Pound Cake, the Philadelphia-based inclusive makeup brand, was recently selected as one of six fast-growing businesses to win a $250,000 investment from The Enterprise Center, writes Kristen Mosbrucker-Garza for WHYY.
The company was started in October 2021 by co-founders Camille Bell and Johnny Velazquez.
It all started with Bell’s frustration of shopping for cosmetics as a Black woman looking for shades that emphasized her beauty.
She highlighted that she would either find shades of lipstick that wouldn’t show up on her skin at all, or would look completely different than the shade that was being advertised.
Bell and Velazquez’s first item was a bold, red lipstick.
“We wanted to start with red because I wanted to challenge the hurtful stigma people with dark skin shouldn’t wear red lipstick,” Bell said. “Now we offer reds and a beautiful array of browns.”
Since then, Pound Cake has developed several other cosmetics, such as a lip oil.
The new investment will help with the co-owners goal of creating an entire cosmetic line. Bell said it would feature products like foundation, concealer, mascara, and eye shadow, and more.
Pound Cake products are currently sold online, social media, and in Credo and Ulta beauty stores. Plans are to eventually sell products through Amazon.
Read more about Pound Cake and its plans after receiving its new investment at WHYY.
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