Why a tight product focus, creator-first marketing and retail smarts turned a TikTok-era indie into a global beauty blueprint.
REFY is one of those rare cases where products, people and placement all locked together with precision. Launched in 2020 by creator-turned-entrepreneur Jess Hunt and beauty-industry operator Jenna Meek, the UK-based brand arrived just as the pared-back “clean-girl” aesthetic began its global climb. From a viral brow wax to full-face and skincare extensions, REFY’s trajectory offers branding lessons for ambitious operators everywhere.
Product minimalism as strategy
REFY’s core proposition is simple: simplify the routine, make it high-performance and design it to fit right into one’s daily life. The brand’s breakout product, Brow Sculpt, launched with a dual-ended tool that combined gel and brush and sold out within weeks. In a market clogged with options, REFY’s decision to do fewer things extremely well became a growth lever. Recent industry estimates put the brand on a trajectory toward roughly £100 million in revenue for the year through August 2025.
Creator credibility turned infrastructure
Jess Hunt’s social platform provided REFY with early cultural currency and audience trust. The brand rode that energy, but what sets REFY apart is how Jenna Meek scaled it: operational rigour, retail partnerships, global logistics and repeat purchase systems. Influence created awareness; infrastructure created growth.
Retail meets social at scale
Launching in the tail end of the pandemic era, when TikTok and Instagram discovery translated quickly into purchase intent, REFY capitalised on timing. The brand moved fast into UK and US retail, securing listings at high-visibility doors like Sephora and Selfridges, giving it both cultural cache and commercial scale. For any brand building now: social waves are powerful, but the right distribution networks validate category relevance and unlock new consumer bases.
Culture dependency and what to watch out for
The “clean-girl” aesthetic – groomed brows, glossy lips, minimal makeup – is culturally specific and trend-sensitive. Brands that tie their identity too tightly to a look risk commodification or attention fade. REFY’s answer: product performance plus community-driven experiences, membership perks and a careful rollout of skincare extensions that retain brand attitude.
What’s next?
With the recent launch into skincare (including Face Cleanse and Face Sculpt) and impressive retail and online traction, REFY signals it’s playing for the long game. For business-minded founders: this is a case of culture and commerce aligning – influencer DNA leveraged with retail discipline and category clarity.
REFY shows how a look can become a repeatable business model but only if founders convert attention into infrastructure. That’s the hard work behind every founder’s viral moment.
