Beauty Boss: Sylvia Fu, Founder of SHEGLAM, On How Her Cosmetics Brand Inspires Others to Boldly Embrace Their Unique Beauty
Sylvia Fu..
Our latest Beauty Boss is Sylvia Fu, Founder of SHEGLAM — a global cosmetics brand that embraces innovation and creativity, features quality ingredients, and offers premium products at affordable prices, making beauty accessible for everyone.
After launching in 2019, the brand debuted its liquid blush with a built-in sponge applicator, which went viral and has since sold over 19 million units. From that point on, SHEGLAM has become one of the most popular award-winning beauty brands today, and is also known for its special collaborations and partnerships with Harry Potter, Twilight, The Matrix, and many others.
SHEGLAM is sold in stores and online in multiple countries around the world, and continues to offer beauty fans exciting and innovative products that are “beautifully affordable and affordably beautiful.” We chatted with Fu, who shared the inspiration behind the brand, secrets for success, best advice, favorite wellness tips, and much more.
SHEGLAM’s Good Grip collection features long-wear gel primers and setting mists that keep makeup in place and looking fresh all day long.
When was SHEGLAM founded and what’s the meaning behind the name?
I founded SHEGLAM back in 2019 from scratch with my own team after a career in finance and venture capital. "SHE" represents the all-female founding team who built this brand. "GLAM" reflects our vision of beauty as fearless self-expression to inspire people worldwide to boldly embrace their unique beauty. In Chinese, "GLAM" also sounds like 敢 (gǎn), which means courage. Courage has always been SHEGLAM's lifeblood.
What inspired the creation of the brand?
As a makeup enthusiast, I always struggled to find products that were both high-quality and affordable. Premium meant $30–40 per item; budget meant boring. After couch-surfing across 55 countries, it really struck me how a simple lipstick could brighten someone’s day, yet not everyone had access to quality cosmetics. SHEGLAM grew from those two seeds: luxury and innovation should be accessible and beauty has no borders.
Do you have a hero product?
Our Liquid Blush and Liquid Contour are the products that put SHEGLAM on the map. They went viral on TikTok, but their staying power is due to genuine consumer love and repeat purchases rather than hype. Beyond those, our Liquid Family and Good Grip Primer have become global bestsellers. We don't rely on one hero though. We build product families that work together.
What’s your favorite product from the line?
SHEGLAM comprises over 80% of my daily routine. My non-negotiables are the Liquid Contour, Liquid Blush, Good Grip Hydrating Primer, Lashlighter Mascara, and Brows On Demand Brow Pencil. That's my everyday five-step face. From our newest launches, the SHEGLAM Good Grip Ultra-Blur Primer and SHEGLAM Melt Touch Ultra-Hydrating Primer are fast becoming go-to for me as well.
SHEGLAM Liquid Blush ($5.99) adds just the right touch of color to cheeks and features nourishing ingredients in a long-wearing, lightweight gel-cream formula.
Where are your products sold?
U.S. consumers can shop SHEGLAM on Amazon, TikTok Shop, and online. We ship to all 50 states. We also have a team based in Los Angeles who focuses on the U.S. market.
Globally, SHEGLAM sells online in more than 150 countries and has expanded into more than 14,000 physical stores across 23 countries. U.S. consumers who travel abroad can find SHEGLAM at dm in Germany, Boots in the UK, Donki in Japan, Kmart in Australia and New Zealand, and Centrepoint throughout the Middle East, and more.
Future plans for the brand?
We have three priorities. First, understand the needs of our consumers more deeply in every market to further localize products and offer more relevant assortments.
Second, earn market leadership. This goes beyond revenue and is about building real market share, brand recognition, and brand trust.
Last but not least, stay ahead of what’s next and new consumer trends through technology-driven R&D and our new product portfolio like SHEGLAM HAIR. We intend to lead the frontier, not follow.
Who inspires you?
For me, it’s less about looking to one hero or another. Instead, I’m most inspired by those moments where we, as a company, will hear, “That is not possible,” and we go on to prove that it is! I think this is a big part of the energy that built SHEGLAM.
SHEGLAM Melt Touch Ultra-Hydrating Primer ($7.99) is powered by ceramides, shea butter, squalane, and hyaluronic acid to hydrate skin while strengthening its barrier.
Secrets to success?
Courage. Gǎn — 敢. When we started SHEGLAM, we were a small team of young women under 30 with no playbook. Being young, female, and Asian were supposed to be “disadvantages,” yet these qualities gave us our edge. During every product launch, we ask, “Is it better, newer, or fundamentally different?” That takes courage. We never stop daring to try as we believe success doesn’t start with a perfect plan. It starts with the courage to take the first step.
Best advice?
When I started building the brand, the hardest thing I had to learn wasn't how to run a business but how to trust my own voice. There was so much noise telling us what a beauty brand should be.
The easiest thing would have been to listen this noise, but something in me kept saying, “No, we see this differently, and that's worth something.” I think that's the kind of courage that actually matters. It’s not the dramatic kind, but the quiet kind. You look at what everyone expects you to be, and you choose to be what you actually are instead.
Beauty secrets?
My biggest beauty secret isn't about products; it's about confidence. When I was younger, I used makeup to fit in. The real shift happened when I stopped asking, "What's trending?" Instead, I started asking "What works for me?" That's when makeup stopped being a mask and became a voice. That also is reflected at SHEGLAM. We never dictate what beauty should look like. We give consumers the tools to define their own expression. Stop scrolling, start experimenting! Find what makes you feel like the real you…and own it.
SHEGLAM Lashlighter Mascaras ($5.99) come in a variety of options ranging from Mega Boost to Iron Curl.
Wellness tips?
Spend more time in nature. I go hiking whenever I can. There's something about sunlight, fresh air, and being surrounded by life that resets you in a way that no amount of sleep ever could.
How do you like to relax?
Hiking and travel! I actually couched-surfed my way across 55 countries before I started the brand. Now whenever I need to recharge, I reward myself with a hike. It’s the best reset button I’ve ever found.
For more information about SHEGLAM, visit their website and follow on Instagram: @sheglam_official
[Images courtesy of SHEGLAM]
Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk