7 Fluid Beauty Brands That Don’t Care About Gender

There was a time when beauty only existed as a space for those identified as cis, white, and female. As gen zers step into areas that older generations have occupied for too long, the beauty industry is finally beginning to look like its consumers. Here are our favorite inclusive and fluid beauty brands.

Alder New York

Alder, Beauty Brands
Alder New York Exfoliating Mud Face Mask Trio

Nina Zilka and David Krause founded Alder New York in 2016. Alder is a ​​queer and woman-owned independent skincare brand offering a full range of vegan products. The line covers every step of your skincare routine, regardless of gender or any other label. “Inclusivity is inherent to how David and I think about design. We are always trying to create the best possible, most effective product. That has nothing to do with someone’s gender identity, race, age, etcetera,” Zilka said in an interview last year. “So when we create a product, we’re focused on the effects of the product and how it will make someone feel.”

Shop: https://aldernewyork.com/

IG: @alder_new_york

Dragun Beauty

Dragan, Beauty Brands
Dragun Beauty DragunEgg TRANSformation Kit

When YouTube star Nikita Dragun set out to create her own fluid beauty brand, she understood the unique power makeup could have on someone’s life and confidence. In a sit down with Them, she discussed the importance of launching one of the first trans-owned beauty brands. “It was more of a transformation thing. I was using makeup to feminize my features and alter my face to present myself in the way I wanted. It wasn’t about, ‘Oh, I need to eyeshadow here and eyeshadow there.’ It was survival.” Dragun’s initial 2019 launch featured two products — the Dragun Fire Skin-Perfecting Potion and the TRANSformation Powder — and sold out in a day. Since then, the brand has expanded to over 20 products that are all certified vegan and gluten-free.

Shop: https://dragunbeauty.com/

IG: @dragunbeauty

Non Gender Specific

NGS, Beauty Brands
Non Gender Specific Everything Cream

Called “the beauty brand for all humans,” Non Gender Specific’s sole intent is to live up to its motto. “After nearly a decade in beauty, I couldn’t understand how a progressive industry that relies so heavily on innovation could be so backwards in who the products were being marketed to,” founder Andrew Glass explained in an interview. Glass launched by Non Gender Specific in 2018. The vegan and cruelty-free fluid beauty brand offers a wide range of skincare products designed for multifunctional use. Its most popular product, Everything Serum, addresses all types of skin concerns, from wrinkles to hyperpigmentation.

Shop: https://www.nongenderspecific.com/

IG: @nongenderspecificofficial

NOTO Botanics

Noto, Beauty Brands
Noto Agender Oil Anywhere Hair + Body

Gloria Noto’s mission in starting NOTO Botanics wasn’t just to create a skincare brand that reflected her approach to self-care but to offer more visibility to the underrepresented. NOTO’s website boasts the founder’s intent clearly, “launching NOTO quite literally in my kitchen, I became excited to use all of the skills I learned over the years to create a line that celebrated the identities I felt I wasn’t seeing in the clean beauty industry.” These values are essential to the brand’s aesthetic and marketing. In addition, their Agender Oil is the brand’s giveback product, benefiting charities like Planned Parenthood, LGBT Youth Center, and The Okra Project.

Shop: https://notobotanics.com/

IG: @noto_botanics

Trixie Cosmetics

Blush Palette
Summer of Love Blush Palette by Trixie Cosmetics

Trixie Cosmetics was founded by RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars winner Trixie Mattel. The line is the culmination of her experience as a drag superstar and her time working behind the scenes as a makeup artist. Trixie Cosmetics may feature bright, nostalgic packaging that mirrors the fun-loving personality of the brand’s namesake, but Mattel’s purpose is simple in its inclusivity: “drag queens and people, they want the same thing: we all want products that work well, that are priced well and are fun to apply.” 

Shop: https://www.trixiecosmetics.com/

IG: @trixiecosmetics

Volition Beauty 

Volition Moisturizer
Yaupon Tea Glow-Awakening Moisturizer by Volition

Brandy Hoffman and Patricia Santos founded Volition in 2016. The queer-owned beauty brand has a unique approach to community engagement. Together they launched Volition by combining the concept of crowdsourcing and the power of social media. Consumers submit their ideas for beauty products through the brand’s website. Then, followers vote on which products they’d like to see developed and released. Finally, the winning products go on sale to shoppers. The immersive process is an indication of how Hoffman wants Volition to serve people on a broader scale, “we believe at our core that the only way to be an inclusive beauty brand is to start with their ideas and share in that. Our community, their needs, and their creativity are what drive our product development and ensures that an array of voices are represented.”

Shop: https://volitionbeauty.com/

IG: @volitionbeauty

We Are Fluide

We Are Fluide Lip Gloss
Universal Gloss Quad by We Are Fluide

We Are Fluide is a Brooklyn-based, queer-owned beauty brand offering a full lineup of gender-neutral products from lip gloss to nail polish. Fluide’s core tenant is to provide a fun and safe space for anyone wanting to explore. The brand’s commitment to inclusivity is evident throughout its marketing and its racially and ethnically diverse staff. As co-founder Laura Kraber put it, the mission of Fluide is “to create a beautiful and intimate online universe where everyone is comfortable being themselves—to evolve the mainstream conception of ‘beauty’ while creating a space for people to express themselves authentically.”

Shop: https://www.fluide.us/

IG: @fluidebeauty

If you want to explore the beauty industry and learn how to build your inclusive brand, check out Yellowbrick’s Ultimate Beauty Career Guide.

Your Ultimate Career Guide Into The Beauty Industry

Beauty is one of the most consistent industries in revenue and expansion. The market has shown a unique ability to rebound in periods of global economic crises, even expanding to new categories including oral and body care, genderless cosmetics, and wellness. During the Covid19 pandemic, it was one of few markets to experience substantial growth in value. Revenue increased by $28 billion between 2020 and 2021. The beauty industry employs over 670,000 people in the U.S., and the job market is projected to grow 19% by 2030. What are those jobs and how do you get started in the industry?

To help you determine and achieve your beauty career goals, we have created this comprehensive guide. Yellowbrick’s Ultimate Beauty Career Guide is your source to discover jobs and learn entry points into the beauty industry. In this guide, you can begin to explore the beauty jobs that drive the beauty market, then search for your perfect beauty career by area of interest, skills, companies, or industry experts. 

Beauty Career Guide

Learn about your skills and interests, and articulate them confidently to identify career options within the beauty industry that you might pursue. Then, implement a successful strategy to attain your desired career outcomes.

In this guide you’ll find the following information:

  • Overview of the beauty industry
  • Future of the beauty market
  • Beauty Career Library
  • Career Planning Strategy to get into the beauty industry

You’ll also find simple exercises that help you:

  • Form a career planning strategy to get into the beauty industry
  • Find your passion in beauty and identify an area of interest to pursue
  • Learn the beauty industry through top brands and its key players
  • Identify your skills and match them to a beauty area of interest

Download this guide to start planning your beauty industry career. Whether you’re a novice, a student, or a professional, you can further your professional path by downloading this guide that will help you begin understanding the beauty opportunities available, as well as the skills and qualifications you need to succeed. Be sure to also check out our Beauty Business Essentials Course for even more training and qualifications. Our course offers expert insights, practical training, and real-world experience to help you take your beauty career to the next level.

Yellowbrick, FIT, and Beauty Inc Launch Beauty Business Essentials

Yellowbrick has partnered with the Fashion Institute of Technology and Beauty Inc to introduce Beauty Business Essentials. This new online course provides a behind-the-scenes look at the business of beauty. In this 100% online and self-paced course, FIT’s world-renowned faculty and experts from Beauty Inc guide students through the major segments of the business of beauty. In addition, students who complete the online course will finish with a portfolio-ready hero product concept and receive a non-credit Certificate of Completion from FIT.

Beauty Business Essentials Thumbnail
Beauty Business Essentials, a new online program to help students learn how to take a beauty product concept to market.

Beauty Business Essentials consists of five modules: Beauty Industry Entrepreneurship And Intrapreneurship, Product Development And Production Management, Building A Successful Beauty Brand, Beauty Business Marketing Strategies, and Retailing And Distribution. Students complete activities, assignments, and quizzes in each module to gain a deeper understanding of industry practices and potential career opportunities. In addition, course instructors include Virginia Bonofiglio, Assistant Professor and Associate Chairperson of Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing at FIT. Industry experts also include Christine Chang and Sarah Lee, founders of Glow Recipe, Karen Chambers, VP of Iman Beauty, Ian Ginsberg, CEO of C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries, and Fenton Jagdeo, founder of FACULTY.

This online course is perfect for people at all career stages. Enthusiasts searching for a way to turn their passion into careers will learn about the different opportunities available in the beauty business. Furthermore, industry veterans will strengthen their knowledge and expand their skill sets. Seasoned professionals looking for an industry refresher will gain insight into new trends in the market. No matter where you are in your beauty industry journey, Beauty Business Essentials will help you take your career to the next gear.

ABOUT OUR PARTNERS

FIT is a leading educator in cosmetics, fragrance, design, fashion, and art. The New York-based university has provided industry-defining instruction for over 75 years. 

Beauty Inc is the go-to source for coverage on beauty. Beauty Inc is the preeminent authority up to the minute industry news and trends. They have six printed issues per year, a weekly digital publication, and have reports in WWD.

ONLINE COURSE OUTCOMES

Graduates of Beauty Business Essentials can expect to complete the online course with an understanding of:

  • Basic branding principles and marketing strategies to launch a beauty brand concept
  • The beauty product development process
  • How brands establish retail and distribution strategies
  • How successful brands have taken a concept to market

As part of their course work, graduates who finish the course will have a beauty-based hero product concept for their portfolios.

NOTABLE CONTRIBUTORS

Virginia Bonofiglio

Virginia Bonofiglio is an Assistant Professor and Associate Chairperson of Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing at FIT, where she’s used her 40 years of beauty industry experience to develop the curriculum for the Cosmetic & Fragrance Marketing program, as well as a specialized certificate program in perfumery.

Christine Chang and Sarah Lee

Christine Chang and Sarah Lee founded Glow Recipe in 2014. The pair previously worked together at L’Oréal in South Korea before launching Glow Recipe, now one of the best-selling skincare lines in the world.

Karen Chambers

Karen Chambers is the Vice President of IMAN Beauty. She’s also a writer, editor, and multicultural beauty & wellness speaker.

Ian Ginsberg

Ian Ginsberg serves as the Chief Executive Officer of C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries. Ginsberg is the third generation owner of C.O. Bigelow which is the oldest pharmacy-apothecary in the United States.

Fenton Jagdeo

Fenton Jagdeo is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of FACULTY, a line of modern grooming products.

IS THIS COURSE FOR YOU?

If you’re still not sure if Beauty Business Essentials is right for you, consider the following questions:

  • Do have an interest in the business side of beauty, but you don’t know how to get started?
  • Do you want to launch your own beauty brand or beauty product?
  • Interested in pursuing an education in beauty, but don’t want to commit to a traditional university program?
  • Are you in another career and considering a change into the business industry?
  • Are you a licensed Professionals or career MUA’s looking to expand your skillset?
  • Have you worked in the business of beauty for years and feel like you could use a refresher? 

If you’re interested in more information, head over to Beauty Business Essentials and sign up to receive a video preview and our course catalog.

Learn about the Beauty Business Landscape in Beauty Business Essentials

In partnership with Fashion Institute of Technology and Beauty Inc, Yellowbrick has launched its newest online course, Beauty Business Essentials. Beauty Industry Entrepreneurship And Intrapreneurship is the first of the five course modules featuring expert insight from FIT faculty and insiders from Beauty Inc. At the end of the course, students will have a portfolio-ready hero product concept. They will also receive a non-credit Certificate of Completion from FIT.

Beauty Business Essentials

Beauty Industry Entrepreneurship And Intrapreneurship provides an overview of the history and evolution of the beauty industry. The module will touch on the industry’s expansion into personal categories such as oral and body care, wellness, technology, and genderless cosmetics. Industry experts also define managerial and leadership skills needed to succeed in the beauty industry. 

KEY CONCEPTS OF MODULE 1

Students of Beauty Business Essentials can expect to complete the first module of the online course with an understanding of:

  • The Evolution Of The Beauty Industry
  • The Beauty Business Landscape
  • Business Models
  • Management And Leadership Skills
  • Team Building
  • Diversity And Inclusion In The Industry
  • Culture And Purpose

NOTABLE CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS MODULE 

Linda Treska, Beauty Business Essentials

Linda Treska is the CEO of the waterless cosmetics brand, Pinch of Colour. With over 20 years in the beauty business, Treska founded Pinch of Colour in 2016. The brand is environmentally driven as none of their products contain water, instead of conserving it for drinking.

Christine Chang and Sarah Lee, Beauty Business Essentials

Christine Chang and Sarah Lee founded Glow Recipe in 2014. The pair previously worked together at L’Oréal in South Korea before launching Glow Recipe, now one of the best-selling skincare lines in the world.

Ian Ginsberg

Ian Ginsberg serves as the Chief Executive Officer of C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries. Ginsberg is the third-generation owner of C.O. Bigelow which is the oldest pharmacy-apothecary in the United States.

IS THIS COURSE FOR YOU? 

If you’re considering Beauty Business Essentials but still unsure if its right for you, ask yourself the following:

  • Would you like to learn about the history of beauty and how it’s evolved into the multi-billion dollar industry it is today?
  • Are you unsure about where you can make the biggest impact in beauty and want to learn about the different sectors?
  • Do you want to launch your own beauty brand or beauty product, but you’re not sure what it takes to lead or manage a business?
  • Do you have an idea you want to take to market and would like to learn about turning that idea into a hero product?

If you’d like more information on Beauty Business Essentials, module 1, or the upcoming modules, check out Beauty Business Essentials and sign up to receive a video preview and our course catalog.