Toronto man creates inclusive make-up brand, takes TikTok by storm

A new make-up line created by a 28-year-old Toronto man, Jean-Luc Cosmetics, is taking TikTok by storm.

The cosmetics brand was started by Jean-Luc Palumbo, a mental health community case manager, in April of 2021.

Palumbo said he started the company, because like many other people, the pandemic had him re-evaluating his life.

“Much like several work fields, the pandemic changed my line of work. I began struggling with a little fulfillment in my job, so I was kind of exploring alternatives and make-up has been my passion for about four years now,” Palumbo told CityNews.

“So I was thinking how can I make this into work because I had all this extra time on my hands, due to the pandemic, and much like most of usm I downloaded TikTok at the beginning of the pandemic and that’s how it kind of started.”

Palumbo said he used the platform as a networking tool and reached out to other business owners for advice. From there, it snowballed and now he’s receiving orders from all around the world.

As a member of the LGBTQ2 community, Palumbo said he wanted to start a brand that was inclusive for all.

“Historically, I mean, it’s no secret that people that look like me aren’t necessarily included in the beauty standard or the beauty industry, just as much as all queer people, people of colour and I kind of wanted to create a space for that,” explained Palumbo.

“It’s engraved in a lot of us in terms of societal norms. We’re taught what boys look like, what girls look like growing up and I think that challenging those gender norms and societal norms isn’t something that people are necessarily used to, or at least it’s not in their comfort zone,” said Palumbo. “So people see someone who looks like me in makeup, they’re kind of like ‘Whoa!’ When I started wearing make-up, which was about 4 years ago, I was really hesitant to leave the house just because I was nervous about what people would say.”

Palumbo said he gifts most of his products to queer artists and drag queens in Toronto. “It’s been really, really amazing to see the community that we created over the past year,” said Palumbo. “On season two of Canada’s Drag Race, Brooklyn Heights actually wore my lipstick on the main stage.”

Right now, the business owner is still juggling two jobs, but hopes to one day do this full time.

“I have to pinch myself everyday like truly the power of TikTok as been so insane to me. I’m just a regular person who started a business out of my second bedroom in my condo.”