about-face

What about-face does

about-face is a privately held, New York City-based beauty brand founded in 2021 by singer and self-taught makeup artist Halsey (Ashley Frangipane). The company develops and sells high-performance, vegan, and cruelty-free cosmetics across face, lip, and eye categories, with a product portfolio spanning foundation (The Performer, 45 shades), concealer (The Illusionist, 32 shades with 5 undertones), setting powder, bronzer, blush, highlighter, mascara, eye paints, lip products, and ancillary items like cleansing balms and setting sprays. Products integrate skincare-cosmetic hybrid formulations incorporating ingredients such as Blue Agave, Wild cranberry peptides, Chlorella, Niacinamide, and botanical oils, positioning the brand at the intersection of cosmetic performance and skin health benefits.

The company operates a hybrid omnichannel go-to-market combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce at aboutface.com with national retail distribution through Ulta Beauty physical stores. A strategic partnership with Barrett Distribution Centers (announced March 2026) enables nationwide DTC fulfillment and B2B retail distribution. The business model centers on one-time product purchases priced at $15-$44 per item, supplemented by a Subscribe & Save subscription program offering 10% discounts and flexible delivery cadence. Marketing is driven by a social media-first strategy leveraging Halsey's celebrity brand equity, Instagram organic content, influencer partnerships, festival/event activations, and an affiliate program via ShareASale. The brand targets two primary consumer segments: beauty enthusiasts seeking high-performance vegan cosmetics and celebrity brand followers drawn to Halsey's artistic identity.

Leadership comprises founder Ashley Frangipane (Halsey) as Chief Creative Officer, co-founder Jeanne Chavez as Chief Innovation Officer, co-founder Dineh Mohajer as Creative Director, and Tim Gaughan as Chief Digital Officer. The company operates with a lean team of 1-10 employees and has not disclosed any institutional funding rounds or revenue figures in the available source data. Geographic operations currently span the United States and Canada.

Name

about-face

Legal name

about-face

Website

https://aboutface.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

about-face is a privately held, vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics brand founded by singer Halsey, selling high-performance skincare-cosmetic hybrid makeup across face, lip, and eye categories via DTC e-commerce and Ulta Beauty retail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cosmetics & Beauty

NAICS

Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Face Makeup (Foundation, Concealer, Powder, Blush, Bronzer, Highlighter) (CRABACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clean/Organic/Natural Makeup (Positioning-based Color Cosmetics) (CRABACAJ), Makeup Primers & Setting (Face/Eye Primer, Setting Spray, Setting Powder, Fixers) (CRABACAE)

Keywords

• Vegan cosmetics
• Clean beauty
• Foundation makeup
• Lip products
• Eye makeup

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: One-time purchase model for individual beauty products across face, lip, and eye categories. Products range from $15-$39 for individual items with bundle options available. This constitutes the primary revenue stream.
2. Subscription (Subscribe & Save): Customers can subscribe to products like the Matte Fix Lip Pencil for recurring delivery with 10% discount. Subscription offers early access to exclusive drops and flexible frequency options (monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

about-face is a high-performance, vegan, and cleanly-formulated cosmetics brand that develops and sells face, lip, and eye makeup products, including foundations, concealers, setting powders, bronzers, highlighters, lip liners, lip glosses, mascaras, eye paints, and primers, alongside cleansing balms and setting sprays. The company distributes through its own direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront (aboutface.com) and national retail partners such as Ulta Beauty, offering inclusive shade ranges (45+ foundation shades, 32 concealer shades with 5 undertones) and skincare-cosmetic hybrid formulations built with ingredients like Blue Agave, Wild cranberry peptides, Chlorella, and Niacinamide.

Product overview

about-face is a New York City-based skincare and cosmetics brand founded by singer Halsey, offering high-performance, vegan, and cleanly-formulated beauty products. The product portfolio centers on face, lip, and eye makeup categories, with core products including The Performer (skin-first foundation), The Illusionist (concealer), The Curtain Call (setting powder), Beach Freak Bronzer Stick, Holostick (dual-ended holographic eye stick), and Ballet Beam Highlighting Pearls. The lip line features the Cherry Pick Lip Shimmer, Blurred Matte Lip Plump, Matte Fix Lip Pencil, and Light Lock Lip Gloss. Eye products include Matte Fluid Eye Paint, Holographic Eye Paints, 1994 Volumizing Mascara, and SHIMMERSTICK. Supporting products include the Supporting Act Serum Setting Spray, The Outro Cleansing Balm, and various blush and highlighter offerings. The brand also sells tools and merchandise. All products are 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and cleanly-formulated.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Performer Foundation
• The Illusionist Concealer
• The Curtain Call Setting Powder
• Beach Freak Bronzer Stick
• Ballet Beam Highlighting Pearls
• Holostick
• The Outro Cleansing Balm
• Supporting Act Serum Setting Spray
• Cheek Freak Blush Balm
• Light Lock Highlight Fluid
• Cherry Pick Lip Shimmer
• Blurred Matte Lip Plump
• Matte Fix Lip Pencil
• Light Lock Lip Gloss
• Lip Fix Hydrating Primer
• 1994 Volumizing Mascara
• Matte Fluid Eye Paint
• Holographic Eye Paints
• Shimmerstick
• Brow Artist
• Shadow Fix Eye Primer
• Tools & Merch

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of users reported The Illusionist wears all day long; 100% reported smooth skin appearance; 96% noticed instant reduction in dark circles; 93% noticed instant reduction in redness (study of 31 subjects)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Barrett Distribution CenterscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 6 March 2026Barrett Distribution Centers, a third-party logistics provider, partnered with about-face to support omnichannel fulfillment operations. About-face is now operational at Barrett's Memphis, Tennessee fulfillment facility, where Barrett provides direct-to-consumer, retail compliance, returns management, and managed transportation services nationwide. The partnership is designed to support about-face's expanding retail footprint and growing direct-to-consumer demand as the brand scales nationally.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Rare Beauty: Celebrity-founded (Selena Gomez) clean color cosmetics brand sold through Sephora and direct. Closely comparable celebrity-led DTC-plus-national-retail playbook targeting similar beauty enthusiast and Gen Z consumer segments.
• Fenty Beauty: Celebrity-founded (Rihanna) inclusive shade foundation brand with broad retail distribution and hybrid skincare-cosmetics positioning. Direct comp on inclusive shade architecture and celebrity-driven scale.
• KVD Vegan Beauty: Celebrity-founded (Kat Von D), vegan and cruelty-free color cosmetics brand carried at Sephora and Ulta. Comparable on vegan positioning, price tier, and indie-celebrity origin story.
• Tower 28 Beauty: Clean, vegan, sensitive-skin-friendly color cosmetics brand with national Ulta and Sephora distribution. Closely comparable on clean-beauty positioning, price point band, and DTC-plus-retail omnichannel model.
• Saie Beauty: Clean, hybrid skincare-cosmetics brand emphasizing performance and ingredient-led formulations. Comparable on the skincare-cosmetic hybrid value proposition and Sephora/Ulta retail footprint.
• Kosas: Clean, vegan color cosmetics with skincare-active formulations (e.g., skincare-infused foundation and concealer). Direct comp on hybrid formulation approach and inclusive shade development.
• MILK Makeup: Vegan, cruelty-free, multi-format color cosmetics brand with strong Sephora and Ulta presence. Comparable on vegan positioning, stick-format innovations like Holostick, and festival/Gen Z marketing.
• Jones Road Beauty: Founder-led (Bobbi Brown), clean, hybrid skincare-cosmetics brand with DTC focus and expanding retail. Comparable on founder-driven brand storytelling and skincare-makeup hybrid product architecture.

Broad incumbents

• Glossier: Iconic DTC-led clean beauty brand with expanded retail presence and broader category portfolio. Comparable on DTC-first growth model, millennial/Gen Z beauty enthusiast targeting, and clean-beauty positioning.

Others

• Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez: Sephora's curated retail platform and category leader that determines shelf placement for indie celebrity brands. Adjacent ecosystem player whose assortment decisions materially affect about-face's Ulta competitor dynamics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/aboutface
• Xx.com/aboutfacebeauty
• Facebookfacebook.com/aboutfacebeauty
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/about-face-beauty

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about about-face