VIOLET GREY profiles female beauty entrepreneurs who are considered industry game changers for their individual approach to business. Each one entered the conversation in her own manner and maintained a steady, if not unparalleled, trajectory with her indomitable spirit. Here, we talk to the founder of KNC Beauty.

KNC lip masks are hard to miss. Since the product’s launch last fall, the stretchy, translucent pink sheets, which come in a handy pumped lip shape, have been unavoidable on Instagram. They hit that ‘grammable sweet spot (millennial pink, selfie essential) while delivering smooth, plump lips, like a Snapchat filter made real. And they’re all natural. No wonder Emma Stone used one before the Golden Globes.

The woman behind KNC is Kristen Noel Crawley, jewelry designer, gallery owner, and mogul in the making. Crawley first came across lip masks on a trip to Tokyo (where else?!), where their ease and promised results fascinated her. “I went to Don Quixote,” she says, name checking the cult Tokyo department store. “I lost myself in the beauty aisle.” One problem: The masks tasted disgusting, as she realized too late that they were filled with weird artificial ingredients. Her riposte, an all-natural mask, was two years in the making. Brilliant.

“Our lips are the most neglected part of our face when it comes to beauty,” says Crawley, adding that the infusion of hyaluronic acid, collagen, and rose flower oil transforms your lips after only 20 minutes. And it doesn’t leave you with a Restylane-injected duck pout.

For a quick beauty fix, the lip mask can be applied while taking a disco nap, a pre-night-out bath, or an Uber on the way to your evening engagement. Crawley is currently a specialist—the lip mask is the sole KNC product. It’s our guess that’s not going to last long. With her eye for what women want on their vanity (and what they desire on their face), Crawley is a mogul in the making. She has conquered the lush lip look, but how long before the rest of the face is a KNC concern?

KRISTEN BEFORE 10AM

BEDROOM

What is the atmosphere of your bedroom?
It’s my sanctuary, so it needs to smell heavenly. I love things that are clean and white. I have a lot of candles, mostly spa scents like cucumber or lavender. I don’t let the children bring their toys in there. It’s my only adult space, really.

Please describe your bed and your favorite thing about it.
I have a white leather tufted headboard that Cerruti Baleri designed for Margiela a few years ago that I’m obsessed with. I have two white sheet sets from Mateo. My mattress is organic, and I have a memory foam topper.

What time do you wake up?
Usually at 7 a.m. I try to get up a little earlier than my children. This helps me to get a few calm moments before the hectic morning begins.

How many hours of sleep do you require?
Nine is required but not always accomplished.

Any bedside beauty essentials?
I have my KNC beauty pouch in the top drawer of my bedside table. Inside it, I have Sisley Paris lip balm, lavender essential oil, floss, and a trial size of La Mer eye cream.

BODY

Do you drink coffee or tea, eat breakfast?
I usually have plain nonfat Greek yogurt mixed with organic berries. I love iced coffee. I mix it with unsweetened vanilla coconut milk. I’m trying to stay away from processed sugars.

Do you work out in the a.m.?
No, I don’t. I usually don’t have the time, but I’d like to start doing yoga with my husband.

BEAUTY

What is your morning skincare regimen?
Rinse my face with cold water. Currently my morning beauty routine includes La Mer micellar water and moisturizing gel cream followed by Chantecaille Sun Protection Primer with SPF 45. I use sunscreen every day.

What makeup and products do you use on a daily basis?
I love the Chantecaille Future Skin foundation — my shade is wheat. I follow with La Prairie Radiance Cream Blush in Berry Glow, Dior Brow Styler in brown to fill in those pesky spots, followed by Glossier Boy Brow in Clear. I also curl my lashes with the Utowa lash curler and use Milk Makeup Ubame Mascara in black. I love the new Dior addict lacquer stick in 620 Poisonous. I use it every day.

What’s your hair situation in the a.m.?
I usually apply Leonor Greyl organic oil and brush my hair into a low ponytail.

BUSINESS

What’s the first thing you read each morning?
My emails. I need to get a jump-start on what is going on, and it also lets me gauge how my day will go.

What business do you conduct before 10:00 a.m.?
I always respond to the more pertinent emails. Then I try to write a list of things I need to do today and I weigh them by importance and plan my day around that.

What time do you head to your office?
I have a home office, so I’m in and out all day long. I try to close the door but that doesn’t deter the children [laughs].