Over the past eleven years of building Cheekbone Beauty, we have had the opportunity to work with many partners. Some come and go, but every once in a while a collaboration comes along that feels aligned in a deeper way. Our partnership with IPSY is one of those moments.
IPSY is one of the largest beauty platforms in the world, reaching millions of people every month through their beauty memberships and community of creators. What I appreciate most is that their mission goes beyond selling makeup. IPSY has built their platform around empowerment, self expression, and making space for brands and creators who historically have not always been included in the beauty industry.
Back in 2020 IPSY launched an initiative called Beauty, Amplified, committing five million dollars to amplify Black owned beauty brands. The goal was to support more than eighteen brands with marketing, product development resources, and financial investment. Programs like this matter because the beauty industry has not always been equitable when it comes to access, visibility, or opportunity.
They also focus on supporting women founders and BIPOC entrepreneurs by intentionally partnering with diverse owned brands. That commitment is one of the reasons Cheekbone Beauty felt aligned with the opportunity to work together.
IPSY has also built programs that help creators grow their influence and careers. Their Ambassador Program supports beauty creators with professional development opportunities, affiliate partnerships, and early access to products from some of the biggest brands in beauty. Initiatives like their Creator Incubator have also helped emerging voices learn the business side of content creation.
At its core, IPSY believes beauty should be defined by individuals, not by outdated industry standards. That idea resonates deeply with me. Cheekbone Beauty was built on the belief that beauty should be inclusive, rooted in community, and accessible to everyone.
Through IPSY’s charitable work they have also supported organizations like Halton Women’s Place, which provides support and resources for women in need. Partnerships like that remind me that businesses can play an important role in strengthening communities.
Cheekbone Beauty was honoured to be selected as one of the brands to collaborate with IPSY. As part of this partnership we had the opportunity to work directly with their formulation team to develop products together. It was a collaborative process where both teams explored ingredients, textures, and performance to create formulas that would work well for the IPSY community.
Transparency is important to us, so I want to share something openly with our Cheekbone community. These specific formulas do not meet our usual Cheekbone Beauty standard of 98 percent naturally derived ingredients. The formulas developed for IPSY are closer to 75 percent naturally derived.
However, they do still meet the Sephora Clean standards, which means they are formulated without a long list of ingredients that many of us are working to move away from in beauty.
Partnerships sometimes require flexibility. For us, this collaboration was about reaching new audiences while staying true to our values of transparency and integrity. We will always tell you exactly what you are getting and why.
The beauty industry is changing. It is becoming more inclusive, more thoughtful, and more community driven. Collaborations like this are part of that evolution.
I am grateful that Cheekbone Beauty can be part of those conversations and that our Indigenous owned brand continues to reach new spaces and new communities around the world.
And as always, thank you to everyone who continues to support this journey.
Jenn