Behind the Brand: Taylor Beauty Is a Cause-Driven Brand That Was Founded by a Teenage Entrepreneur and Her Father

Taylor Beauty is a family-owned brand that makes sweet-smelling lotions inspired by the founders’ lives, and a portion of every sale is donated to a cause that represents culture and community.

It’s not every day that you meet a teenage entrepreneur who turned her passion for beauty into a business that also helps others.

Taylor Beauty is a family-owned business based in Westchester County, New York that was founded by Madison Taylor when she was 13-years-old, and her father Bryan. Inspired by their annual family vacations to the island of St. Maarten, the father-daughter duo eventually decided to create a line of body products that was based on their family’s experiences and adventures.

“Madison is a self-proclaimed [beauty] product junkie,” says Bryan, COO of Taylor Beauty. “You'll find her, like most teenagers, experimenting daily with skincare, haircare, and body products. I am an entrepreneur at heart so when Madison mentioned creating her own lotion, as her father I decided to let her explore this interest—with guidance, of course. It seemed like a great way to show Madison the process, as well as the steps to monetize an interest or hobby. In addition to seeing her ideas come to life, she's learning the ins and outs of running her own business—everything from concept to customer.”

Another fun aspect of the brand are the behind-the-scenes photos that show Madison, Bryan and other family members hand labeling bottles, testing fragrances, working shows/events, making post office runs/drops, going to the bank, and more. What’s more, a portion of every sale is donated to a cause that represents culture and community.

“Madison and I share our perspectives on working together and running the business via video snippets cascaded across Taylor Beauty social platforms and the monthly newsletter,” shares Bryan. “We hope to inspire others to do more together, whether it's learning a new craft or hobby, running a business or simply enjoying the company of others. The pandemic has certainly reinforced the importance of family and time spent with those you love.”

We chatted with Bryan, who shared more about the story behind the family-owned brand, their best-selling fragrance, what’s next for the company, and more.

When was Taylor Beauty founded?

We launched Taylor Beauty during Summer of 2019 at CURLFEST, the largest black festival in the US. We wanted to make sure we maximized the number of people we could come in contact with to test/try our lotions and hopefully, like them enough to purchase them too.

Being the new kid on the block, we knew we needed a way to lure customers to our booth. We came up with the idea to offer flavored lemonades to match the lotion flavors (scents) we were launching at the event. The idea was the perfect trigger to incite sales at CURLFEST because it was one of the hottest days of the summer. Once customers came over to inquire about the lemonade, it led to conversations about a budding teenpreneur and her co-founder father who developed lotions that tell the story of their family.

These days, we're seeing more customers purchase the products to cure dry, chapped hands—thanks to all the hand washing recommended to help prevent COVID.

What’s the meaning behind the name?

Taylor is our family (last) name. Running a business can be both time-consuming and rewarding. We wanted the entire household, as well as extended family members who assist us at events, to feel like they were a part of the business. We also recognize that a business can lessen family time together during the early stages when you're responsible for every aspect yourself. Taylor Beauty is also a way for us to deepen our impact on the community through volunteering, donating a portion of our profits, and impacting the culture in a positive way.

Tell us more about your product line and what makes it special.

We name our products based on our family favorites, experiences, and adventures. During our annual family vacation to St. Maarten, we thought it would be cool to bottle up the tropical joy we felt while there. We like peach scents and thus, the French name Peche was born to reflect where the idea was conceived. That was our first product.

Then came along Blue Razz. One of the family’s favorite flavors of candy is blue raspberry. This scent reminds us that life is sweet and we should indulge in it daily. Plus, it’s good to share the things you love with the ones you love. 

Madison really got excited about the flavor picking portion. As soon as she said Coconut Kiwi, we knew it would be a winner. It's the perfect tropical reminder for those days that have you yearning for a vacation.  

Everyone knows that strawberries and avocado are great skin moisturizers! Our Strawberry Avocado Lotion is the perfect twosome to represent one of our favorite dessert fruits with one of our favorite snack foods. You'll often find us dipping strawberries in whipped cream after dinner—or as toppings on one of our many ice cream selections. Who doesn't love guacamole? Everything about this scent says YUMMY!

We worked with a chemist to develop a creamy, silky texture that goes on smooth and absorbs quickly into the skin. The lotions are all very hydrating and nourishing for the skin (hands and body). We wanted a product that both felt good and smelled amazing. 

Bryan and Madison Taylor.

Do you have a hero or favorite product?

Our latest flavor, Strawberry Avocado, is a fan favorite. The juicy berry scent really blossomed this summer as online sales grew, we believe in part as a result of the shelter-in-place restrictions (stores were closed so more consumers shopped online), as well as the allyship supporting BIPOC-owned brands. This flavor was also featured in a few subscription boxes this summer, adding to its popularity.    

We both have our own favorites. Madison immediately adopted Strawberry Avocado as her favorite. While I also loves the newest addition, I am still partial to Peche (peach scent). That's one of the benefits in how we've packaged our offering—consumers can purchase a quartet and enjoy all four flavors depending on their mood and/or fragrance fetish. None of the flavors (scents) are overpowering; hence, they are the perfect daily accessory to add to your beauty routine. Remember, when you smell good, you feel good. Who doesn't want silky smooth, soft skin? 

Where are your products sold?

You can learn more about our brand and purchase a travel trio or quartet on our website.

What's next for the brand?

We're looking forward to increasing our release of new flavors as sales grow. In addition to lotion, we'd love to offer more body products. Madison is obsessed with body washes so that's been on her radar since day one. I would love to grow sales to seven figures and have recently began brushing up on my social advertising skills, as well as seeking additional outlets to expose more people to the brand.

It's equally rewarding to see the brand grow and be able to give back to culture and community—a key pillar in the Taylor Beauty business model. Don't be surprised if you see a crowdfunding campaign in 2021 to help jumpstart and support these goals.

For more information and to purchase, visit taylorbeautyproducts.com and follow on Instagram: @taylorbeautyproducts

[Images courtesy of Taylor Beauty]

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