Beauty Boss: Samantha Cutler, Founder of Petite 'n Pretty

Our latest Beauty Boss is Samantha Cutler, Founder of Petite ‘n Pretty—a Beverly Hills-based prestige brand that provides young creatives with an amazing first beauty experience and inspires them as they embark on their beauty journey.

All of Petite 'n Pretty’s products are designed to work with petite-sized features, each shade and finish is developed to be age appropriate, and every formula is proven safe. The products, which are suggested for kids ages 9+ (but safety tested for kids 5+), are dermatologist-approved, ophthalmologist-approved, and pediatrician-approved. They are also nut-free, cruelty-free, paraben-free, and phthalate-free.

We chatted with Cutler, who shared the inspiration behind the brand, best advice, wellness tips, and more.

When was Petite ‘n Pretty founded?

Petite ‘n Pretty was founded in 2018 and is a Beverly Hills-based prestige beauty brand for young creatives. With 18 years of experience developing prestige beauty products, I was no stranger to innovating and launching new concepts, having formulated some of the industries favorite cult products for brands including MAC, Smashbox and Stila. However, it wasn’t until I became a mom that my journey into creating a new essential category in beauty began.

PETITE because young creatives have petite features and big imaginations, and should never be underestimated!

PRETTY because we believe in celebrating the sparkle in everyone and giving young creatives the tools to redefine what pretty means to them.

What inspired the creation of the brand?

I always wanted to start my own brand. With the saturation in the existing beauty category, it’s hard to break through and create something that has a unique point of view/category differentiation. Moms have always asked, “What’s a good makeup brand to get for my daughter?” I never had an answer—the children and tween products on the market are often times poor quality and not age-appropriate. This white space is what inspired me to create my brand.

I created the brand to be a safe space for children, tweens, and teens to explore beauty in an approachable, creative, and age-appropriate way. I often say, you wouldn’t start your child’s first bike ride on a mountain bike—why would you do the same for them to start their beauty journey? We want to empower them to have a great experience and we’re their biggest cheerleader!

Do you have a hero product?

Our Petite ’n Pretty Eye and Cheek Palettes are our hero products:

What’s your favorite product(s) from the brand?

I love the Fully Feathered Volumizing Mascara because it was a product our audience was asking for and we put a lot of time into the formulation. In addition, our packaging and brush are unique to ensure it was perfect for our young creative audience.

The customized hourglass applicator is exclusively sized to better fit petite-sized features as children’s eyes don’t fully develop to adult size until the age of 15. Its quick-dry formula locks in the perfect curl. It's also pediatrician, ophthalmologist, and dermatologist-approved, as well as being cruelty-free, nut-free, paraben-free, gluten-free, and vegan.

Where are your products sold?

Our website and Ulta Beauty—it’s a great partnership as they are the number one brick-and-mortar retailer of choice for the Gen Z consumer. We are also going into Nordstrom Rack and expanding into Canada with the retailer Indigo.

Petite n’ Pretty 9021-GLOW! Eye & Cheek Palette ($25) features 6 age-appropriate cheek and eye shades, including blush and highlighter.

What inspires you?

I am inspired every single day by our amazing community of young creatives and their mothers. We have a very engaged user base from all over the world. It’s amazing to see how in only one year we have been able to cultivate our amazing Sparkle Squad family! We work with the most incredibly talented young creators. Our talent we work with are YouTubers and young makeup artists who can put my makeup skills to shame any day. I am also always inspired by the amazing Petite ‘n Pretty team! I am so lucky to work with such a talented and creative group of people.

Secret to success?

I truly feel that believing in yourself and your company is number one. There are always people in the beginning who challenge your idea and it’s important to not get discouraged (which can easily happen).

Beauty secrets?

Since working in the beauty industry for so long, one of my everyday beauty musts is that I always set my concealer with a sheer loose powder—this helps prevent creasing and improves staying power! Another beauty secret of mine is I use a light scrub on my nose almost every night in the shower to help prevent breakouts, keep my pores clean, and skin smooth.

Wellness tips?

Sleep! I truly believe sleep is critical to starting your day off fresh and ready to go! I also love my diffuser! I often times diffuse peppermint to keep me feeling recharged.

Best advice?

If someone is thinking or wanting to start their own brand, the three words I would say are: time, money, and idea. You will need a lot of time to build and devote to your brand (especially at the beginning). You will need money to start your brand. Every brand never budgets enough because it’s never ending and it takes time to build a brand to see sales. And last and most important, make sure you have an idea that is unique. Make sure that your products, creative, and strategy are all unique and difficult to copy. The more “unique” you make your brand—the more you create your own identity in a very saturated market, the more successful your brand will be.

How do you like to relax?

I don’t relax often, but when I do, I love to go to dinner with my husband on the weekends. Since I am working full time and balancing my two children, I also want to make sure that I have time to spend with my myself and my husband.

For more information, visit petitenpretty.com and follow on Instagram: @petitenpretty

[Images courtesy of Petite ‘n Pretty]

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