Rea Ann Silva (Beautyblender) on Owning 100% of Her Company, Dupes and Creating a Category

Before the Beautyblender sponge was a staple in every makeup bag, it was a clever DIY tool dreamed up on set by professional makeup artist Rea Ann Silva. Then came a hot pink hero product, a cult following, and a revolution in the beauty industry. Today, Sammi sits down with Rea Ann to unpack how she turned her first invention into a multi-million dollar brand— and what it took to stay on top. They dig into the battle against dupes, the growing pains of scaling, and Rea Ann’s decision not to take outside capital. This is the story of a product that changed the beauty industry—and the founder who created the category. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Follow Beautyblender on Instagram here Here’s what Sammi covers today with Rea Ann: 00:00 Updates from Sammi 00:23 The Origin Story of Beautyblender 03:17 How Rea Ann Built Her Prototype  15:50 The Decision to Keep Operations In-House 22:45 The Process Rea Ann Used to Build Her Team 23:39 Rea Ann’s Decision Not To Fundraise 28:30 The Secret to Organic Marketing 30:23 The Rise of Dupes in the Beauty Industry 33:46 How To Educate Your Consumer 37:46 How To Cater To Different Customers  39:59 Milestones and the Smithsonian Museum Story 46:20 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices