Sholayide Otugalu wanted to create a superglam makeup line that happened to be nontoxic. And she did: meet Joséphine Cosmetics.
POPSUGAR: How would you describe your brand in three words?
Sholayide Otugalu: Sultry, avant-garde, and glamorous.
PS: What inspired you to start a clean beauty line?
SO: As a former freelance makeup artist who worked for luxury international beauty brands, I spent a great amount of time listening to the needs of clients and customers. I found that a growing number of women wanted to invest more in products with clean ingredients but were experiencing difficulty finding brands that offered variety in shade ranges and products with strong color pigments. All the while, my entrepreneurial spirit was itching to break out. So, with a mix of drive, effort, and a bit of chutzpah, I found a dynamic way to bridge the best of both worlds: healthy ingredients for the skin paired with a variety of bold, daring color palettes.
There also really isn't much diversity in the color ranges that are offered by current clean brands. I think this is because most of them play it safe, offering similar color palettes and foundation shades. My motivation for creating Joséphine was to go rogue and fill that void.
PS: Why is it important for women to lead beauty innovation?
SO: If the directive and innovation is coming from men, it's as if women are allowing men to dictate how women should look and feel.
PS: What are your hopes for the future of the clean beauty industry?
SO: It's amazing to see the present clean beauty industry — how many indie brands are trying to make sustainable choices. I'm very hopeful for the future of clean beauty because I now see a huge amount of the larger beauty companies coming to the realization that they have to change the way in which they operate in order to compete with the indie brands.
