Akilah Releford Biography
Akilah Releford,25, is on a mission to redefine natural skin care rituals for her generations. With a simple routine, she learned from her parents and successfully practiced on her own, Releford has created cruelty-free and natural skin care products demanded by thousands across the United States. She is a businesswoman and founder of Mary Louise Cosmetics, recognised by BuzzFeed as the top Life Changing Beauty Product You Should Try in 2019.
Akilah Releford Family and Husband
Akilah identifies as a black beauty. She is an Asian with a dark skin complexion. She learned the art of skincare by observing her mother doing skin care using natural products. Since choosing Skincare, her family has been supportive of her desire. Releford has also learned work ethics from her father and the values of family. She endeavors to practice the same in her marriage. She is married to Andrew Gould an EVP in Roc Nation, Photographer, and Classical Pianist. The two got engaged in 2022 and had a luxurious wedding in 2023, which was featured in Black Bride Magazine.
Akilah Releford and Mary Louise Cosmetics
Growing up, Releford wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a surgeon. She enrolled at Howards University for Medical Studies. She would later reconsider her ambition after realizing mixing organic DIY skin-care recipes and sharing them with her friends was better and more fun.
Releford decided to make it a full-time business after she got 30,000 retweets on Twitter after sharing a thread about her favorite beauty hacks and tips. Hundreds sent direct messages asking about homemade beauty products.
At her dorm, Akilah started making products for the growing demand. She launched a website and announced it on Twitter. Thousands of others flocked demanding skin care products. In two months, the start-up had generated $50,000. She named her company after her grandmothers Mary and Louse who she described as extremely innovative
From the increased demand, Releford realized the market lacked an effective affordable, and vegan beauty product. This motivated her to make a product from fresh ingredients to enhance natural beauty. It forced her to look for a bigger space to make and store the products.
Her father came in handy in helping her as he manufactured mud masks, serums, and cleansers. Her father would also make orders for raw materials, shipped them, and drop them off. Akirah’s mother and little sister also assisted in turning the company into reality.
Akilah Releford Net Worth
Now the company is big making over $1 million in revenue per year. She has created a loyal community that continually demands her products. Her success has also involved working with brands and platforms that support black beauty.
She has worked with Agency Guacamole on matters relating to marketing and the Black Beauty Effect series. Her success story has been featured by Essence, Instyle, CNBC, and Jeffrey Ahinton. She has also been invited to events like Forbes Iconoclast Summit and revolt festival to share her ideas about success and entrepreneurship.
One of the secrets she utilized for her business is investing in natural and organic beauty products, which have been in demand for the past decade.
What was only a home skincare routine is now a million-dollar business. With the help of her husband and family, Akilah runs the business smoothly and had been able to be resilient during tough times. Her business has accumulated a net worth of approximately $10 million. She uses her Instagram profile to market and advertises to her followers. Currently, 28.7.k people follow her. Her success has been reflected by other black female entrepreneurs like Britni Ricard, Supa Cent, and fashion stylist Pilar Scratch.
Nationality: American
Ethnicity: Asian American
Occupation: Entrepreneur
Salary: $200,000 per year
Marital Status: Married
Children: None
Height: 5 feet and 4 inches
