They say necessity is the mother of invention. For Joy Hoover, a mother of two young girls, her invention came about in 2021 while she was sitting with her 4-year-old daughter.
Joy describes the moment she had an epiphany, "You like lipstick, Mommy. Can we do lipstick next?" That simple question took her down the rabbit hole of researching personal safety in the world of cosmetics. She couldn't find anything, so one thing led to another, and eventually, Joy applied for a “cosmetics with safety features” patent. It’s no surprise she tackled this venture with gusto and passion. Her effervescent personality and can-do attitude are contagious. Joy and her partner in life and business, husband Phil, hosted a small “I have this idea” launch party in their backyard.
"As soon as I shared the idea of a lipstick that tests your drink for roofies, there were audible ‘wows’," explained Joy.
People raised their hands to join the crusade and Joy garnered monetary support through different levels of crowdfunding. She recruited engineers and scientists, and they went from being a company that revolved around lipstick with roofie test strips to a tech-enabled company with an app, and Esoes Cosmetics was born.
"Esoes is the phonetic spelling of S.O.S.," explains Joy. "We're combining beauty, science, and technology to create a lipstick that could save your life."
The lipstick case hides roofie test strips you can dip into your drink to determine whether it is safe or spiked. The customizable app enables 24/7 monitoring. If the user presses the logo on the app, it goes into safety mode, which enables a personalized message, before you leave the house, that you can send to your contacts. Then, when you are out, if you find yourself in danger, you can push the panic button on the lipstick, and it will automatically send a text or phone call to your chosen contacts. If you don’t answer or someone puts in the wrong pin, the service will immediately dispatch first responders.
“My 10-year-old carries the lipstick,” says Joy. “We don’t have to live in fear anymore.”
Before this business venture, Joy spent over a decade in the nonprofit world advocating for women’s safety in Las Vegas. She was frustrated that violence against women wasn't decreasing, so now she's focused on prevention all over the country and says she is grateful for her supporters: "Women and survivors who understand the problem of violence against women who have a stake in the solution."
Joy wants to leave a legacy for her daughters and other females, in hopes they won’t endure the pain and suffering she has experienced in life.
Her husband is her biggest cheerleader and says her goal is to get more men to champion her cause, "If it's not a hell yes, it's a no. There's no way women can solve this problem alone. We need men to stand up and say ‘We see you;’ this is an epidemic. Our passion is to end generational violence in our families and in yours. We save lives by creating innovative solutions."
The entrepreneurial business continued to evolve in 2024 in ways Joy never imagined. She now distributes her lipstick starter kits to universities, bars, clubs, hair salons, and individuals across the country. Businesses can co-brand the roofie strips with Esoes and companies who purchase a certain amount of product will get free Safe Spaces certification training. htttps://www.esoescosmetics.com.
As Esoes Cosmetics continues to expand its reach and impact, Joy Hoover's mission to safeguard women's safety through innovation brings us all hope, signaling a new era of empowerment and security
"Esoes is the phonetic spelling of S.O.S.," explains inventor Joy Hoover. "We're combining beauty, science, and technology to create a lipstick that could save your life."
