The Women Behind Ireland's Beauty Brands

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we wanted to highlight some of our home grown female bosses whose products we love and sell. These women have not only made it easy for people to shop Irish within the beauty industry, but allowed them to have an extensive choice of Irish beauty brands to love, Irish beauty is more accessible than it’s ever been and it’s thanks to these lovely ladies. Let’s take a look at these inspiring and powerful female entrepreneurs.

Dr Lisa and Dr Vanessa Creaven: Spotlight Oral Care.

Sisters Lisa and Vanessa Creaven are dentists turned entrepreneurs since they started their wildly successful oral care company in 2016. Spotting a gap in the market between the best quality oral care, beauty and sustainability they co-founded Spotlight Oral Care to meet all of these needs for their customers.

Lisa and Vanessa understand the world of beauty and how important good oral care is within it. Their products have helped many people worldwide to achieve their perfect smile, providing them with the best cruelty free, vegan friendly and non-toxic products possible, such as the Spotlight Oral Care Teeth White Pen, a compact and portable teeth whitening tool that actively dissolves stains on teeth to ensure your brightened smile lasts. Spotlight Oral Care also has a major focus on sustainability, their toothpaste tubes are made from sugar cane making them the first ever 100% recyclable tubes, a revolutionary step in the oral care industry.

The sisters have continued to grow their company throughout the years winning many prestigious awards including the title of Irish Tatler Business Women of the Year Award in 2020, these ladies are only going up and we look forward to following their journey.

Pamela Laird: Moxi Loves.

Having opened her first business at 18, Dublin born Pamela has since started her own beauty brand Moxi Loves. Being founder and CEO of the company, she has appeared with it on both RTE’s Dragon’s Den and BBC’s The Apprentice, where she made it into the final three. Pamela grew up immersed in all things beauty as her mother owned a salon, she knew from a young age that this industry was for her. 

Moxi Loves is every beauty and travel lover’s dream, the products are designed to make travel beauty simple and that is exactly what we need. With her Moxi Loves Cleansing Powder Pods 14 Pods recently being featured in Vogue it is safe to say they have reached icon status. These innovative pods are filled with a powder that turns into a creamy cleansing solution once combined with water, they leave no excuse for sleeping in makeup, even on a plane. 

Another product that had to be mentioned are the Moxi Loves Dry Shampoo Sheets 20 Sheets, the easiest way to get an extra day out of your hair, the sheets soak up excess oils and grease so easily it’s every busy girls dream, keep some in your handbag and you won’t regret it. Hat’s off to Pamela for making beauty so achievable no matter where we are!

Hilary McMurray & Shelley Martin: Skinician.

This mother, daughter duo wanted to create a concise and powerful range of multi-tasking skincare products that everyone could use and understand. Having owned a salon Hilary and Shelley knew that customers wanted a skincare routine that could slot seamlessly into their busy lives, without any complications, so they took their passion for beauty and skincare and decided to create something that’d do just that. Skinician is a combination of science and nature with the team behind it made up of skin health experts, cosmeceutical chemists, and manufacturers, who were able to create multi-functional products that add ease to a skincare routine and give you long term results. 

The Skinician Revitalising Day Moisturiser is perfect for anyone, even those with sensitive skin, not only does it keep your skin hydrated and smooth, it also has built in SPF30, reduced lines and wrinkles and improves the appearance of your skin! Phew, they really are multi-functional, but they are also clean, each product is dermatologically tested, cruelty free, vegan and packed full of antioxidants as well as being free from parabens, what’s not to love about this brand?!

Hilary and Shelley show that mothers and daughters really can be the best team, they continue to grow Skinician today as well as owning other beauty brands which are widely successful, there’s no stopping these two and we can’t wait to see what’s next.

Aimee Connolly: Sculpted by Aimee.

Sculpted by Aimee has taken the Irish beauty scene by storm, their products are not only presented beautifully, but they look and feel amazing on the skin. Aimee started as a makeup artist at the age of 16 and has been in the industry for many years, having worked with popular brands Aimee became familiar with products that the beauty world was missing, and decided to fill the gap. She was passionate about creating products that would make makeup easier for everyone. 

Sculpted was founded in 2016 and has had an amazing response ever since, the brand has gained fans that swear by their products such as their popular foundation Second Skin, the foundation comes in a dewy and matte version catering to all skin types for a natural, but still glamorous finish. Aimee is also the founder of the Sculpted Academy which is a makeup academy for aspiring artists to be able to use as a gateway to their future in makeup.

Aimee’s products never disappoint and we can’t wait to see the long future of this brand.

Sonia Deasy: Pestle and Mortar.

Sonia Deasy is the co-founder of Pestle and Mortar, having worked alongside her husband in a portrait photography business for years, she was familiar with the close-ups of peoples skin and the issues that were commonly caught on camera. Sonia was determined to create a range of simple and effective skincare. As a mother-of-five, she knew how important a simple, straight forward skin routine was. 

The formulas are inspired by Sonia’s Indian heritage in Natural Healing and powered by science to enhance and protect the natural beauty in everyone. Since launching in 2014 the brand has been featured in many influential publications such as The New York Times and Vogue and their Pure Hyaluronic Serum has won multiple awards for its impressive hydrating abilities including Best Hydrating Serum at the Brown Thomas Beauty Awards 2020. The multi-award winning brand is a must try for anyone who loves clean, sustainable, simple skincare products that really work, not to mention how aesthetic the packaging looks on your makeup table.

Elaine Kennedy: Hawthorn Handmade Skincare.

Elaine was inspired by the flora and fauna surrounding her family farm in the west of Ireland when creating Hawthorn Handmade Skincare. With sustainability close to her heart Elaine wanted to create a range that was 100% natural and didn’t use excessive packaging. Having lived in London for many years she gained experience in visual merchandising and took part in a mentoring programme with Melinda Coss, which taught her how to formulate and sell handmade skincare products. Taking all of her knowledge and experience home to rural Ireland Elaine was able to bottle nourishing parts of nature for everyone to enjoy. Products are made in Elaine’s custom built manufacturing studio which ensures she is in control of what ingredients go into each product so customers get only the best possible experience. 

One of the best-selling products is their Protective Hand Balm, made from all natural ingredients and essential oils to keep your hands soft, supple and protected. Elaine’s passion and hands-on approach is evident in all of their products which makes using them even more enjoyable.

Geraldine Jones: Skin Formulas.

As an aesthetician for many years and the owner of her own skin clinic in Nenagh Co. Tipperary, Geraldine knows skin, and what works for it. Skin Formulas has a product to treat any skin challenge, overseen by Geraldine, the formulas are carefully created to ensure they are multi-functional, full of active ingredients and effective so that customers can achieve the skin they deserve. 

Geraldine is also passionate about supporting other female entrepreneurs and in 2020 was President of the Tipperary branch of Network Ireland. We love women supporting women and we love this brand! Hydration is so important in skincare and the Skin Formulas Hydra Hyaluronic Acid Serum HA Formula is the perfect source for any skin type, fine lines and wrinkles are reduced and your skin is left looking plump and healthy, If you want to support Irish you can’t go wrong with Skin Formulas, your skin will thank you later.

Una Tynan: Blank Canvas Cosmetics.

Founding Blank Canvas Cosmetics in 2011, Una was inspired by the idea that with the right tools, you have the power to be as creative as you want with makeup, the face really is a ‘Blank Canvas’. Una combined art, makeup artistry and business and created a brand that was affordable but still great quality. With the team behind the company largely made up of Una’s family, there is a true sense of love and care that goes into creating their products. 

Beginning with brushes, the brand now boasts an impressive 150+ styles as well as a branch in the makeup industry with gorgeous face and eyeshadow palettes. Una’s products are used by influencers, professionals, YouTubers and more, with their ever popular F20 Foundation Buffer Brush making the rounds on social media as the must have foundation brush right now. The sleek design and excellent quality make them the perfect tool for a makeup beginner, or a pro adding to their collection, at a price point that is achievable for everyone.

Suzanne Jackson: SOSU by Suzanne Jackson.

Suzanne Jackson has made SOSU by SJ a household name with her passion and talent for all things beauty, blogging and business. Suzanne began as a blogger, influencing Ireland on fashion, beauty and lifestyle and was the only Irish influencer to land herself in the top 16 most influential bloggers globally. Following this success, Jackson decided to step into the beauty world by creating her own brand. 

SOSU by Suzanne Jackson has been a landmark brand in the Irish beauty world, being stocked by major retailers across Ireland, the UK and Europe and her products becoming a staple addition to most of Ireland's makeup bags. The brand has a wide range of products from tools, to tan, to makeup and often collaborates with popular creators, such as Aideen Kate who created the Aideen Kate Face & Eye Palette with the brand. Suzanne Jackson is continuing to grow her brands and never ceases to amaze us with their quality, if you haven’t tried a SOSU product yet, get on it!

Dr Naomi Mackle: Reform Skincare.

With training in medicine specialising in dermatology and aesthetic medicine, Dr Naomi Mackle created Reform skincare to help customers improve their skin quality from their own homes. Having founded a cosmetics clinic in Adare, Naomi was familiar with what her clients main concerns were and created a line of 11 key products that can restore, maintain and invigorate the skin. It was important to Naomi to create an inclusive brand that catered to both men and women, each of their products are unisex and target your skin concerns and leaving you with a brighter complexion. 

The Glycolic Acid Foaming Cleanser is a product suitable for all skin types, helping you achieve the perfect base skin for the rest of your routine, the product exfoliates, promotes cell turnover and improves overall skin quality, the perfect product to begin your reform journey with.

Aoibhinn and Bláthnaid and Susan Murphy: BiaBelle Beauty.

Another team of mothers and daughters, Aoibhinn and Bláthnaid and Susan founded BiaBelle Beauty in 2017. They wanted to make glamour and beauty available to everyone at an affordable price, with the best ingredients. The family had a lot of experience in the beauty and business industry with Aoibhinn having a background in business and Blá being a professional makeup artist since the age of 16 and has received the RSVP award for Best Makeup Artist of The Year, as well as both being influencers in their own right. Susan is a qualified Aromatherapist, Nail & Spray Tan Technician as well as a qualified Swedish Massage Therapist, so the beauty wasn’t new to them. BiaBelle Tan is made with ingredients that hydrate and nourish the skin, so not only does their tan give you a sun kissed look, it can actually improve the overall appearance of the skin. The brand is vegan and eco-friendly, which makes the overall experience of the brand that bit sweeter.

It is so important to shop Irish and support Irish businesses, but with brilliant women creating brands like this, it's not hard! We are proud to stock such innovative and impressive female run brands and look forward to seeing the Irish beauty community continue to grow! 

Happy International Women's Day to all of our customers, brand owners and beauty lovers.