Launch Date: June 2018
Geography: San Francisco, California
Founders:
Executive Team:
2026 Full Year Projected Revenue: $2M - $5M
Primary Category: Makeup
Funding: Self-Funded
Primary Distribution Channel: Department Store
Other Distribution Channels:
Key Retail Partner: JCPenney
2026 Projected Offline Distribution Points: 600
We started Shades By Shan from our mom’s basement in San Francisco with just $1,500 each and a mission to help single parents in need. We wanted to create beauty products that were consistent, with quality at the forefront and to make Latina people feel seen, confident, and celebrated.
As Latina founders, representation has always been personal to us. What began as a small passion project has grown into a nationally distributed beauty brand now carried in 600+ JCPenney stores nationwide, all without outside investors.
We develop high-performance products with top manufacturers all over the world and have a focus in Korea and Italy, emphasizing inclusivity, undertone accuracy, and prestige-quality formulas at accessible price points. But our mission goes beyond makeup. Through our Mamaberries Foundation, a portion of every purchase helps support single parents in need across the country.
We call it “Makeup on a Mission” because we believe beauty should create more than confidence; it should create impact. Shades By Shan is proof that a small but passionate team with heart, hustle, and purpose can build something meaningful at scale.
Insights: Shan Berries, Founder + CEO and Erika Clark, Co-Founder + COO
Why now and why you?
We think consumers are craving authenticity now more than ever. People want to support brands founded by real people with real stories and real purpose behind them.
We built Shades By Shan organically by listening closely to our community and staying deeply involved in every part of the business. From shade development to live selling to retail partnerships, we’ve always stayed hands-on. We’ve scaled nationally without outside investment while staying connected to our mission, our customers, and our values. We’re not trying to manufacture authenticity; we’ve lived every part of this journey ourselves.
What fuels your competitive advantage?
Our competitive advantage comes from the combination of quality, community, and purpose. We partner with world-class manufacturers in Korea and Italy to create prestige-quality formulas at accessible price points, but what truly sets us apart is the emotional connection we’ve built with our customers. Our community sees themselves reflected in our story, our products, and our mission. Being founder-led and having a tight knit team also allows us to move quickly, stay nimble, and genuinely listen to what our customers want.
What’s your proudest accomplishment to date?
We’re incredibly proud of building a nationally distributed beauty brand completely bootstrapped. Launching into over 600 JCPenney stores nationwide was a huge milestone for us and proof that independent brands can compete at scale.
Beyond business growth, we’re most proud of the impact we’ve created through The Mamaberries Foundation. Supporting nearly 200 single-parent families across the country with financial assistance has been one of the most meaningful parts of this journey.
What is the one thing you wish someone had told you?
That growth and burnout can happen at the same time. Entrepreneurship is rewarding, but it also requires emotional resilience, sacrifice, and learning how to navigate uncertainty constantly. We also wish someone had told us that you don’t need to have everything figured out before taking the leap.
What would you tell your past self before starting this journey?
Trust yourself more. Some of our biggest opportunities came from moments where we took risks before we felt fully ready. We’d also tell ourselves to enjoy the process more. The difficult seasons ended up shaping us the most.
What does success look like in the next 3-5 years?
For us, success looks like continuing to scale Shades By Shan into a globally recognized beauty brand while staying rooted in our mission and community. We want to continue expanding our retail footprint, grow internationally, and develop innovative products that resonate across generations. At the same time, we hope to dramatically grow the impact of The Mamaberries Foundation and support even more single-parent families nationwide.
What's one industry trend that is overhyped, and what's being overlooked?
Overhyped: chasing virality over longevity. A viral product can create buzz, but it doesn’t always build trust or long-term loyalty.
Overlooked: emotional connection and community building. Consumers are looking for brands they genuinely connect with, not just products to buy.
How do you think the industry needs to evolve?
We think the beauty industry needs to continue evolving beyond performative inclusivity and create real opportunities for diverse founders, voices, and communities. Consumers also want more transparency and humanity from brands. People connect with real stories, real struggles, and real impact.
If you could wave a magic wand, what one wish would you make for your business?
To continue growing without ever losing the heart behind the brand. Everything we’ve built has been rooted in authenticity, community, and impact. Our biggest wish is to continue scaling Shades By Shan globally while keeping those values at the center of everything we do.
