Fluide

Cover Block

Attribute	Value
Name	Fluide (We Are Fluide)
Tagline	All-genders cruelty-free vegan makeup brand
Headquarters	Brooklyn, New York
Founded	2018
Business Model	Direct-to-Consumer (DTC)
Industry	E-commerce / Retail
Technology	No Technology Component
Geography	North America
Growth Profile	Lifestyle Business
Founding Team	Co-Founders (2)
Funding Label	Friends and Family (undisclosed amount)

Links

• Website: https://www.theboxwalla.com/makeup-shop/brands/fluide/
• LinkedIn: https://cm.linkedin.com/company/fluide-group

What an Investor Needs First

Fluide was a direct-to-consumer cosmetics brand that launched in 2018 with a mission to liberate makeup from traditional gender norms, a positioning that garnered niche press attention before the company ceased operations around 2022 [GO Magazine, 2022]. Founded in Brooklyn by Isabella Giancarlo and Laura Kraber, the company offered a line of cruelty-free, vegan, and paraben-free products including liquid lipsticks, glitters, and nail polishes, all manufactured in the United States [Nylon, 2018-2020]. Its differentiation rested on an explicit all-genders marketing stance and a commitment to donate 5% of profits to LGBTQ+ health and legal organizations [Wikipedia]. The company appears to have been financed by an undisclosed friends and family round, with no institutional investors or subsequent funding events captured in available databases [PitchBook]. As a business model, Fluide operated as a classic DTC lifestyle brand, but its closure after four years indicates it did not achieve the scale or market traction necessary for sustainability.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core closure and product claims are corroborated by multiple lifestyle publications, but financial and operational metrics are absent.

Taxonomy Snapshot

Axis	Value
Business Model	Direct-to-Consumer (DTC)
Industry / Vertical	E-commerce / Retail
Technology Type	No Technology Component
Geography	North America
Growth Profile	Lifestyle Business
Founding Team	Co-Founders (2)

Inside the Company

Fluide was a direct-to-consumer cosmetics brand founded in Brooklyn, New York in 2018 by Isabella Giancarlo and Laura Kraber [Wikipedia]. The company was established with a mission to create an inclusive, all-genders makeup line, positioning itself against traditional beauty industry norms. Its launch was covered by niche lifestyle publications, which framed it as a queer-owned brand aiming to liberate makeup from patriarchal standards [GO Magazine, 2022].

The company operated for approximately four years before ceasing operations around 2022 [GO Magazine, 2022]. No funding rounds, investors, or significant corporate milestones beyond its launch and closure are documented in mainstream business or technology press.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Company existence and closure confirmed by multiple niche publications; no corroboration from primary business databases or state filings.

Under the Hood

Fluide's product offering was a focused line of color cosmetics positioned on ethical and inclusive values. The brand sold liquid lipsticks, nail polishes, eyeshadows, glitters, and glosses, all formulated to be cruelty-free, vegan, and free of parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, and triclosan [Wikipedia] [Nylon, 2018-2020]. Manufacturing was reportedly based in the United States [Nylon, 2018-2020]. The product line was explicitly designed for "all gender expressions, identities, and skin tones" [Nylon, 2018-2020] [Allure].

The business operated on a standard direct-to-consumer e-commerce model. There is no public evidence of a proprietary technology stack, unique supply chain software, or patented formulations. A tangible component of its mission was a commitment to donate 5% of profits to LGBTQ+ organizations, specifically naming Callen-Lorde Community Health Center and the Sylvia Rivera Law Project [Wikipedia].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Product claims are documented in niche press and a Wikipedia entry; manufacturing and donation details are from single sources.

Market Research and Opportunity

The market for inclusive beauty products gained momentum in the late 2010s, driven by a confluence of social movements and shifting consumer demographics. Fluide's launch in 2018 coincided with a period of heightened visibility for LGBTQ+ rights and a growing consumer demand for brands that aligned with personal values around identity and ethics.

Metric	Value
Vegan Cosmetics Market 2020	$15.1B
Vegan Cosmetics Market 2027 (projected)	$21.4B

Key demand drivers for Fluide's model included the increasing purchasing power and influence of Gen Z and millennial consumers. The brand's donation of 5% of profits to LGBTQ+ organizations directly tapped into this values-driven consumption [Wikipedia]. However, this was counterbalanced by significant market forces: the extreme saturation of the direct-to-consumer beauty landscape, the high customer acquisition costs endemic to DTC, and the operational complexity of manufacturing in the U.S. while maintaining competitive price points.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing is based on an analogous, third-party report for the vegan cosmetics segment. Specific sizing for the gender-inclusive beauty niche is not publicly available from cited sources.

Competition and Substitutes

Fluide operated in a narrow, mission-driven niche within the broader beauty market, positioning itself against a small set of brands also targeting gender-expansive consumers with clean formulas.

Fluide's competitive map can be segmented into three tiers. The first tier comprises direct, mission-aligned challengers like Jecca Blac and One/Size by Patrick Starrr, which also explicitly market to LGBTQ+ and gender-nonconforming audiences [Nylon, 2018-2020]. The second tier includes established clean-beauty brands such as Milk Makeup and Fenty Beauty, which have built substantial followings among diverse communities. The third and broadest tier consists of adjacent substitutes: the entire mass-market cosmetics aisle at retailers like Ulta and Sephora.

Fluide's defensible edge was its specific, authentic positioning as a queer-owned brand donating profits to LGBTQ+ causes [Wikipedia]. This edge was rooted in founder identity and stated mission, elements that are difficult for larger incumbents to replicate credibly. However, this edge was also perishable, as it was not protected by proprietary technology, exclusive distribution, or significant brand scale.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitive positioning inferred from public brand descriptions and market context; no direct competitor financials or strategies are publicly disclosed for comparison.

Opportunity

The opportunity for Fluide hinged on capturing a meaningful share of an emerging, values-driven consumer segment that felt underserved by mainstream beauty brands.

Scenario	What happens	Catalyst	Why it's plausible
Retail Expansion	Fluide products secure shelf space in major beauty retailers like Sephora or Ulta.	A successful limited-edition collaboration or a viral social media campaign drives demand.	The brand's focus on bold, metallic looks and inclusive marketing aligned with broader retail trends [Nylon, 2018-2020].
Product Line Extension	The brand expands from color cosmetics into adjacent, higher-margin categories like skincare or fragrance.	Initial customer loyalty and repeat purchase data justify the R&D investment.	The core customer base would be a natural audience for extended product lines that uphold the same ethical standards.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Opportunity analysis is based on the brand's stated positioning and market dynamics; specific scale metrics or comparable acquisition details are not available for Fluide itself.

Sources

1. [GO Magazine, 2022] Bidding A Bittersweet Goodbye To Fluide, The Queer-Owned Cosmetics Company | https://gomag.com/article/bidding-a-bittersweet-goodbye-to-fluide-the-queer-owned-cosmetics-company/
2. [Nylon, 2018-2020] Meet Fluide, The Brand Breaking The Beauty Industry's Gender Norms | https://www.nylon.com/articles/fluide-genderless-beauty-profile
3. [Wikipedia] Fluide - Wikipedia | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluide
4. [PitchBook] We Are Fluide Company Profile: Valuation & Investors | https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/267828-22
5. [Allure] Meet Fluide, the Makeup Brand That Believes in the Power of Inclusion, Not Tokenism | https://www.allure.com/story/fluide-the-new-makeup-brand-putting-representation-first
6. [Allied Market Research, 2021] Vegan Cosmetics Market by Product Type, End User, and Distribution Channel: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2027 | https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/vegan-cosmetics-market-A12734
7. [The Boxwalla] Fluide | Cruelty-free Vegan Makeup | https://www.theboxwalla.com/makeup-shop/brands/fluide/
8. [Business Insider, 2021] Procter & Gamble just bought Farmacy Beauty, a buzzy skincare brand that went viral on TikTok, for a reported $250 million | https://www.businessinsider.com/p-and-g-buys-farmacy-beauty-skincare-brand-2021-2