How to Start a Makeup Line in 7 Steps

The term “makeup line” refers to a collection of beauty products authored by a brand or an individual. A makeup line may focus on a specific cosmetic—like eyeliner, foundation, lip color, or false eyelashes—or offer various cosmetic and skincare products.

Many modern makeup retailers differentiate themselves from the competition by offering specialized cosmetic products (like hyperpigmented eyeshadow, extra-light concealer, natural-looking brow gel), social value (like strong brand ethics or clean ingredients), or catering to their customers’ desires. Beyond offering a high-quality product, makeup lines rely on marketing to increase brand awareness and attract potential customers.

A beauty line offers many benefits for those looking to start a small business, including:

1. 1. Creative engagement: Developing your own makeup line is a highly creative endeavor, with the founder touching every aspect of the business, including product development, branding, packaging, and marketing. In addition to being creatively engaging, starting a makeup line offers the satisfaction of helping others to feel their best through your innovative new products.
2. 2. Ease of e-commerce: The internet and social media make developing and marketing a makeup line easier than ever before. Starting your own e-commerce outlet to sell your products is never more than a few clicks away.
3. 3. Flexible work: Like starting any kind of business, helming your own makeup line carries many benefits, from a flexible work schedule to executive decision-making privileges.
4. 4. High earning potential: Beauty is a multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry with an evolving customer base constantly seeking the next sensational product. The obsolescent nature of cosmetics—which the user will always run out of—means that your loyal base of customers will return to buy (and recommend) your products whenever they run out.

Before launching your own makeup line, it’s important to become familiar with the marketplace, which will allow you to differentiate your business idea. Review this list of the most common types of makeup lines:

1. 1. All-natural makeup: Predicated on the use of all-natural, often cruelty-free ingredients, these makeup lines produce a variety of beauty products. They differentiate themselves from other makeup brands by offering products made with all-natural, clean ingredients, and often by not testing on animals.
2. 2. High-end makeup: A luxury cosmetic brand uses high-quality ingredients and sleek branding to create an upscale look and feel. Accordingly, the retail price for these makeup products is higher than most other brands. Many high-end fashion brand names develop luxury beauty lines under the umbrella of larger cosmetic manufacturers. Luxury makeup lines provide customers with a high-end customer experience at their makeup counters, online, and when using their products.
3. 3. Product-specific: Certain makeup lines limit their offerings to one or two specialty products. Some cosmetic lines specialize in eyeshadow palettes, lip color, or false eyelashes. Many beauty entrepreneurs start off with one specific product, and expand into others as their customer base or brand recognition grows.
4. 4. Traditional makeup: Traditional beauty brands offer a range of products that goes into a full face of makeup. Some of these brands are drugstore brands, and others operate out of their own specialty boutiques, or mini-boutiques within specialty cosmetic stores. Many of these brands also sell makeup brushes and sponges to apply their products.

Helming a startup in the makeup industry is exciting because the marketplace is constantly growing with trends. That said, starting a successful cosmetics business requires a lot of research, dedication, and creativity. You can take many routes to develop your own makeup line—here is a general breakdown to get you started:

1. 1. Choose a makeup line type. Choose one or two categories—like all-natural or traditional—that your brand will specialize in. Differentiate yourself within that category by solving a specific problem or catering to a specific group of people. For example, affordable, water-proof mascara made with all-natural ingredients is a specific niche. Offering a wide, diverse range of full-coverage foundation shades designed for professional makeup artists is another niche.
2. 2. Research the landscape. Perform research on your target market to determine what they value in a makeup line. Research where they shop, their spending habits, values, and needs that other makeup brands aren’t catering to. Research competitive brands and decide what your advantage will be. Look at how other brands price, package, and market their products. Use this data to further inform how you will differentiate your makeup line. Learn how to conduct market research.
3. 3. Develop your brand. Using what you know about similar makeup lines and the market, develop a brand identity, and define the specific value you offer to your customers. Choose a business name and begin writing a mission statement that communicates this value. Work with a graphic designer to develop a logo that visually communicates your brand’s essence. Think about how to use your packaging, marketing, and online presence to communicate with your audience. Depending on the scale of your business, you may or may not need to seek funding to support your launch efforts.
4. 4. Look into the legal aspects. Speak with a lawyer and establish your business legally. Additionally, abide by the industry-standard labeling and production governances. Claims about ingredients, shelf life, and results may have specific requirements. For example, the FDA must approve color additives.
5. 5. Develop the product. Research suppliers, manufacturers, and packaging companies that will provide you with the ingredients and services to create your brand’s product. Determine what the product is, the shades you will offer, and develop a formulation that helps you stand apart from the competition. Devise a competitive price point. Always keep your brand and target market in mind when making these pivotal decisions.
6. 6. Start an e-commerce store. Once you have your product in hand, you’re ready to start selling. Create an online store using one of the many digital storefront platforms available today. Searching online is one way your target market will find your products, so make sure to optimize your product descriptions for search engines so that users can find you easily. If you are interested in gaining retail distribution, start building relationships within the beauty industry. Those relationships can ultimately help you secure meetings with retail stores to pitch your products and take your brand to the next level.
7. 7. Market your makeup business. A shrewd marketing strategy is imperative to the success of your brand. Use your knowledge about what media your target demographic consumes, and create brand awareness using those channels. For example, if your customer base falls between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five and spends lots of time on social media, partnering with influencers will spread awareness of your beauty business.

Get the MasterClass Annual Membership for exclusive access to video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Bobbi Brown, RuPaul, Anna Wintour, Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenberg, and more.