Tyra Beauty

Tyra Beauty was the cosmetics business of Tyra Banks, the supermodel who created and hosted America's Next Top Model. On the brand's About page, Banks said she had graduated from Harvard Business School's three-year Owner/President Management Program and had attended Harvard to build and lead her cosmetics business. She called Tyra Beauty a 100% self-funded startup.

The company opened in spring 2015 with a beta group of a few hundred hand-picked Beautytainers, its name for independent sellers. Its site, tyra.com, sold the products and signed up new sellers. In December 2015, Banks left the ABC talk show FABLife after a few months as co-host, saying she wanted more time for the beauty business.

“This is a very difficult decision, but necessary. I will be devoting more time to my new, growing cosmetics company, Tyra Beauty, which is expanding faster than anticipated.”

Tyra Banks, founder — quoted by Cosmetics Business, December 3, 2015

In September 2016, Banks rang the closing bell at the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center in San Francisco to mark the company's first anniversary, TechCrunch reported. By 2017 the company said the seller network had grown to several thousand Beautytainers, with revenue doubling each year.

Tyra Beauty sold color cosmetics designed to be quick and simple. Almost everything came in a twist-up stick, which the company said made makeup less intimidating and easier to use on the go. Product names were playful, in keeping with Banks' TV persona.

• Face: Light In A Stick highlighter, Sculpt In A Stick contour, Cheek In A Stick blush and Flawsome Face.
• Eyes: Eyes In A Stick shadow, the Oops Liner (a liquid liner with a correcting tip on the other end), Smack My Fat Lash mascara, Super Smize eye highlighter and Brow.Set.Match. brow definer.
• Lips: What Lipstick, Lip Model, Lips Like Whoa and the Baby Got Matte liquid lip collection.
• Sets: TYovers, bundles named for how long the look took, from the 2 Minute TYover to the 6 Minute TYover.
• Skincare: The Clean Machine foaming face wash with a cleansing tool, The Secret Weapon microdermabrasion wand, Instant Gratification masks and Pop It Clean makeup remover wipes.

Prices were mid-range. The old Direct Sales Aid profile listed products from $12.50 for Pop It Clean wipes to $35 for a 2 Minute Light 'N Sculpt duo, with the 6 Minute TYover set at $82.

Sellers were called Beautytainers. They sold at home and online parties, in person, and through a personal Tyra Beauty website the company called Beautytainer Backstage. Training came through an online program called TYRA-U. The company told prospects there were no monthly sales quotas and no territories.

Enrollment and Starter Kits

Joining cost $59, which gave a Beautytainer a 25% product discount and the ability to sell online. Starter kits were optional. In 2015 and 2016 the company offered the Basic Kit for $80, with seven best-selling products and some marketing materials, and the Beyond Basic Kit for $139, with a fuller product set and business supplies. Beautytainers also agreed to a $14.95 monthly technology fee.

Pay

The company's join page said Beautytainers could earn up to 40% sales commission on their own sales. Those who built a team could earn 3% to 5% on their personal team's sales and 2% to 6% on three generations of their team. The plan also listed one-time consistency bonuses from $1,000 to $10,000, monthly cash bonuses at executive ranks and incentive trips. The old Direct Sales Aid profile also described a Hook-Up Pool, which shared out unattributed website sales among sellers at Bronzer rank and above. The company said income was not guaranteed.

In May 2017 Tyra Beauty closed its direct sales channel. A company press release, reported by Business For Home on May 27, 2017, said the channel had grown from a few hundred Beautytainers in spring 2015 to several thousand by 2017. It said the decision was due to challenges typically associated with direct selling.

“That success has come at a price and over the last year it has become increasingly clear that there are challenges with the direct sales channel that are simply not compatible with the mission and ultimately the business.”

Tyra Beauty press release — reported by Business For Home, May 27, 2017

The same release said the brand would keep selling through its online store at tyrabeauty.com and other channels. That store ran into 2020, selling TYover sets, Baby Got Matte lip colors and The Clean Machine. Archived copies show it still trading in May 2020, then an unavailable store by July 2020. The products have not been sold since.

Today tyra.com redirects to SMiZE & DREAM, Banks' ice cream business. Former Beautytainers can no longer order Tyra Beauty products, and leftover items only turn up second-hand. People looking for a live beauty company with independent sellers can compare brands such as Mary Kay, Avon or Younique on Direct Sales Aid, for example Younique.