If you’re anything like us, you’re probably already obsessed with ZOEVA for their super luxe-yet-affordable products.
Seriously, their brushes are soooo beautiful, we almost don’t want to get them dirty. Almost!
But what you might not know is the incredibly inspiring story behind how the brand began.
In the latest episode of the Beauty Boss podcast, founder Zoe Boikou spoke about ZOEVA’S humble (and heartbreaking) beginnings.
Born in Greece, Zoe moved to Germany with her family at a young age to escape a domestic violence situation.
“Through our family, we experienced domestic abuse from my dad, me and my sister and my mother,” Zoe tells hosts Jacqui and Alana.
“When I was 10 years old, we found ourselves living in Germany. We didn’t speak the language. We started literally from zero.”
From a young age, Zoe remembers wanting to make something of herself, to support her family.
“I remember myself always thinking about how can I improve the life of my mother and my sister?” Zoe says. “How can I free them and how can I make them independent?”
In her teens, Zoe noticed a gap in the market for high-quality brushes at an affordable price point. Despite having very little money and resources, she launched an eBay store from her living room in 2008, selling a set of just 10 brushes.
Fast forward to now, Zoe has expanded ZOEVA into a multi-million dollar beauty empire. Her line of to 300-plus signature makeup formulas, palettes and tools sold around the world.
Despite her incredible success, Zoe has never forgotten where she came from. In fact, she even started her own charity, where proceeds from ZOEVA support twomen dealing with homelessness, domestic violence and cancer.
“I truly believe that you should keep a balance in whatever you do in life,” Zoe says. “It was a very natural result to build a charity with a purpose to help women in need because I know how it feels to be there.”
Could she be any more amazing?
To listen to Zoe’s interview, including how she’s built a purpose-driven beauty business, the importance of embracing your authentic self and her biggest beauty essentials, tune in below!
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