Ep. 26 NYX

The $500 Million Drugstore Brand That Was Built by One Woman

And to think it all started with $1.99 pencils...

In this episode, I'm covering the story behind NYX Cosmetics — from its 1999 launch by a 25-year-old Korean-American entrepreneur, to the Jumbo Eye Pencil that took over YouTube, to a 2024 Super Bowl ad starring Cardi B.

Connect with me:

Email: sarah@thecosmeticchronicles.com

Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@glowandflowbysarah⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Glow + Flow Collective⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LTK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop the Pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sources:

• https://www.nyxcosmetics.com/about-us.html

• https://www.loreal.com/en/consumer-products-division/nyx/

• https://intothegloss.com/2015/03/nyx-cosmetics

• https://intothegloss.com/2021/05/toni-ko-nyx-beauty-routine

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NYX_Professional_Makeup

• https://beautymatter.com/articles/timeline-the-story-of-nyx

• https://coveteur.com/nyx-founder-toni-ko

• https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2016/06/01/toni-ko-nyx-cosmetics-loreal-sale-richest-women/

• https://www.loreal-finance.com/eng/news-release/loreal-signs-agreement-acquire-nyx-cosmetics

• https://theindustry.beauty/the_directory/nyx-professional-makeup/

• https://www.thelegacylab.com/interviews/nyx-cosmetics

• https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/toni-ko

• https://www.allure.com/story/nyx-cosmetics-history

• https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2017/08/169730/nyx-makeup-youtube-instagram-most-popular

• https://www.popsugar.com/beauty/toni-ko-beauty-interview-48393480

• https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nyx-professional-makeup-marks-a-milestone-and-launches-a-newly-redesigned-website-121625163.html

• https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nyx-professional-makeup-appoints-scott-friedman-to-chief-executive-officer-126507608.html

• https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hcp--company-signs-agreement-to-sell-investment-in-nyx-cosmetics-to-loreal-263663291.html

• https://www.careercontessa.com/interviews/nyx-cosmetics-toni-ko/

• https://www.loreal-finance.com/eng/news-release/loreal-signs-agreement-acquire-nyx-cosmetics

• https://thebookandbeautyblog.com/2018/09/03/nyx-cant-stop-wont-stop-foundation-review/

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaSwreSsh4o

• https://www.loreal-finance.com.cn/en/annual-report-2016/nyx-professional-makeup

• https://www.newbeauty.com/awards/2025/lip-iv-hydrating-gloss-stain

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/bespoke-beauty-brands/about/

• https://www.inc.com/christine-lagorio/toni-ko-nyx-cosmetics-bespoke-beauty-serial-entrepreneur.html

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  NYX Cosmetics, beauty industry, makeup trends, social media marketing, professional quality, affordable makeup, brand history, influencer marketing, product innovation, beauty community, history of nyx