At 24 years old, Sienna Brown had what she thought was her dream job. Working as an event coordinator for high-profile clients, she was living in New York City, going on fabulous trips, and planning elaborate events for celebrities. And yet, something was missing.

“At that job, I felt like a shell of myself, just opposite of who I knew myself to be and who I wanted to be.”

Under the influence of cannabis on her way to a work meeting with her two favorite co-workers, Brown was asked if she had lip gloss. Realizing she didn’t, she had the Uber driver pull over to the nearest beauty supply store. When the three colleagues piled back into the car, lips shining with the new product, six words turned Brown’s world upside down. 

“You should start a lip gloss brand,” said one of her co-workers. 

Brown thought her friend was “obviously high,” until she spoke again. “You should call it ‘Glosshood’!” she said. 

“At that moment, it was like all the fireworks went off in my head,” Brown said. “Right in the car, I got the domain name, I got the Instagram, I got the email addresses, like everything I needed I got it right then and there.”

From that moment, she hit the ground running. She resigned from her job on Oct. 29, 2019, and got to work. As a self-funded entrepreneur, she was teaching herself how to build a brand from the ground up, and doing it all herself. 

By day, Brown was producing music videos for artists like Rico Nasty, social justice films for Black Lives Matter, and publications for Billboard Magazine to maintain her New York lifestyle. By night, she was a cosmetic chemist, formulating what would later become her Holyyy Gloss Balm Hybrid. 

She began formulating her product with things you could find at the grocery store like vitamin E, coconut oil, and avocado oil, meticulously developing her product in her kitchen. She sought to create a gloss that was safe for the consumer, environmentally friendly, and composed of only eight ingredients to make the product understandable for her target audience. 

“I think that at this point in life, you’re spending money on this product, and you want to know it’s good, and that it’s good for you,” said Brown. 

Brown would go on to launch Glosshood precisely a year to the day that she quit her job, on Oct. 29, 2020.

Glosshood is revolutionary for more than its products alone. The cosmetic industry has historically marketed itself as the ticket to achieving a universal beauty standard. Brown set out to create a multi-generational product for everyone – whether it be herself or her 3-year-old goddaughter. Glosshood marks a turning point in the industry, encouraging the consumer to embrace their inner child and erase the idea of perfection. 

“While I love makeup I can tell you firsthand, I’m not the best at doing it. But it’s so fun when you let yourself really just be free, so I really want people to lean into this idea of playing with your makeup and being open to what could happen.”

It was this very mindset that led Brown to be chosen for the 2023 Sephora Accelerate Program. Sephora Accelerate selects innovative brand founders in beauty and takes them through a six-month-long journey, giving them the necessary skills to build and sustain a successful business.

Applicants have to fill out a written form and record a video submission to apply. The day her application was due, Brown had a flight to Los Angeles and realized she had never filmed the video. She took a single take, spoke from the bottom of her heart, and submitted her application. 

“I think what people have this idea of is that Sephora wants someone who’s perfect – or retailers and distributors want someone who’s very perfect and they don’t. They want people who are works in progress. They want people who are real, and who are constantly evolving.”

As her business continues to evolve into an empire, Brown is navigating a balance between being a CEO and enjoying being a woman in her 20s. If you think she must have more hours in her day than the rest of us, she does. 

Brown starts her morning at 5:30 a.m. every day, avoids screens until 7:00 a.m., and won’t start checking emails until 10:00 a.m. Whether it be YouTube Pilates videos, hikes, or tennis, she takes her mornings to clear her mind and prepare for the day ahead. 

“I think having those built-in moments for yourself is so important as you’re thinking about a company or you’re in the midst of day-to-day life. It’s really important to have ‘you’ time,” Brown said.

She carries this balance into her weekly schedule as well, reserving time for work and herself.

“Tuesday through Thursday I have my calls, I’m fine with that. Mondays are for me and Fridays are to F-Off. That’s my whole philosophy.”

This balance gives her the energy to continue to create. Brown is having her second launch on Oct. 30. Her new collection, Main Squeeze, will feature an experimental line of tinted glosses that will continue to expand over the next six to eight months. 

“This process has taken me over a year and a half just to start formulating, going back and forth with my lab, and getting things that I love, down to the boxes. […] I’m excited because I don’t think anyone’s done anything quite like this yet.”

Brown cultivated Glosshood from a passion project in her kitchen to a powerhouse brand by doing everything she thought a big brand would do. It is clear that her new collection is only the beginning of her evolution. 

“It sounds so cliche and so ridiculous, but I truly believe that this brand is going to be one of the biggest make-up brands in the world in the next 3-5 years.”