Gayle King’s Makeup Artist And Balaeyon Founder RaeDawn Johnson Wants People To Think Differently About Shea Butter

If Oprah Winfrey’s Instagram feed is an indication, at any given moment, she could be taking in the action on set, posing for pictures at an award show, running on the beach, promoting a book or attending a Beyoncé concert. Given her on-the-move lifestyle, it’s no surprise she put Balaeyon’s portable shea butter-centered Dew Revive face and body hydration stick on her favorites list last year.

“My go-to is always shea butter, but it’s always in a tub, you can never travel with it, it’s messy and contains water,” says Balaeyon founder and Winfrey BFF Gayle King’s makeup artist RaeDawn Johnson, who dubs Dew Revive “shea butter 2.0.” The travel-friendly roll-on is designed to simply twist up and slather on the skin no matter the body part, sans mess.

Despite her ties to King and by connection Winfrey, Johnson hasn’t had the easiest time getting Balaeyon off the ground. She invested $7,000 from her personal savings to develop the brand, which is named for a portmanteau of “balance” and “beyond,” to launch it in September of 2021. It was a one-woman enterprise until recently. Today, there’s a team of two supporting Balaeyon, Johnson and an operations manager based in Texas. It produces its product in Long Island and sells on Amazon and Thirteen Lune.

Despite its small team, Johnson has a broad vision for the brand’s purpose. “It’s not just beauty, it’s beyond that. It’s how all of this makes you feel. It makes you feel great, good, and it soothes your skin,” she says, adding, “It’s always been in my plan to create something for women, specifically something that makes the self-care process of getting ready and feeling good for the day, a seamless one.”

Johnson didn’t always know she would end up in the beauty industry. Some 15 years ago, she was pursuing acting in Los Angeles and New York City. She landed consistent gigs, but none of them provided her the fulfillment she wanted out of a career.

Ultimately, she deciding to put acting on the back burner and pursue her lifelong passion of makeup and skincare. The Queens native got her start in beauty with a job at Romney Beauty Therapy, at the time known as a preeminent brow destination in New York City. After three years as a receptionist then apprentice at Romney Beauty Therapy, Johnson went on to pursue freelance makeup artistry.

““I wanted everyone to realize the amazing benefits of shea butter.”

After months of cold emailing and in-person visits to nail down gigs, she received a call from a friend to fill in for a Fox News makeup artist who was sick. The impromptu gig led to five years working with the Fox 5 New York and six years at CBS on its digital side. During the pandemic, Johnson transitioned to her current role as King’s personal makeup artist.

While shea butter is a tried-and-true ingredient trusted by many Black women, King believes it deserves for its audience to grow and grow. “I wanted everyone to realize the amazing benefits of shea butter. I realized that, outside of people of color, folks don’t really understand the benefits,” the entrepreneur says. “A lot of education is being done to educate them on how shea butter works, how to use it and the benefits.”

In the multipurpose Dew Revive, shea butter is a workhorse among nine ingredients. The product has camellia japonica seed oil to balance moisture in the skin without leaving an oily layer, punica granatum seed oil to calm inflammation, and tocopherol to prevent damage. To help reduce the appearance of scars and marks, rosa canina fruit oil is blended in to improve the flexibility and elasticity of skin. Lastly, boswellia serrata was chosen to reduce wrinkle depth for firmer skin and less inflammation.

Dew Revive can be used in five ways, as pre-makeup primer, dry spot warrior, combater of skin conditions such as eczema, protector against environmental stressors and minimizer of fine lines and other skin concerns. To apply, simply warm up the skin by gliding the stick over it. Dew Revive softens upon contact. The product is priced at $28 for a 2-oz. size and $14 for a .2-oz. travel size. Subscribers obtain 10% discounts.

Johnson hopes to get the product in front of more women and stores once she rounds out Balaeyon’s assortment with further products. Hoodies are next up for the brand before another beauty produce release slated for the fall.

“I don’t want to be put in a box as I create and neither will the brand,” says Johnson. “I want the brand to have merchandise and be completely customer-driven in terms of product ideation. A lot of clients are asking for an SPF, glow stick or bronzer, so I’m still figuring out what the best route is for a fall 2024 product launch.”