Career Diaries: The Founders of CTZN Cosmetics Talk About the Importance of Being Seen in the Beauty Industry

Finding the perfect nude lipstick that matches your skin color and undertone can be difficult no matter your skin tone. For women of color in particular, though, it’s especially challenging because “nude” is often synonymous with a color that resembles beige, which can appear ashy or chalky against darker skin. After continually noticing this lack of representation in product formulations, sisters Naseeha, Aleezeh and Aleena Khan set out to create their own all-inclusive brand CTZN Cosmetics. The co-founders made it their mission to create makeup that was genderless and catered to all skin types. They started with their Nuniversal collection, which contains 25 truly nude lipstick shades for every citizen around the world. Learn more about their journey and how they continue to tackle representation in the beauty industry, ahead. 

Can you tell us about your background?

Aleena Khan: We were born in Los Angeles, raised in Dubai and are ethnically Pakistani. Naseeha was obsessed with watching YouTube tutorials to learn beauty hacks while growing up. Her passion for makeup led her to become a certified makeup artist at Los Angeles Makeup School. Aleezeh, who’s notoriously organized and the most practical of the sisters, graduated from Hult International Business School and was confident she could lead the brand’s logistics and operations. Aleena had previously worked on the content team at Snapchat in its Los Angeles headquarters, making her perfect to lead branding and social media. Together, with our various skills, we believed we had what it took to create a killer brand. 

What’s the story behind CTZN Cosmetics? 

Aleezeh Khan: When people ask where we from, we never have one short answer. Our grandma would always say, “tell them you’re a citizen of the world,” and even though we didn’t really say that, we connected with that ethos. My sisters and I hardly felt like anyone resembled us in beauty campaigns. We noticed that even when brands made a concentrated effort to be “inclusive” they would often miss the mark on representing Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern demographics. Our other friends of color shared the same sentiment. Beyond the lack of representation in beauty campaigns, we weren’t able to find the correct shades that suited our complexions and undertones. The dialogue shifted when we realized it was not just women of color who felt excluded by the beauty industry, it was also men and other genders. We were inspired to create a genderless makeup brand that isn’t for men or women but simply for whoever wears makeup and for all skin tones.

Why was it important to have the perfect nude for all skin tones? 

Naseeha Khan: It’s imperative to have the perfect nude for all skin tones because nude is not one color; it is not just beige. This is why we have created 25 nude lip shades in our Nuniversal collection because everyone’s nude is different. Our guiding principle is to make sure our makeup makes everyone feel seen.

What was one of the biggest challenges you faced when starting the brand?