The History of Refy

Few beauty brands have shaped the minimalist beauty movement quite like Refy. In just a few years, the Manchester-born brand has evolved from a three-product launch to one of the most recognisable names in modern beauty, with a devoted community drawn to its streamlined approach and ‘clean-girl’ aesthetic.

But Refy’s success story began with a question: why did achieving a naturally sculpted brow require so many products and so much time?

This is how Refy found the answer — and turned it into one of beauty’s defining brands.

The Brow Blueprint

When Jess Hunt and Jenna Meek founded Refy in 2020, they weren’t trying to launch another all-encompassing beauty brand. Instead, they set out to solve a highly specific problem.

Known for her signature brushed-up brows, Hunt was constantly asked how she achieved the look. Her routine, however, was far from effortless. It involved layering multiple formulas and using several tools — a process that felt at odds with the clean, uncomplicated finish.

For Meek, who had experience building beauty brands, Hunt’s routine reflected a wider industry shift. Consumers were using more products and following increasingly complicated routines to achieve a simple look. Hunt and Meek saw an opportunity to simplify the process, creating high-performance essentials that delivered maximum impact with minimal effort.

The Three-Product Debut

Refy officially launched in November 2020 with just three products: Brow Sculpt, Brow Pomade, and Brow Pencil.

The three-step system — first sketched out over WhatsApp and developed into product samples in just three months — helped customers achieve the lifted, feathered effect that had become synonymous with Hunt’s signature look.

Brow Sculpt became the hero product: a clear wax-gel hybrid designed to shape and set brows in place. It quickly went viral, with tutorials and transformation videos flooding TikTok and Instagram feeds.

Within weeks of its launch, the brow trio had sold out and waitlists surged. Refy was suddenly one of beauty’s most talked-about new brands.

The Refy Effect

Despite Hunt’s massive following, Refy positioned itself as more than an influencer brand, intentionally keeping her name off the packaging. The focus was on building the brand’s own identity, rather than relying solely on founder recognition. That identity centred on a clean visual language, a neutral colour palette, and minimalist packaging. Combined with its products — which inspired countless tutorials, makeup routines, and viral trends — this helped establish Refy as a name synonymous with the effortless, polished aesthetic that would come to define the early 2020s.

Going Global

Less than a year after its launch, Refy secured a major retail partnership with Sephora in the US and Canada, marking the brand’s international expansion and accelerating its growth. In September 2021, the brand debuted at Selfridges before arriving at Sephora UK alongside the retailer’s e-commerce launch in October 2022. Together, these partnerships took Refy from a direct-to-consumer offering to beauty counters and online shopping baskets around the world.

In September 2025, Refy further strengthened its presence in its home market with a launch at Space NK, making the brand more widely available in stores across the UK.

Beyond Brows

As Refy grew, so did its product offering. Yet while many of its competitors rapidly expanded their collections, the brand showed restraint. Instead of launching dozens of products each year, it remained true to its minimalist philosophy, expanding selectively into new categories.

In February 2022, Refy launched Lip Sculpt. And if Brow Sculpt put the brand on the map, Lip Sculpt cemented it there. The dual-ended lip liner, complete with the world’s first silicone setter, went viral almost instantly thanks to its ability to create a smudge-proof, contoured lip that lasted.

Complexion essentials, eye makeup, beauty tools, and new lip products soon followed, all designed around the same principles of simplicity, versatility, and ease of use.

Turning Down £15 Million

In 2024, Jenna Meek revealed that the brand had walked away from a £15 million opportunity to expand into the Middle East because the team felt it would grow the business too quickly. The decision reflected Refy’s measured approach to growth, prioritising restraint, selectivity, and long-term success over rapid expansion.

Refy would eventually enter the GCC in November 2025 through Sephora, launching in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar, signalling that the brand’s strategy was never about avoiding expansion in the region, but rather choosing the right moment to arrive.

The Skincare Chapter

In January 2025, Refy expanded into skincare, bringing its minimalist philosophy to a new category. The move reflected the brand’s wider ambition to support simplified routines across every stage of getting ready.

The skincare range launched with Face Cleanse and Face Sculpt. Face Sculpt, a firming formula with an innovative roller applicator, was billed as the world’s first sculpting moisturiser.

Refy Now

Today, Refy remains independently owned and continues to expand its international presence and product portfolio.

By 2025, the brand was on track to reach an estimated £100 million in annual sales. This projection underscores how a focused growth strategy and minimalist philosophy can fuel significant global success on a brand’s own terms.

Refy is available in the UK at Space NK and Selfridges. US shoppers can find the brand at Sephora.