words Alexa Wang
Be your eccentrical self!
Since the beginning of time, the world has enclosed chunks of itself in a strict border, which everyone is expected to stick to. Whether academics or beauty, our society has certain standards that paint what a “perfect picture” looks like.
Thankfully, the 21st century has been on a constant revolution, running mostly on change. Today, “different” or “unique” adheres to its definition, and people have finally modified what beauty looks like to them. The new way to roll now is to accept and celebrate how you look like.
However, with looking too fabulous comes a whole lot of struggles. Especially for the redheads! Their shockingly red hair, freckled skin and impeccably pale eyebrows call for products designed entirely for them.
Being a redhead herself, Paula A Pennypacker relates to the problems of red-haired women all around the world. From choosing the right mascara to scouring rows for picking the right shade of brow pencils, Paula learned that finding makeup products suited to her style was actually more difficult than she could have ever imagined!
And that is when she stumbled upon the idea of creating a company, a makeup brand, tailor-fitted just to suit the needs of all redheads. Just for Redheads, JFR, came into existence in 1993, a time when Paula made unsuccessful bids for mayor of Toledo, Ohio. Her appearance on TV left her stunned, noticing how the black mascara she had been long opting for made her look harsh. Motivated with the idea to put together a beauty line for her fellow redheads along with herself, Paula decided to put her political career on hold.
Teamed up with her husband, Duane Abbajay, who was introduced to Paula by one of her campaign volunteers, they designed a mascara for redheads and sold it through mail order. More than 25 years later, Just for Redheads was marketed under the registered banner of “Finally beauty products designed by a redhead, just for redheads,” a result of the combined relentless efforts of the couple. The two put their marketing backgrounds to work and set out to develop the World’s first line of beauty products designed for redheads and develop JFR into a global brand. In 2000, Paula and Duane, along with JFR, landed on the cover of Costco Magazine.
JFR quickly grabbed a lot of audience due to its target market. The brand has a diverse product range, each carefully made with high-quality ingredients. The company offers several beauty products, from brow products to blushers, lip products, moisturizing skincare, shampoos, conditioners, and hair extensions. The company’s most in-demand products are its 100% pure henna hair color, which JFR itself designs, and mascaras sold in 4 shades: Ginger Brown, a warm brown without any black; Ginger Auburn, a warm auburn shade; Ginger Red, a warm red/brown shade, and Ginger Cocoa, a slight blonde/brown shade. JFR’s products are shipped worldwide through retailers like Amazon and the company’s own website. Moreover, the company also has a special section dedicated to giving tips to all redheads on how to flaunt who they are.
JFR reached redhead celebrities as well. Gwyneth Paltrow wore its famous mascara in one of her most famous movies, Bounce. The evergreen, Harry Potter, opted for JFR’s beauty products on the entire Weasley family. Cynthia Nixon also wore the hair extensions of the company in a TV web series, Sex, and The City. Jeopardy- the hit game show also included JFR in one of its queries during a game round.
JFR is more than just a beauty brand. The company urges women all around the world to embrace being different. The company started from the ground and enhanced the number of products, which is over 150 today. Under the company, Paula aims to deliver a single message to all women across the globe;
Be who you want to be, and flaunt it!
