From Rare Beauty to Creator: Toni Bravo’s Journey

Imagine growing up playing with makeup, and then fast forward a few years, you’re landing major beauty partnerships and building a successful career as a content creator. That’s exactly the journey Toni Bravo is on! This Long Beach native has made a significant pivot, leaving a role at Rare Beauty to fully embrace her passion for creating beauty content online.

From College Curiosity to TikTok Fame

Toni’s path wasn’t a straight line into beauty. She initially studied film and media at UC Irvine. But as the COVID-19 pandemic hit in spring 2020, she moved back home and started ramping up her online content. It was during this time, inspired by her family and a newfound love for roller skating, that she began sharing videos on TikTok.

Her roller skating videos gained traction, but her curiosity soon turned to makeup. A viral TikTok featuring her trying purple blush, which racked up over a million views, was a turning point. This sparked a deeper exploration into the beauty world beyond drugstore finds, fueled by a genuine curiosity and the expanding opportunities in short-form video.

Learning the Ropes at BuzzFeed and Rare Beauty

Toni’s understanding of online platforms grew significantly during her time at BuzzFeed in 2021. As a talent resident for their Cocoa Butter team, she worked across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. This experience was invaluable, teaching her about setting boundaries, building a sustainable career, and fostering a genuine relationship with her audience.

Following her time at BuzzFeed, Toni landed a coveted summer internship at Rare Beauty, Selena Gomez’s makeup brand. This opportunity quickly turned into a full-time role as a social media coordinator after graduation. She wore many hats, from creating content daily to managing social trend reports and interacting with the community. This role provided crucial insights into building a brand and understanding what authentic audience engagement truly means.

Transitioning to Full-Time Creator

After six months at Rare Beauty, Toni realized she wanted more room to grow and explore her own creative path. By 2023, she made the leap to become a full-time content creator, already boasting over 916,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok. This transition felt natural, as she had already been building organic relationships with other beauty brands.

With a manager and a team in place, Toni began taking on multiple brand deals weekly, with a strong focus on the beauty sector. She emphasizes that her initial goal wasn’t just about the numbers, but about gaining experience and learning what she enjoyed. This learning process has helped her streamline her brand campaign strategies.

Navigating Creator Worth and Full-Circle Moments

Toni acknowledges the challenge creators face with lowball offers but stresses the importance of knowing your worth. She advises aspiring creators to deeply understand their analytics to advocate for fair compensation. While creativity is priceless, understanding your numbers is key to negotiating successful partnerships.

Her journey recently came full circle with a partnership with Tower 28, a brand born and raised in LA, just like her. Dubbed the “CEO of Blush,” Toni launched two blushes formulated for sensitive skin with the brand. This collaboration is significant as it marks Tower 28’s first-ever creator partnership and highlights blush, the very product that launched her beauty video career.