This profile is part of the Glossy Pop Guide to Influencer-Founded Brands, covering the fashion, beauty and wellness companies started by people who built their careers on social media. More from the series →
With a spontaneous idea to try special effects makeup on her husband and upload it to YouTube in 2012, Desi Perkins unknowingly launched a bustling makeup career. Since the viral video, Perkins’s makeup tutorials and lifestyle video vlogs have earned her millions of YouTube subscribers. Over time, as a makeup artist, Perkins began noticing the importance of skin care, which led to the creation of her skin-care brand, Dezi Skin, in 2021. Perkins wanted to tie her personal identity as a Latina woman to her brand, so she used Spanish names for the products, like ‘Claro Que C’, as well as Mexican-sourced ingredients. Both contribute to her mission of authenticity.
Who: Desi Perkins (Dezi)
What are you known for & how did you get your start?
It all started with a last-minute Halloween makeup tutorial that went viral back in 2012. My husband Steven needed a last-minute costume, and I had just discovered that people were posting tutorials online. I watched a special effects [makeup] video, and I thought to myself, ‘I can do that! I can use my background in art and create an elaborate makeup look on Steven.’ The costume — a skeleton, complete with artful black-and-white makeup — turned out great. And, little did I know, it kicked off my career in the beauty industry.
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What’s the brand: skin care
Find it: Deziskin.com
Why did you decide to bring a brand into this crowded marketplace?
Even though I entered the beauty world with makeup, I have always understood the importance of skin care. As my career grew, it became increasingly important to be transparent and show more of my authentic self. This meant showing people my face without makeup and exposing them to my everyday life, not just the glamorous parts. The more I began to show my authentic self, the more I realized we all crave something more real. While I do love makeup, there is a strength in loving myself without it, and I wanted everyone to experience the same love for their skin. That’s how DEZI SKIN was born — from the desire to show people that they themselves can be art, but they need to take care of their canvases first.
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What makes the brand different?
Being a woman and a Latinx founder makes my brand different because I infuse a lot of my culture into the DNA of the company. We sourced antioxidant fruit extracts from Mexico and created a proprietary smoothie called the ‘Dezi Youth Juice.’ There aren’t a lot of brands that have created something like that from Mexico. We also use a lot of Spanish in our product names and marketing copy.
I believe consumer brands have a huge impact on culture and people’s day-to-day lives. That’s why it’s incredibly important to give women and people of color opportunity and visibility in business because they will have a halo effect on society. It’s similar to the food industry. If society didn’t allow restaurant owners to be diverse, you would never have varied dining experiences. Same thing with beauty. If you don’t invite minorities and women to the leadership table, you’re never going to experience those flavors.
Best seller: Claro Que C Vitamin C Glow Serum
To read the rest of The Glossy Pop guide to influencer-founded brands, click here.
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