Jana Craig is stepping into the competitive landscape of celebrity-led beauty.
The influencer and reality star, who rose to prominence as a fan favorite on “Love Island USA” Season Six, is entering through the lash category with the launch of six glue-on sets and one self-adhesive cluster pack under her new brand, Aura by Jana.
“My mom wouldn’t let me wear any makeup in high school, but when I got to school, me and my friends would sneak lashes on and take them off when we went home,” Craig told WWD. “There’s something about lashes that brings out the beauty of a woman’s eye or anyone’s eye. You can never go wrong with a simple lash look.”
Craig soft-launched the debut of her beauty business, backed by Warren James, a little over a week ago, sharing a link to the account on Instagram. Careful not to give too much away, she posted a slew of tropical-inspired teasers with the brand logo on top.
“I chose this tropical theme not because of ‘Love Island,’ but because I’m from the beautiful islands of Hawaii,” she said. “It reminds me of peace and calm. That’s what I wanted to share with the world. I wanted to make people feel calm, like a tropical vacation vibe when they land on the Aura website, or when they think about Aura by Jana in general.
“I want to bring nature to beauty,” she continued, adding she didn’t want to do this through just any brand — she wanted it to be her own. “I did have opportunities to join other teams, but I wanted to build and create something from my heart and my perspective of life.”
With that guiding principle, Craig created Aura by Jana’s first launch as an homage to the women who’ve shaped her life. Available direct-to-consumer starting Nov. 6, the six lash sets, priced at $15 each, are modeled after her best friends: Charmane, Naja, Leah, Serena, Kaylor and Olivia. Fans of “Love Island USA” will recognize the latter four as Craig’s fellow castmates: Leah Kateb, Serena Page, Kaylor Martin and Olivia Walker.
“I tried to embrace each girl’s beauty and personality through the lash,” Craig said, noting the expansion of the line will likely follow a similar theme, with styles that pay tribute to female leaders such as Michelle Obama.
That said, lashes are only the opening act. Craig envisions the brand expanding into lip kits, foundation, blush and more down the line, and at some point, making it onto the makeup shelves inside Ulta and Sephora. “I can also see Aura at Walmart or beauty supply stores. Anywhere that’s convenient for people, I want to be there,” Craig said.
“This project is my baby,” she continued. “I’m allowing people to have more insight, my interests and how I want to just step into the beauty world.”