I led product design and development of an innovative digital marketplace connecting undiscovered beauty brands with beauty lovers.
CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF PRODUCT OFFICER 2012-2014
BRIDGING A GAP IN THE MARKET
When we launched Gloss48, independent beauty brands were exploding in number, but most had no path to reach customers beyond trade shows or small boutiques. At the same time, beauty lovers were eager to discover new products outside of Sephora and department stores.
We saw a chance to bridge that gap with a curated digital marketplace—helping indie founders find an audience and giving customers direct access to fresh, undiscovered brands. By moving quickly, we positioned Gloss48 at the center of this space, creating value for both emerging beauty entrepreneurs and early adopters searching for the next big thing.
VALIDATING THE OPPORTUNITY
To prove Gloss48 had legs, we needed to move from concept to something customers and investors could actually experience. I designed and led development of a Magento beta site in five weeks—onboarding over 90 indie brands, building a strong customer list, and running flash sales to launch new brands daily and test the market.
The 15 week beta served as an opportunity to learn by connecting with customers and brands, iterate rapidly based on live data, and confirm engagement and early traction. We had the proof we needed to secure nearly $1M in seed funding and earn a spot in the PayPal Start Tank incubator.
The beta home page showcased daily brand launches and incorporated insights from iterative user testing.
Gloss48 earned a spot in PayPal’s Start Tank based on the strength of the team, the product, and potential for success.
PROBLEM
To be first to market we had to move quickly. We needed evidence to validate the concept, demonstrate traction, and close a seed round.
SOLUTION
In five weeks, I designed and led development of a Magento beta site. We ran the beta for 15 weeks on limited resources, onboarding 90+ brands, building a strong customer list, and running flash sales daily to confirm engagement and demand.
RESULTS
Validated concept with market data
Onboarded 90+ brands and built a strong customer list
Achieved a 23% email open rate and a 9.8% conversion rate
Secured nearly $1M in seed funding
Earned a spot in PayPal Start Tank incubator
ACCELERATING THE LAUNCH
With our seed funding secured, and support from the PayPal Start Tank community, I built a lean product team and brought on the creative and technical partners we had already vetted. Owning both brand and product, I led a rapid development process, taking us from concept to launch in six months.
We integrated user experience design from the start—including research, iterative development, and a design system that improved efficiency and consistency. This approach streamlined collaboration and produced an intuitive and engaging site. By pairing commerce with original content, daily emails, and blog features, we gave indie brands a platform to tell their stories, and gave customers a way to connect with the people and passion behind the products.
I accelerated product development by integrating card sorting, personas, usability testing, and iterative design—enabling us to launch in just six months.
design system
TONE OF VOICE—reflects the excitement of discovery, the playfulness of experimenting, and the passion beauty enthusiasts have for their new products.
PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE—uses bright lighting with white backgrounds, natural-looking happy women, and groupings that create a pattern or texture and showcase the products.
COLOR PALETTE—specifies color of logotype, primary palette, and supporting palette
TYPOGRAPHY—uses bold all caps for headlines and titles, all lowercase for aspirational copy and quotes, and upper and lower case for main copy to achieve highest readability.
brand elements
