At a glance
Pure Beauty is a Los Angeles cannabis brand founded in 2017 by Imelda Walavalkar, Tracy Anderson, and Irwin Matutina. It began by reworking the cigarette form into a tobacco-free cannabis product and became known for flower, “Babies” mini joints, full-size pre-rolls, drinks, edibles, and art-led collaborations.
Three founders and 2017 launch
Walavalkar, Anderson, and Matutina moved from New York to Los Angeles and built Pure Beauty around a shared interest in cannabis, design, and the iconic cigarette form. Walavalkar became chief executive, Anderson brought experience from Marley Natural, and Matutina led art direction. Forbes describes the early company as a garage operation.
Babies and cannabis cigarettes
The signature Babies pack contains ten mini pre-rolls, while Cigs use a longer cigarette-style format with a wood-pulp filter. The range includes indica, sativa, hybrid, CBD, active, Margarita, Garden Blend, and collaboration variations. Full-gram joints and smaller multi-packs sit beside those two recognizable formats.
Flower and cultivar range
Pure Beauty sells flower and publishes testing entries for cultivars including J1, Grandi Guava, GMO Cookies, Midnight Snack, Night Market, Mango Haze, Donnie Burger, Spritzer, Supernova, Harle-Tsu, and AC/DC. The roster changes as batches sell through; cultivar names alone do not guarantee identical chemistry from one harvest to another.
Drinks, edibles, and vapes
The current collection expands beyond California flower into Little Strong Drinks, fruit-led edibles, and a vape item. Online drinks and some pre-rolls use hemp-derived THC, while the California collection operates in the state-regulated cannabis channel. Those legal categories and supply chains must be kept separate even when branding is shared.
Testing and packaging
Pure Beauty publishes a testing-results index for pre-rolls, flower, and edibles and says it tests every batch for pesticides, heavy metals, mold, and other contaminants. Babies use a recyclable paper box and plant-starch freshness bag; Cigs use paper and a similar plant-starch liner, while drinks use recyclable glass.
Cultivation and sustainability claims
The founders have positioned Pure Beauty around environmentally conscious growing and packaging, but the current direct-to-consumer site mixes California regulated products with federally lawful hemp offerings. Sustainability claims are most credible where tied to a specific material or practice; broad comparisons to organic standards remain company assertions without an identified certification.
Ownership, investors, and expansion
Pure Beauty is woman-led and has reported investment from musicians Nas and Timbaland. Forbes' 2025 profile says Walavalkar and Anderson obtained licenses supporting cultivation, manufacturing, and retail expansion in New York. A license to expand does not mean every California SKU is already produced or sold in New York.
Collaborations and cultural position
Pure Beauty's art direction and collaborations place it closer to fashion and independent publishing than conventional wellness branding. Testing pages include How Long Gone and JHANNAH collaborations, while the store pairs cannabis with apparel and objects. The cultural strategy is a documented part of the brand; it is not a substitute for product provenance.
The High Rise assessment. Pure Beauty succeeds because product design and company identity reinforce each other: three named founders, a clear 2017 origin, recognizable Babies and Cigs, specific packaging choices, and a broader flower-and-beverage catalog. California cannabis and hemp-derived ecommerce require separate reading. No comprehensive competition-award ledger was found, so cultural recognition is not inflated into trophies.