When you were 17, you probably weren't building a beauty empire. It's understandable, as chasing that endeavour at a young age comes with hurdles (like, not being legally allowed to sign on the dotted line of deals, not having the funds, or not owning a car to drive to meetings). For these young entrepreneurs, however, the challenges that might come with their age didn't stop them from building full-blown beauty businesses.
These Gen Z-er's [1] — which, by the way, means anyone born between 1995 to 2015 — have built their brands from a place of passion. On this list, you'll find a reality star who created lip kits [2] that now sell out in record speeds, a makeup mastermind who strives to empower people's form of self-expression, and a university student who didn't let physical hurdles slow him down from achieving his goal.
They've paved the way for more people to strive to succeed in the industry at any age. Check out the Gen Z brand founders that are taking the beauty industry by storm.
Emily Matson and Julianne Goldmark
Jennifer Aniston [3], Hailey Baldwin, and Gigi Hadid have all worn EmiJay hair accessories [4], but what you might not know about those looks is that the founders behind the brand, Emily Matson and Julianne Goldmark, were only 14 years old when they launched it in 2009. Ten years later, and EmiJay has expanded its many offerings to include barrettes, headbands, and hair ties that are all available in dreamy colourways.
Millie Bobby Brown
You might know Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven — the girl with the power to move things with her mind and an affinity for Eggo Waffles — on Netflix's Stranger Things [5], but the 15-year-old actor is now also a beauty entrepreneur. She just announced the release of Florence by Mills [6], a vegan, Gen Z-focussed beauty brand set to launch on Aug. 26 on its official website. The line, which is named after Brown's great-grandmother, will be comprised of both makeup and skincare products like lip oils, under-eye patches, and facial scrubs.
Taylor and Ally Frankel
Taylor and Ally Frankel were 17 and 14, respectively, when they co-founded Nudestix [7] with their mother Jenny in 2014. The family teamed up to develop products that look natural when swept on, letting your beauty shine through your makeup. The brand offers conveniently packaged eyes, lips, and face products (with its most recent one being its Nudies Tinted Cover Foundation [8] (£28), which has a skin-like finish).
Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner began her business with one product — lip kits — 2016. Since then, her eponymous makeup line [9] grew into a full-blown empire, and she's begun her foray into skin care with Kylie Skin and fragrance through collaborations with sister Kim. Her products are some of the most buzzed about on Instagram, often selling out in record speeds when they first drop.
Zach Dishinger
Gay entrepreneur Zach Dishinger (who is only 17) is a makeup pro. You can tell by the stunning photos he's posted on his Instagram. His brand Formula Z [10] consists of high-impact liquid lipsticks and glosses. "At the heart of Formula Z is a belief that makeup is empowering [11] and a form of self-expression for everyone, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, or race," he previously told POPSUGAR.
Garrett Greller
Garrett Greller was diagnosed with arthritis at 14, making the physical tasks from his first job as a cashier difficult. According to the brand [12], he tried many forms of relief — like medication and OTC treatments — but didn't find anything that worked until he used hemp. During university, he co-founded Uncle Buds [13], a line that includes the ingredient meant to soothe muscle pains, and has since been used by celebrities like Toni Braxton (who is now the brand's spokesperson) and sold in retailers like Amazon, Target, and Walmart.
Zandra A. Cunningham
Zandra Cunningham started Zandra Beauty [14] when she was just 9 years old. Since then, the now 18-year-old has expanded her plant-based skincare brand — which was designed for teenage skin — to include deodorants, scrubs, and bar soaps. Products from her line have been picked up by Target and sold at select locations. She's also made it her mission to give back to the community, donating 10 percent of sales to educating girls around the world.
Katie Sones
Katie Sones is the 22-year-old behind LipSlut, a line of politically-charged lipsticks (unfortunately not available in the UK). She founded her business shortly after President Trump's inauguration, which took place while she was in university. Sones previously told POPSUGAR that she was inspired to make activism more accessible to others. She created her first product, the F*ck Trump [15] lipstick, which benefits one of eight civil rights organisations of the customer's choosing with each purchase. Since then, she's expanded her line to include three more lipsticks, including one called the Notorious RBG [16].