Last night was epic. Jamie Kern Lima, Co-founder and CEO of It Cosmetics took us on a confidence journey (complete with passport holder) as the brand welcomed four new products into their ever expanding Confidence collection.
Confidence in a Foundation ($32, 1 fl oz), 48 shades, 24 hours of full coverage in a velvet-matte finish. I watched as it covered acne, hyper-pigmentation and rosacea in the swope of a brush — and oh yes, I highly recommend applying with one of It Cosmetics skincare makeup brushes (brush No707 to be exact). The duo = flawless skin. It’s also filled with skincare loving ingredients like ceramides, peptides, hydrolyzed collage, hyaluronic acid and squalane and great for all skin types including sensitive skin.
Confidence in a Neck Cream ($52, 2.6oz), hits all the buzz words of elastin, collagen, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, ceramides, seaweed extract and niacin to help lift and improve firmness, elasticity and smooth skin. It’s clinically tested to reduce the look of horizontal neck lines and it comes with a face and neck citrine roller. Because citrine takes out the bad energy and puts in the good!
Confidence in a Gel Lotion ($36, 2.5 fl oz), the Hydra-Plumping Skin-Transforming Weightless Moisturizer offers 72 hours of hydration (what, what?) It’s oil-free and light weight for all of those who crave hydration but feel like moisturizers are too heavy and make their skin feel “oily”. It’s velvety smooth and wake up tired skin. And as I still can’t get over 3 days of hydration in one step.
Confidence in a Cream Rosy Tone ($48, 2oz), Surface Cell Renewal Rosy Tone Vitality Moisturizer, which translates to this moisturizer helps wake up dull, sallow skin. Whether that’s due to having mature skin, living on an airplane or you’ve been up partying all night, this moisturizer infuses some instant vitality back into skin. Enhanced with rose tone pigments it also gently exfoliates dull skin and stimulates surface cell renewal for a more youthful appearance.
Before we went through rooms of bubbles, cotton candy clouds and experienced the products in the most magical of way, Jamie Kern Lima talked about Confidence. I mean look at the visuals of this event (this was the Confidence in a Cream Rosy Tone display):
Confidence was the obvious theme of the event and this collection and something Jamie helps to bring to women everyday. I’m very familiar with her story, it’s no secret she’s in my very short list of inspirational humans (up there with Oprah and Richard Branson) not because of their obvious success but their ability to work hard, innovate, create, and give back. I mean she built this brand out of her living room a decade ago and survived a lot of no’s from retailers that now can’t wait for her to do a public appearance. She also told a story of a private equity firm that was so close to investing in her company at a time when her account was down to $1,000 that pulled out at the 11th hour because they didn’t think women would want to buy products from a woman ‘with your body and your weight’. The irony being she is 1) stunning (I mean fun fact: you’re looking at former Miss Washington people, she also may or may not have won a competition that landed her an appearance on Baywatch), and 2) women and men alike want to buy her products. And kidding aside she’s equally gorgeous on the inside and out. That investment would that have been that companies most successful investment of their portfolio had the deal gone through. She did after all sell It Cosmetics for a mere $1.2 Billion (ahem in cash) to L’Oreal, and was the first female CEO of a L’Oreal brand in it’s 108 year history. And earned a well deserved spot on Forbes’ Richest Self-Made Women in 2018, she’s so bad a$$! She’s also just a kind person who has taught me a lot, including the importance of knowing who you are but also knowing who the people in your life are, even when they lose their confidence. And that it’s easy to be on someones team and love them when they are on top but it’s when you’re at your lows and who stands with you that shows real character. That’s been a big lesson for me as I grow. And something I now pay attention to, because while I’m all about women helping women, I’m quickly learning that to most that means a one sided relationship of taking. She’s really opened my eyes to paying attention and also surrounding yourself with wonderful people.
As someone who built a brand, a charity around empowering women, and now a product line where my living room is now a warehouse. You should see my skills at labeling/tagging my straps when I get those Urban Outfitters orders, and have to hand pack them by myself. Lets just say any (wo)man that can take a living room enterprise and turn it into what Jamie has done is unfathomable. So when she talks about confidence, overcoming ‘no’s’, believing in yourself, your gut, we should all listen. When she talks about about how we all need to overcome those negative thoughts, we should listen. She’s also exceptional at surrounding herself with really smart, creative, wonderful people.
Also something we’re both big on is taking care of your skin and body. She created the top skincare brand for ALL skin types but especially sensitive skin. Do you know how hard that is? Especially a decade ago, she literally blows my mind.
I love the existing Confidence collection and I’m so happy to see it grow with these new products and watch It Cosmetics expand to new countries and markets. Congratulations to the It team!