It takes more than aesthetics to make a name in the beauty, wellness and fashion worlds. With a $600 billion global market, thousands of new brands launching each year and consumers discovering products at the speed of a scroll, the beauty industry has become one of the most crowded and competitive arenas in modern business.
Yet these 13 leaders have built lasting reputations—or more recently found their voices—in an increasingly crowded digital landscape that has never been noisier and more difficult to break through. Read how these standout beauty founders and executives are leveraging instinct, lived experience, cultural perspective and community to turn visibility into lasting influence.
Kristin Cavallari
Uncommon James
One of America’s most enduring reality television stars (of The Hills and Very Cavallari fame), Cavallari has parlayed her influence into thriving entrepreneurship via her lifestyle brand Uncommon James, which sells jewelry, apparel, skin care and fragrances. As a 100% owner, her love for her brand stems from the ability to give women a “little extra confidence.” The Glutathione Serum, part of the Uncommon Beauty skin care collection, featuring clean ingredients such as kojic acid, hyaluronic acid and more, adheres to the brand’s fully transparent approach to clean product development.
Courtesy of Uncommon James
John Kang & Julia Kang-Reeves
Earth Therapeutics
Over 30 years ago, this family-owned, minority-run business gained a foothold in the wellness industry with CEO John’s creation of a tea tree oil foot repair balm, which is still an Earth Therapeutics bestseller. His sister Julia runs point on marketing as chief marketing officer, promoting the company’s wide range of ultra-affordable Korean beauty masks and products, organic beauty accessories, sleep masks, aloe-infused socks and other goods that provide instant kick-back-and-exhale relaxation. Their feel-good mission rings true head to toe, with partnerships that support mental health as well as overcoming poverty and addiction.
Evangelo Bousis
Enhanse
Bousis is no stranger to building a beloved brand. In 2017, he co-founded the fashion house DUNDAS with his partner, Peter Dundas, attracting a high-profile following that includes Beyoncé, Ciara and Bella Hadid. Now, he’s rethinking men’s skin care with ENHANSE, a line of products rooted in simplicity, performance and zero stigma. A longtime vision brought to life, it delivers multitasking formulas—from hypochlorous acid cleansing sprays to eye gels—designed to be part of men’s everyday routines. And behind it all is a feel-good, unpretentious approach. As Bousis reminds us: “People forget that being good to work with on a human level is just as important as how good your product looks and feels.”
Courtesy of Evangelo Bousis
Dr. Michelle Henry
Skin & Aesthetic Surgery of Manhattan
Henry brings a modern perspective and formidable credentials to her Manhattan dermatology practice and beyond. Following her residency at Mount Sinai Hospital and a fellowship at Harvard Medical School, she has led Food and Drug Administration clinical trials and served on numerous medical boards, placing her at the forefront of innovation. She pairs that expertise with a holistic, patient-first approach, from skin cancer treatment to aesthetic care. A TODAY Show contributor and medical review board member for ELLE, Henry has made a career of breaking down complex science into accessible takeaways, shaping a more informed vision of skin health and beauty.
Courtesy of Dr. Michelle Henry
Raghavendra Rathore
Raghavendra Rathore Jodhpur
The Indian designer worked for Donna Karan and Oscar de la Renta before opening his own fashion house in 1994, focusing on bespoke menswear and contemporary reimaginings of the Jodhpuri bandhgala, a traditional high-collared suit. With famous Indian cricket players, film stars and musicians as clients, Rathore walks an expert line between honoring his royal heritage—as a descendant of Rao Jodha, the 15th-century founder of Jodhpur, and part of the city’s centuries-old Rathore dynasty—while pioneering modern aesthetics.
Courtesy of Raghavendra Rathore
Toni Bravo
Content Creator
Stints with Buzzfeed and cosmetics brand Rare Beauty, as well as an early social media career dedicated to her love of roller-skating, gave the now 26-year-old Bravo experience in cultivating communities. But it was a single blush try-on video that sent her views into the stratosphere on TikTok. That led to a blush color consultation gig for Rhode and a collaboration with Tower 28 for her own line of blushes, earning her the moniker “the CEO of Blush.” With passions in home design, fashion and fragrances (including her own scent with perfumer Le Monde Gourmand), plus a spot on the 2025 Forbes 30 under 30 social media list, she’s one to watch in the beauty industry and beyond.
©Grace Bukunmi
Tianna Robillard
Content Creator
When vlogger and influencer Robillard travels, she often forgets to pack her makeup bag—an unfortunate habit that led to a fortuitous partnership with Tarte Cosmetics to create a streamlined, five-piece set of cosmetic essentials. Known for her down-to-earth, peek-inside-my-life content, often featuring her boyfriend (musician and basketball player Adrian Nuñez), Robillard has built a following of nearly 3 million and is now expanding into swimwear with La Porte.
©Logan Mock
Lisa Joy
Content Creator
After moving from Nairobi to North Carolina at age 11, Joy planned for a future in medicine. Instead, she’s become one of beauty’s most trusted voices online. Her viral tutorials blend precision with purpose, earning collaborations with major brands like Rare Beauty, Sephora, Gucci Beauty and YSL Beauty. Joy was also named “the Content Powerhouse” in the 2024 IPSIES Beauty & Creator Awards. Still rooted in wellness, Joy is poised to expand her influence with a forthcoming beauty supplement line, proving her impact is more than skin deep.
©Ssam Kim
Emily David & Lauren Mezzaluna
Sona Cosmetics
With the philosophy “makeup without the markup,” this Canadian beauty brand is on a quest to make high-quality cosmetics available to all. From the start, founders David and Mezzaluna insisted on premium, cruelty-free formulas that are rigorously tested while keeping prices and marketing refreshingly approachable through a strong commitment to inclusivity and community.
Courtesy of Emily David & Lauren Mezzaluna
Brittany Cobb
Flea Style
After a career in journalism took her to New York City, where she immersed herself in its iconic flea market scene, Cobb fell in love with the thrill of the find. In 2009, she launched The Dallas Flea, a pop-up market showcasing small vendors, which later evolved into Flea Style—a full-fledged lifestyle brand and retail concept with locations in many states. Each features The Original Hat Bar, where customers design and embellish bespoke cowboy, wide-brim or straw hats, the art of which she covers in her new book, How to Style a Hat.
Courtesy of Flea Style
Angie Katsanevas
Lunatic Fringe Salon
As a star of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, Katsanevas is known for her razor-sharp quips—while her business, Lunatic Fringe Salon, delivers cutting-edge style and a polished, luxury experience. What began as a 700-square-foot salon in Salt Lake City in 1999 has grown into a multistate franchise. One of the company’s core values is education and, to that end, Katsanevas and her husband, Shawn Trujillo, purchased a location of the Paul Mitchell The School in Utah. Take a look at her social accounts, and you’ll also see her expanding her reach through high-profile partnerships with brands like Arby’s and Kérastase.
©Jake Thompson
Featured image courtesy of Tianna Robillard
This article was first published in the September/October 2026 issue of SUCCESS Magazine. Get your copy here.
