PYT Beauty Besties
Two mothers who set out to provide better, cleaner makeup options for their daughters.
PYT Beauty’s origin story begins with a mother’s instinct. When co-founder Mary Schulman was shopping for makeup with her 13-year-old daughter, she unfortunately uncovered a seemingly endless list of harsh, chemical ingredients. After joining her business partner/sorority sister/best friend, Amy Carr, the two moms set out to detoxify makeup formulas by creating PYT Beauty. Now it’s possible for their daughters, friends, and fellow beauty aficionados to find beautiful, clean makeup without breaking the bank! After learning about PYT’s founding philosophies and trying out some of their products, BWB reached out to Mary and Amy to tap into their entrepreneurial spirits and explore their busy lives among the hills of San Francisco.
YOUR BUSINESS
Best piece of advice you’ve ever received…
AMY: Life is all about trade-offs, so make sure you know what you are trading off before you make a decision!
How to be an effective leader…
AMY: Listen to your team and let them make their own decisions. I have always believed that the best leaders do not micromanage everything. They listen to their team and empower them to make their own decisions. Provide guardrails and guidance–not the answer.
The best leaders do not manage everything.
How to stay creative…
MARY: Get quiet. We are bombarded with overflowing inboxes, slack chats, and conference calls. While these are necessary to operate a business effectively, a business will ultimately suffer without creativity and innovation. Getting away from the computer and allowing my mind to have space produces some of my best creative moments and ideas. Each day, I spend 10 minutes getting quiet and clearing my head; it is during these times when ideas and mind explorations come to me most.
How social media has helped your business…
MARY: For us at PYT Beauty, this is the platform to engage with our customers. We work to understand what people like best about PYT Beauty, as well as what improvements they might need. We love to ask questions, understand the feedback, and incorporate the responses into our branding strategies. Part of our mission at PYT Beauty is empowerment and caregiving, so we incorporate this mission into all aspects of our business, including our social platforms.
YOUR CITY (San Francisco)
What you love most…
AMY: Being outside. I love San Francisco for so many reasons, but mainly because I can walk everywhere almost every day of the year. Three or four days a week, I run outside to the beach, the bay, or Lyon Street Steps– an iconic set of steps in San Francisco that measure the length of two city blocks. I also ride bikes with my children to school when we have extra time in the morning. It is great to be in a city so active.
Go-to lunch place…
AMY: Hard! Hmm… I go to Jane on Fillmore a lot and order salads from Blue Barn.
A night on the town…
AMY: I am low-key. I like the bar at Spruce. I can walk from my house. They have great mussels, a kale salad, and the best hamburger (not to mention some great wines by the glass).
YOUR DAY
Morning beauty routine…
MARY: It’s very quick, but gets the job done. I do need to wash my hair every day, so I am incredibly envious of friends who can wash and dry their hair once every 3-5 days and look great. So here goes:
- Shower.
- Skincare: Essential oils (all over) – coconut and olive oil on my legs and feet always.
- Hair: Quick brush through my hair followed by a towel dry/blow dry combo (5 min tops).
- Makeup: Swoop of PYT Beauty Primed + Ready Mascara on my lashes and my brows, followed by PYT Beauty Plumping lip gloss.
- Get dressed and on the run (No more than 18 min).
Perfect outfit…
MARY: My everyday go-to includes jeans, a T-shirt, and a great pair of sneakers. My current favorite is a pair of slip-on sneakers (which I dress up with a blazer when I need more of a business look). I do really enjoy getting dressed up, as long as it’s not too often.
Evening relaxation…
MARY: Glass of wine (two-ish glasses of Sauvignon Blanc), a great book, and a night out on the deck if it’s a nice evening.
YOUR BEAUTY & WELLNESS
Must-have skincare products…
AMY: Eye cream, since I have really dry eyes. Also a good, thick moisturizer.
Favorite way to stay in shape…
AMY: Running – either the hills of SF or the beach.
Favorite makeup products…
AMY: PYT Beauty Lip duos and glosses are the most fun, but I have to have my P.O.V. eyebrow pencil and concealer (to cover the dark spots under my eyes).
Favorite perfume…
AMY: I don’t wear much perfume at all, but my former team bought me Chanel’s Chance when I left my last corporate job and I love it.
As we are celebrating great women around the world, what would you say to other women about how to be in the world right now?
AMY: Take it all in. This is our moment right now. We are in the midst of making history, even when we cannot directly see it. There is a big responsibility on women right now. We need to remember to be patient, to be kind to others, and to respect differences. It goes so far in today’s society.
Originally from Los Angeles, Alicia lived in Shanghai for 11 years before moving back to the states to attend the University of Miami, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and minors in art and philosophy. Currently residing in New York City, Alicia applies her knowledge of strategic communication and design in her career. She enjoys painting, rugby, exploring, and more often than not, you’ll find her petting someone’s dog.
There is a big responsibility on women right now. We need to remember to be patient, kind to others and respect differences.
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