{{short description|American entrepreneur and former journalist}} {{Multiple issues| {{COI|date=April 2020}} {{Undisclosed paid|date=April 2020}} }} {{use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Jamie Kern Lima | image = Jamie Kern Lima - It Cosmetics Headshot.jpg | birth_name = Jamie Marie Kern | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|7|16}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://webcenter.bigbrother2000.aol.com/entertainment/NON/guest_profileG10.html|title=Big Brother - Guest Profile|website=webcenter.bigbrother2000.aol.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001019064321/http://webcenter.bigbrother2000.aol.com/entertainment/NON/guest_profileG10.html |archive-date=October 19, 2000 }}</ref> | birth_place = Seattle, Washington, USA | citizenship = | education = Washington State University, Columbia Business School | occupation = {{hlist|Entrepreneur|investor|media personality}} | years_active = 1999–present | employer = | organization = | agent = <!-- Discouraged in most cases, specifically when promotional, and requiring a reliable source --> | known_for = Co-founder of IT Cosmetics | height = {{height|ft=5|in=6}} | television = KNDU<br>''Big Brother''<br>''Baywatch'' | boards = | spouse = Paulo Lima<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/beauty-features/it-cosmetics-founder-jamie-kern-lima-to-exit-business-1203249192/|title=It Cosmetics Founder Jamie Kern Lima to Exit Business|work=Women's Wear Daily|date=2019-08-29|author=Collins, Allison}}</ref> | children = 2 | parents = <!-- overrides mother and father parameters --> | mother = <!-- may be used (optionally with father parameter) in place of parents parameter (displays "Parent(s)" as label) --> | father = <!-- may be used (optionally with mother parameter) in place of parents parameter (displays "Parent(s)" as label) --> | relatives = | family = | awards = Miss Washington USA 2000<ref>{{Cite web|title=NW Productions |url=https://www.misswashingtonusa.com/pageants-nw-hall-of-fame/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715201818/https://www.misswashingtonusa.com/pageants-nw-hall-of-fame/ |archive-date=July 15, 2018 }}</ref> }}

'''Jamie Kern Lima''' (''née'' '''Jamie Marie Kern''') is an American entrepreneur, investor, and media personality. She co-founded IT Cosmetics, which she sold to L'Oréal for $1.2 billion, in 2016, becoming the first female chief executive officer of a L'Oréal brand.<ref name=cnbc>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/30/jamie-kern-lima-went-from-bagging-groceries-to-building-it-cosmetics.html|title=This CEO went from bagging groceries to building a billion-dollar cosmetics business—here's how|last=Hess|first=Abigail|date=2018-05-30|website=CNBC|language=en|access-date=2019-10-02}}</ref> Kern Lima has been included on the ''Forbes''{{'}} list of "America's Richest Self-Made Women," since 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Scipioni|first=Jade|date=2021-03-09|title=IT Cosmetics Jamie Kern Lima: 'I lived completely burnt out for almost a decade'|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/09/it-cosmetics-jamie-kern-lima-on-building-a-billion-dollar-company.html|access-date=2021-07-07|website=CNBC|language=en}}</ref><ref name=forbes2017>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/katherinetaylor/2017/05/17/youngest-of-americas-richest-self-made-women/|title=The Youngest Of America's Richest Self-Made Women|first=Katie|last=Taylor|website=Forbes}}</ref>

==Early life== Kern Lima was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew up in the city and also San Rafael, California.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/believe-it-founder-of-it-cosmetics-got-her-start-at-kndu-kndo/article_dc61b96c-87d6-11eb-a70c-77ad7896bc6d.html|title=Believe It: Founder of IT Cosmetics got her start at KNDU/KNDO|first=Madeline|last=Carter|date=March 18, 2021|website=NonStop Local Tri-Cities/Yakima}}</ref> She was the first member of her family to attend college and went to Washington State University, where she graduated valedictorian.<ref name=cnbc/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/debbikickham/2019/10/27/billionaire-jamie-kern-limas-top-travel-tips-and-trips/#10cd889d3c94|title=Billionaire Jamie Kern Lima's Top Travel Tips And Trips|work=Forbes|date=2019-10-27|author=Kickham, Debbi}}</ref> She received her Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School, in 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/about-us/board-overseers/jamie-kern-lima|title=Jamie Kern Lima '04|date=2019-03-28|website=Columbia Business School|language=en|access-date=2019-10-02|archive-date=2019-10-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002202127/https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/about-us/board-overseers/jamie-kern-lima|url-status=dead}}</ref> During college, she was a waitress at Denny's and bagged groceries at Safeway.<ref name=cnbc/> She learned, in her 20s, that she was adopted.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/a-widows-guide-to-healing/202102/believing-it-how-one-woman-overcame-self-doubt | title=Believing It: How One Woman Overcame Self-Doubt &#124; Psychology Today }}</ref>

==Early career== Kern Lima won the ''Baywatch'' College Search, in 1999, and appeared on an episode of the television series. She won the title of Miss Washington USA, in late 1999, and she competed in the Miss USA 2000 pageant, which was held in Branson, Missouri.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/meet-news-anchor-cosmetics-beauty-line/story?id=38336544|title=Meet the Former News Anchor Who Started a Beauty Line|website=ABC News|language=en|access-date=2019-10-02}}</ref> After considering a career in finance, she applied, on a dare, to be a contestant in the first season of the reality television series ''Big Brother''.<ref name=cnbc/> Kern Lima was the last female houseguest left on that season.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-65565421.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516150939/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-65565421.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2011-05-16|title=Jamie's exit from house leaves all-male finale.|publisher=The Dallas Morning News|date=2000-09-28|first=Michael|last=Mendoza|access-date=2007-02-23}}</ref>

After ''Big Brother'', she started her career as a morning news anchor at KNDU in Tri-Cities, Washington.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/former-news-anchor-turned-beauty-problems-paycheck-131931907.html|title=How this former news anchor turned her beauty problems into a paycheck|date=August 14, 2017|website=Yahoo Life}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/it-cosmetics-ceo-jamie-kern-lima/|title=IT Cosmetics CEO Jamie Kern Lima on building her billion-dollar makeup brand - CBS This Morning - CBS News|date=May 31, 2017|website=www.cbsnews.com}}</ref> She also worked as a reporter and anchor for KNDU in Kennewick.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Madeline |date=2021-03-18 |title=Believe It: Founder of IT Cosmetics got her start at KNDU/KNDO |url=https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/believe-it-founder-of-it-cosmetics-got-her-start-at-kndu-kndo/article_dc61b96c-87d6-11eb-a70c-77ad7896bc6d.html |access-date=2025-07-10 |website=NonStop Local Tri-Cities/Yakima |language=en}}</ref> In 2006, she left KNDU and moved to Portland, Oregon to work as a news anchor and reporter for KPTV.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sitt |first=Pamela |date=2007-07-15 |title=Some girls have all the luck |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/life/lifestyle/some-girls-have-all-the-luck/ |access-date=2025-07-10 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Cosmetics career== In 2008, Kern Lima co-founded IT Cosmetics after having difficulties with makeup products due to rosacea and hyperpigmentation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wwd.com/business-news/financial/loreal-to-acquire-it-cosmetics-for-1-2b-10495227/|title=L'Oréal to Acquire IT Cosmetics for $1.2B|first=Allison|last=Collins|date=July 22, 2016}}</ref> The business struggled over the following years as beauty retailers rejected her products. Kern Lima was featured on a 10-minute QVC segment in which she wiped her makeup off, revealing her bare face to illustrate the use of IT Cosmetics concealers. All products sold out by the end of the segment.<ref name=people>{{Cite web|url=https://people.com/beauty-style/|title=Beauty & Style|website=People.com}}</ref>

Kern Lima appeared in more than 1,000 live QVC shows and IT Cosmetics became the largest beauty brand on QVC's network. By 2015, the company had more than $182 million in net sales.<ref name=cnbc/> Kern Lima remained with IT Cosmetics upon its acquisition by L'Oréal brand in 2016 until August 2019, when she announced she would be leaving the company.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/chloesorvino/2019/08/29/loreals-only-female-ceo-the-founder-of-it-cosmetics-is-leaving/|title=L'Oreal's Only Female CEO, The Founder Of IT Cosmetics, Is Leaving|last=Sorvino|first=Chloe|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=2019-08-30}}</ref>

==Personal life== Kern Lima resides in Los Angeles, California. She is married to Paulo Lima and has two children.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/color-cosmetics/it-cosmetics-jamie-kern-lima-wwd-beuaty-summit-10431416/|title=IT Cosmetics' Jamie Kern Lima Stresses Authenticity|work=Women's Wear Daily|date=2016-05-17|author=Collins, Allison}}</ref>

== Publications == *{{cite book |title=Believe IT: How to Go from Underestimated to Unstoppable |date=25 March 2021 |publisher=Gallery Books |isbn=978-1-9821-5780-7 |language=English}} *{{cite book |title=Worthy: How to Believe You Are Enough and Transform Your Life |date=20 February 2024 |publisher=Hay House Inc |isbn=978-1-4019-7760-3 |language=English}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|0449463}}

{{Washington pageant winners}} {{Big Brother (U.S. TV series) contestants}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kern Lima, Jamie}} Category:American adoptees Category:American beauty pageant winners Category:American television actresses Category:American television reporters and correspondents Category:Big Brother (American TV series) contestants Category:Businesspeople from Jersey City, New Jersey Category:Columbia Business School alumni Category:Living people Category:Miss USA 2000 delegates Category:Miss Washington USA winners Category:People from Kennewick, Washington Category:Businesspeople from the San Francisco Bay Area Category:People from San Rafael, California Category:People from Des Moines, Washington Category:Washington State University alumni Category:1977 births