Marcia Kilgore

Marcia Kilgore is a Canadian serial entrepreneur who has founded four successful beauty and wellness companies over three decades.^[4] She is the founder and Creative Advisor-At-Large of Beauty Pie, a membership-based direct-to-consumer beauty company that raised $100 million in Series B funding in 2024.^[2]

Kilgore previously founded Bliss Spa, which was acquired by LVMH in 1999, Soap & Glory, sold to Boots in 2014, and FitFlop, a biomechanically engineered footwear brand.^[7] She was featured on the cover of Time Magazine in 1997 at age 29 as part of their coverage of new generation entrepreneurs.^[7]

Born in Saskatchewan, Canada, Kilgore moved to New York City at age 18 with $300 and built her first business from a one-room studio.^[4] She currently lives in London and serves as Creative Advisor-At-Large for Beauty Pie while maintaining involvement in her other ventures.^[6]

Kilgore was born in 1968 in Outlook, Saskatchewan, Canada.^[7] She graduated from Evan Hardy Collegiate in 1987 and moved to New York City at age 18 with $300 to attend New York University.^[4]

While at NYU, Kilgore worked various jobs including personal trainer, waitress, and copywriter to support herself.^[7] She struggled with acne during her teenage years, which sparked her interest in skincare and eventually led her to take courses at the Christine Valmy Institute in the 1990s.^[4]

Let's Face It! (1993–1996)

In 1993, Kilgore founded Let's Face It!, a skincare treatment center operating from a one-room studio in New York City.^[4] The business offered facials and skincare treatments, drawing on her training from the Christine Valmy Institute.^[7]

Bliss Spa (1996–1999)

Kilgore evolved Let's Face It! into Bliss Spa in 1996, creating what became a revolutionary spa chain that redefined the spa experience.^[7] Bliss Spa attracted celebrity clientele and became known for its innovative treatments and irreverent branding.^[4] LVMH acquired the company in 1999 for $30 million.^[7]

Soap & Glory (2006–2014)

After a brief hiatus from entrepreneurship, Kilgore founded Soap & Glory in 2006, creating affordable bath, body, and cosmetic products with retro-inspired packaging.^[7] The brand became popular in the UK market for its accessible pricing and distinctive aesthetic.^[4] Boots acquired Soap & Glory in 2014.^[7]

FitFlop (2007–present)

In 2007, Kilgore co-founded FitFlop, a biomechanically engineered footwear brand designed to provide muscle activation while walking.^[7] The company has sold over 65 million pairs of shoes globally across 75 countries.^[4] Harper's Bazaar awarded Kilgore the Innovation of the Year Award in 2009 for launching FitFlop.^[7]

Beauty Pie (2016–present)

Kilgore founded Beauty Pie in 2016 as a membership-based direct-to-consumer beauty company offering luxury makeup and skincare products at factory-direct prices.^[2] The company positions itself as "the Netflix of beauty," charging members an annual fee to access products from world-leading beauty labs without traditional retail markups.^[3]

Beauty Pie raised $100 million in Series B funding in March 2024, bringing its total funding to $200 million.^[2] The company opened its first physical retail counter at Liberty London in 2024, marking its expansion beyond direct-to-consumer sales.^[1]

Kilgore was featured on the cover of Time Magazine in 1997 at age 29 as part of their coverage of new generation entrepreneurs.^[7] She received Harper's Bazaar's Innovation of the Year Award in 2009 for launching FitFlop.^[7]

British Vogue awarded Beauty Pie's Japanfusion Genius Lift Elixir the Beauty Award for "The Ultimate Skincare Saviour" in 2021.^[5] Kilgore has appeared on NPR's "How I Built This" podcast and speaks regularly at industry conferences about entrepreneurship and beauty industry disruption.^[4]

Kilgore is married to French entrepreneur Thierry Boué and has two sons.^[7] She currently lives in London, where Beauty Pie is headquartered.^[6] Her father died when she was in her early teens, an experience that influenced her drive to become financially independent.^[4]