3 Beauty Brands with Unforgettable Brand Identities

In every industry, there are brands that leave an imprint in our memory.  They’re instantly recognizable and evoke strong responses from millions.  But why is that?  Brand personality, brand voice, and brand messaging play a key role in marketing these brands successfully.  When these three components are well-defined and carried out consistently through every element of a brand down to the last details, the impact is often profound and immeasurable.

Here are three beauty brands that are masters of their identity.  You aren’t likely to forget any of them any time soon!

#1 Fenty Beauty: Breaking the mold with universal shades.

Since Fenty Beauty launched in 2017, it has completely changed the cosmetic industry— setting new standards, breaking down barriers, and proving old ways of thinking were really just excuses.  This brand stands on a platform of inclusivity, and filled gaps left by other major brands for years under the guise of “those shades don’t sell”.  This brand’s personality is unapologetic, dynamic, and influential, while also remaining youthful and playful.

The brand’s fearless creator, Robyn Rihanna Fenty, launched this makeup line after seeing a void for products that performed across all skin types and tones. Her most prominent goal is to inspire. “Makeup is there for you to have fun with,” she says. “It should never feel like pressure. It should never feel like a uniform. Feel free to take chances, and take risks, and dare to do something new or different.”

While it’s clear that this brand stands on an unshakable set of values, it still manages to keep things light with a relatable and lively brand voice, using fun shade names like Fruit Snackz and Mauve Wive$ and products like Full Frontal Mascara.  While their website exudes luxury and authority, social media platforms such as IG and Twitter managed to maintain that authority, while keeping their tone light-hearted and relatable to their audience with phrases like “fleeky brows” and “gloss game on lock”.

Fenty Beauty continues to deliver an elevated customer experience with exciting launches and fresh ideas that their loyal tribe can’t resist.  With a sister skincare brand, Fenty Skin, that launched in 2020, this beauty powerhouse shows no sign of slowing down any time soon.

#2 Glossier: A people-powered beauty ecosystem.

Glossier, once an online-only indie brand, has had a spectacular rise to fame since it’s initial launch in 2014.  The first launch included only 4 products: an all-purpose balm, a facial mist, a sheer skin tint, and a moisturizer.  The first launch’s product selections were very indicative of the brand’s overall philosophy of “Skin first, makeup second”. Glossier has since expanded to include shower gel, body lotion, lip balms, fragrance, serums, and a bevy of other beauty and skincare related products.  They even added clothing to their line in 2019.

Businesswoman Emily Weiss started Glossier as a result of her beauty blog Into the Gloss, which predominately featured interviews with women. Weiss stated, “As I interviewed hundreds of women, I became more and more aware of how flawed the traditional beauty paradigm is. It has historically been an industry based on experts telling you, the customer, what you should or shouldn’t be using on your face.”

Now one of the most recognizable and disruptive beauty brands out there, Glossier is known for its natural, glowy, barely-there makeup.  From a quick scroll of their website and IG, the vibe is definitely clean, simple, and fresh. While it’s definitely not the place for the full-face, full-coverage crowd, the refreshing thing is that no bashing of the latter can be found.  Straight forward product names like Brow Flick, Lash Slick, and Perfecting Skin Tint, are consistent with the brand’s down-to-earth, minimalist, but cool-girl personality.

Glossier is also extremely customer-focused, making the promise “everything we make starts with you”. As proof of this, customer features, photos, and videos are frequently featured in the brand’s IG and Twitter feeds. Glossier takes time to include their tribe in the discussion when developing new products and it has paid off in the form of meteoric success.

#3 UOMA Beauty: Our race is human, our people are free, our language is color.

Founded by Nigerian-born, LA & London based Sharon Chuter, UOMA (pronounced uh-mah) has a bold, rebellious, and innovative personality that is magnetic and unforgettable. This brand is rewriting the rules of inclusivity and diversity and I am here for it!

Former beauty exec Chuter, who drew inspiration from her Afro heritage to design this forward-thinking makeup range, said “The world is beautiful because we are all different and colorful in our unique way and this is why UOMA Beauty exists. To celebrate uniqueness, to bring people from all ethnicities, gender, sexual orientation, sizes and of all ages together in a colorful celebration and co-existence.”

UOMA Beauty’s brand personality is radical and uncompromising with an audacious voice that stays fun, fresh, and empowering with products like Say What?! foundation, Stay Woke concealer, and Badass Icon matte lipstick. This brand definitely appeals to the unapologetic and woke as it fearlessly speaks out on political issues and racial injustice via social media platforms.

UOMA Beauty’s ultimate goal of creating a world of beauty that truly is for all of us is obvious from the moment you land on the website. You’re immediately welcomed with a vibrant, fresh aesthetic, beautiful photos of women of all shades, sizes, and cultural backgrounds, as well as modern product packaging showcasing empowering and unifying messages. Each collection is full of detail, and intentionally crafted for their loyal tribe. Groundbreaking, innovative products with an instant payoff that delivers ultimate pleasure to all the senses. This brand knows who it is and knows where it’s going!

Are you starting your own beauty brand and wondering how to carve out an unforgettable and consistent brand identity like these three powerhouses? Brand personality, voice, and messaging are my jam! My new signature service, Brand in a Bottle™ tackles all three. Get the details and sign up for the wait list here or just email me at tiffanie@copyfoxx.com.