CONCRETE MINERALS

One of the things I love most about freelance? The opportunity to work with other female entrepreneurs. I feel so fortunate to have learned from and worked with female-led businesses in the beauty industry. This may sound painfully obvious, but we need strong female leadership in the beauty industry. As its own consumers, we are inseparable from the beauty business; yet, we are often left out of the equation when it comes to key decisions that affect us on levels both tangible (i.e. personal product usage and ingredients) and intangible (the way we view ourselves in relation to branding and the images being projected at us).

We hear it more often these days: “representation matters.” Everyone should be able to see themselves—or, at the very least, some iteration of themselves—in the advertised beauty space. Above all, we need diverse leadership that seeks to empower people of all genders, races, and identities to embrace their inner confidence. The beauty industry has the opportunity to be an inclusive place of expression and celebration, if only we elevate the best leaders and tastemakers (here’s looking at you, Rihanna).

When I first met Emily DeLapp, founder and CEO of Concrete Minerals, I immediately understood that her business grew from these values. Concrete Minerals is committed to better makeup in every sense. All products are certified vegan, cruelty-free, preservative-free, and talc-free. Wearing DeLapp’s products is a colorful, creative experience. Her brand boasts over 50 shades for eyes and 14 for lips, including fan favorites (by way of their unconventionality) such as Ice Queen, a blue lip tint, and Risqué, a matte red eyeshadow. Concrete Minerals appeals not only to professional makeup artists with its impeccable pigment quality, but also to an alternative audience due to its range of uncommon shades. DeLapp believes that, above all, makeup should be a fun, happy place of expression.