Laney Crowell established Saie with a focus on holistic wellness

In ELLE.com’s series Office Hours, Laney Crowell, founder of Saie beauty brand, shares her career journey from her first job to founding Saie. Crowell, an ELLE alum, left Estée Lauder to start Saie in 2019. She reflects on her love for the beauty industry and her passion for empowering women. Despite facing challenges as a female founder, Crowell’s perseverance led to Saie’s success.

Crowell’s first job as an assistant to a movie producer in Los Angeles taught her valuable lessons in organization and problem-solving. She credits this experience for shaping her work ethic. Despite not enjoying her internship at Gucci, it led her to ELLE, where she discovered her passion for beauty.

Inspired by her time at ELLE and her desire to make beauty better, Crowell founded Saie. She aimed to create high-performance products that are good for the body, mind, and the planet. Crowell’s background in Estée Lauder helped her bring world-class formulas to the clean beauty market, despite facing challenges in raising funds as a female founder.

For Crowell, clean beauty means formulas that are safe for the body and the environment. Saie products prioritize hydration and nourishment with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and shea butter. Crowell’s personal makeup routine involves using Saie’s products, which offer hydration and SPF protection.

Saie’s first liquid bronzer, inspired by customer requests, aims to achieve a natural, effortless California look. Crowell’s goal was to create a formula that melts into the skin and provides an airbrushed finish. The bronzer, named after Crowell’s favorite places, reflects her California roots and commitment to creating products that resonate with her community.

Re-reported from the article originally published in Elle.