Jamie Kern Lima sold IT Cosmetics to L'Oréal for $1.2 billion and became the first female CEO in L'Oréal's entire history to do so. That deal alone is a wild achievement, but the path to get there is what makes the story really good.
She started out as a TV news anchor in Portland. The problem was, she had rosacea and under-eye circles, and none of the makeup on the market actually covered them without looking like a mask. So she started developing her own products. IT Cosmetics launched in 2008, and for years she was grinding it out trying to get anyone to pay attention.
The breakthrough came in 2010 when she got a ten-minute segment on QVC and sold out the Bye Bye Under Eye concealer in minutes. That was the moment everything changed. From there the brand grew fast, with products like the CC+ Cream and the Bye Bye Foundation becoming bestsellers. The whole brand identity was built around the idea that real people with real skin problems deserve makeup that actually works.
When L'Oréal came calling in 2016, the $1.2 billion price tag was validation for years of rejection and persistence. She's since written a bestselling book called Believe IT about the whole journey.
On Shark Tank she brings an incredibly relatable founder story and a deep understanding of consumer products, beauty, and what it takes to build a brand from nothing when nobody believes in you yet.
Key milestones:
- Founded IT Cosmetics in 2008, sold to L'Oréal for $1.2 billion in 2016
- First female CEO in L'Oréal's 100+ year history to lead an acquired brand
- QVC segment for Bye Bye Under Eye concealer sold out in minutes
- Author of the bestselling memoir "Believe IT"