WoW Women in Beauty I Bina Khan and Madiha Chan, co-founders of Just B

Bina Khan and Madiha Chan are the co-founders of Just B, a cosmetics brand focused on creating high-performing, customizable and eco-conscious products that celebrate the beauty of brown skin.

After years of struggling to find makeup that worked well and adapted to their South Asian skin tones, Bina and Madiha teamed up to take matters into their own hands. The brand's debut product, Lip Spectrum, is a multi-dimensional lipstick with two textures and two shades in a color family.

Bina has been a makeup artist and teacher for more than 25 years and she’s passionate about celebrating South Asian skin tones through makeup. Madiha is an Engineering lead at Google and a self-proclaimed makeup enthusiast.

Bina, Madiha, tell us a bit about your background and your projects so far.

Bina: My background is in makeup artistry and specifically, bridal makeup. Madiha and I initially exchanged the idea for Just B in a series of Instagram DMs and worked on the conception and product formulation for a few years. We wanted to create a brand specifically formulated to include South Asian people, comprised of signature shades and textures that I am known for as a makeup artist. We couldn’t be happier that Just B is finally available for consumers!

Madiha: My background is in computer science, and I find that this has resulted in creative thinking being one of my strongest assets. I have always enjoyed playing with color, but could never find the shades that worked just right with my skin tone. I was thrilled to team up with Bina to launch Just B — my analytical thinking skills and hours of experience in Sephora and other online makeup stores helped bring my two worlds — engineering and beauty — together.

How did you get into this industry? Has it been an easy industry to get into or have you had many challenges?

Bina: At 21, when looking for my second job, I received some advice from a famous designer friend to “Just start your own business. If you fail, what’s the worst that can happen?” I thought it was crazy advice, but I respected him enough to give it a shot. And I have worked for myself ever since. Of course, there have been challenges along the way, but I have faced them head-on and found my career thus far to be very rewarding.

Madiha: I took on jobs at the Computer Science and Medical departments at UCSD and Stanford to fund my way through to Google. After I met Bina, the two of us connected instantly and stayed in touch to discuss new makeup launches, lipstick mixes, and more. I am proud to call myself a self-starter and avid problem solver, so I have not allowed the hurdles I have faced to get in the way of my success.

How long did it take you to be where you are now? What was the biggest obstacle? What are the challenges of being in the industry you are in? 

Bina: I think I have designed makeup products in my head for pretty much my whole adult life, but it was always a daydream. I have been toying with the idea more seriously for the last five years or so but was waiting for the right moment with the right people. 

Madiha: Being a first-generation college graduate, immigrant and now entrepreneur hasn’t been an easy feat. While I can say the biggest obstacles could be going against social norms, or finding funding for college or ways to job opportunities, the true obstacle has always been getting out of my comfort zone and addressing the problem at its head. The tech industry has a serious lack of diverse representation, which means you are constantly trying to step out of your comfort zone to bring up your voice at discussions, conferences, etc. The beauty industry also has a similar lack of representation, which means we often don’t know or have access to the right manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, etc. There is no help guide or manual to steer your direction. You have to do your own research, vetting, and building your network. We have been very conscious and careful about the teams that we have assembled during this journey, which truly reflects in the quality of the product and the brand we have built.

What are your biggest achievements to date?

Bina: I created a brand in my early 20’s that has lasted for 25 years. In my home city, my name is synonymous with high quality, and I have earned the trust of my clientele. This reputation has been hard fought for. It is from that position of trust that we have been able to pivot into cosmetic production, and that same clientele has been incredibly supportive of this new endeavour. 

Madiha: When I look back to what I have done so far, my biggest achievement is truly building the courage to do uncomfortable things. Convincing my parents and family to allow me to go abroad to study, find happiness outside of my home country, funding my way through Stanford, convincing my parents to let me marry a Chinese person, find a path for growth at Google, and build a brand like Just B with people I care about for people like myself during Covid. I consider these achievements because these are things that I truly wanted to do and each one of them pushed me out of my comfort zone. Through each of them, I became braver, more resilient, and more empathetic.

Just B is still in its early stages but we are incredibly proud of what we have achieved. As we put pen to paper in early 2020, we were very clear about our values. We did not want to build something that was already done. We did not want to offer fixes. We want people to feel seen and appreciated. If what we have does not solve the problem, then it is not good enough.

Two of our lip colors out of ten just weren’t hitting the mark. And these two colors are arguably the hardest to get right for brown skin - a fresh pink that’s not dull, and a brown that lifts the skin. We had already done three iterations of these products - each adding two months to our development cycle. I remember having a discussion with Bina where we ended up making the hard decision of pushing our launch from July 2021 to eventually the end of October 2021 and going back to the drawing board for those colors. Bina recorded exact mixes from Pakistan for our labs in Italy - shot video in sunlight, in-salon light, on multiple skin tones so our lab could use more examples and hit the target color. We proudly stood by our principles and took the monetary hit (which is quite difficult for a new brand). And as you can imagine, those two colors became our best sellers within three weeks of launch.

We wanted our brand to launch in Pakistan and the USA at the same time. Quite often, new brands launch in the USA because the processes are much easier and faster. But we wanted to celebrate our roots and be inclusive in every way as much as possible. Bringing our products to Pakistan, working with the different payment mechanisms (e.g. cash-on-delivery), different taxes and legalities threw more challenges our way. But we are extremely proud of our team for making that happen!

What are the projects you are currently working on?

Bina: Just B launched less than a month ago in the U.S. and Pakistan. We are currently focused on figuring out how to best serve our consumers in each of these markets. In addition to that, we are working through what’s on the horizon for Just B in 2022 and beyond.

Madiha: I focus on everything from user experience to PR, marketing, and more for Just B. Currently, I have been heavily involved in our social media as well as lining up upcoming promotions for the brand.

Is the #WomenInTech movement important to you and if yes, why?

Bina: Absolutely! With Madiha as a co-founder, I see how knowledgeable she is and know how important tech is to keep our brand going. We are leveraging tools such as virtual reality try-on technology to make the Just B user experience as seamless as possible.

Madiha: Naturally, the #WomenInTech movement is very important to me. I still remember the first time I attended the Grace Hopper Conference and saw so many women in technology on the dance floor. I felt seen, I felt part of a strong community. As a female engineer, I know how outnumbered we are by men in the industry — that gap is slowly closing, but it’s still something that has a stigma attached to it. Furthermore, “tech” isn’t just for those of us who code. I hope I can be a small example of someone in “tech” who uses technology to solve different problems. Ultimately, I want women everywhere to know that if they have an interest or passion in a specific field, they should absolutely go for it regardless of which gender has historically worked in that sector. And if they see another woman in a meeting outnumbered, reach out. :)

What will be the key trends in your industry in the next five years and where do you see them heading?

Bina: I think people are becoming more and more discerning about what they want to buy. This is true in general, but in particular with luxury and non-essential items. Being environmentally sound, offering intelligent, non-wasteful solutions, and focussing on inclusivity are all trends that we are proud to stand for. And trends that we see are only gaining strength and importance. 

Madiha: I think technology has significantly leveled the playing field. After all, here you have two Pakistani women talking about how they built a brand during a global pandemic. If you ask our mothers (two of the most resilient women I have seen in my life) that they could do something like this, I think you can predict their answer. As more of us achieve access to resources and become more confident in our beliefs, I believe (and hope!) we will see more focus (from research to products) toward under-represented groups of people and under-represented challenges. I also foresee a growing ecosystem of technological platforms that will enable solving these challenges at scale - from customized online shopping experiences to consultations to safer and secure transactions and payments (not just in the first world countries, but also in the third world countries).

What is the most important piece of advice you could give to anyone who wants to start a career in this industry?

Bina: If you identify a blank space in a specific industry, it’s likely that others are experiencing that as well. Madiha and I had both struggled with finding cosmetics that worked well with our skin tones, and I had heard from many clients who were experiencing the same problem. By introducing Just B, we are finally giving South Asians a brand made specifically for them — a place where they can be authentic and feel heard. Our products work for the traditional audience that has been catered to as well but we have expanded the range to finally include more and more skin tones. Like ours! 

Madiha: My advice for anyone wanting to start a career in this industry is to never feel like you have to make a choice between passions or interests. Although my career began in engineering, I never let my love of beauty fade — that ultimately led me to team up with Bina and bring Just B to market.

Who are three inspirational women in your respective industry you admire?

Bina: 1. Pat McGrath: She is a wizard. Her vision, her artistry, her work ethic. From humble beginnings to a billion-dollar makeup brand that is universally respected, she creates products that teach you as your hands move. I cannot help but fangirl over her. And her wonderful energy is palpable through the screen.

2. Laura Mercier: From the crop of creative minds that included Francois Nars, Laura Mercier came out of the legendary Carita school in Paris. I always connected with Laura’s honesty about what it means to be behind the glamour. However, her single-minded devotion to the image and to the perfection of the work was always something that just blew me away.

3. Sian Richards: I attended a lecture by Sian at the IMAT’s in London a few years ago. She is genuinely inspirational. Not only did she create a truly unique and groundbreaking product (for “Black Panther”), she is a strong voice for pointing out the long-held biases in our field.  

Madiha: 1. Fran Berman: I attended her talk at Grace Hopper and she said: “There is no recognition fairy in this world.” I needed to hear that because I knew if I don’t speak up about my work and what I can bring to the table, no one else would. 

2. Marissa Mayer: She is an amazing go-getter. Not only has she transformed her career repeatedly and actively sought incredible opportunities, but she has also enabled the success of many other people along the way. 

3. Gayathri Rajan: Gayathri leads by example. She is one of the most empathetic leaders I have had the privilege to work with. Gayathri is unafraid to talk about critical and difficult things, she tackles them head-on and I am learning that from her every day.

Find out more about Just B on their website.
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This interview was conducted by Marija Butkovic, Digital Marketing and PR strategist, founder, and CEO of Women of Wearables. She regularly writes and speaks on topics of wearable tech, fashion tech, IoT, entrepreneurship, and diversity. Follow Marija on Twitter @MarijaButkovic and read her stories for Forbes here.