“If I stop to think about it, it gets overwhelming,” Dr. Simone Xavier tells me. “So I just keep going.” It’s a surreal confession from a woman who cofounded Sigma Beauty, one of the most recognizable makeup brands in the world. Walk into Sephora, Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus and you’ll see her brushes lined up — sleek, purposeful, engineered to last. But before building a global empire, Simone spent time working as a veterinarian, a professor and an infectious disease researcher. Her days were spent developing vaccines and diagnostic tools, not contour kits. And this is exactly what makes her story so captivating.
As the host of the Rise to More podcast, I’ve had the privilege of sitting down with extraordinary people who redefine what’s possible. But my recent conversation with Simone stopped me in my tracks. She isn’t just another entrepreneur; she’s one of the most remarkable minds I’ve ever encountered — someone who went from lab work to launching a beauty brand that shook up an industry.
Seventeen years ago, Simone and her husband Rene Xavier Filho, a civil engineer, began casually bringing makeup brushes home to Brazil for family and friends. The products were popular, but Rene noticed what most people missed: The brushes weren’t well made. “I can do this better, cheaper,” he told her. That offhand remark is what set Sigma Beauty in motion.
Photography provided by Rise to More
Simone had no background in cosmetics, but she had the instincts of a scientist. She immersed herself in YouTube tutorials, studying what beauty influencers call “holy grails” and documenting exactly what was missing in the industry. Combining her fresh knowledge with Rene’s engineering expertise, they produced a set of twelve brushes — their only product at launch. When Simone sent them to her favorite creators for feedback, one filmed a rave review instead. Within hours, 300 sets sold out of her basement and a waiting list of 2,000 additional orders queued.
What began as an experiment quickly became a global sensation. Today, Sigma products are sold in more than 70 countries and the company holds more than 70 patents. The duo’s brushes are beloved not just for their design but their durability. They’re engineered with threaded, waterproof handles and come with cleaning gadgets that address real consumer frustrations. In an industry driven by fleeting trends, Sigma stands apart for creating tools that are truly made to last.
But when asked about success, Simone doesn’t mention sales or patents. “I don’t try to beat anyone,” she tells me. “I want to inspire myself, inspire others. Everything I do is service — solving problems, bringing beauty and simplicity.” Perspective is what makes her story resonate. For Simone, brushes aren’t just tools. They are solutions. They are missions. And her approach to beauty is inseparable from her approach to life.
In 2020, Simone experienced what she describes as a spiritual awakening, a deepening of her understanding of connectedness, energy and visualization. “I believe everyone is a mirror of themselves,” she explains. “My energy matters. What I visualize manifests. I truly believe we create our realities.” Coming from someone whose career was built on science, the words carry a different kind of weight. Science and spirituality. Outer beauty and inner truth. Simone doesn’t see these concepts as opposites, but as partners.
When I ask what “rise to more” means to her, she smiles. “It means showing up authentically,” she says. “Inspiring others, but staying humble, present and true.” No talk of scaling endlessly or crushing competitors, just presence, service and joy.
Her journey reminds us that beauty is more than skin deep. It’s also the way we live —with authenticity, curiosity and humility. Sigma may be known for its cult-favorite brushes and engineering breakthroughs, but Simone’s true legacy is her reminder that the most lasting kind of beauty comes from within.
As I left our conversation, I realized I hadn’t just interviewed a trailblazing entrepreneur. I had met a woman whose very presence embodies artful living — rigorous yet intuitive, ambitious yet humble, scientific yet soulful. Sigma Beauty may have started as an experiment, but Simone herself is the proof of concept. She embodies the idea that when we rise consciously, we not only create beauty, we become it.
