I’ve interviewed NBA stars, now I’m an entrepreneur at 21 – I’m determined women shouldn’t pay more for beauty products
A VIRAL sports journalist with millions of fans, Miss Universe judge and now head of her own beauty empire, it’s hard to believe Emily Austin is just 21 years old.
Sports personality Emily Austin is more than just a pretty face and has the accolades to prove it, especially with her new skincare line, People’s Beauty.
Born and raised in New York, Emily Austin is no stranger to the fast-paced media industry.
She began interviewing NBA players and athletes at 18, and by 21 years old, she has interviewed about a hundred people across sports, entertainment, and politics, and judged the Miss Universe pageant.
Emily started her Instagram Lives with the likes of Enes Kanter, Carlos Boozer, and Mitchell Robinson during the pandemic, after sliding into their DMs.
“I’m sure my physical appearance helped. I’m not going to deny that,” she said in an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun.
Now, she has turned her attention to a new entrepreneurial endeavor as the founder of People’s Beauty, which aims to fight the “pink tax”.
“We have predominantly women ordering it, but it’s not a product made just for women, so why should anyone pay for a pink tax?” she said.
The pink tax refers to the price market women’s health products, such as tampons, and feminine pads.
”I’m over here buying male deodorant, buying male razors,” she admitted, because their products are cheaper.
Among People’s Beauty’s key ethos is to eliminate the “pink tax” from their pricing.
According to the company’s website, ”our skincare doesn’t know which gender you are, and neither do our price tags!”
Like many other influencers, the onset of the coronavirus pandemic helped Emily grow her presence online.
With over 1.1 million followers on Instagram, she’s taking her online fame and using it to amplify her company.
When she was 17 years old, Emily competed in the Miss New York Teen USA pageant, and thought she was a shoo-in for the crown, but didn’t place high.
The experience came full circle when she was selected to be part of the 2023 Miss Universe judging panel.
”When I was 17, I would tell everyone it’s rigged, and then when they invited me to be the judge, I was like, ‘Wow, now I’m gonna find out’,” she said.
”There is no cheating. It is as clean as it gets.”
Originally soft-launched in May 2021, Emily took charge as founder of People’s Beauty ahead of the brand’s relaunch in April.
“No one was investing the right marketing and PR into pushing the brand,” she said.
All of the products are vegan, cruelty-free, non-toxic, and free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, silicone, dyes, and fragrances with recyclable packaging.
Emily shared that she’s always been a lover of skincare and makeup, but the non-profit organization Peta [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] truly opened her eyes.
This “a-ha” moment made her refuse to support brands that test on animals, which, she later found out, were many.
She is trying to break the narrative that skincare is only for women with her gender-neutral products.
“People’s Beauty is a breath of fresh air,” she said. “If I’m going to invest in this, then I’m giving it my all.”
The Originals actor Nathaniel Buzzolic is one of the many celebrities and influencers who uses the products.
”He did a Get Ready With Me type video, but only using People’s Beauty, and the feedback on it was fantastic.”
”I’m glad that Nate and many other men are helping me break this narrative that People’s Beauty is only for men,” she said. ”It’s called People’s Beauty, not woman’s beauty.”
Emily added: “One of the best things that I’m proud of is how affordable it is to get a month and a half worth of skincare.”
The Essentials Kit, $105, consists of five core products that are the best bang for your buck from the company, like a cleanser, toner, face cream, and more.
She works directly with the chemist alongside her esthetician and takes a hands-on approach.
She is even planning a trip to South Korea because she wants to have a hands-on relationship with her manufacturer and show her customers that it’s cruelty-free.
The driven young woman is a jack of all trades with no plans of stopping anytime soon.
Her journalistic career picked up after she got athletes, who followed her on social media, to agree to go on Instagram Lives and connect them with their fans.
Since then, her career skyrocketed, which led her to take a temporary academic leave from Hofstra University, where she was studying journalism.
She plans to begin college classes online at Touro College soon.
“I’m content. I’m not completely happy with where I’m at, but I do have big plans for the future. Every single project that I’m pursuing right now, I’d love to only see grow,” she said.
“The game plan now is to pursue my show called The Hoop Chat with Emily Austin,” where she’ll have basketball-related guests “come on and talk some hoops.”
She even joked that with her ambition she might run for Congress one day.
“Being busy makes me genuinely happy,” she admitted excitedly.