Saie

Saie is an American cosmetics company based in New York City that sells "clean" color makeup — products formulated without a list of more than 2,000 ingredients the company identifies as toxic or environmentally unfriendly, such as phenoxyethanol and synthetic fragrance. The line spans complexion, cheek, eye and lip categories, including Slip Tint tinted moisturizer with SPF 35, Slip Tint baked setting powder, Dew Blush and Dew Bronze liquid cheek and bronzing products, SuperSuede baked eyeshadow, blush and bronzer, Glowy Super Gel illuminator, Glossybounce lip gloss oil, Lip Liner 101, CitySet setting spray, brushes and vanity cases, alongside earlier launches such as mascara, brow gel, lip balm and eyelash curlers.

Products are manufactured in the United States, Canada and Italy and are positioned at accessible price points, with the company stating that its makeup essentials are priced at $40 or under; listed site prices range from about $20 for a lip liner to $45 for a mini vanity case, with limited-edition items such as a Saie x Karen Wazen sunglasses bundle at $200. Sustainability is a central part of the company's positioning: it participates in One Percent for the Planet, describes itself as climate neutral certified and certified plastic negative, and in 2024 launched the Saie Climate Initiative built on plastic recovery with rePurpose Global, a carbon net zero target across all emission scopes by 2039, and an all-women board of experts that includes journalist Sophia Li, rePurpose Global founder Svanika Balasubramanian, Sephora clean makeup director Sydney Feeter, and founder Laney Crowell.

Founding story

Founder Laney Crowell, a beauty blogger who previously worked in digital communications at Estée Lauder and StyleCaster, started the brand after noticing that her online community used clean skincare and ingestibles but no clean makeup. Asking followers on Instagram Stories why, she heard that clean beauty was seen as too expensive, poorly performing and not cool. The name comes from the idea of listening to what the community had to "say," with an "-ie" ending added. Crowell has described the company as built on the idea of feeling good and doing good, with community input shaping product creation.

Business model

Saie designs and sells branded color cosmetics under its own trademarks, manufacturing through third-party labs in the US, Canada and Italy. It began as a direct-to-consumer business and now combines its own e-commerce site — including subscription options and a loyalty/community program using TYB coins — with wholesale distribution through beauty retailers.

Revenue comes from product sales of cosmetics and accessories through the company's own website — including one-time purchases, subscriptions with discounts, and bundles — and through wholesale/retail partners including Sephora US and Canada, Cult Beauty, goop, Kohl's and Amazon.

Traction

Reported sales of $100 million as of March 2025 coverage, distribution at Sephora US, Sephora Canada, Sephora Middle East, Cult Beauty, goop, Kohl's and Amazon, and a product range that has expanded from four launch items in 2019 to full face, eye, lip and cheek assortments with many shades sold out on the company's site.

Latest developments

In 2024 the company launched the Saie Climate Initiative, deepening a three-year partnership with rePurpose Global to fund recovery of 5 million pounds of plastic waste by 2027 across five coastlines in India, Indonesia, Cameroon and Colombia, with associated goals of formalized waste management access for 50,000 people and income and benefits programs for 2,000 women. It also set a carbon net zero target across all emission scopes by 2039 with short-term goals for 2025-2027, published a 2025 Impact Report, and states it became the first beauty brand to sign The Climate Pledge. For 2026, Saie powers Planet Beautiful, a program with Sephora and rePurpose Global uniting twelve brands, under which $1 from each participating product sold is donated to fund plastic recovery. March 2025 coverage reported the brand had reached $100 million in sales.