By JACQUELINE LAUREAN YATES, ABC News
(NEW YORK) — LYS Beauty has become the first Black-owned clean beauty brand to be featured exclusively at Sephora.The cosmetics brand will carry a variety of skin care and color products that it says feature clean formulations, diverse shade offerings and high performance.Also, according to the company, the products are cruelty-free, vegan and created with plant-based ingredients.”I’ve always been a big believer in finding what makes you you, and truly standing in it, and that feeling of total empowerment is what I hope to bring to the beauty industry,” said LYS Beauty founder and CEO Tisha Thompson.The beauty brand is officially making its debut on Feb. 14 and will be available exclusively on Sephora starting Feb. 19.There are six products in its lineup: blush, serum foundation, matte bronzer, setting powder, serum primer and a lip treament oil.The LYS Beauty Triple Fix Serum Foundation features 35 diverse shades offering light-to-medium coverage and a natural skin finish, according to the company.Key ingredients in the foundation include Ashwagandha (Indian Ginseng) an herb said to help combat skin stress and visible signs of aging; hyaluronic acid to keep skin hydrated; tumeric to brighten and even skin tone; and avocado oil to help skin retain moisture and appear firmer.Pricing ranges from $12 – $22.”Scattered subliminally throughout the brand from packaging design to visual elements is the triangle symbol, which represents change… an important brand pillar,” said Thompson in a statement. “Not only are we shifting the clean beauty conversation, but we want to remind our customers that at any given moment… on any given day… they can positively change the way they treat, talk to and love themselves.”A makeup artist turned beauty businesswoman, Thompson has past beauty industry experience and has tapped into clean beauty product development, brand management, marketing, finance and operations for over 15 years.Sephora’s latest partnership comes shortly after the company pledged to double its assortment of Black-owned brands by the end of 2021.On Tuesday, the beauty retailer also announced eight Black-owned brands that have been selected to participate in its 2021 Accelerate incubator program which is dedicated to building a community of innovative, inspirational founders, accoring to Sephora.This year’s selected brands include 54 Thrones, EADEM, Glory, Hyper Skin, Imania Beauty, Kulfi Beauty, ries and Topicals. Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
