Description: XXX
“I’ve always been particular about my brows—even on shoots with incredible make-up artists, I’d insist on doing my own.”
Description: XXX
Description: XXX
On resilience, quiet confidence, and why simplicity reigns supreme
SHARE THIS STORY
“Of course, I’m very grateful for the successes we have achieved, and yes, we can celebrate these milestones. But I’m always cautious – I never believe I have ‘arrived’. To me, one day you’re in and the next you could be out. You can’t rest on your laurels.”
“I say ‘work in progress’ a lot or ‘this too shall pass’. Also: ‘don’t forget to have fun’.”
What is your mantra?
“In the beginning, the biggest challenge was
doing everything with a small team, but I truly believe it’s important to be hands-on to understand what your business really needs”
“A very old Hermès trench, which I got when I worked at the [brand’s] sample sale in the ’90s, plus a McQueen embroidered cape.”
What is your most treasured fashion item?
£18
SHOP NOW
£34
SHOP NOW
£80
SHOP NOW
£71
SHOP NOW
£46
Drunk Elephant B-Hydra
Hydration Serum
SHOP NOW
£58
SHOP NOW
On the kernel that started Drunk Elephant… I was one of those consumers who was constantly trying everything. I had all these issues—redness, an oily T-zone, large pores, and breakouts;
my skin was unpredictable and moody. At the time, I was distributing a bar cleanser from Malaysia that was very plain. They marketed it as a magic cure-all, but I noticed my skin improved when I used it alone, without any other products. That made me start asking questions… What was actually causing my skin to break out? Why was it sensitised? I had no background in skincare, but I was curious. So I began studying ingredient lists. I’d take a product, make a spreadsheet of its ingredients, and research what each one did.
My skincare philosophy is… It’s not about what’s in a product, it’s about what’s not in it. I wanted products that had effective actives, but without the unnecessary ingredients that triggered irritation. Our philosophy was never fear-based. The ingredients we avoid aren’t “bad” or “dangerous, we’re offering another option that’s calmer and simpler. We also don’t take ourselves too seriously. We know who we are. When you create something that truly works, people feel it and come back to it—that’s what’s happened with Drunk Elephant.
My favourite place in the whole world is… My house when my kids and husband are home.
My approach to branding is… When I launched, no skincare brand had colour—it was all apothecary-style bottles, clinical-looking packaging, or “natural” French brands. Drunk Elephant was fresh and fun but still clinical in performance. It wasn’t about being trendy or loud; I wanted something that looked chic, clean, and easy to use. Now the market’s full of colour, but we’ve stayed true to who we are.
My definition of success is… When I get a message from someone saying, “I’ve struggled for years, and now my skin feels normal,” that’s success. It’s about giving people hope and confidence in their own skin.
A book that changed my perspective is… 'The Year of Magical Thinking' by Joan Didion. I read it after losing some friends in a tragic accident, at a time when I was rethinking my life, love, loss, motherhood, relationships, and what it means to really live and build a legacy. Her honesty about grief and resilience re-shaped how I see the fragility of everyday moments. It can all disappear in the blink of an eye, so you have to live with that awareness and treat each day accordingly.
The most practical thing in my bag is… My Lippe mask, I can't like without it
On gut feelings… I sold Drunk Elephant in 2019, but before that, every decision was made from the gut. I surrounded myself with smart people and listened, but if something didn’t feel right, I didn’t do it. When I launched our Lala Retro Ceramide Moisturiser, a retailer told me not to use an airless pump because “those never sell.” I resisted, and it ended up being the number-one moisturiser within months.
The best advice I have received is…First: put your brand where you would shop—don’t chase placements that don’t make sense. Secondly, and more importantly, treat people the way you want to be treated.
“It’s not about what’s in a product, it’s about what’s not in it”
Before Tiffany Masterson created Drunk Elephant, the idea of “clean beauty” barely registered in skincare. Fast forward to today, and its unmistakable colour-coded packaging is now iconic, while its influence on the industry (and on people’s skin) is impossible to ignore.
Founded in 2013 by Masterson, who had no prior experience in dermatology,
Drunk Elephant was created to dial back the skincare noise. After growing increasingly frustrated with her skin, the mother of four took an evidence-based approach that led to the creation of the “Suspicious Six”: a philosophy built around the ingredients she eliminated from her routine. By doing so, she achieved the skin of her dreams.
However, no matter how hard she looked, it was impossible to find products that didn’t contain at least one of those irritants, so she decided to make her own. In the proceeding
12 years, Drunk Elephant has become one of the biggest names in skincare—and Masterson’s business savvy is just as impressive. Six years after creating the brand, the Houston
native sold Drunk Elephant to Shiseido for the staggering price of $845 million.
Here, in our our Women Who Win series, Tiffany Masterson talks to Nessa Humayun
about her success story, gut feelings, and the importance of sticking to your guns.
Tiffany Masterson
Drunk Elephant Lala Retro
Ceramide Moisturiser
Drunk Elephant Vitamin C
Firma Day Serum
Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm
Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi™
Bronzing Drops
Drunk Elephant T.L.C.
Framboos Night Serum
brand to Estée Lauder in 1995, and stepped down from the company in 2016. A mere four years later, in the middle of the pandemic, Brown surprised everyone—except, perhaps, herself—with the launch of Jones Road Beauty—a new venture that signalled a return to her makeup artistry roots by championed the concept of looking like yourself, only better. Current estimates place Jones Road at approximately $1billion, with this year’s revenue predicted to be over $150million.
But Brown is so much more than her multi-million dollar cosmetics brands. She’s a wellness advocate, teacher, mentor and creative. But at the centre of everything she does lies the same sentiment: that beauty should be simple, real and empowering. Here, in our Women Who Win series, she speaks to Lottie Winter about her reinvention, bravery and lessons learned from building not one, but two of the most influential beauty empires of modern times.
ew women have shaped modern beauty quite like Bobbi Brown. The legendary makeup artist and serial entrepreneur first appeared on the beauty scene with her namesake brand and its refreshing new stance on makeup that focused on accentuating natural beauty rather than covering it. She sold her
F
Image credits: courtesy of Drunk Elephant
“I was a stay-at-home mom from Houston, Texas, with no industry experience, introducing a totally new skincare philosophy”
”
On work-life balance…I’ve always juggled. I have four kids, and for years I had no help. I’d drive them to school, work on the computer, do laundry, cook dinner, and go back to the computer after they were asleep. You learn to create balance through flexibility, rather than adhering to strict schedules. My kids saw that and grew up loving work too.
My secret London spot is…I love the Dorset Square Hotel. It's small and cosy, and that's what I want when I'm away from home.
My coffee order is… Just an Americano with a little cream and cinnamon.
My desert island meal is…Panjo's pizza from a little town called Rockport, Texas and the unbelievable chicken piccata at Il Porcellino in Chicago.
Home to me is… Sitting on a big, cosy couch by a fireplace with my dogs snuggled close by and spaghetti sauce cooking on the stove.
My dream mentor is… Steve Martin. I can't look at him without laughing. Also, I have a secret dream of becoming a writer, and writing all of the copy in the early days was my favorite part of building Drunk Elephant.
My most treasured object is… Any letters I've received from my children and husband.
Dorset Square Hotel, my secret London spot
Il Porcellino in Chicago
Americano PLease!
Best Chicken picatta, Chicago!
Panjo Pizza in Texas is my desert island meal
Lala Retro…
My no. 1 moisturiser
The most practical thing in my bag is…
The book that changed my perspective...