Meet the women behind Flyte.70

In 2021, beauty industry veterans Carolyn Barber and Elena Frankel, founded Flyte.70, a brand, studio, and tightly edited retail space built from quiet rebellion. The pair, who met at Sak’s Fifth Avenue in the 90’s, bonded over beauty, Bowie, and Bebé suits, initially collaborated on E6 apothecary, which gained a national following.

Over time, the duo’s approach to, and understanding of beauty, evolved, and years after they’d shuttered E6 and grown their own families, they opened Flyte 70 in Wellesley, a store and makeup studio not to push trends but to push back: on sameness, on shame, on the idea that aging needs fixing.  

We sat down with these pioneering women to understand a little more about what drives them, what they like about Biography, and where the industry is headed.

So we all change. So what.
That line is the fire and spirit that built the idea of Flyte 70, an idea manifested during COVID.

Carolyn Barber and Elena Frankel didn’t want to make just another makeup brand. They’d already worked in beauty for years—at Saks, Barneys, in editorial. They’d seen the industry convince young women they need to be glamorous, fabulous, and flawless – essentially anything other than who they really are. Frustrated bordering on outraged, they took matters into their own hands and built something that did the opposite: made women feel seen.

Flyte.70 is named for life in motion. The stages we go through, the identities we carry and the music we still turn up loud. The studio in Wellesley, MA is less retail store and more refuge—where knowledge is shared, packaging isn’t dusty and outdated, and “age-appropriate” isn’t even in the lexicon.

The duo steer clear of celebrity brands, and swear by applying oils to the neck, chest, and hands—the places that tell the truth first. They carry Biography because “we share the same belief: that skin is a story worth honoring.”

What’s their top seller?
Sea Chrome and Golden Ray. “It absorbs fast, smells light and fresh, and it feels good everywhere—face, neck, chest, hands,” says Carolyn. “You age where you live. We help people take care of it.”

What they want their customers to know:
That “dehydrated” and “dry” aren’t the same thing. That stripping your skin is never the answer. That education matters more than marketing, and products rushed through a boardroom aren’t worth the expense. And that drinking water on a flight alone won’t cut it—you need to hydrate AND seal in moisture topically. Oil on the plane? A must. Under eye patches? Go for it.

What they want from the industry:
Fewer celebrities. More professionals, more experience. “We don’t carry celebrity-backed brands. They’ve built portfolios in industries they know nothing about.”

Their shelves are small for a reason. “

We don’t do more lines. We do better.”

Fewer lines. Better results. This is makeup that makes room for you.