Sam Cutler’s passion for all things beauty started a young age. “I have always viewed cosmetics as an outlet for individuality and self-expression,”Cutler tells Grazia USA. “I remember my first-grade teacher applying thick coats of Chanel mascara and being mesmerized by her lashes.”
A career in the beauty industry was the obvious path for the founder of Beverly Hills-based beauty line Petite ‘n Pretty. “I knew that I wanted to work in the beauty industry, so I landed an internship at the MAC Pro store when I was 17,” she says. “It was pre-influencer days, and we would work with incredible professional make-up artists by gifting them products and have them teach master classes. The following summer I interned for MAC in the PR department. It was so much fun, but I realized I wanted to be on the development side.”
After graduation, Cutler landed her first corporate job working on the MAC Product Development team. She saw a gap in the market and the idea for Petite ‘n Pretty was born. “With my experience working for these established brands, people would ask me for my recommendations on products for their younger kids, which I never had an answer for,” Cutler shares. “The products weren’t developed with age-appropriate ingredients and had tons of artificial colors or chemicals that I wouldn’t let my own children use. I felt like there was this white space of opportunity in the beauty space to create quality products for tweens.”
With 15 years of experience developing prestige beauty products under her belt, Cutler was no stranger to innovating and launching new concepts, having formulated some of the industry’s favorite cult products. “I launched Petite ‘n Pretty in the summer of 2018 to encourage young creatives to sparkle outside the lines while exploring, expressing, and embracing individuality with products developed just for them.”
The leap from corporate life to entrepreneur established Cutler and her brand as the go-to for tween beauty, inspiring many to follow in her path. “I think being the ‘first’ in a category is always scary, but since we have launched, we have noticed that many more brands have launched with a younger demographic in mind,” says Cutler. “Blending my background as a product developer and mother with the playful glimmer of my hometown of Beverly Hills translated into Petite ‘n Pretty becoming the ‘Gen-Z favorite’ makeup brand.”
With Petite ‘n Pretty continuing to grow, Cutler still sees lots of room for new opportunities. “We have a strong direct-to-consumer presence, but in-store is where our younger consumer is,” Cutler explains. “That’s why we sell our products in stores like Ulta Beauty and Neiman Marcus. Having that real-life retail presence is important to us, but most importantly, to our consumer base.”
Being an entrepreneur can blur the lines between work life and personal life—but Cutler makes sure to take time for simple pleasures. “I feel like I end up spending a lot of time in my car, which feels common when you live in an area like Los Angeles,” Cutler admits. “One of my favorite morning treats is picking up a coffee from Café Luxxe and listening to music on my way to work.”
Cutler continues, “I really love what I do and hope to continue to grow Petite ‘n Pretty beyond my wildest dreams, with a focus on some new categories. Our brand started out with an eye shadow palette and lip glosses, but now features skincare essentials. I hope that Petite ‘n Pretty enters new categories such as hair and body. I feel like there is a lot of opportunity there.”
