What I’ve Learned Working at Aer Cosmetics

Since the end of September 2024, I’ve been working with Aer Cosmetics as their Creative Director. I remember the first time I heard about Aer earlier that year when I was at the Green Philly EcoFair. So many people were stopping by to talk to Paige about her refillable mascara. I could feel how much people cared about her idea. It stuck with me!

At that point, I was already realizing that I couldn’t work a job that didn’t feel meaningful to me. I need to believe in the work I’m doing. So when the opportunity came to work with Aer, it felt like a full body yes. It was women-owned, focused on sustainability, and run by two people who were both 23 and figuring it out as we went. It felt real.

Since then, I’ve learned so much. I’ve learned how important it is to be intentional with everything. From copywriting to branding to how we speak to our audience. I think about how in December we were excited just to sell three mascaras a week. Now it is May and we have crossed forty thousand in sales just this month alone. That kind of growth still doesn’t feel real.

The moment everything started to click was when we stopped trying to keep up with trends. We let go of the idea that we needed to look or sound like everyone else. We started talking like ourselves. Sharing what it really feels like to run a business from the ground up. And in return, we started connecting with people all across the country who actually shared our values.

Another thing I love about working at Aer is how we respond to feedback. In the beauty world, most brands either ignore criticism or pretend nothing ever happened. But we don’t do that. We respond to comments with honesty. We make videos about the changes we are making. We tell people the truth. That kind of openness makes people feel like they are part of something.

For a long time, I didn’t think I would find a job that balanced my values with my creative work. Back in 2021, I was working in retail and just hoping that one day I would be able to do something that felt fulfilling. Now I get to use photography, branding, and storytelling to help build something that actually matters to me.

I am also really proud that we do not retouch our photos. We believe in showing things as they are. Real skin, real texture, real people.

When I was younger, I almost never saw people with my body type in beauty ads. It made me feel like I had to change or shrink myself just to fit in. So now, I make it a point to create work that feels honest. We don’t need to overproduce or smooth things out. We want people to see art as nature intended.