JLo Beauty's Lisa Sequino: 'A lot of people can talk the talk, but you need grit'

There is no telling if beauty has reached its peak celebrity brand moment. But Lisa Sequino, co-founder and CEO of JLo Beauty, said that doesn't matter; her company doesn't solely trade on Jennifer Lopez's famous persona. In fact, Sequino said JLo Beauty is as much about pro-living as it is about Lopez. "Over the past four years, at my old seat [at Estée Lauder Companies] — where I would sit and look at brands to potentially acquire [and see] where the market is going, where the customer is going — I always went to the same conclusion," said Sequino on the most recent episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast. "Most companies are focused on a certain customer who's younger, [ages] 18-25. They ignored the subset, which I became part of: the power 40- to 50-year-old. To me, [that consumer] is at the peak of their power." At 53, Lopez is arguably the most famous person exuding that power, making the thread of skin care and aging all the more impactful for JLo Beauty. Since launching in January 2021, the line, which is sold at Sephora and its own e-commerce site, has tripled in size, said Sequino. And it has over 1% market share. "Any brand, whether it's celebrity or not, if it doesn't have a strong connection or reason for being with the consumer, it's not going to be as successful," said Sequino. "For us, one thing that rises to the top for Jennifer is her authenticity, in the sense of never giving up but also having a tremendous sense of self-worth, which took a long time for her to have and many of us can relate to. It's about making a discernible transformation in people's lives with an amazing product that works hard, feels good and makes a difference." Below are additional highlights from the conversation, which have been lightly edited for clarity.