Cosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, towelettes, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and gels, deodorants, hand sanitizer, baby products, bath oils, bubble baths, bath salts, butters and many other types of products. A subset of cosmetics is called "make-up," which refers primarily to colored products intended to alter the user’s appearance. Many manufacturers distinguish between decorative cosmetics and care cosmetics. The word cosmetics derives from the Greek κοσμητική τέχνη (kosmetikē tekhnē), meaning "technique of dress and ornament", from κοσμητικός (kosmētikos), "skilled in ordering or arranging" and that from κόσμος (kosmos), meaning amongst others "order" and "ornament".

The manufacture of cosmetics is currently dominated by a small number of multinational corporations that originated in the early 20th century, but the distribution and sale of cosmetics is spread among a wide range of different businesses. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which regulates cosmetics in the United States defines cosmetics as: "intended to be applied to the human body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance without affecting the body's structure or functions." This broad definition includes, as well, any material intended for use as a component of a cosmetic product. The FDA specifically excludes soap from this category.

Katherine "Kate" Upton (born June 10, 1992) is an American model and actress known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, first in 2011, when she was named Rookie of the Year, and again in 2012, when she was announced as the cover model.

Upton was born in St. Joseph, Michigan and raised in Melbourne, Florida. She attended Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy. Her uncle is U.S. Representative Fred Upton, Republican of Michigan's 6th congressional district.

As a young equestrian, Upton showed at the American Paint Horse Association and competed on a national level. With her horse Roanie Pony, she won three APHA Reserve World Championships – 13 and Under Western Riding, 13 and Under Horsemanship, and 14–18 Western Riding. She was named the 13 and Under Reserve All-Around Champion, giving her a total of four reserve championships (2nd place). In addition, Upton ended up third overall on the APHA youth Top Twenty. With a second horse, Zipped, she won 14–18 Western Riding and was included in the top 5 in 14–18 Horsemanship and 14–18 Western Pleasure in 2009.

Bobbi Brown (born April 14, 1957) is the founder and CEO of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Brown graduated from Emerson College in Boston with a degree in theatrical makeup. Afterwards, she moved to New York City to work as a professional makeup artist. In 1991, she and a chemist released a line of new lipsticks under the brand Bobbi Brown Essentials, which debuted at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City. Today, the line is available at few fine retailers such as Lord & Taylor. The success of that makeup line led Estee Lauder to buy the company in 1995.

In addition to creating cover looks for magazines and make-up for fashion shows, Brown is the exclusive beauty editor of The Today Show and a frequent guest on the E! and Style channels. She is the author of Bobbi Brown Beauty, Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual, Bobbi Brown Teenage Beauty, Beauty Rules and Bobbi Brown Beauty Evolution. On 2006-10-24, Brown joined the Emerson College Board of Trustees.

Brown is partners with a charity called Dress for Success where she gives underprivileged women attractive clothes to wear to job interviews. Also, the women receive the basic makeup by Bobbi Brown Essentials. When they receive the makeup, they get their makeup done by volunteer Bobbi Brown makeup artists.

Michelle Phan (born April 11, 1987) is a Vietnamese-American make-up guru who posts make-up and beauty tutorials on YouTube, sometimes under the online alias ricebunny. Phan attended Ringling College of Art and Design and Massachusetts College of Art and Design.

Michelle Ann Phan was born in Boston, Massachusetts; both her mother and father were born in Vietnam. She has one brother named Steve Phan, who eventually married Promise Tamang (Phan),who is also a make-up/hair guru. Her mother raised her in Massachusetts and California, before settling in Tampa, Florida, where she attended high school. As a teenager, Phan originally intended to become a doctor at the request of her mother. However, she later convinced her mother to allow her to major in illustration. She was inspired by her mom's career as a nail technician. Formerly, she was a student and worked as a part-time waitress at a sushi restaurant.

Phan joined Youtube on July 18, 2006 and has created over 180 videos. As of February 2012, her videos have garnered over 530 million views. Her channel has over 1,800,000 subscribers. She has the most subscribed beauty channel on YouTube. Phan is known for her video style that incorporates her voice-over instruction with music and text subtitles. Her videos are created entirely using iMovie, on a MacBook Pro. Popular beauty tutorials released on Phan's YouTube channel have included her "Romantic Valentine Look," "Brighter Larger Looking Eyes," "Makeup for Glasses," and "Mysterious Masquerade Look." Her most popular videos include the "Lady Gaga 'Poker Face' Tutorial" with over 30,000,000 video views on YouTube, "Lady Gaga Bad Romance Look," with over 25,000,000 views, "Romantic Valentine Look," and "Seductive Vampire". In January, special effects were used in her new Lady Gaga "Bad Romance" video, the first for a makeup guru. The Buzzfeed profiled Phan on January 23, 2009 overnight, turning it into a viral video.