The Beauty Brands Tied To Epstein (And The Ones That Aren't)

The Epstein files have rocked the world, and they’re not even entirely released. Jeffrey Epstein, the infamous pedophile and red-faced financier who is now deceased, had ties to some of the globe’s most influential figures. The FBI had been tipped off to Epstein’s crimes in the mid 90s, and despite their knowledge and his 13-month jail stint from 2008-2009 after pleading guilty to procurement of a minor to engage in prostitution, the malefactor was free to operate his heinous sex-trafficking ring until his arrest in 2019.

Since then, the media has been abuzz with questions: first, it was “Where is the client list?” but now that portions of the flight logs and contact lists were released by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, people are demanding unredacted evidence. And understandably so. I mean, why should criminals and complicit eyewitnesses get away with covering up a debased operation like Epstein’s?

Well, with each slow-drip glimpse the public gets into the Epstein files, more names are implicated in the debauchery. There have been bipartisan efforts to hold people accountable, yet somehow that still isn’t enough. While it’s likely that some people implicated in the files were unknowingly involved through brief interactions and surface-level associations, it’s worth asking yourself: if Epstein had already pleaded guilty to crimes that would force him to register as a sex offender, why did so many people still trust him upon his 2009 release and maintain their relationships with him?

There’s a lot going on behind the scenes we’ll probably never be privy to and that’s a crying shame. But we can deduce from the information available to us who may be a likely perpetrator in Epstein’s horrific scheme, as some names appear much more frequently than others, and some names are linked to very suspicious messages with the late pedophile. It seems like no industry is coming out of this one scot-free… and the world of beauty has some work to do looking into those at the very top and their ties to Epstein.

Who’s Actually Tied To The Epstein Orbit?

In the subreddit r/MakeupAddiction, Reddit user aymaureen shared screenshots from an Instagram carousel by Dr. Krista Amira Calvo, PhD (known on Instagram as go_coiff_yourself) featuring a few leading beauty brands allegedly linked to Epstein.

Ron Lauder, the sole heir to The Estée Lauder Companies and “ally” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had been mentioned in the Epstein files at least 900 times, Dr. Calvo posted. Additionally, Dr. Calvo pointed out that the Estée Lauder Companies board member, Barry Sternlicht, is allegedly, though unconfirmed, implicated in the files 186 times, including one where Epstein invites him for a “Harvard weekend” with “Andrew.”

So which brands rest under that company’s umbrella? Among the many, you probably recognize Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Bumble and bumble, Clinique, Dr Jart, Jo Malone, La Mer, Le Labo, Origins, Smashbox, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Two Faced.

Ron Lauder, the sole heir to The Estée Lauder Companies, had been mentioned in the Epstein files at least 900 times.

Similarly, Jean Paul Agnon, L’Oréal CEO from 2006 to 2021, was allegedly listed in the files for a holiday trip, according to Dr. Calvo’s post, as well as a L’Oréal board member, but there is less tangible proof for the latter.

So which brands rest under that company’s umbrella? Among the many, you probably recognize Lancôme, YSL, Giorgio Armani Beauty, Kiehl’s, Aesop, Prada Beauty, Valentino, Urban Decay, IT Cosmetics, Ralph Lauren, Shu Uemura, Maison Margiela, L’Oréal Paris, Garnier, Maybelline New York, NYC Professional Makeup, Essie, La Roche-Posay, CeraVe, Vichy, SkinCeuticals, Kérastase, and Redken.

In fact, you’ve probably used products from a lot of these brands, and while it's the parent company to the brands that have someone implicated, you still may want to distance yourself from as much Epstein-related stuff as you can.

After that Reddit post blew up on r/MakeupAddiction, user aymaureen posted a list of brands she deemed safe from ties to the Epstein files, just in case any curious users wanted to shop with their morals in mind. And honestly? So many of them are evie-coded in the best ways. Here are a few of our favorites.

The Brands Women Are Turning To Instead

1. Anastasia Beverly Hills

Anastasia Beverly Hills started as a small salon in Los Angeles where founder Anastasia Soare, a Romanian immigrant, developed her own “Golden Ratio” method to shape brows. After building a loyal, celebrity-centric clientele in the late 90s, Soare turned her technique into an entire line of products. 

Today, the brand is known as the GOAT for brow pencils, powders, and shaping kits that have helped women love their brows, fuller ones included, without plucking the living daylights out of them. Aside from the Brow Wiz and Dipbrow pomade that make sculpted, modelesque brows possible at home, the brand also expanded into a wider variety of beauty products, like the cult classic Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palette.

2. bareMinerals



Founded in 1995, bareMinerals is considered one of the first beauty brands to blur the line between cosmetics and skincare. Its loose mineral foundation was marketed as a cleaner alternative to traditional formulas, and naturally, the brand gained a loyal following for breathable, no-makeup-makeup coverage and a natural finish long before “clean beauty” became a trend.

Its hero products include that Original Loose Powder Foundation, Matte Loose Powder Foundation, Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream, and Mineral Veil Setting Powder. While they’ve expanded their product line into a full range of makeup and skincare, bareMinerals will always be known for its minimalist approach for complexion-curating products that are designed to enhance your skin, not mask it.

3. Charlotte Tilbury

In 2013, British makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury founded her own brand after having built up her reputation backstage at the runways and on celebrity clients. Her brand quickly skyrocketed in popularity for its glam but skin-enhancing approach. In essence, you could snag that polished and lit-from-within look her clients became known for but at a mid-range cost, and of course, packaged with a distinctly old-Hollywood aesthetic.

From the Magic Cream moisturizer to the Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder to the Hollywood Flawless Filter to the Beauty Light Wand highlighters, beauty gurus gush over the glow they get from Charlotte Tilbury products. But beyond that, the brand has also gone viral for its Pillow Talk Matte Revolution Lipstick. If you’re looking for effortless, but camera-ready glamour, Charlotte Tilbury is the way to go.

4. e.l.f. Cosmetics

Short for Eyes, Lips, Face, e.l.f. Cosmetics was launched in 2004 to bring trendy makeup to consumers at drugstore prices. It gained massive popularity for its $1 essentials, and then evolved into a major player in the beauty industry by consistently delivering dupe after dupe for high-end products and leaning into social media-driven trends.

Many women use e.l.f. as their workhorse, everyday products because of how stupidly effective, and incredibly inexpensive, they are. Among its standout products, beauty buyers love the Power Grip Primer, Halo Glow Liquid Filter, Putty Primer, Camo Concealer, and Brow Lift. Though the brand has now dipped its toes into skincare and more elevated formulas, it's still one of the most influential and budget-friendly brands you can buy today.

5. Huda Beauty

Huda Beauty was founded in 2013 by beauty influencer and makeup artist Huda Kattan, who leveraged the popularity of her blog and social media following to launch a wildly popular makeup line. What started as a single set of falsies quickly grew into a global beauty empire known for full-glam aesthetics, bold pigments, and product launches driven by viral trends.

Yes, those OG falsies put Huda Beauty on the map, but its other hero products that have gained cult followings include the Faux Filter Foundation, Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder, Obsessions Eyeshadow Palettes, and Power Bullet Lipsticks. Today, Kattan has expanded her line into skincare with Wishful and fragrance with Kayali, but Huda Beauty remains rooted in high-impact, ultra glam makeup designed for a camera-ready finish.

6. Kosas

In 2015, Sheena Yaitanes founded her brand Kosas on the premise of blending makeup and skincare to create products that feel lightweight and comfortable, but also easy to use. Kosas quickly gained traction for its effortless “your skin but better” approach that skyrocketed in popularity alongside the Clean Girl aesthetic. Think minimalist, glowy, and designed for everyday wear rather than a full face of glam.

Among its top products, Kosas is best known for the Revealer Concealer, Tinted Face Oil Foundation, Cloud Set Setting Powder, Air Brow Gel, and Wet Lip Oil Gloss. Its line has significantly expanded (shoutout to my fave, Blush is Life!) but remains best known for skin-forward formulas and soft, subdued finishes that perfectly define the modern clean beauty space.

7. Makeup by Mario

Makeup by Mario was founded in 2020 by makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic, longtime MUA to Kim Kardashian. He helped popularize a camera-ready style of glam that emphasized modern contouring and face sculpting techniques. His brand was built around his approach to be polished and defined but still soft and wearable, so naturally, KarJenner fans and broader beauty buyers alike flooded the brand with love to snag pro-level products.

These everyday staple products include the Soft Sculpt Shaping Stick, SurrealSkin Foundation, Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette, Soft Pop Blush Stick, and Master Secret Glow Highlighter. While Makeup by Mario’s product line is still relatively tight compared to legacy alternatives, it has earned a strong following for reliable, elevated basics that deliver a sleek, modern look.

8. MERIT Beauty

One of the newest brands on this list, MERIT Beauty was founded in 2021 by Katherine Power who sought out an antidote to overcomplicated makeup routines. MERIT’s minimalist, streamlined makeup was designed for everyday wear, not glam, by offering consumers a tightly-edited lineup of products that are easy and quick to apply but deliver natural, polished looks.

From The Minimalist Complexion Stick to the Flush Balm Cream Blush to the Day Glow Highlighting Balm to the Shade Slick Tinted Lip Oil, MERIT has rapidly built a loyal following for its reps in the Clean Girl aesthetic circles. It’s giving curated, it’s promising a “five-minute” face, and it’s meeting women where they’re at, emphasizing natural beauty over trend-heavy glam.

9. Physicians Formula

One of the oldest brands on this list, Physicians Formula was founded in 1937 by Dr. Frank Crandall. His wife had sensitive skin and struggled to find gentle cosmetics, so he curated the brand from the get-go to be hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested formulas. Since then, Physicians Formula has been a go-to for girlies with sensitive or reactive skin long before “clean” beauty went mainstream.

This brand is best known for the Butter Bronzer, Murumuru Butter Blush, Organic Wear Mascara, and Mineral Wear Talc-Free Powder, but its Mineral Wear Diamond Glow Dust Powder has also gained significant clout online for being a holy grail celeb beauty brand dupe. No matter how much the brand has expanded since the 30s, it has remained best known for skin-friendly formulas at accessible, drugstore prices.

10. Rare Beauty

Actress and singer Selena Gomez founded Rare Beauty in 2020, basing the brand upon a redefinition of beauty standards: self-acceptance and natural-looking makeup over products meant to transform a face. Her brand emphasizes lightweight products that are easy to use, enhancing what you were born with rather than masking it, and messaging centered around mental health awareness.

The top Rare Beauty products include the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation, Positive Light Liquid Luminizer, Kind Words Matte Lipstick, and Always an Optimist Primer. Rare Beauty, in its mission to build real confidence from within, has become a standout in an increasingly mental-health-focused culture, not only for its blendable formulas, diverse shade ranges, and skin-like finishes, but for the comforting messaging surrounding the brand.

11. Saie

A favorite among “no-makeup makeup” fans, Saie was founded in 2019 by Laney Crowell who centered the brand on clean, effortless products that deliver dewy finishes. The brand quickly gained traction among clean beauty lovers, as customers raved about easy application, seamless blending, and stylish enhancement of their natural features rather than a full-glam look.

Saie’s holy grail products include its Glowy Super Gel, Slip Tint Tinted Moisturizer, Dew Blush, Sun Melt Bronzer, and Mascara 101. A leader in the modern clean beauty space, Saie has built quite the following for fresh, luminous looks using a minimalist approach.

12. Sunday Riley

Founded in 2009 by skincare entrepreneur Sunday Riley, the eponymous brand focuses on high-performance formulas meant to blend science-backed actives with botanicals. While the brand is almost entirely skincare, many regular buyers tout its products for helping them rely less on makeup, given the products effectiveness for concerns like acne, dullness, and signs of wear and tear on the skin.

Its hero products include, but are not limited to, the Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment, Luna Sleeping Night Oil, C.E.O. Vitamin C Brightening Serum, and A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum. While Sunday Riley’s products are priced a bit on the higher end of the spectrum, many shoppers remain devout for its targeted treatments and active-forward formulas that deliver visible results instead of simply masking skin concerns.

13. Tarte

In 1999, Maureen Kelly founded the brand Tarte with a focus on high-performing makeup that incorporates skincare-inspired ingredients. Ahead of the trends, Tarte set itself apart by avoiding certain controversial ingredients like parabens and leaning more into a “natural glam” approach with full coverage formulas that still feel comfortable on your skin. After it grew in popularity in the 2010s, thanks to social media and influencer culture, Tarte is now a bonafide staple in both everyday makeup routines and full-glam looks.

The top Tarte products are its Shape Tape Concealer, Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush, Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara, Maracuja Juicy Lip, and Tartelette Eyeshadow Palettes. It’s safe to say Tarte has built an extremely loyal following for these long-wearing products that promise approachable, but glam, everyday looks.

14. Tower 28 

Tower 28 was founded by Amy Liu in 2019 and made a name for itself with its easy-to-use, minimalist makeup safe for sensitive skin. Inspired by a laid-back, beachy L.A. aesthetic, Tower 28 is best known for its gentle, non-irritating formulas that meet strict safety standards, so naturally it became a go-to for those with reactive or acne-prone skin.

Tower 28’s holy grail products include its ShineOn Lip Jelly, BeachPlease Cream Blush, SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray, Swipe Serum Concealer, and SunnyDays Tinted Sunscreen Foundation. Like many of the other brands on this list, Tower 28 has become a staple for “clean girls” who want an effortless, dewy, and low-maintenance look.

At a certain point, this stops being about beauty industry gossip and instead starts becoming a discussion about accountability. There's nothing unreasonable about wondering whether a brand deserves your loyalty when alternatives exist.

Look, the Epstein files are incomplete and not consistently interpreted. Mentions in the log don’t equate to wrongdoing, and the absence of a name doesn’t equate to a clean bill of health. At the time of writing, none of the Epstein-free brands or their leadership have been publicly tied to Epstein in released, unredacted evidence. But as more information comes to light, it’s worth watching closely as a thoughtful consumer. A “clean” brand today could still have investors, partners, or leaders, past, present, or future, that could muddy the waters. 

Indeed, while not every confirmed name in the Epstein files signals guilt, of course, patterns matter. Proximity and silence matter too. Knowing and saying nothing is its own kind of complicity.

If nothing else, these scandals are a reminder that where we spend our money isn’t all that neutral. The beauty industry has long sold women the promise of control, confidence, and self expression, so now more than ever, women deserve the chance to decide if that should extend to the companies they choose to support.