From Shelter To Success: How Brandi Leifso Built Evio Beauty With Resilience & Purpose (Win!)

At just 21 years old, Brandi Leifso was living in a domestic violence shelter when she founded Evio Beauty with only $15 and a dream for change. Fast forward to today, Evio Beauty has grown into an impact-driven beauty brand committed to empowering communities through education, donations, and advocating for policy changes. With over $550,000 in donations to shelters across North America, Evio Beauty continues to support survivors of domestic abuse. In this Q&A, Brandi shares her inspiring story and teases exciting upcoming launches for Evio Beauty. —Noa Nichol

Your personal journey includes overcoming significant challenges. Can you tell us about it, and explain how your experiences shaped your approach to business and your vision for Evio Beauty?

I started Evio when I was 21 living in a women’s safe house shelter. Living in these circumstances with a diverse group of women has certainly changed the way I view the world, beauty standards, and the meaning of impact. Being surrounded by women from all walks of life—each with their own stories of survival—taught me that beauty isn’t about perfection or societal ideals. It’s about resilience, diversity, and self-acceptance. These experiences made me realize that beauty products should be more than just surface-level enhancements; they should serve a purpose in people’s lives by reducing stress and helping people feel empowered and resilient. This mindset became the foundation of Evio Beauty.

Your brand emphasizes empowering women. Can you share how Evio Beauty actively supports women in their communities and beyond?

At Evio, we are committed to driving systemic change to empower survivors of domestic violence (which is largely women) through three impact-led pillars: donate, educate, and advocate.

Donate: We’ve contributed over $558,000 in products and funds to 27 women’s shelters across North America. But we don’t take the typical route of donating a portion of proceeds. Instead, we cultivate deep, ongoing relationships with these shelters. We maintain an open-door policy, where organizations can reach out directly to share their evolving needs, whether for new or existing initiatives. Together, with the support of our community and giving partners, we respond in ways that provide real solutions, ensuring that our contributions align with what will have the greatest impact.

Educate: We believe that sharing knowledge can inspire action. Through telling our story of resilience and amplifying the voices of others, we aim to challenge narratives around domestic violence, beauty standards and societal stigmas. We also partner with organizations like FreeFrom.org to share resources that promote financial independence for survivors of domestic violence, fostering long-term empowerment.

Advocate: Advocacy is essential to creating structural change, and we believe businesses have a role to play. At Evio, we only sell to organizations that have a domestic violence leave policy or are open to discussing the importance of implementing one. This policy reflects our commitment to fostering workplace environments that support survivors, ensuring they have the time and resources needed to recover and feel empowered by the community around them.

Through these three pillars, we go beyond traditional corporate social responsibility. Our goal is to create a ripple effect—shifting systems, empowering individuals, and building a world where community and resilience are at the core of both beauty and business.

With sustainability being a growing concern in the beauty industry, what steps has Evio Beauty taken to ensure its products are eco-friendly and ethically sourced?

While many brands prioritize environmental sustainability, at Evio Beauty, our primary focus is driving social impact, particularly empowering survivors of domestic violence. That said, we remain committed to creating clean, eco-conscious products. Our formulas are free from over 2,700 harmful ingredients on our ‘no list,’ ensuring they meet high standards for safety and well-being. We maintain strong relationships with our manufacturing partners who align with Evio’s core values. For example, we prioritize sustainability by using RSPO-certified palm oils, ensuring ethical sourcing practices. Additionally, we adhere to the stringent EU ingredient regulations, going beyond industry standards, and we third-party test all our formulas to guarantee safety, transparency, and quality.

You mention the importance of community in your brand’s mission. Can you discuss specific initiatives or programs Evio Beauty has implemented to foster community connection?

Yes! We recently launched a beta program called The Less Stress Club, offering our community members 10% back on every purchase at EvioBeauty.com. These rewards can be saved up for discounts, free products, or even donated to a women’s shelter of their choice. The program is currently in beta and is set to officially launch next spring.

As a founder, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in launching and building Evio Beauty, and how have you overcome them?

Every founder faces their own unique challenges. For me, one of the biggest struggles has been maintaining focus, especially in areas that don’t naturally spark my interest—like eCommerce growth, HR management, and managing cash flow as the business scales and expenses increase.

What advice would you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs looking to make their mark in the beauty industry?

Have a clear why. I truly believe the world doesn’t need another lip gloss—but it does need the reason behind why you’re creating it. Trust your gut, build your confidence, and draw inspiration from beyond the industry. Don’t take no for an answer, there’s always a way. You’ve got this!

Looking ahead, what are your goals for Evio Beauty in the next five years, and how do you envision the brand evolving to meet the needs of its customers?

Over the next five years, we envision building a complete range of innovative skincare and makeup products while strengthening our partnerships with shelters across North America, aiming to support 50 shelters. We also plan to expand our distribution throughout the U.S. by collaborating with a major retail partner that shares our values.

Evio Beauty offers a range of innovative products. What inspires your product development process, and how do you ensure they resonate with your target audience?

You can never predict what will resonate. Sometimes you launch a product expecting it to be a hit, and it flops. Other times, you release something incredible, the market loves it, but production or shipping issues get in the way. So many factors have to align perfectly to create a successful product that can help scale your business. I can’t take credit for any of our award-winning formulas—that’s all thanks to our Product Development lead, Bushra Dirir.

With exciting new products like the Tear Catchers and Pink Perspective hydrogel patches, what inspired you to develop these specific items, and how do they align with Evio Beauty’s mission of resilience and self-care?

Our hydrogel collection has been one of our bestsellers! I was inspired by the visual appeal of eye patches to convey a message—when you put on an eye or forehead patch, it’s almost impossible not to snap a selfie. Traditionally, self-care with a face mask meant lying down for 20-30 minutes while it worked its magic. What sets our patches apart is their secure fit, so they stay in place without sliding. This lets you enjoy a moment of self-care on the go, anytime, anywhere, helping you de-stress without interrupting your day.

What’s next for Evio?

We have an exciting lineup of skincare products set to launch in 2025, along with the debut of our Less Stress Club.

Win! A $150 Evio Beauty Gift Card!

One lucky Canadian winner will receive a $150 Evio Beauty gift card! To enter, head over to Instagram, follow @eviobeauty and @vitadailymedia and make sure to fulfil all the entry rules in the caption of the corresponding contest post. Contest opens November 12, 2024 and closes November 19, 2024. Complete contest rules and regulations here. Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadailymedia. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding.