15 Luxury Gifts From Women-Owned Brands To Shop This Season

According to the 2018 American Express State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, every four in 10 businesses in the United States were owned by women. So while gifts from female-owned beauty brands might look pretty and make you feel even prettier — but they're also a testament to the ever-changing playing field of consumerism.

And yes, the stats give plenty of reason to rejoice. However, the beauty industry is still startlingly dominated by male leadership despite all of the gains. Just ask former celebrity makeup artist Rea Ann Silva, who created the award-winning brand Beautyblender in 2003. "The disparity between men and women is still extremely prevalent," she says. "But the more positions women have in executive power, the better we can bridge the gap" However, just like Thatcher, she's a firm believer that the void has never had anything to do with competency: "Women are creative and abstract, constantly creating new ways of thinking for old situations. We’re the real natural problem solvers."

It's for reasons like those that female-lead brands are creating safe spaces for each other, banding together to actualize more platforms for women in beauty to thrive. Sarah Lee and Christine Chang, co-founders and co-CEOs of GlowRecipe, have made it their mission to foster an environment of girl power within the industry. "We have always been strong proponents of supporting fellow female founders," they say. "Throughout our career, we have been constantly inspired by a community of female mentors that have encouraged, empowered, and supported us. Having a strong community of entrepreneurs has really helped us grow personally and professionally."

And spaces like those fostered by women like Silva, Lee, and Chang have constantly paved the way for budding smaller brands like natural deodorant retailer Each & Every. "We are inspired by so many others that came before us and are motivated to continue creating opportunities for women to succeed," founder Lauren Lovelady says. "We believe that greater representation is better for beauty and better for business, and are encouraged by the rise in female founded brands."

So in the spirit of girl-power and getting it done, here are 15 beauty gifts created for women, by women that are worth every penny and are will spread all types of holiday cheer.