Dotcom, $12.
Image via @glossier
Linda Wells, Flesh
After over two decades as the storied editor-in-chief of Allure, Linda Wells joined forces with Revlon as chief creative officer. Before long, she was collaborating with the brand Flesh on an inclusive beauty line with a seriously cool aesthetic. Thanks to her years of beauty expertise and know-how, the brand has an innovative approach to color cosmetics and includes a unique offering of products.
Must-Have Products: Flesh Flipbook, $22, is one of the most unique products of all. Made for using on the go, it includes 100 sheets of single-use bronzer, highlighter and blush. Pretty cool, right? The Flesh Touch Flesh Highlighting Balm, $18, is another star product that's ideal for creating dewy cheekbones with just the right amount of pearlized pigment.
Image via @fleshbeauty
Allison McNamara, Mara Beauty
Before starting Mara Beauty in 2017, Allison McNamara worked as a writer and host for Popsugar, Refinery29 and ET Online.
Must-Have Products: So far, there's only one product in the line, but it's a stunner: Mara Algae + Moringa Universal Face Oil, $72, is well-loved for its clean, antioxidant-rich formula.
Image via @themarabeauty
