Beauty is for everyone, but many of the tools and products that are commonly used to achieve certain looks aren’t accessible for every person. With this in mind, brands are emerging to reimagine ability-inclusive tools and makeup — and actress Selma Blair has joined the space as the new Chief Creative Officer of Guide Beauty.
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Founded in 2020 by makeup artist and educator Terri Bryant, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the height of her career, Guide Beauty creates universally designed tools that make makeup application more accessible for everyone — including those with different levels of physical ability and those who face dexterity and fine-motor challenges. For example, writer Chloé Toscano shared her experience using the brand’s new Shadow Palette (designed to be easy to open with an extended “lip”) and the Easy on The Eyes Brush Collection (featuring a unique, easier-to-hold ergonomic design) as an above-elbow amputee in Allure. Other Guide Beauty products and tools are designed with a Guide Ring to help steady the hand for easier application, as another example of the brand’s goal of universal design.
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As Chief Creative Officer, Blair, who has shared her journey with the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis (MS) since she was diagnosed in 2018, serves as a consultant on the design and testing of new products. As Blair explained in an Instagram post, “joining Guide Beauty is an opportunity for me to share my love of universal design with you. Together, we will create and advocate for a more inclusive world of beauty.”
“I’ve seen what beauty can do for an emotional spirit and sometimes that can be everything,” Blair said to Vogue. “There’s many other facets to show yourself besides makeup but it can be an amazing tool of expression or confidence or armor — or, for me, character. Mood is no small thing.”
