SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Over 70 companies pitched to a panel of beauty industry leaders and celebrity judges at the GlossPitch competition in partnership with Cosmoprof North America. Today, GlossWire announces 786 Cosmetics, a company dedicated to provide quality and halal products tailored to the women of Muslim communities, as the winner of $5,000 in grant funding to help the company continue to grow and prosper.
The second-place winner, earning a $2,000 grant, of the GlossPitch competition was Joy of Beauty, a body care and lifestyle brand that provides body care and merchandise products that cater to diabetics, and those in health-sensitive communities. Third place was a tie between Le Joyau D'Olive, a natural, handcrafted, biodegradable, vegan olive oil soap made by artisans in Lebanon, and Bea’s Bayou Skincare, a collection of products designed especially for people with highly sensitive scalps and skin get natural and quick relief from stubborn itch and dryness. Each third place company will receive $1,000 in grant money. Honorable mentions were bestowed on Freedom Deodorant and Power Twist.
"It is an honor to announce 786 Cosmetics as the winner of the GlossPitch Competition. The consumer is craving a continued push toward solutions in clean beauty, and they want vegan and cruelty-free nail care, so it is a category we are heavily watching and supporting," stated Kimberly Carney GlossWire Founder and CEO. "We have seen a serious uptick in search for highly effective products without animal-derived ingredients. 786 Cosmetics halal nail polishes are certified by PETA and come in a range of colors and sets that our GlossWire consumer desires.”
The brands, which included makeup, hair, skincare and other product companies that spanned the spectrum of the beauty and grooming industry, pitched to a panel of judges including Kimberly Carney, GlossWire CEO and founder; Amanza Smith, GlossWire Advisory Board Member, Designer, Entrepreneur + Netflix’s Selling Sunset Cast Member; and Hooman Hamzeh, GlossWire Advisory Board Member and Development Partner + CEO of DevelopingNow. The brands shared the inspiration that led to the launch of their companies, stories about the challenges and successes they have faced, how these unprecedented times have impacted their businesses, and how they would use the money.
Ibrahim Ali and his wife Iqra Isphahani founded 786 Cosmetics to fill a gap in the cosmetics industry by providing a line of high-quality beauty products, including a vegan, cruelty-free, and breathable nail polish, that were halal, or Islamically permissible. Now sold in 10+ countries and reaching customers all over the world, 786 Cosmetics has grown to become a globally recognized brand.
"Using your nails as a way to display your mood and personality is the most important trend in the beauty industry right now," stated Amanza Smith. "I immediately connected with 786 Cosmetics’ polishes, packaging, and breathable solution to nailcare given the fact it is vegan and cruelty-free but does not compromise on fashion-forward colors."
GlossWire gives its portfolio of 200+ brands the ability to engage in new and innovative ways by fusing data analytics with the discoverability of brands on a global platform. For the consumer, GlossWire improves product discovery and awareness by leveraging technology to personalize the customer experience through social tools, such as swiping, likes, and sharing, to engage the consumer and build community. As a testament to the positive user experience, GlossWire has continued to rank in the Top Charts on the App Store for paid shopping category.
About GlossWire
GlossWire is a high-growth two-sided discovery and shopping marketplace connecting brands and consumers through data-driven technology and real-time actionable insights. For the B2B side, GlossWire is a datahub to help navigate consumer demand and increase profitability. For the B2C side, GlossWire offers organic discovery of worldwide beauty by leveraging technology to personalize the customer experience. We achieve this through our own social integration tools, such as swiping, liking, and sharing to engage the consumer and build community. This interactive experience encourages the consumer to be the influencer – and their feedback becomes part of essential brand decision making. Through its market-leading app and web experience, GlossWire customers can shop a curated edit of 15,000+ products, sourced from 200+ beauty brands from around the world. The company is owned by Wire Holdings, Inc., backed by a range of all-star private angel investors in the beauty, retail, and tech spaces, and well-known for its popular contemporary Fashion app and web-based platform — FashWire. To learn more about GlossWire, visit www.glosswire.com or download the apps by visiting the App Store or Google Play.