Today is International Women’s Day. YAY us! Give yourself some YES GIRL! love today. Take a breath, step outside yourself, and look at all you are from afar. YES GIRL! Amiright?

I don’t need to say that it isn’t always easy being a woman in this world. Or that as far as we’ve come, there are still marked salary incongruencies, daily whispers to not rock the boat, and reminders like Amanda Gorman being stopped for “looking suspicious” that prove there’s still a ways to go.  

Having said that, I do believe the desire for change is getting louder every day. For every wince-worthy segment on the local news, there’s also some Good that evolved somewhere else. It just didn’t make the News. This I believe.

In honor of Int’l Women’s Day and my first day back in a while (happy to be here btw. Feels good!), I’m calling out some extraordinary fearless females.

Makeup artist & product developer Karissa Bodnar originally created Thrive Causemetics to honor her friend who lost her cancer battle at just 24. For every one of Karissa’s clean products purchased, she donates to a company that helps women thrive in the world. Bigger Than Beauty: As a writer, I love everything about this tagline. As a no-BS beauty blogger, I love the Brilliant Face Brightener Illuminating Primer and Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara.

Ilia was born out of Sasha Plavsic’s quest to recreate her favorite lip balm with healthy ingredients. Today the brand boasts many “Skin-centric” products that are packed with beneficial ingredients. Skincare meet Makeup! I love wearing the Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 because my skin looks and feels better as the day progresses. TIP: If you’re T-zone oil-prone, dust on some Soft Focus Finishing Powder.

As the co-founder of organic cold-press juice line Suja Juice, making the jump to using clean beauty products sounds like a natural progression for Annie Lawless. But finding formulas with the highly pigmented, Anastasia-esque full coverage she was used to wearing proved challenging. So Annie put her Boss hat on and founded “clean AF” Lawless. If your look is more Gaga than Goop, this is your brand. PS – Got a sample of the new Sparkling Suja at Runyon last week… DELISH!

Jamie Kern Lima turned her sensitive red skin and sparse brows into a beauty empire. When she couldn’t find products that targeted her skin concerns as a TV News Anchor, Jamie started working with plastic surgeons and dermatologists to create her own problem-targeting formulas. Today IT Cosmetics is sold in 22 countries and has committed to lending $2 million by 2030 to help support female entrepreneurs. Yes Jamie! 

 

When a renowned makeup artist launches their own line, I’m always extra interested to see how they’ll set themselves apart. Enter Blunder Cover: celebrity makeup artist Monika Blunder’s clean good-for-your-skin foundation powered by Arnica and Edelweiss. Truth, I haven’t tried this yet. BUT I haven’t heard a bad review yet AND I trust most advice Nam Vo gives. It actually looked as smooth as the butter she said it felt like!

The last two beautiful entrepreneurs I’ve chosen aren’t as much beauty-focused as they are unapologetically sweet tooth-embracing. And I thank them both for it!

Rana Lustyan is no slouch. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, she studied pastry and worked in some of the finest kitchens on the west coast. With the belief that the dough is often better than the cookie (agreed!), Edoughble is her labor of love. Each batch of cookie dough is made without egg, raw flour and chemical leavener. My favorite is the classic Chocolate Chip Off the Ol’ Block freshly scooped from her adorable Los Angeles shop! She also sells online and in retailers like Whole Foods. Add. To. Cart.

Author and award-winning artisan ice cream pioneer, Jeni Britton Bauer has churned a contemporary scoop that can actually turn your worst day around. I’m lookin’ at you, Sweet Cream Biscuits & Peach Jam! I actually heard Jeni’s has a new incredible Everything Bagel flavor but I don’t see it online. Jeni isn’t Los Angeles-based but I’m featuring her because A) she has many shops in LA, and B) she’s a badass. She’s even been certified as a B Corporation. For Badass.

Are there any female-owned companies you love or favorite females you want to call out today? Tell me about them! Or tag one of your favorite women in the comments and lift her up with 3 things you admire about her.

I am so inspired by women who let nothing get in their way – like the 7 talented entrepreneurs listed above. They know what they want it and settle for nothing less. One day it won’t seem like such a novelty. Until then, let’s keep celebrating their wins. Because each one is truly a win for us all.

Happy Day, ladies!!

xo