In Conversation with Michelle Anderson, Founder of Rayna

At Third Shift, we believe women don't just work one shift. Beyond our careers and responsibilities at home, there's a third shift that often goes unnamed—the invisible time and mental load of maintaining ourselves, staying polished, and meeting expectations. In our Women of the Third Shift series, we speak with women who are building ambitious careers while navigating that invisible labor every day.

This week, we're joined by Michelle Anderson, founder of Rayna, a community-driven beauty platform changing the way women discover, review, and talk about beauty products. Together, we discuss beauty overload, decision fatigue, community, the pressure to look polished, and what it really means to build products that make women's lives easier.

Beauty Needed a Better Way to Discover Products

Bhavika: For anyone who's new to Rayna, how do you describe what you're building?

Michelle: I usually describe Rayna as Letterboxd or Goodreads for beauty products.

I've always loved beauty. One of my first jobs was at Revlon when I was 16. I literally begged them for an internship—I even told them I'd mop the floors if it meant working there.

At the same time, I was using apps to track books, movies, and restaurants, and I kept wondering why there wasn't something similar for beauty products. That's really how the idea came about. I wanted a place where women could keep track of what they'd tried, discover products through people they trust, and build their own beauty library.

Bhavika: I genuinely think this could be a game changer because I love trying new products, but I can never remember what I've already tried. I'm excited that someone's finally building something in this space.

Michelle: You have to try it. Honestly, it's so much fun.

There's something really satisfying about ranking products and saying what you actually think. If a product has done you dirty, it's nice to say that out loud.

We've also built social features into Rayna so you can follow your friends and see what they're using. For me, one of the biggest reasons I'll buy something is because a friend genuinely recommends it. And if she hated it, I'll probably stay away.

I love watching women influence—and de-influence—each other through honest recommendations.

I'm also excited to see Third Shift products on Rayna. It'll be amazing to watch people rank them and share genuine feedback. As a founder, knowing who your true superfans are is incredibly valuable.

The Beauty Industry Has a Noise Problem

Bhavika: The beauty industry runs on endless launches, endless trends, and constant influencer recommendations. Do you personally feel that noise while building Rayna?

Michelle: Absolutely. The beauty industry is incredibly noisy right now. Between celebrity beauty brands, influencer marketing, PR packages, TikTok, and constant launches, there's always something competing for your attention.

Eventually I realized none of that was actually helping me make better decisions. I wasn't looking for more recommendations—I wanted somewhere that would simply help me decide what was worth buying.

That's why cutting through the noise became so important to me. Rayna is about simplifying beauty discovery instead of adding to the chaos.

Bhavika: I completely relate to that.

At Third Shift, we're constantly thinking about the amount of noise already out there. We're trying to communicate what our products actually do without becoming another brand shouting for attention.

As consumers, it's difficult to know what genuinely works, and I think that's where trusted communities become incredibly valuable.

Michelle: I think about brands a lot too.

My priority will always be the everyday Rayna user, but I also think honest customer feedback is incredibly valuable for brands. Positive reviews are wonderful, but constructive reviews are just as important because they help brands improve.

One thing that excites me is seeing brands shift away from influencer trips and toward community trips. Instead of rewarding influencers, they're rewarding the customers who genuinely love and use their products.

My hope is that Rayna helps brands identify those superfans. If someone has reviewed every Third Shift product and absolutely loves them, that's someone you'd want to know. Helping brands build relationships with those customers is one of the biggest opportunities I see for Rayna.

Transparency Is Becoming Beauty's Biggest Advantage

Bhavika: At Third Shift, we're built around time efficiency and multifunctionality. If we marketed the way every other beauty brand does today, we'd just be contributing to the clutter.

As a consumer, I often struggle to separate honest recommendations from paid content. Do you think beauty marketing has become too deceptive?

Michelle: I do.

I think there's a lot of advertising that's more deceptive than people realize. Social media has made that even harder because people are often paid to promote products without consumers fully understanding the context.

One example that always comes to mind is the L'Oréal Telescopic mascara controversy. The mascara itself is great, but moments like that stay with consumers because they feel misleading.

The brands that are going to win are the ones built on honesty, transparency, and trust.

That's one of the reasons I like what Third Shift is doing. You're not trying to convince women they need seven different products. You're asking how one really great product can replace several. I think brands that approach beauty differently are the ones that will stand out.

We Don't Need More Products. We Need Better Ones.

Bhavika: That's exactly what we're trying to accomplish.

Every product at Third Shift has to pass one simple test: if it adds another step to someone's routine—or creates more clutter—we don't make it.

Our Rapid Drying Hair Primer, for example, cuts my drying time in half while also acting as a heat protectant and adding shine. Instead of using three products, I use one.

Our Everything Balm follows the same philosophy. It works on wet hair, dry hair, hands, elbows, and the body. We're trying to reduce decisions, reduce clutter, and ultimately give women their time back.

Michelle: I'm genuinely excited about those products.

When I think about my own routines, there are steps on top of steps. For my body I'll use glycolic acid, then an oil, then a thick moisturizer. My skincare routine has more products than I'd like to admit.

The idea of simplifying everything into one step—or one product—is incredibly appealing.

More Than Reviews: Building a Generation of Opinionated Women

Bhavika: Is Rayna about helping women discover more products—or helping them discover the right ones?

Michelle: I think Rayna serves two purposes.

The first is personal. It helps you keep track of what you've tried, avoid buying the same mediocre product twice, and understand your own beauty habits better.

The second is much bigger.

One of my biggest goals is to build a generation of more opinionated women.

I think the world benefits from women who are comfortable expressing what they genuinely think. Maybe that starts with beauty products, but my hope is that it extends into healthcare, work, leadership, politics, and every other part of life.

When I first started using Rayna myself, I noticed I became more confident saying, "Everyone loves this product, but I don't."

That confidence slowly started carrying into other parts of my life too.

I also love watching women help each other. Seeing complete strangers recommend products, share alternatives, or tell someone, "If you didn't like this, try this instead," creates a genuine sense of community. That's ultimately what I want Rayna to become—a place where women feel comfortable sharing honest opinions and learning from one another.

When Beauty Becomes Another Job

Bhavika: Beyond buying decisions, there's also the time it takes to maintain ourselves. As a beauty founder, do you feel pressure to always look polished?

Michelle: Absolutely.

When I'm representing Rayna, I definitely feel pressure to show up looking put together. I think about my hair, makeup, and overall appearance much more than I do in my personal life.

At the same time, Rayna has such a grassroots, community-driven personality that I constantly try to push back against perfection.

I don't get my nails done anymore. I used to, but I simply don't have the time.

I try to remind myself that not everything has to be perfect all the time.

Still, the pressure is very real.

The Cost of Womanhood

Bhavika: Every woman schedules her workouts around hair wash days. We plan our weeks around beauty maintenance.

Sometimes it feels like just being a woman is another full-time shift.

Michelle: I completely agree.

I don't think men fully understand how much time and money women spend simply maintaining themselves.

My issue isn't with beauty itself. I love getting my hair done.

My issue is the expectation.

Women are expected to show up polished all the time. If a woman shows up without makeup, people assume she's tired or sick. If her nails aren't done, people notice.

Meanwhile, men can walk into meetings wearing a hoodie and sneakers without anyone questioning their professionalism.

The expectations are simply different.

The Routine That Finally Gave Me My Time Back

Bhavika: What does your own routine look like today?

Michelle: Hair has always been the biggest challenge for me.

I have thick, curly Egyptian hair, and every Sunday I'd spend two hours washing, blow-drying, and styling it. My entire day revolved around protecting that blowout from humidity.

Eventually my partner suggested I simply go to a salon.

Now, every week I see the same hairstylist. We spend an hour chatting while he does my hair.

Yes, it still costs money, but it's given me something far more valuable—mental relief.

I don't spend Sundays stressed about my hair anymore.

That time and mental energy have been given back to me, and honestly, it's been life-changing.

Less, But Better

Bhavika: Women constantly feel like they need every new product that's launched.

What would you tell someone trying to simplify their routine?

Michelle: Figure out what actually matters to you.

Maybe it's your hair. Maybe it's skincare. Maybe it's having your lashes done.

Focus on the things that genuinely make you feel your best, and let some of the rest go.

You don't need every trending product.

Marketing is incredibly effective, and we all get influenced by it.

Lately, I've been trying to finish products completely before buying something new.

I think better awareness—of our habits, priorities, and routines—is one of the most valuable things we can develop.

Carrying the Third Shift

Bhavika: Women are constantly balancing careers, relationships, responsibilities, and this invisible work of maintaining ourselves.

What's one piece of advice you'd give to women carrying that third shift?

Michelle: I think it's important to acknowledge that it's a real weight.

Women spend enormous amounts of time, money, and emotional energy on things that are often expected rather than chosen.

Just becoming aware of those invisible costs is powerful.

Understanding where your time goes, where your money goes, and what truly matters to you allows you to make more intentional choices.

At the end of the day, I hope women remember that they don't have to do everything.

They can choose what makes them feel confident, let go of what doesn't, and create routines that genuinely support the life they want to live.

Bhavika: Michelle, thank you so much for joining us.

I love that this conversation wasn't really about beauty products—it was about the invisible work women do every single day, and how thoughtful products, honest communities, and better conversations can help make that work just a little lighter.

Michelle: Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to see where Third Shift goes, and I'm really grateful to have been part of this conversation.