From Undocumented Immigrant to Launching a Multi Million Dollar Beauty Brand

As a survivor of sexual and physical abuse, Gisselle discovered her love for makeup at the age of 11. Makeup became her sanctuary, offering an escape from her harsh reality. Coping with trauma, she found happiness in both overeating and applying makeup. However, her weight subjected her to relentless bullying and fat-shaming throughout her life. Feeling like she could never fit into an industry that celebrated perfection, Gisselle launched Glamlite Cosmetics in November 2017 with a line of products that she now describes as "extremely boring" and an unsuccessful attempt to fit in. Within a year, Glamlite Cosmetics was facing bankruptcy as sales declined. Gisselle said "if I'm going to go out of business, I minus well just be myself and create one last product that truly represents me". At that time she was at her heaviest weight, battling depression, and struggling to manage being a full time mom while running a business from home. She conceived the idea of creating a "pizza inspired eyeshadow palette" based on her favorite food. However, she only had enough funds to cover the full cost of this project.

After pitching the idea to banks and investors, Gisselle was rejected over 46 times.

"When something is truly meant for you, the universe will find a way to make it happen". Gisselle convinced her manufacturer to allow her to place a deposit and paying off the remaining balance after the launch of the product. With limited funds for a marketing campaign, she came across a Pizza Museum pop-up shop, after contacting the owners they agreed to allow her to shoot the promo video there for free.

Sitting in a pizza-themed bedroom, eating pizza and wearing pizza-themed makeup, this campaign broke all beauty industry norms. "I felt free for the first time in my life," she recalls. Little did she know that her life was about to change forever. The following day, after unveiling her product, Gisselle awoke to the news that her palette had gone viral worldwide. It was being featured in publications like Cosmopolitan and Allure, as well as on ABC News, with tens of thousands of social media reposts. The Pizza Palette sold out within 48 hours, desperate to fulfill the tens of thousands of orders, she had to immediately hire employees for the first time.

The word about Glamlite started spreading as big beauty influencers began raving about the insane quality of her products and attention to packaging details online. She launched multiple food inspired makeup products which sold out immediately due to her innovative packaging and unique themes. With each order, a note was attached "Don't be afraid to be yourself".

"Glamlite Cosmetics: Creating an unforgettable experience every time a customer unboxes our product"- Gisselle

Gisselle, the young girl who grew up in NYC on a $16,000 yearly household income, barely enough for groceries, faced constant ridicule for her struggle with English suddenly caught the attention of some of the world's biggest food brands, who were moved by her journey and wanted to collaborate with her brand. She found herself honored with opportunities to collaborate with her favorite brands. Following her partnership with Kellogg's, she began receiving calls from TV studios offering collaborations to create makeup inspired by her beloved TV characters.