Curious to know what inspired a non-makeup-wearing man to establish a cosmetics line with products imbued with positivity and female empowerment, BeautyMatter reached out and conducted an interview.

CEO and founder of RealHer Makeup, Bill Xiang, shared that after finding out he was having a daughter, he grew overwhelmed by the problematic expectations society places on women. Fueled by the world’s prejudice, Bill decided to put his ten-year background in makeup manufacturing to good use and establish RealHer. He identifies as a feminist and instills this ideology in the brand identity, viewing makeup as a vehicle for female empowerment. And while every RealHer product is intended to inspire the wearer and encourage her to be herself, love herself, and channel inner power, Bill understands that this alone is not enough. Therefore, RealHer aligns with charities that mirror the same messages of female empowerment to combine resources and make a difference.

RealHer not only talks the talk, but walks the walk. BeautyMatter wanted to follow up with the unique brand rooted in feminism and charity to see how they were continuing to accomplish their ambitious and just goals.

How did the brand identify its charitable associations? What role does the brand play?

We wanted to partner with an organization that was highly respected and equally passionate about our mission to empower women. One of the great things about our relationship with AAUW (American Association of University Women) has been our ability to play off of each other’s strengths. And while we have cosmetics that we use to empower women through positive affirmations, we did not have the resources available to provide women with workshops and programs. AAUW brings all of these amazing programs to fruition that help empower women through activations like scholarships, leadership mentoring, negotiation training and the like. Our CEO, Bill, often thinks about one of the first meetings he had with AAUW when they flew out to meet him in Los Angeles. Both Bill and AAUW were amazed by what a great fit it was and were equally excited about the prospect of getting to work with a cosmetics brand that had such a closely aligned message. It felt really special to him.

We had the opportunity to sponsor AAUW’s NCCWSL (National Conference for College Women Student Leaders) in 2016 and 2017. It was incredibly exciting to see such a close and unique relationship at play; the excitement we saw in many of these young empowered women in response to a cosmetics brand that also wanted to help them achieve the same goals that they were passionate about. This conference was inspiring to all of us and it’s something we’ll never forget.

How is RealHer bringing this goal of empowering and inspiring women to life?

RealHer has been bringing our goal of empowering and inspiring women to life in a variety of ways, whether it’s as simple as the uplifting quotes we share on social media, sharing the stories of real women who are battling cancer, mental illness, or the pressures of society, to marching in the Women’s March this past weekend. By partnering with amazing organizations such as Beauty Bus and Beauty as Giving, we are able to provide women who are in hospice or facing homelessness with the opportunity to feel beautiful and empowered. Our donations to Thrive Gang and Boarding 4 Breast Cancer have given women battling cancer positivity and encouragement to keep on fighting.

RealHer does not dabble in politics, yet female empowerment is a major politic hot pot. What is the brand’s reasoning behind not getting involved in this side of the movement?

Support and empowerment of women should be a social norm, not a political hot pot. Yet unfortunately at the moment the opposite is true. We make efforts to be active in the movement by donating to causes that will directly lead to change such as AAUW, an organization which has made strides in women’s pay and education. Raising awareness of civil activists and causes which are important to the end goals of feminism, such as the decision to allow Saudi Arabian women to drive, and the #metoo campaign is an important part of our mission as well. Our brand is here to act as a movement of empowerment because we believe when you empower one woman, you empower them all.