Beauty
Why the beauty editor-turned-Starface founder traded the influencer life for a smiley-face avatar.
It goes down in Julie Schotts DMs.
And on a recent Thursday afternoon, its where Schott and I first connect.
I cant go up to anyone who I dont know at a party, but online I can.
That, and a love of all things cute.
Im a Hello Kitty adult, she says.
The chronically online approach works for the people in Schotts orbit.
(An email is disgusting.
It’s like, Are you my grandfather?
DM me, says Povitsky.
But its surprising coming from a luminary of the skincare world.
Plus, when Schott founded Starface in 2019 with Brian Bordainick, she was already in the public eye.
Bodies were commented on, she says.
It starts to impact your daily life.
The goal is to just immediately make you feel better, Schott says of the brands genesis.
Because with skin care, you have to wait [to see results].
But I want to feel comfortablenow.
I was very slut-shamed and [my best friend and I] were called lesbians.
Back then, that was derogatory.
After graduation, Schott enrolled at Pratt where she supplemented her courses with internships at magazines likeTeen VogueandElle Accessories.
I remember how important [being thin] was, Schott tells me.
It wasnt just important in that book.
Can you imagine being in the workplace now and having someone you report to even mentioning your body?
At the same time, Schotts first-person beauty adventures were quickly making her a rising star of womens media.
Everything was through the lens of a personal essay.
Thats your lifestyle, thats just who you are.
I didn’t really think about it.
It was such early days of [influencing].
And a lot of it was really fun.
Yet for all the fun Schott was having, commodifying herselfalso took its toll.
By 2018, she was ready to murder her own life.
She left Elle.com, moved to Los Angeles, and tried her hand at influencing to pay the bills.
Its not… good, she recalls Schott began putting her efforts into launching Starface.
A year into working on the brand, she sought treatment for an eating disorder.
I go to a recovery group, its called a process group.
Its not too late for you.
Im really happy I did it.
But, given her fraught relationship to the beauty standards machinery, she comes across exceedingly thoughtful.
Its this mindfulnessthat drew Povitsky to her.
Ive noticed through our FaceTime meetings that she really listens.
Shes always thinking, shes careful with her words, and shes intelligent, Povitsky says.
Strugatz, who is also shy, had Julie officiate her wedding ceremony.
When I bring up the expansion, Schott reminds me that a prospering business doesnt equalpersonal happiness.
But you cant fake it.
it’s possible for you to tell.
The get-together started with trivia that was really 90% just pictures of peoples pets, she says.
Then they went to another bar, then to Korean barbecue, then karaoke.
The vibe and the energy at our party is that everyone wants to be together.
What more could your inner child ask for?
