I Asked 14 Beauty Moguls to Share the Beauty Trick They Tell Their Friends

Editorial Note: This post was originally published at an earlier date. Since our support for AAPI-owned brands is a forever kind of thing, we thought we'd update any sold-out products to make it easy to shop Wholesale Replica Bag and greatest from some of our favorite brands.

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(Image credit: Charlotte Cho; Bee Shapiro; Amy Liu; Melissa Medvedich)

As we reach the end of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, it’s important to remember that honoring this great community shouldn’t be limited to one month. Obviously, this group’s cultural impact exceeds any calendar-imposed time limit, but with rises in xenophobia and hate crimes, it’s more important than ever to elevate their voices as allies. It’s critical that we not only fight xenophobia through resources like Stop AAPI Hate and Hate Is a Virus but also honor the ways in which this community has shaped the world we live in now through media coverage and celebration.

After all, the fashion industry wouldn’t be the same without iconic designers like Issey Miyake or the new rising designers and influencers who have shaped and continue to shape the fashion industry. Of course, their impact isn’t limited to the runway. Our beauty, wellness, and skincare routines have been greatly shaped by the vast diversity of nationalities and ethnicities that make up Asian and Pacific Islander heritage around the globe—and we are all the better for it!

This is why we’ve reached out to 14 beauty founders worth supporting year-round. To make it even sweeter, we’ve asked them to spill the one beauty or wellness trick they swear by to keep themselves looking and feeling fresh. Inspirational founders, life-changing beauty hacks, and must-shop products ahead…

Bee Shapiro, Founder of Ellis Brooklyn

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Bee Shapiro)

About: As a beauty columnist for The New York Times over the past 11 years, Bee Shapiro knows a thing or two about good products. But as she made her transition over to clean beauty products while pregnant, she realized that there were limited options for clean fragrances. Thus Ellis Brooklyn (the beauty brand, that is) was born.

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Amy Liu, Founder of Tower 28

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Amy Liu)

About: For sufferers of eczema, beauty can be hard. It’s especially challenging when you’re a beauty executive who's worked at companies like Smashbox, Kate Somerville, and Josie Maran Cosmetics. For Amy Liu, her love for beauty and her sensitive skin lead her to create Tower 28. The brand is dedicated to being 100% clean and vegan, and every formula adheres to the National Eczema Association’s ingredient guidelines.

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Melissa Medvedich, Founder of Supernal 

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Melissa Medvedich)

About: After a 15-year career as a creative director at various brands and publications, Melissa Medvedich decided to start her own skincare business, Supernal. Her attention to detail was transferred to her skincare company as she became a certified aromatherapist and studied botanical beauty formulations to ensure the highest-quality products.

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Nicolas Travis, Founder of Allies of Skin

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Nicolas Travis)

About: Singapore-born Nicolas Travis isn’t your typical beauty founder. Yes, he’s male, but that’s not the only thing that makes him stand out. Like many, Travis has struggled with acne (skincare woes are universal), but rather than acquiesce to pesky spots, he became obsessed with skincare and eventually founded Allies of Skin. The adaptogenic skincare brand has since taken the beauty world by storm. 

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Rooshy Roy, Co-Founder of Aavrani

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Rooshy Roy)

About: When you think about it, it’s only natural that Rooshy Roy came to co-found the beauty brand Aavrani. As a Bengali American growing up in Detroit, she always had skincare rituals as an integral part of her life. Now, her brand aims to make her own skincare rituals and Indian beauty ingredients approachable and accessible for all women. Not only does Aavrani aim to democratize beauty for all, but the brand also supports young women’s education in India through its partnership with the Shanti Bhavan School

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Charlotte Cho, Co-Founder of Soko Glam and Then I Met You Skin Care 

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Charlotte Cho)

About: What made Charlotte Cho feel compelled to start not one but two Korean-skincare companies? In her own words, "Seeing the results in my skin led me to create Soko Glam and eventually my own skincare line, Then I Met You. I'm thankful for this journey, as I now have a career dedicated to spreading awareness of Korean beauty and culture.” And boy, has she done just that. In case you missed it, Soko Glam is hailed as the brand that popularized the 10-step Korean skincare routine in the west and curates the best skincare products out of South Korea.

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Jin Soon Choi, Founder of Jinsoon

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Jin Soon Choi)

About: When you think of the classic New York City hustle story, Jin Soon Choi falls right into it. Born in Korea, she immigrated to the States and became an infamous freelance nail artist. Dubbed the "nail guru” she’d bike from client to client, until she opened her own spa in the West Village in 1999. Choi’s success with her spa eventually led her to create her first eco-friendly, nontoxic nail polish line, Jinsoon.

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Alicia Yoon, Founder of Peach Lily

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Alicia Yoon)

About: It takes a while for most entrepreneurs to make their side passion their full-time focus—this was the case for Alicia Yoon. While in high school, she was encouraged by a stranger on the streets of Seoul to take cosmetology classes. But it wasn’t until after attending Harvard and working with beauty clients that Yoon channeled her passion for skincare into founding the indie beauty brand Peach Lily in 2012. 

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Marianna Hewitt, Co-Founder of Summer Fridays

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Marianna Hewitt)

About: You might at one point have stumbled across the blog Life With Me by Marianna Hewitt. But you probably didn’t know that in addition to being a blogger, Hewitt also co-founded the beauty brand Summer Fridays back in 2018. With this venture, she sought to create the products she felt she was missing in her life.

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Cat Chen, Founder of Skylar

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Cat Chen)

About: When you’re working in the beauty industry, you’re undoubtedly aware of market gaps—and in that space, Cat Chen realized that there weren’t companies dedicated to creating clean, hypoallergenic fragrances she’d actually want to wear. So she set out to create Skylar, a direct-to-consumer fragrance company that even includes fragrance subscriptions.

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Priscilla Tsai, Founder of Cocokind

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Priscilla Tsai)

About: What leads someone to leave a steady Wall Street career? For Priscilla Tsai, it was her desire to be an entrepreneur—and her acne-prone skin. After struggling for years and realizing the lack of transparency around skincare ingredients, she founded Cocokind.

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Aleena, Naseeha, and Aleezeh Khan, Co-Founders of Ctzn Cosmetics 

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Ctzn Cosmetics)

About: How does one solve the lack of representation of Southeast Asian women in the beauty industry? For three Pakistani sisters, the solution is to start your own unique makeup brand. The trio, Aleena, Aleezeh, and Naseeha Khan founded Ctzn Cosmetics. Their 100% vegetarian, cruelty-free, paraben-free makeup line seeks to create products that cater to the array of shades found not only of the Southeast and Middle Eastern regions but of the world. And what better way to create than alongside your sisters?

Shop Naseeha's makeup hack staple:

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Next: According to AAPI Beauty Founders, These Ingredients Do the Most for Asian Skin

Jasmine Fox-Suliaman
Editor

Jasmine Fox-Suliaman is a fashion editor living in New York City. What began as a hobby (blogging on Tumblr) transformed into a career dedicated to storytelling through various forms of digital media. She started her career at the print publication 303 Magazine, where she wrote stories, helped produce photo shoots, and planned Denver Fashion Week. After moving to Los Angeles, she worked as MyDomaine's social media editor until she was promoted to work across all of Clique's publications (MyDomaine, Byrdie, andBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing ) as the community manager. Over the past few years, Jasmine has worked onBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing 's editorial team, using her extensive background to champion rising BIPOC designers, weigh in on viral trends, and profile stars such as Janet Mock and Victoria Monét. She is especially interested in exploring how art, fashion, and pop culture intersect online and IRL.