Rare Beauty Brands and JCPenney Bring Opportunity and Capital to Black and Brown Female-Identifying Founders in the Beauty Industry

jcpnews@jcp.com

Today, Rare Beauty Brands (owners of Patchology and Dr. Dana Nails) and JCPenney, along with prestigious sponsors including Black Beauty Collective (BBC) and Black Girl Ventures (BGV) announced the finalists of the 2024 LIFT Bea

uty Accelerator program. LIFT Beauty Accelerator was created with a mission to empower female-identifying founders from underrepresented backgrounds. In 2024, LIFT will support five early-stage beauty brands from these communities with $10,000 grants, retail distribution, mentorship with beauty executives, and more.

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Applications opened on June 3, 2024, and closed on July 18, 2024. LIFT is thrilled to announce that 10 finalists have been selected and notified.

During the next stage of the competition, viewers can watch the 10 finalists pitching their concepts in front of a judging panel that includes Daren Curry, Vice President of Digital Acceleration at Rare Beauty Brands, Ron Branscom, Senior Buyer, JCPenney, and Marcha Chaudrey, Founder, Equity & Wellness Collaborative. The competition video will begin streaming on Thursday, October 3, 2024, at 6pm CT here: https://www.youtube.com/@Patchology. Viewers will also be able to vote for the People’s Choice recipient at LIFT Beauty Accelerator - Rare Beauty Brands through October 6, 2024, at 11:59pm CT.

“This is the fourth year of our accelerator program (renamed LIFT Beauty Accelerator in 2024) and by far the most successful. We had a record number of applicants, but more than quantity, the quality has been off the charts. This year's 10 finalists and five deserving winners are all exciting, category-defining brands that have a bright future. We are proud to support their journeys,” says Chris Hobson, CEO of Rare Beauty Brands.

“At JCPenney Beauty, we’re proud to play a role in identifying and amplifying new, diverse voices within the industry,” said Lisa Green, Vice President, Division Merchandise Manager for Beauty and Salon at JCPenney. “We’re honored to shine the spotlight on these incredible finalists as they pursue their dreams.”

"This pitch competition is about breaking barriers and creating opportunities for diverse beauty founders. We’re here to amplify voices that have been overlooked and celebrate the unique contributions they bring to the beauty industry. Together, we’re redefining success in beauty,” says Leslie Roberson, Founder and CEO of Black Beauty Collective (BBC).

MEET THE FINALISTS:

Salwa Peterson

Founded by: Salwa Peterson

Location: Princeton, New Jersey

CHÉRIBÉ blends the time-honored power of Chébé with clean, affordable, salon-quality haircare to deliver luxurious, clinically-proven results for softer, stronger, longer hair across all textures, without compromise.

Daybird

Founded By: Veena Krishnan

Location: Austin, Texas

Daybird is an anti-beauty brand redefining beauty standards with clean, functional makeup like the 4-in-1 Serum Skin Tint, a multitasking product that combines skincare, SPF, and sheer coverage to simplify morning routines and give you back your time and mental space.

Deon Libra

Founded By: Devin McGhee Kirkland

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

DEON LIBRA is an adaptogenic stress care brand that promotes a balanced approach to stress management, supporting the body’s ability to handle stress for healthy skin, while celebrating and amplifying the beauty of Blackness.

Femigist

Founded By: Amara Onwukaeme

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Femigist offers gentle, plant-powered solutions that blend herbal wisdom with modern science to address common yet often overlooked chronic health conditions caused by hormonal imbalances, empowering the 80% of women affected.

Fourth Phase

Founded By: Marcia Cole

Location: Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Fourth Phase® enhances maternal health by offering premium postpartum products, tech-enabled educational content, and access to culturally responsive experts, providing comprehensive support for skincare, pelvic repair, breastfeeding, and mental well-being through curated gift boxes and mini kits tailored to mothers' specific needs.

Naturally Drenched

Founded By: Jamila Powell

Location: Miramar, Florida

Naturally Drenched is a luxury haircare line dedicated to nourishing all hair types, with a focus on textured hair, using high-quality ingredients and sustainable packaging to deliver exceptional performance with environmental responsibility.

Ourside

Founded By: Keta Burke-Williams

Location: New York, New York

Ourside is a conscious, inclusive fragrance brand that blends high-quality, vegan, and cruelty-free ingredients to create unisex perfumes that foster emotional connections while prioritizing sustainability and ethical practices, making luxury accessible to all.

Ries

Founded By: Meghan Graham

Location: Brooklyn, New York

RIES revolutionizes beauty travel with the only refillable, reusable, travel-size bottles, designed using recycled materials and patented leak-proof technology to reduce plastic waste while offering the convenience of taking your favorite beauty products on the go.

Scent & Fire

Founded By: Monisha Edwards

Location: Dallas, Texas

Scent & Fire® is a clean, inclusive unisex fragrance brand that creates science-backed, allergen-free scents for both body and space, inspired by self-love and cultural roots.

Squigs

Founded By: Nikita Charuza

Location: Livingston, New Jersey

Squigs is an award-winning, Ayurveda-inspired brand focused on Happy Headcare, a fun and effective approach to nurturing both scalp and facial skin, while promoting mental well-being by donating a portion of proceeds to mental health charities

To learn more about the LIFT Beauty Accelerator, please visit https://rarebeautybrands.com/lift-beauty-accelerator/.

About Rare Beauty Brands

Rare Beauty Brands’ mission is to develop and scale unique brands with a truly positive impact,

that inspire and empower. In a word, rare. Rare Beauty Brands (RBB) is the parent company of skincare-meets-selfcare brand Patchology and dermatologist-developed nail health and treatment brand Dr. Dana Nails. RBB’s LIFT Beauty Accelerator program provides more visibility, supplier diversity opportunities, corporate mentorship, and funding for founders. For more information, visit rarebeautybrands.com.

About JCPenney

JCPenney is the shopping destination for America’s diverse, working families. With inclusivity at its core, the Company’s product assortment meets customers’ everyday needs and helps them commemorate every special occasion with style, quality and value. JCPenney offers a broad portfolio of fashion, apparel, home, beauty and jewelry from national and private brands and provides personal services including salon, portrait and optical. The Company and its 50,000 associates worldwide serve customers where, when and how they want to shop – from jcp.com to more than 650 stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

In 2022, JCPenney celebrated 120 years as an iconic American brand by continuing its legacy of connecting with customers through shopping and community engagement. Please visit JCPenney’s Newsroom to learn more and follow JCPenney on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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LIFT will support five early-stage beauty brands from these communities with $10,000 grants, retail distribution, mentorship and more. The competition video will begin streaming on October 3, 2024, at 6pm CT here: https://www.youtube.com/@Patchology.