Beautonomy Lets Customers Make — and Sell — Their Own Makeup Palettes

Customization is reaching a whole new level.
With Beautonomy, the latest start-up to hit the beauty scene, individuals and influencers can create their own personalized face and eye palettes — and then set up shop on the business' web site.
There are 40 makeup-artist vetted shades to choose from, but beyond that, Beautonomy also provides customized packaging, allowing creators to pick from seven different palette sizes, plus patterns, logos and other details. Shoppers can create products just for themselves, or opt to sell their creations on the Beautonomy platform for a commission. Products are paraben-free and not tested on animals, and it is likely Beautonomy will expand its product lineup at some point.
According to cofounder Tom Le Bree, a veteran of the tech industry, the platform is "led by a band of beauty rebels" who are aiming to put creative power "back into the hands of 'the people,' the true beauty experts."
"We've started with eye and face palettes because they're the ultimate tool to create looks, tutorials and innovative packaging designs — all the things beauty fans are obsessed with on social media today," Le Bree continued in a statement.
Le Bree created the business with Vazi Anita, head of product, Sevelina Trifonova, head of performance marketing, and Grace Salmon, product and marketing executive.
"Our team of makeup artists rigorously test all our colors against professional standards for highest pigment quality and fallout," Anita said in a statement. "We strive to reflect the diversity of beauty in our color choices, as well as the latest catwalk and fashion trends to ensure what we offer meets the needs of the most demanding makeup experts."
While Beautonomy is early to the idea of running influencer shops directly on its platform, it isn't the first. In June, K-beauty business Memebox relaunched its e-commerce platform with influencer shops.
Beautonomy's platform "is designed to help beauty fans become beauty "creators," according to Le Bree. "Our mission is to empower a whole new generation of beauty visionaries." Beautonomy expects its shoppers to be mainly 16- to 30-year-old women.
That idea — putting the consumer in the driver's seat — is something that has taken the beauty industry by storm in recent years. Where product developers and marketers used to be able to dictate trends to shoppers, now, the reverse is true — customers are telling the companies what they want, and companies are working to revamp their long-lead product pipelines to keep up with ever-evolving beauty trends.
For more from WWD.com: 
Fast Beauty: New Business Models Cause Industry-Wide Shift
Beauty's New Digital Craze: A Custom Approach
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