How founder-led beauty is driving deeper brand engagement
New data reveals the growing influence of female founders in driving brand engagement, as part of a wider shift towards transparency, education and relatability.
The rise of founder-led messaging reflects a broader change in how brands are engaging with consumers, as commerce is increasingly integrated with personality-driven storytelling and real-time interaction, allowing brands to connect more directly with audiences.
Demonstrating this trend on platforms like TikTok, The Inkey List co-founder Colette Laxton (alongside co-founder Mark Curry) plays an active role in the brand’s marketing and social strategy, which she says brings the brand to life "in the most authentic and credible way".
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"As a brand built on transparency and education, being front and centre allows us to communicate directly, cut through industry noise and deliver real, expert-led advice in a way that feels human rather than scripted. It reinforces our mission to empower through knowledge, while also building deeper trust and connection with our community - because people engage with people, not brands," explains Laxton.
"On a platform like TikTok, where audiences value honesty, personality and unfiltered perspectives, founder content doesn’t just drive reach - it strengthens credibility, sparks conversation and makes our purpose and values tangible."
Another example of founder-led marketing is Glow For It, where entrepreneur Daisy Kelly is closely involved in the brand’s promotional activity, particularly on TikTok.
"Founder-led content has been one of the biggest drivers of growth for us at Glow For It. Audiences today don’t just buy products, they buy into people and stories. Showing up consistently as a founder builds trust at a much deeper level, and that trust directly translates into engagement and ultimately conversion," Kelly tells TheIndustry.beauty.
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"For us, it’s about removing the barrier between brand and customer. TikTok in particular rewards authenticity, so being able to speak directly to our community, share behind-the-scenes moments, and involve them in the journey has been key.
"Our recent collaboration with The Inkey List is also a great example of what happens when you bring together aligned communities and founders who share the same core values."
It comes as brands are experimenting with “beauty bundles” - curated sets of products designed around specific routines, such as skin barrier repair or hair growth. These bundles account for a growing share of top-performing products on the social media platform, and their appeal lies in convenience and the perception of added value.
The collaboration between Glow For It and The Inkey List illustrates how brands are taking this a step further through curated partnerships, offering exclusive bundles that combine products from different labels and are promoted via live shopping events.
The 12-hour livestream, featuring founders Laxton and Kelly, attracted tens of thousands of viewers. Alongside product promotion, the session also explored the founders’ personal journeys in building their brands, offering deeper insight.
"Collaborating with other founder brands is a great way for us to spotlight our founder-led values and storytelling - and Glow For It is one of the best examples of an incredible founder story, and two brands who value community and providing products that deliver real solutions," Laxton tells TheIndustry.beauty.
Adding to this, Kelly reveals: "It literally came about because Colette dropped me a voice note asking if we would be interested in a co-live on TikTok. For me it was a no brainer. The Inkey List has been a brand I have admired for years, so to have the opportunity to work with Colette and the team was incredible.
"Interestingly, we had so many comments on the live from customers of both brands and it really reinforced the power of the platform in bringing communities together. When collaborations are rooted in authenticity rather than just reach, you see a much stronger response from the audience."
According to the platform, this interactive dynamic enables a closer connection between consumers and brands, creating a shopping experience that differs from more traditional e-commerce models.
"As an always-on storefront, LIVE is a discovery engine that brings in new customers daily. But what we're seeing inside the live room is that users love the direct, unfiltered access to brands - and that proximity creates a shopping experience online that's built for long-term relationships, not just transactions," adds Emily Caine, Head of Beauty at TikTok Shop UK.
It comes as TikTok Shop has become a significant player in the UK beauty retail sector, reportedly ranking as the second-largest online beauty retailer in Britain. It is also said to have contributed around £1.6 billion to the UK economy in 2023.
More recently, TikTok Shop reported a 60% year-on-year increase in beauty sales, indicating continued growth in its share of one of the UK’s most competitive retail categories.
