REFY Beauty is rewriting the narrative in an industry often obsessed with youth.
The minimalist, creator-founded beauty brand recently made headlines with a campaign featuring older women, proving that modern beauty isn’t defined by age, but by confidence, individuality, and self-expression.
While REFY has always stood for simplicity and celebrating beauty in all forms, this latest move cements its status as one of the most culturally aware and forward-thinking brands in beauty.
REFY Beauty was founded in 2020 by influencer and entrepreneur Jess Hunt, who is instantly recognizable for her flawless, sculpted makeup looks on Instagram. Alongside co-founder Jenna Meek, Jess launched REFY with a mission to create easy-to-use, minimal-effort products that help people enhance their natural features rather than conceal them.
REFY’s debut product, the Brow Sculpt, quickly went viral. Jess developed the product as her audience was consistently complimenting her eyebrows and asking how they could achieve the same look. The brand has since expanded into complexion, lip, and skin products, all echoing the same aesthetic: sleek packaging, cult products, all in line with the popular “clean girl” aesthetic.
REFY’s brand identity is: minimal, intentional, and built for the social era. Its signature neutral color palette and clean design language make it instantly recognizable, and the products resonate deeply with consumers seeking simplicity in their routines.
What sets REFY apart is its ability to stay relevant by reading the cultural moment. REFY understands that beauty ideals evolve, and its marketing campaigns show just how attuned the brand is to this shift.
REFY’s most recent campaign featuring older women stood out for all the right reasons.
The beauty industry, especially when showcased on social media, largely targets Gen Z faces and flawless filters, or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, targets women as young as their mid-twenties with anti-aging products.
The faces of REFY’s New York Fashion Week campaign were creators Colleen Heidemann and JoAni Johnson, who proved that ‘Iconic Never Gets Old’.
Unlike many beauty campaigns that feature older creators, the partnership didn’t focus on age; instead, REFY centred Colleen and Joan doing what they do best, defining exactly what it means to be an icon.
The content is beautiful, true to the creators they partnered with, with subtle product inclusion. Research shows that over 60% of beauty shoppers want to see more diversity in age representation, meaning the message wasn’t performative; it felt aligned with the brand’s ethos and consumer desires.
By platforming older women without tokenism, REFY filled a gap in the market while strengthening emotional connection with their audience. The campaign sparked organic social conversation, with thousands of comments praising the brand for “finally showing what real skin looks like.”
REFY could build on their age-inclusive campaign by pairing older creators with younger generations – whether their daughters, mothers, or granddaughters. Together, they could explore what beauty means to them while using REFY products, showing how the brand works across different skin types and ages.
Cross-generational content is extremely popular on social media as it can spark nostalgia and engage audiences who aren’t digitally native with online conversations that they can be educated and entertained by, just like this piece of content we produced for DoorDash with Abbi DiCenso (and her iconic mother, Tina) for The Summer I Turned Pretty Finale…
This kind of storytelling would resonate on multiple levels: it highlights the versatility of REFY products, celebrates family and generational connections, and creates emotionally compelling content that reaches a broader audience.
REFY’s marketing is built around community.
Unlike many influencer-founded brands, REFY feels less like a vanity project and more like a well-thought-out business that understands its audience deeply.
REFY has leaned into physical activations to bring its digital identity to life; however, they are celebrated for the inclusion of their day-to-day consumers rather than hosting extravagant influencer-first events.
In summer 2024, they chose to invite a select group of their dedicated and valued consumers to a stunning villa in Mallorca.
Jess Hunt attended the trip, spending time exploring the island and engaging in wholesome activities with the guests, who naturally enjoyed using their favorite REFY beauty products throughout the trip.
The trip received lots of positive engagement on the brand's social channels…
And the guests shared beautiful UGC that highlighted the effectiveness of brands investing in their communities.
Championing true inclusion isn’t new, but where it can often feel performative, REFY’s execution feels genuine as they put their consumers and real people first.
With new products reportedly on the horizon and a growing global audience, the brand’s evolution shows that staying true to your core values is the most timeless strategy of all.
Do you want to make a cultural impact like REFY has? Reach out to us at hello@digitalvoices.com.
