Bill Guthy Named CEO of No Makeup Makeup in Leadership Shift

By Grace Kim

Victoria Jackson generated $1 billion in sales over the decade after becoming the first person to sell color cosmetics on QVC in 1989, according to WWD. No Makeup Makeup named her husband, Bill Guthy, chief executive officer.

Jackson will serve as executive chair and chief creative officer. Guthy will oversee day-to-day operations and help lead the brand’s next growth phase. Decades after WWD featured the couple as a “dynamic duo,” the appointment formalizes their business relationship.

What changes in the leadership?

Over the last 38 years, Guthy has helped build and scale Proactiv, It Cosmetics and Meaningful Beauty through his marketing agency, Guthy-Renker. WWD Beauty Inc included the agency in its Top 100 annual ranking of the world’s largest beauty companies by sales last year.

WWD described Guthy as the first individual to position brands in the bottom corner of television screens during late-night infomercials. His appointment marks his first active leadership role at a brand outside the Guthy-Renker portfolio.

The move divides daily oversight from brand and creative leadership at a company founded in 2024: Guthy takes operations, while Jackson retains the executive chair and chief creative officer titles.

Guthy framed the move as a personal commitment:

“That decision speaks to how strongly I believe in Victoria’s vision and the opportunity ahead for No Makeup Makeup,” Guthy said in an official statement.

Jackson distinguished the venture from agency work:

“This is not a Guthy-Renker project; it’s a Victoria Jackson and Bill Guthy project,” Jackson said. “If you look at the legacy of him and myself together, it’ll be exciting to see what we both can do.”

She also said:

“Beauty is in our DNA,” Jackson said. “We’re both savvy and aware of the beauty business. So, I’m extremely excited that I have [Bill’s] support.”

The leadership announcement provides no No Makeup Makeup revenue figure, sales target or hiring plan. It also gives no timetable for a product or channel launch. The account gives no Guthy-Renker revenue or brand-level sales figures.

What does No Makeup Makeup sell?

Jackson founded the tech-driven beauty line in 2024. WWD described the launch as taking place two years ago. Before the launch, she took a yearslong hiatus to care for her daughter, Ali, who had been diagnosed with what doctors believed to be a terminal illness.

The brand debuted with a cream foundation formulated with FlexShade technology to conceal and color correct. It came in 13 shades. The assortment now includes eye, lip and cheek products.

Prices range from $30 for a single foundation brush to $170 for a set. Jackson trademarked “no makeup makeup” in 1986, according to WWD, before the term became a defining trend and social media phenomenon.

The announcement specifies the foundation technology, shade count and price range, but it does not disclose an ingredient list, clinical testing protocol or comparative performance data for FlexShade.

Where can the brand expand?

Jackson said she wants to extend the assortment, maintain the brand’s success on QVC and potentially launch on TikTok Shop. The leadership announcement provides no agreement details or launch date for TikTok Shop.

On distribution, Jackson said:

“We’re not looking to be everywhere all the time every time,” Jackson said. “We’re trying to look at the landscape and see where does it make sense for us. But certainly, as you know, No Makeup Makeup, the philosophy and what I created is very on point today. I want to continue that messaging.”

The strategy appears selective rather than omnichannel, yet the announcement offers no metric for judging whether QVC sales are growing or whether TikTok Shop offers a viable next channel. It discloses no QVC sales trend, unit volume or distribution target.

The next checkpoint is a dated product release or TikTok Shop launch; until then, the new CEO has no disclosed sales target against which to measure growth.