Missguided Is Done Photoshopping Its Models’ Stretch Marks

Cindy Belardo, 26, and Drew Jarvis, 23, might have come up with the Sunny Cup from opposite sides of the country, but both knew they needed to find a solution for traditional menstrual cups that just weren’t meeting their respective needs.

“I had not learned about menstrual cups before, and was so intrigued,” said Belardo. “But, the learning curve was something that was not ideal for me, and I really wanted to make it work. I knew that others would run into the same problem.”

Menstrual cups were downright frustrating to use.

“When I went to try menstrual cups, I was a little bit intimidated, but I was very willing to at least give it a shot. I spent an hour in the bathroom trying to put it in. I was laughing and crying, like “what the hell is this thing?” said Jarvis. “I ultimately realized, there's not really been much innovation with a period cup in years.”

That’s why they’re not only providing better solutions with Sunny, but working toward a more sustainable, more effective, and overall more inclusive approach to periods.

One menstruator will use an average of 9,120 tamponsor pads in their lifetime. More often than not, these single-use products (which are 90% plastic, BTW) end up in landfills, taking anywhere from 500 to 800 years to decompose, though plastic never truly decomposes.

In addition to the raw materials used to make tampons and pads themselves, manufacturing practices suck up energy and water sources, contributing to carbon emissions.

Menstrual cups can be reused for up to a decade with a lot less of an impact on the environment, but a very slim percentage of menstruators are actually using them. The Sunny Cup is reusable for up to a year, replacing an average of 225 tampons that one person can potentially use per year.

“I mean, billions of pads are going into landfills. You're not supposed to flush them, obviously, but people do,” said Jarvis. “After five years of prototyping, research, and development, we finally came up with a design that we feel will help beginner menstrual cup users switch to this really cool, sustainable option that saves you money and saves disposables from going into landfills.”

There’s a bias for tampons and pads because they offer convenience at the tear of a wrapper – but convenience isn't the only factor driving it. Many menstruators simply do not have the luxury of choice when it comes to period products.

This fact became a reality for Belardo in 2018 when she began working with menstruators in India through a research grant. Her team had the opportunity to survey 200 first-time menstrual cup users on their experience with the device.

“One important takeaway was the taboo around periods and the female body. That was not unique to the individuals we surveyed in India – it's here in the US and globally,” said Belardo. “It became very apparent that period poverty is a worldwide issue that needs to be addressed.”

Medical News Today defines period poverty as “the social, economic, political, and cultural barriers to menstrual products, education, and sanitation.” It’s estimated that 500 millionmenstruators around the world lack proper access to a few or all three of these things. Though not exclusively tied to a specific demographic, period poverty is most commonly present in low income, impoverished, and food insecure communities.

“Unfortunately, [period poverty] is everywhere. I think we don't really realize that where there's food insecurity, there’s poverty,” said Jarvis. “That can be in any community. You may not know those people are dealing with those circumstances.”

Period poverty can put a lot of stress on menstruators, depending on their situation. For those without proper access to period products, scarcity can cause physical stress. For those living in poverty, affording period products in the first place can cause financial stress. For those shamed for having a period, the embarrassment can cause emotional stress.

“When you don't have access to period products, a lot of young menstruators will miss school, which is driving a gap in education, and then ultimately leading into a gap in income for people with periods, which is disproportionately women, and is even more challenging for women menstruators of color,” expressed Jarvis. “Of course, that's no place that we should be living in.”

Societal stigmas and myths surrounding menstruation further the divide between menstruators and access to period-related resources. The belief that periods are gross, unnatural, or perverted comes from a lack of education and understanding, according to Belardo.

“We understand that periods are a bodily process that have been punished, stigmatized, and shamed by society, and we committed to educating and working with our community to co-create solutions to unmet needs,” said Belardo. “The only way we are going to see change is if we can shift society's understanding.”

Sunny is combatting period poverty in the states and abroad by simply normalizing periods. In addition to their menstrual cup, they’ve created a graphic novel for young people that aims to educate about periods. They continue to have candid conversations surrounding periods, sexual health, and period poverty through their social media channels. Sunny is also dedicated to donating products and resources to those who need them through Period.org, a non-profit that advocates for menstruators.

In addition to these things, Jarvis and Belardo are ensuring their efforts with Sunny are oriented towards menstruators of all backgrounds in order to serve the community at large.

“It's vital to openly combat the stigma associated with our bodies in order to advocate and sustain our community's mental health. Part of that is being inclusive,” said Belardo. “Truly including everyone in this conversation, cis and trans men, cis and trans women, non-binary folks, menstruators and non-menstruators, lower-income countries and higher-income countries, people of color, et cetera, so that we can normalize our bodies.”

“We've had people get frustrated by that at times. But the reality is, we're a period care company, and we are addressing people with periods and we're not going to exclude anyone from that,” said Jarvis. “We knew that it was going to be political because we wanted to include everybody with a period. We realized that while we are passionate about earth-friendly products, inclusive education, and global impact, we were always going to be more than just a period product.”

Fenty Beauty

While Fenty Beauty isn’t the first, the Rihanna-led brand is a pioneer in extensive shade ranges. The hype surrounding their first launch was well worth the lines. I’m a fan for life, not only because the products are amazing, but because there’s something for the fairest to the deepest among us.

Favorite Fenty Products

Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation ($40)

This foundation comes in 50 different shades. Yes, you read that right!

Match Stix Contour Skinstick ($32)

You'll find these contour sticks in 10 different shades.

Danessa Myricks Beauty

As a makeup artist, Danessa Myricks found that not all products were found equal between her clients. Her makeup line is focused specifically on multi-use for all skin types. Myricks’ site has the best realistic examples of her products on each skin tone type.

Fave Danessa Myricks Beauty Products

Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder ($36)

You'll find this oil balancing balm in 11 different shades.

Colorfix Foils ($18)

These bold colors are safe to use on your eyes, lips, and face!

Maybelline

This drugstore brand took the long way to finding extended shade ranges across products. However, being the old reliable comes with growing pains, and Maybelline eventually made inclusivity more of a priority. The first foundation I ever bought with my own money was from the FitMe line. At the time (and to this day), the beauty brand created something for everyone at an affordable rate. I still go back to it because while it’s nostalgic, it also gave me great skin days. (Special nod to the 15 baby lips I also bought.)

Fave Maybelline Products

Fit Me Loose Finishing Powder ($9)

Maybelline offers eight different shades in this powder to top off your foundation with.

Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation ($9)

Out of the 40 different shade options here, I love the warm coconut best!

Ami Cole

Ami Cole is a newer brand on the scene but it’s made a large splash in rethinking the classic beauty routine. The brand started with just three products and is expanding every day. Stay with me — the original skin tint has a limited shade range, but it focuses specifically on women of color. The skin tint is my favorite product and somehow feels universal with only six shades. It’s perfect for the no makeup makeup look so I highly recommend for anyone with a deeper skin tone.

Skin Enhancing Tint ($32)

The six shades of this tint are meant to show off your skin, not cover it up.

Lip Treatment Oil ($20)

Not only does this look great, but it also nourishes your lips! Win-win!

Giselle Go, Cofounder of DAMDAM

The former editor in chief of Harper's Bazaar Singapore (the youngest to hold the title at just 26) turned skincare entrepreneur is Philippine-born and sought to build a clean skincare brand as an ode to the Japanese culture she loved and respected so deeply. Enter DAMDAM, a brand dedicated to preserving ancient Japanese beauty regimens, such as "osoji" and "mochi had," heritage Japanese beauty ingredients like the Shiso Plant and Komenuka Oil, and a team of partners and vendors that collaborate with the brand by creating hand-crafted atelier and preserve Japanese land through regenerative farming practices. The brand is a 5-star best seller on Sephora and one that's hoping to inspire more people to partake in minimalist routines that place an emphasis on mindfulness.

Yanghee Paik, CEO and co-founder of Rael

“I like to call myself an accidental entrepreneur," says Yanghee Paik, a former Hollywood exec who co-founded Rael feminine care products. "I was looking for new inspiration and ways to make a bigger impact on people’s lives when I met my other co-founders.” Together, they saw an opportunity to bring safe and effective technology of Korean feminine care products to the U.S. market. Rael’s first organic cotton pads launched in 2017 and became #1 best-selling pad on Amazon. All Rael period care products are developed without toxins and are hypoallergenic, soft, and breathable. The packaging is also something you don't mind leaving on your countertop.;)

Dev Heyrana, Fine Artist and Hip Hop Dance Teacher

Heyrana's particular brand of creativity is one-of-a-kind. She manages to be warm, welcoming and woke, with a focus on inclusivity, social justice and motherhood that comes through in every piece of art she creates. Born in The Philippines and immigrated to the U.S. when she was 9 years old, her family comes from the island of Cebu. "I'm a proud Cebuana. My childhood in the Philippines felt like freedom. I had my swimsuit in my backpack for whenever we decided to swim and I biked everywhere." But immigrating wasn't easy as a child. "I witnessed racism towards my family and didn't know how to make sense of it," she told us in our Creative Crushin' series."These events left a mark. I was a quiet kid and observed everything and everyone around me. I think about my grandparents, Lolo Jose and Lola Rita, a lot as I walk through life. When I make decisions. As hard as it feels, you have two choices, do you let it take you down or take it one step at a time forward. I kept going and it really shaped me as to why I am the way I am today."

Trisha Okubo, Founder of Maison Miru

Trisha Okubo (pictured center) started out as a Stanford engineer but always had a passion for fashion, sculpture and architecture. She discovered the magic of making jewelry, intersecting form and function, art and science, order and chaos. "It’s wearable sculpture, a thing of beauty that captures your magic: your experiences and memories of the people you love," she says. "Miru in its native Japanese is evocative of sight. It is a reminder to open your eyes, to see the world in a new way." Maison Miru is launching its limited edition jewelry collection today, in collaboration with Heart of Dinner, a non-profit organization that provides hot meals for the most vulnerable Asian elderly community around Manhattan's Chinatown area, in honor of AAPI Heritage Month. The Heart of Dinner System Kit features three styles curated by Heart of Dinner founders Yin Chang and Moonlynn Tsai (pictured left and right). Made to be waterproof, sweatproof, and life-proof, the kit will include the Classic Heart Nap Earrings, Shooting Star Open Hoops, and Classic Arc Ear Cuff. 20% of the proceeds from the kit will be donated to Heart of Dinner.

Lin Chen, Founder of Pink Moon

A Brit + Co Self Care Award winner, Pink Moon is an online shop where you can find eco self-care, wellness, and lifestyle brands, with more than 30 percent of them being founded by women of color. When launching Pink Moon's in-house collection, Lin made the decision to create it as an open love letter for her Chinese heritage with the launch of a gua sha tool and accompanying face oil. Aromatherapy also plays a big role in Pink Moon's self-care in-house collection with original blends in signature candles, body/hair oils and more. 1% of Pink Moon's revenue goes to a nonprofit of your choice with every purchase.

Fiona Co Chan, Founder of Youthforia

Fiona founded Youthforia from the ground up while living in Hong Kong during the pandemic. An econ major who worked in business development for a software startup, she found that frequent travel to China was hard on her skin. She founded Youthforia, a makeup brand made famous on TikTok, uses plant-based ingredients and functions like skincare you can sleep in!

Rachel and Jiyoon Han, Founders of Bean & Bean Coffee

Not only did this mother daughter duo found Bean & Bean, but they're both certified Q graders (or coffee sommeliers)! The brand first got their start in 2008, after Jiyoon's parents immigrated from South Korea and opened the first ever roastery in Queens, NY. They're focused on ethically-sourced product, supply chain transparency, and Female Equity in Coffee.

Farah Jesani, Founder of One Stripe Chai

A daughter of South Asian immigrants, Farah Jesani started her career in NYC's corporate world. I graduated from the University of Georgia with a business degree and moved to NYC to work in the corporate world. She soon realized that the chai options offered at coffee shops didn't really reflect the bold and flavorful chai she grew up drinking. That's when the seeds for One Stripe Chai were planted...Founded in 2015, One Stripe Chai combines rich, spicy masala chai with black tea for an all natural chai concentrate that even the pickiest chai drinkers will love.

Tina Chow Rudolf, Founder of Strange Bird

Rudolf's fascination with beauty and skincare originates from watching generations of mothers before her. Her grandmother would give her mother facials using egg whites, cucumber, ginger and ginseng — all ingredients from their kitchen. Strange Bird (also her husband's nickname for her) is a plant-based and crystal-charged beauty brand that combines ancient Chinese beauty traditions with high vibrational alchemy to help women create a daily practice that supports their skin goals and their life goals. Products include ingredients such as ginger, ginseng and goji berry in organic blends as well as flower and gem essences such as amethyst, rose quartz and crab apple.

Clara Jung, Founder of Banner Day Interiors

Clara left a career in corporate law to start Banner Day Interiors when she realized that legal research and courtroom appearances didn't satisfy her creative desires. Her creative and comfortable style helps her clients transform ordinary rooms into stylish spaces. Originally from Los Angeles, Clara attended Cal and fell in love with the charm of Berkeley (shortly after graduating, she joined the Peace Corps in Nepal teaching English), where she now lives.

Sravya Adusumilli, founder of Mango People

Chemical engineer turned beauty entrepreneur Sravya Adusumilli was inspired by her South Asian roots when creating the plant-based multi-functional makeup brand beloved by TikTok. She struggled to find a brand that was truly clean and inclusive of all skin-tone shades so she began experimenting and researching Ayurvedic rituals and teachings to utilize powerful plants and pigment-rich fruits, flowers, and herbs to heal the body, mind, and spirit. After five years of intensive research and several iterations later, Mango People was born.

Ming Yi and Ching Yeh Chen, Founders Of Pearl River Mart

This duo founded Pearl River Mart in 1971 as the world's first Chinese American department store. People of all backgrounds can learn about Asian history and culture beyond NYC through their online site. Pearl River Mart has two events to celebrate AAPI heritage, including"Just Between Us," a new exhibition curated by Arlan Huang in partnership with Think!Chinatown at their SoHo location starting 5/4 and Pearl River Mart's Second Annual AAPIHM Sunset Celebration in conjunction with Lunar Hard Seltzer and Gold House will be held at their Chelsea Market location on 5/19.

Jennifer Tsay, Co-Founder & CEO of Shoott

Jennifer Tsay is a SAG-AFTRA actor whose personal experience with "side hustles" led her to launch a company that puts creatives and freelancers first. Shoott seeks to make professional photography more accessible to everyone with "Insta-worthy" 30-minute outdoor photo sessions that are free to book online and allow customers to pay only for photos they love at $15 per photo or less. In spite of the pandemic, demand for bookings grew and the company is now available in 600 locations across 60+ cities nationwide.

Diane Reade, Founder of MO MI

Diane's mother and grandmother raised her with holistic, naturopathic, aromatherapy and encouraged her to seek wellness beauty rituals. Diane says her Asian heritage inspires her creative process when sourcing plant-based ingredients that have been used for centuries. Her personal care brand MO MI is animal- and planet-friendly and incorporates values from Diane's heritage and from time spent living, working and traveling in Europe and Asia.

Eunice and Sabrina Moyle, Founders Hello!Lucky

Eunice and Sabrina are bi-racial Chinese-white sisters who grew up in Asia and Africa. They founded Hello!Lucky in 2003 as a letterpress greeting card studio with a distinctive humor and style inspired by their Asian and Midwestern roots. Since then, Hello!Lucky has grown to become a design and licensing studio with the mission of delivering joy, creativity, and connection through their products, which include greeting cards, best-selling children's books, and home goods. They are committed to supporting the highest good of their customers and promoting self-awareness and social justice. They published Sloth and Smell the Roses, a children's board book on mindfulness and self-compassion and in 2018 published Be the Change: The Future Is In Your Hands, a DIY book for girls and women about using creativity to inspire community and civic action. Sabrina serves as Board President of @mosaicproject, an Oakland-based youth non-profit that provides immersive, experiential learning in building inclusive, equitable, peaceful communities.You can follow along with Eunice and Sabrina @helloluckycards and @helloluckykids.

Joy Cho, Founder and Creative Director of Oh Joy!

LA-based Joy Cho exploded in the world of licensing with home decor, kids, pet, and furniture collections with brands such as Target, Band-Aid, Calpak, Petco, Keds, and more. She has authored six books and consulted for hundreds of creative businesses around the world. For two years in a row, Joy was named one of Time's 30 Most Influential People on the Internet and has the most followed account on Pinterest with over 14 million followers.

Andrea Xu, Co-founder and CEO, Umamicart

Conceived by Andrea Xu to serve as a one-stop-shop for home cooks, Umamicart, an online market, prioritizes Asian American-led businesses, immigrant-led businesses, and the mom-and-pop suppliers and producers behind consumers' favorite heritage brands, as well as the inspiring Asian American founders that are reinterpreting traditional flavors with new and personal products.

Angela Chau Gray + Ervina Wu, Co-Founders of YINA

YINA is a beauty and wellness brand based in California whose mission is to demystify and enliven Chinese Medicine. Co-founded by Dr. Ervina Wu, a licensed in TCM, the brand features products for skincare, wellness and more.

Vicky Tsai, Founder of Tatcha

One of our favorite Teach Me Something New podcast guests, Tsai's personal skincare routine (equal parts skincare + meditation) is as impressive as it is inspiring. Her customers include celebrities like Meghan Markle and Kim Kardashian who are fans of her Japanese skincare products, which are based in ancient Geisha beauty practices. For Vicky, skincare *is* self care, and we all need to take time for ourselves to wash away the day, and start fresh each morning.

Syama Meagher, Co-Founder of Rendall Co.

Syama Meagher originally planned to launch Rendall Co. as a home goods brand featuring aprons but pivoted to premium face masks at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. The styles were bestsellers and now the brand finally launched its collection of aprons, which feature durable chambray and denim fabrics and professional quality workmanship. We love our Bistro apron!

Hanna Chiou, Co-Founder of Habbi Habbi

Hanna Chiou grew up in the U.S. speaking her parent's native language Mandarin but not reading it. "It's challenging because Chinese is character-based so most books from Asia are intimidating because there are a sea of characters — and speaking doesn't translate to reading," she told us. Habbi Habbi was her answer to accessibility and ease of learning with a set of language books that kids can tap with the simplicity of a translating wand (our kids love theirs!).

Justine Tiu & Adrian Zhang, Co-Founders of The Woobles

We love this online learning platform for crochet. The brand sells beginner crochet kits that have been designed leveraging UX research and customer feedback to push through initial frustrations of learning a DIY art through remote learning.

Kirstie Wang, Founder of A Jar of Pickles

Kirstie Wang started A Jar of Pickles with $200 as a side hobby business that eventually grew multi-6 figures in revenue while she worked full-time jobs in UX design and marketing. She started it as a hobby Etsy shop in college after teaching herself digital design. She recently took the leap and quit her full-time job to grow A Jar of Pickles, pursuing her passion to share what she's learned by coaching other small business owners. You can enroll in her Selfmade course, Organic Social Media Growth, starting on May 25.

Clare Ngai, Founder of BONBONWHIMS

Before Clar Ngai launched BONBONWHIMS, she moved to the U.S. at the age of 19 to study journalism. From there, she's been working in the fashion industry for the past 10 years. Her experience with the digital and influencer aspects of fashion have come in handy because BONBONWHIMS speaks to several generations with its Y2K appeal.

It was during the pandemic that she began creating the bones of BONBONWHIMS to fuel her own passion and raise awareness for BIPOC organizations like Stop AAPI Hate.

Since its creation, BONBONWHIMS has been featured on stars like Megan Thee Stallion and Demi Lovato.

We are also big fans of our Selfmade members, including Christine Tong (above), founder of Christine My Linh, Shannon Huang, founder of The Soul Edit, Justine Pon of The Ponnery, Sruti Bharat of FutureMap, Koyun Fan, co-founder of Sticky Rice Sisters, and Poy T. Granati of Summer Space Studio.