by 
“We rise by lifting others.”
At Beautify.tips, we love to shine the shine the spotlight on brave entrepreneurs who weren’t afraid to build their own brand, blaze their own trail, and be their own boss. Here are their journeys…
Cassandra Morales Thurswell, CEO & Founder of Kitsch
About Kitsch
Kitsch is a self-funded, female-founded, global beauty powerhouse of effortless, sustainable products and intentional basics, with over 4.7M satin pillowcases and 6M+ scrunchies sold. Founded in 2010 and loved by celebrity fans such as Ariana Grande, Kendall Jenner, Kerry Washington, Ciara, and Christina Aguilera, Kitsch supports our growing community with elevated and award-winning beauty solutions (Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, Allure, and more) that make achieving and maintaining healthy hair simple, offering a full range of product favorites in 20,000 retailers worldwide.
In the beginning…
I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur. Kitsch wasn’t the first business that I started, but in hindsight, all of them were focused on service in some regard. I love serving people. The first product that I made built the foundation of Kitsch and made it a reality. That product was a simple handmade hair elastic – something we use daily, but a small change made it a game-changing upgrade. That little accessory’s success showed me that haircare was so much more than shampoo and conditioner and inspired me to keep going.
Early challenges
I bootstrapped Kitsch off my $30,000 savings. It’s challenging when you’re 25 years old and don’t have any experience in the beauty industry (except being a consumer!). Every decision you make needs to be sound as every penny counts.
Biggest Risk
While it might not be the most significant risk, I’ve never been the type of founder who seeks the limelight. Throughout the past 14 years, my primary focus has been on investing in our customers rather than self-promotion. Kitsch has consistently revolved around the customer, not me. When you don’t constantly push your origin story, it puts the onus on the products to sell themselves. This can be a risky approach, but it’s incredibly rewarding when customers keep coming back for more.
Breakthrough moment
Recognizing that haircare goes beyond just shampoo and conditioner is what ignited the haircare-as-a-lifestyle movement and guided us in crafting a comprehensive haircare routine from morning to night.
Most Rewarding
Engaging with our customers and love seeing my team grow. I’m surrounded by so many incredible team members who know so much more than me and I love reading all the reviews from our customers.
What’s next?
We have some amazing licensing deals coming up that we can’t wait to share! We are also expanding our hair styling offerings that have been in development for over a year.
Our mission
In 2023, we’ll sell 6 million solid formulations, a 20x increase from 2022. Partnering with 4Ocean, each bar sold removes one plastic bottle from oceans, rivers, and coastlines, potentially preventing 18 million bottles and 700,000 tons of trash annually. By tackling plastic pollution, we aim to protect biodiversity and combat climate change, safeguarding the environment and future generations. Encouraging this format change – from bottle to bar – cannot be done at mass when the formulas do not perform. Our success validates our quality. We’re a top-selling shampoo brand at major retailers, including Ulta, CVS, and Amazon. In July, we claimed the #1 spot on Amazon, surpassing industry giants and outselling brands like Olaplex and Suave.
