Your business - right now! How to stay ahead in crisis 3/2020
/A personal note from Cherie: Just weeks ago, we were at the C.E.W. product demo exploring the newness and excitement of new beauty products and brands.
And then - just like that, life changed.
What I’ve learned through the years, especially through hard times, is to stay focused and keep putting one foot in front of the other. It may not feel comfortable, and it may feel surreal at times. But what is happening is that you’re being stretched, and you’re growing. You will come out of this stronger and wiser.
Stay safe, stay well.
All my best,
Cherie
What can you do for your business right now?
Now, more than ever, it’s important to stay connected with each other and your audience. Whether texting, skyping, phone calls, or video conferences - stay connected. There’s power in numbers.
These moments can be a time for concern - but not worry. Concern means we need to take all possible measures to stay safe and healthy while moving forward. Worry means getting caught up in fear, and suffering from self-paralysis.
In a time of uncertainty, we can all share our inner beauty, our support and our tips. Here at BeautyEdge, we’re open for business, and our main concern right now is to support you and your business.
We’re in this together and we’ll walk it out, together.
Below are links that we’ve found helpful during this transition. Please explore them, there is a lot of good information.
Beauty Industry Updates:
COVID-19: Current Key Takeaways for The Beauty Industry
Follow BeautyEdge on Instagram, we’re posting daily inspirations to help you rise!
BeautyEdge New Product Development Tips
BeautyEdge News & Resources
BeautyEdge BeautyEdge Services
Financial Relief Resources:
Emergency Funds - All Art Forms from Women Arts
Alliance of Artist Communities Emergency Relief Fund
Reach out to your mortgage companies, credit card companies, platform servers, and see how/if they have special emergency programs to help you through this time.
Tips For Working From Home:
How to Be Good at Video Meetings
15 Tips for Having Your Kids Home All Day
How to Prepare Your Business for Coronavirus
How to Stay Ahead in a Changing Workplace
Inspiration:
Google Art & Culture
Nightly Met Opera Streams
Education:
On-line Courses (free)
Let’s stay connected… we need a little love here too at BeautyEdge. Reach out with any thoughts you’d like to share about yourself, your business, or send us topics you’d like to hear about.
“Don't look back, you're not going that way.” —Anonymous
"We're moving forward, join us." -Cherie Buziak
Tips on Launching a Brand 3/2020
/Launching Your Own Brand?
2020 is underway and maybe you’re thinking: I want to launch my own beauty brand or product. If creating a new brand is in your future, let's consider a few crucial points and take a look at the competition. With the world more or less on pause, now is the perfect time to plan, strategize, and make sure that your brand is set up for success.
Below is a quick snippet video from CEW's Product Demo. CEW stands for Cosmetic Executive Women.
For those of you who don’t know, CEW’s Product Demo is a night where 1,000+ of the year’s most innovative beauty brands showcase their new products in the hope of winning a coveted CEW award within their category. Yes! 1,000+ products. The products are voted on by 3,000 CEW members.
The video above captures only a few aisles of competing entrants. 1,000+ is a lot of brands to compete against. What will make your brand different? If you want to launch a new brand in this competitive landscape, keep these tips in mind.
Three Tips To Launching A Brand
1. Business Plan.
Start out with a business plan supported by a marketing plan. Your plan is adjustable and you can change it along the way. Consider it almost like a living document. The plan must include your mission statement, your goals, the financial commitment needed for your brand for development and sell-through, your target market, pricing strategy, and competitors. It doesn’t take a long time to create a plan, but you need to know where you’re going and how much it will cost. And consider the extra help or expertise that you may need to hire on, even if temporarily, to get your brand launched.
THE TAKEAWAY: Create a business plan, or else you’ll be on a long, expensive road with no map leading the way.
2. Marketing Plan.
Alongside your business plan should be a comprehensive marketing plan. Sometimes marketing plans are included at the end of the business plan as an addendum. However you treat it, it’s best to have a marketing plan in place. Once you’ve thought about your products and created your business plan, how are you going to sell the product through? What PR support or other media will you use to promote your collection? How will you plan new product launches or introductions? This, like the business plan, can have room for adjustments along the way.
THE TAKEAWAY: A business plan without a comprehensive marketing plan is like owning a luxury car that never leaves the driveway.
3. Start Small.
There is no need to rush into launching a 10 to 20 sku collection. Start with just a few key pieces to give you the opportunity to introduce the products and its special features to your clients. Launching a small number of pieces allows room to spare for new product launches in the future. Starting small will also make it easier for you to learn and grow from mistakes in a less costly way.
THE TAKEAWAY: In the beginning stages, less is more.
Bonus point: Hire an expert to help you. If you want to launch your product in a timely, cost-effective fashion, don’t hesitate to bring on the extra help you’ll need to bring your vision to life. An expert can help you with creating a business plan, marketing, product development, a go to market strategy, new technologies, and advise as a second eye for design, copy, and creative options.
If launching your own brand is in your plans for 2020 or if you’d like to learn more, contact Cherie@beautyedgeinc.com.
Product Development Tips: When manufacturing goes wrong
/
Photo Credit: Cherie Buziak
It’s crazy how much effort goes into getting a product on the shelf. And sometimes, the decisions are never about the product. The decisions are about trusting in the big picture, they’re about trusting yourself and who you have become as a creative marketing product developer, trusting your colleagues and trusting time.
How Things Usually Work
As a product developer, you may be asked to go on the first production run for the product that you and the R&D teams developed at the lab level. This is a great learning opportunity to observe how a product moves from tubs of raw materials and is processed all the way through to a final filled and packaged product.
Generally, attendance isn’t something that is done alone. Production engineers, R&D teams, chemists and QC teams join and meet pre-, mid- and post-production.
The brunt of the manufacturing typically lies in the hands of the production engineers. Raw materials need to be weighed, checked and double-checked for quality assurance. Everything is in their corner. However, depending on the size of the company you work for, the marketing product developer may need to approve the final produced bulk. That's where I came in.
When Things Go Wrong
I was three months into a new position running my first manufacturing batch. I was faced with a scaled-up bulk that, well….didn’t look right.
On this first production run the product, a moisturizer, formed a slight liquid on the surface after being filled—not a good sign. We never saw this type of behavior of the bulk at the lab level. It wasn’t a large amount of liquid. I actually had to tilt the jar on its side, and look pretty closely, but it was there. I thought to myself: "Will the flaw be significantly noticeable to the customer, or was I just being picky about the formula aesthetic?"
My first thought was: now what? I’m not a chemist, but I did know enough to understand that this early separation sign could mean that the product would eventually separate once delivered and was sitting on the selling shelf.
My boss wasn’t there to consult with me, and Skype, FaceTime and instant meeting apps were not yet the industry go-to, nor was sending pictures via phone or e-mail.
The engineering and R&D teams were there, but, since I was representing the marketing team, I had to make the multi-million-dollar decision of how to proceed.
Questions I Had to Answer as a Product Developer
Do we let these pieces that were filled go to market, and then adjust the formula for the next scale up?
Do I hold this batch from being shipped?
Will the flaw be significantly noticeable to the customer, or was I just being picky about the formula aesthetic?
Do I give the order for a multi-million-dollar do-over by directing the team to trash the bulk and packaging and start over?
What I Did
First, I decided to wait. In a world where speed to market is the norm, doing nothing looks like no decision at all.
And yet, I trusted my gut. At some point in your career, you learn to listen to that inner voice. Gut instinct—it’s not something you can write on your CV as a skill set.
And with doing nothing comes the inner discipline of sitting well with your decision, even while knowing that everyone around you wants you to do something—and what they want you to do is make a decision that they can see. A decision that moves the process forward.
Through the support of my supervisor, I held my ground. I slept on it. Why? I not only trusted myself, but I trusted my colleagues and the wisdom I had gained from the chemists in the labs over time. Sometimes the initial pour of a product continues to change over the first 24 hours. Viscosity can build, and texture can feel different. I wanted to wait and see what would happen.
Finally, I put things in perspective. I recalled a common internal mantra that we shared in the office to help lighten things up when things got tough: “We’re making beauty products; we’re not curing cancer.”
What Happened and What We Learned
The next morning we realized that the formula had been poured and capped when it was a little too warm, so it formed a slight condensation on the surface of the bulk. It didn’t happen to every piece, but it occurred enough to step back and evaluate the situation.
Some Things Just Need Time
By the next morning, the bulk was back to normal. It was a relief to give the go-ahead to move forward with production. And we learned a few things. We learned that this particular formula had a very sensitive viscosity level.
Viscosity specs needed to be watched closely during manufacturing or else we could end up with a very runny formula coming out of a jar with cap component—not desirable.
A Happy Ending
Today, we run in a fast business of trying to meet consumer demands, and waiting, for time, can be an unheard of concept. But some principles never change: some things just need time.
You can’t force matters if time is needed for a decision to be made, or a process to happen. Experience, trust and diligence yield better results.
Oh, and one more thing. This particular product ended up winning a CEW award. Happy ending!
This article was originally published in Global Cosmetic Industry Magazine.
Product Development Tips: Building your Skillset
/Building Your Beauty Product Development Skillset
in-cosmetics 2019 N.A. is behind us, and we continue to relish the memories and learning moments from the conference!
Below is a fun, video highlight, from the Sensory Bar featuring science and beauty YouTuber, and new friend, Trina Espinoza. (Trina hosts a YouTube channel called Ms. Beautyphile. Read more about her at the end of this article.)
Re-watching this video featuring formulas that sparkle, bounce-back, and transform, emphasizes the importance of innovative technology and how to create a sensorial experience that connects with the consumer.
Click the image to view the video.
The Importance of Beauty Product Aesthetics
Products are designed to delight, enhance, and beautify the body while creating an enjoyable product engagement experience for the consumer. Aside from product performance, product experience motivates the consumer to return and repurchase products time and again.
Research backs this up. Facebook IQ hired Accenture to study the shopping habits and preferences of American adults that purchase beauty products. When asked how they research and evaluate beauty products, 61% of make-up and 55% of facial skincare shoppers reported relying on physical locations for in-person evaluations. Although consumers are active with online purchasing, real time product and textural engagement is key. And in the digital age, we have yet to offer a real life textural and sensorial experience through a screen that goes beyond the visual.
The Art of Aesthetic Product Development
Evaluating beauty products tactilely is an art. It’s a talent that is developed through years and years of working with hundreds of product textures, and from learning from cross functional team members.
Cross Functional Teams:
Chemists: Understanding how raw materials work within a formula requires developing products alongside seasoned chemists. Chemists offer education on how ingredients will affect the product’s aesthetics and performance.
Consumer Science: Developing desired claims with consumer science teams brings an understanding about how aesthetic texture and product performance will translate into claims based on the appearance and sensorial engagement of the product.
Raw Material Suppliers: Reviewing new raw material product launches and new textures with suppliers will keep you current to industry trends.
Learning from these teams, tracking and evaluating hundreds of products, and understanding aesthetic product development language will create a visual aesthetic library in your mind.
Develop the Aesthetic for The Final User
When developing a product from an aesthetic perspective, the final consumer is who the product developer has to keep in mind. It doesn’t really matter much if you, the developer, personally “love” the aesthetic of the product you’re developing. Put yourself in the mindset of the final consumer and make decisions based on that perspective.
For example, if the final user that you're developing a product for has very oily skin, and the product is developed with a thick, aesthetic texture, that leaves behind a rich, dewy after feel, that person is most likely going to be turned off by the product aesthetic. The formula will need to be adjusted if it doesn’t rub in to their liking, transition quickly, and dry down in accordance to their desired after-feel.
The Love Language of Aesthetic Product Development
Aesthetic product development is also attained through very technical guidelines and language in the laboratories. When speaking with chemists, we use specific terminology to communicate about the texture and performance that needs to be achieved for the final consumer experience. Dedicated chemists will go the extra mile and apply the product on their own skin to experience the product and determine if it is in alignment with the aesthetic requirements set forth from the marketing brief and product benchmark.
Below is a short list of aesthetic terms. You may want to practice using these terms in order to enhance your aesthetic development skill set. As a quick lesson for yourself, line up 15 different cream textures. Then label the aesthetic descriptors to each product using the below terminology.
Image copyright: BeautyEdge LLC
A Technical View of Aesthetic Qualities
Did you know that Gattefossé, a designer and provider of innovative technologies, has an expert sensory panel of evaluators? Yes, it’s true!
Their 15-person panel, established in 1996 and headquartered in France, continually touches, feels and evaluates finished skincare formulations. What an awesome job! If evaluating only 100 products per year, someone on the panel since the founding would have evaluated approximately 2,400 products to date! Now that is how you build a mindful aesthetic library: by constantly sampling and experiencing hundreds and hundreds of products.
The graph below is just 7 out of the 18 or so criteria that the Gattefossé expert panel evaluates against.
Image Copyright: Gattefosse’
My friends at Gattefossé sometimes offer a half-day evaluation session at their Paramus, NJ location. You can contact Lauren DelDotto to inquire about any upcoming evaluation dates for 2020.
It’s OK to be a Beginner
I recently had a moment of deep empathy for a young makeup artist. From a distance, I was watching her apply makeup on a customer in a department store. Both she and the customer appeared to be enjoying this time of makeup application. However, when 30 minutes of application turned into 45 minutes, a second makeup artist came in to apply makeup to the customer. Out of curiosity, I stepped over to where they were to see why the switch in artists.
The young artist was beside herself and immediately blurted out, “I did a horrible job. I know my own facial structure and how to apply cosmetics, but I don’t always know how to apply cosmetics to other people’s facial structure.” She was obviously being overly critical of herself and her talents. To ease her stress, I put my hand on her shoulder, did an imaginary motion of brushing something off her shoulder and advised her to shake it off.
All was not lost. The second artist was able to remedy the issue. This young artist was in the beginning stages of developing her make up artistry skills and was experiencing growing pains. Should that makeup artist step away from her skill set of artistry? No. Does she need to practice more on applying makeup on other people? Yes! Would it have been a better experience for her, and the customer had she asked for supervision and assistance from a senior artist before it became an emergency? Definitely.
Seeing her experience was a reminder for me that we all continue to evolve with our talents. This applies to all careers and it’s the same with cosmetic/beauty product development. It’s not something that anyone can just jump into and expect to instantly succeed with no prior experience. To evaluate a product well without experience is impossible. Just as it’s impossible to become an Olympic gold medalist on your second day ever playing tennis.
If you’re looking for more information on product development, or need the guidance of a seasoned expert to help you with your process, contact me at cherie@beautyedgeinc.com. We can work through your development needs together.
Until then, keep mastering your craft!
About Trina Espinoza: Trina shares the science behind beauty and personal care products that appeals to a consumer-based audience. Her accomplishments include being featured on Mashable as one of “six YouTube channels that make learning about science fun”. She has been nominated for a Regional Emmy and has made guest appearances on the American Chemical Society’s Reactions series.
If you want to know more about Trina, you can find her on FB, YT, Instagram, and Twitter @msbeautyphile.
Product Development Tips 1/2020
/Building Your Beauty Product Development Skillset
in-cosmetics 2019 N.A. is behind us, and we continue to relish the memories and learning moments from the conference!
Below is a fun, video highlight, from the Sensory Bar featuring science and beauty YouTuber, and new friend, Trina Espinoza. (Trina hosts a YouTube channel called Ms. Beautyphile. Read more about her at the end of this article.)
Re-watching this video featuring formulas that sparkle, bounce-back, and transform, emphasizes the importance of innovative technology and how to create a sensorial experience that connects with the consumer.
Click the image to view the video.
The Importance of Beauty Product Aesthetics
Products are designed to delight, enhance, and beautify the body while creating an enjoyable product engagement experience for the consumer. Aside from product performance, product experience motivates the consumer to return and repurchase products time and again.
Research backs this up. Facebook IQ hired Accenture to study the shopping habits and preferences of American adults that purchase beauty products. When asked how they research and evaluate beauty products, 61% of make-up and 55% of facial skincare shoppers reported relying on physical locations for in-person evaluations. Although consumers are active with online purchasing, real time product and textural engagement is key. And in the digital age, we have yet to offer a real life textural and sensorial experience through a screen that goes beyond the visual.
The Art of Aesthetic Product Development
Evaluating beauty products tactilely is an art. It’s a talent that is developed through years and years of working with hundreds of product textures, and from learning from cross functional team members.
Cross Functional Teams:
Chemists: Understanding how raw materials work within a formula requires developing products alongside seasoned chemists. Chemists offer education on how ingredients will affect the product’s aesthetics and performance.
Consumer Science: Developing desired claims with consumer science teams brings an understanding about how aesthetic texture and product performance will translate into claims based on the appearance and sensorial engagement of the product.
Raw Material Suppliers: Reviewing new raw material product launches and new textures with suppliers will keep you current to industry trends.
Learning from these teams, tracking and evaluating hundreds of products, and understanding aesthetic product development language will create a visual aesthetic library in your mind.
Develop the Aesthetic for The Final User
When developing a product from an aesthetic perspective, the final consumer is who the product developer has to keep in mind. It doesn’t really matter much if you, the developer, personally “love” the aesthetic of the product you’re developing. Put yourself in the mindset of the final consumer and make decisions based on that perspective.
For example, if the final user that you're developing a product for has very oily skin, and the product is developed with a thick, aesthetic texture, that leaves behind a rich, dewy after feel, that person is most likely going to be turned off by the product aesthetic. The formula will need to be adjusted if it doesn’t rub in to their liking, transition quickly, and dry down in accordance to their desired after-feel.
The Love Language of Aesthetic Product Development
Aesthetic product development is also attained through very technical guidelines and language in the laboratories. When speaking with chemists, we use specific terminology to communicate about the texture and performance that needs to be achieved for the final consumer experience. Dedicated chemists will go the extra mile and apply the product on their own skin to experience the product and determine if it is in alignment with the aesthetic requirements set forth from the marketing brief and product benchmark.
Below is a short list of aesthetic terms. You may want to practice using these terms in order to enhance your aesthetic development skill set. As a quick lesson for yourself, line up 15 different cream textures. Then label the aesthetic descriptors to each product using the below terminology.
Image copyright: BeautyEdge LLC
A Technical View of Aesthetic Qualities
Did you know that Gattefossé, a designer and provider of innovative technologies, has an expert sensory panel of evaluators? Yes, it’s true!
Their 15-person panel, established in 1996 and headquartered in France, continually touches, feels and evaluates finished skincare formulations. What an awesome job! If evaluating only 100 products per year, someone on the panel since the founding would have evaluated approximately 2,400 products to date! Now that is how you build a mindful aesthetic library: by constantly sampling and experiencing hundreds and hundreds of products.
The graph below is just 7 out of the 18 or so criteria that the Gattefossé expert panel evaluates against.
Image Copyright: Gattefosse’
My friends at Gattefossé sometimes offer a half-day evaluation session at their Paramus, NJ location. You can contact Lauren DelDotto to inquire about any upcoming evaluation dates for 2020.
It’s OK to be a Beginner
I recently had a moment of deep empathy for a young makeup artist. From a distance, I was watching her apply makeup on a customer in a department store. Both she and the customer appeared to be enjoying this time of makeup application. However, when 30 minutes of application turned into 45 minutes, a second makeup artist came in to apply makeup to the customer. Out of curiosity, I stepped over to where they were to see why the switch in artists.
The young artist was beside herself and immediately blurted out, “I did a horrible job. I know my own facial structure and how to apply cosmetics, but I don’t always know how to apply cosmetics to other people’s facial structure.” She was obviously being overly critical of herself and her talents. To ease her stress, I put my hand on her shoulder, did an imaginary motion of brushing something off her shoulder and advised her to shake it off.
All was not lost. The second artist was able to remedy the issue. This young artist was in the beginning stages of developing her make up artistry skills and was experiencing growing pains. Should that makeup artist step away from her skill set of artistry? No. Does she need to practice more on applying makeup on other people? Yes! Would it have been a better experience for her, and the customer had she asked for supervision and assistance from a senior artist before it became an emergency? Definitely.
Seeing her experience was a reminder for me that we all continue to evolve with our talents. This applies to all careers and it’s the same with cosmetic/beauty product development. It’s not something that anyone can just jump into and expect to instantly succeed with no prior experience. To evaluate a product well without experience is impossible. Just as it’s impossible to become an Olympic gold medalist on your second day ever playing tennis.
If you’re looking for more information on product development, or need the guidance of a seasoned expert to help you with your process, contact me at cherie@beautyedgeinc.com. We can work through your development needs together.
Until then, keep mastering your craft!
About Trina Espinoza: Trina shares the science behind beauty and personal care products that appeals to a consumer-based audience. Her accomplishments include being featured on Mashable as one of “six YouTube channels that make learning about science fun”. She has been nominated for a Regional Emmy and has made guest appearances on the American Chemical Society’s Reactions series.
If you want to know more about Trina, you can find her on FB, YT, Instagram, and Twitter @msbeautyphile.
Snapshot: in-cosmetics N.A. The Story Behind the Science Marketing tours →
/Snapshot of the 2018 in-cosmetics N.A. The Story Behind the Scient Marketing tours. Check back here to see what’s in store for in-cosmetics N.A. 2019, October 23 - 24, 2019
HBA: WHO SHE IS - WHAT SHE WANTS
/BE along with Trae Bodge* attended 2010's HBA Global Expo & Conference held at the Jacob Javits Center, New York City, NY. This year's show had more than 600 International industry suppliers and educational partners presenting their newest products, innovations, and expertise.
What did we come away with this year?...excitement and insight on how to reach a customer who is heavily influenced by a digital revolution that causes a chain reaction of speed. Speed to connect, speed to express and speed to change is an exploding LifeStyle that we're just now starting to understand.
The challenge for us as product developers and marketers is to align with, and draw from, a consumer who wants to be part of the creative process. She demands convenience with choices at her fingertips compounded by the need of emotional connection. Because she expresses an uninhibited opinion of what fits her needs at the moment, our relationship with technology begs us to engage with the consumer at a personal level.
It's intriguing and challenging...we're in a world of learning and exploring that leads to new paths of opportunities. We hope you enjoy these discoveries as much as we did! Feel free to let us know your thoughts at info@beautyedgeinc.com
* Trae is a 20 year beauty industry veteran and one of the founders of the cult beauty brand, Three Custom Color Specialists. She provides product development and brand messaging services and is the "resident beauty guru" at mainstreet.com
THE MILLENIAL EDGE: Constant Change
Roben Allong, key Marketing Strategist from RealityCheck Consulting Network, LLC presented the latest update on The Millennials.
From Trends Other Than Formulation: A Panel To Take Note Of Session
According to Roben, Millennials or Gen Ys are that key audience referred to as the Net generation. According to some marketers, they don't remember a time when the Internet did not exist! They're deemed to be the most technologically savvy generation to date.
THE STATS
Born between 1978 and 2000* . Last generation born in the 20th century . Between 10 and 28 years old . 76-78 million in population in the US . Roughly 25% of the US population . 90% in the US own a PC . 82% in the US own a mobile phone . Also know as Generation Y, Echo Boomers, Digital Natives, The Net or Dot.Com Generation and Generation Y Not
*based on research using the years 1978-2000
THE WORLD THEY LIVE IN
Encourages Socializing 24/7 + information gathering + giving an opinion. . Builds Community thru Technology via Beauty Blogs, YouTube, Facebook, MySpace.com, etc. . Sees creative equity as valuable. . Allows for sharing information about themselves and others at an unprecedented comfort level.
HOW THEY THINK
They are the "Me" Generation. They know themselves and focus on their individuality. . Personal information sharing is viewed as a life benefit that builds friendships and reputations as well as establishes communities. . They are more involved and take on more responsibility, which helps them gain insight to express themselves in a more creative way.
HOW TO CONNECT WITH THEM
Micro-market to small niche groups and their online sub-networks. . Invite them to be creative in helping define what your brand is, what it can be. . Parallel their point of view. Communicate what the brand stands for on a local level to increase traction . Help them connect and stay constantly connected with others in mobile and multiple locations: their homes, social settings, on-line, at work. For them, life is an expedition. Be the brand that helps them enjoy the expedition and make it more meaningful for themselves and others.
Contact Roben at robena@realitycheckinc.com for a copy of the presentation and a more in-depth explanation of Who They Are and What is to Come for this generation.
THE FEMININE EDGE: What She Wants
From What Women Want: The Consumer At Every Age Session
Reported below are color cosmetics and skin care needs for the evolving woman. Excerpts from "What She Wants" were captured from Peggy Lee, AVP of Creative at Maybelline on women ages 14-20 and Karen Young, CEO of The Young Group, on women 50+.
AGES 14-20:
She is experimental She likes makeup that is portable. She favors brightly colored and shimmery shadows. Foundations should have light coverage and a matte finish. She prefers lip products very colorful but sheer. She favors skin care with a light texture that helps to treat blemishes.
AGES 20-30:
She is experimental but is beginning to form cosmetic purchasing habits. She is most likely a career woman and will spend a little more on herself. Colors are fun but also practical. Multi-functional products with long-wear benefits are key. She prefers foundation and lip products with light to medium coverage. She favors skin care that is easy to use with the added benefit of SPF.
AGES 30-50:
She is more well-rounded and less likely to respond to trends. High performance, nourishment and long-lasting cosmetic formulas benefit her needs. Colors are more conservative. Medium - Full coverage foundation and lip products are necessary.
AGES 50+:
She is harder to capture because she has already formed many of her cosmetic purchasing habits. She has moved from products that "protect/preserve" to products that "repair/enhance". Her skin is thinner and tends to be drier. Products must offer intense moisturization, cell-regeneration, collagen/elastin rebuilding and soothing ingredients. Products should treat redness and offer sun protection. Full coverage foundation and lip products are necessary.
THE MULTIETHNIC EDGE: Women Of Color
From Reaching Every Woman: The Multiethnic Market Session
Susan Akkad, SVP Corporate Marketing, Diversity, noted that 1/3 of the US are people of color, so in reality, Women of Color are becoming the new mainstream". She advised that when considering the ethic customer, that we remain aware not only of her skin tone and needs specific to her skin type, but to her culture. For example, when you are addressing Latina's, consider how you can market to her in a way that resonates with her "Latina-ness" in concert with her "American-ness".Black women, on the other hand, are often coming from a matriarchal place they are in charge and tend to feel strong and confident. She must be spoken to with this in mind.
Cheryl Wilson, Marketing Director of Fashion Fair, provided stats that drove Ms. Akkad's position home: Black women are spending 9 billion annually on their beauty products and this market is growing 5xs faster than the general market. Latinas are not far behind, spending 6.8 billion annually. Ms. Wilson also addressed skin tone from a technical standpoint by illustrating how women of color have different needs due to a higher level of melanin. More melanin, while protecting the skin from some sun damage, also makes the skin more reactive to certain ingredients, more susceptible to seasonal changes and therefore, unpredictable. Skin of Color has over 35 variations, where Caucasian skin generally has under 10, which makes providing an adequate range of skin-toned products very challenging from a SKU standpoint. Ms. Wilson advises that in order to address the needs of Women of Color, you must deliver a large range of shades, provide innovative - yet easy to use - solutions for the unique needs of Women of Color, while still portraying an authentic and varied beauty representation.
Lubna Khalid, Founder of Real Cosmetics, said, "What Women of Color want from their beauty products is to be included; to find the right shades to match their skin tones; to be represented and included in imagery and advertising so that they can see themselves reflected. Imagery that is attainable and real and makes them feel beautiful. They want to trust the company, trust the claims and feel good about the products. Women want a company that cares, not only about them, but that makes a difference in the world. All women are beautiful and we can help make them all feel that way.
THE INSPIRATIONAL EDGE: What Makes Her Feel Special
Every so often there is a special story behind the making of a scent. And so it is for this year's 2010 HBA International Package Design Award for Bella Una which translates to "Beautiful One". The fragrance won against industry moguls including Sephora and L'Oreal. Looking deeper into the brand, one will soon discover a history of greatness. Bella Una is deeply rooted from the idea that all women should believe in themselves and that everyone's differences is what makes them unique and beautiful.
The winning signature scent is different from all of the others that are soon to launch. It is inspired by the creator's fondest childhood memories and contains a "love letter" written to the creator's mother; reminiscent notes in the scent connote tantalizing smells coming from the kitchen and tea parties with her friends real and imaginary, and is comprised of affectionate, comforting notes that warm the heart and inspire a smile.
Beyond the fragrance, Bella Una's unique nature is in its presentation that begins in a sustainable mulberry bark box. Nestled within the box is a handwritten love letter found in an envelope sealed with a natural pressed flower. The letter rests on top of an exquisite bottle that contains the inspirational fragrance.
Newly launched scents will be assigned a female's name and will have qualities that lend an idea of where “she†came from in the love letter. Each name will tell a tale and have a journey, always creating a persona rich with romance and love.
To learn more about Bella Una please visit Bellauna.com or contact the creator Kym Wechsler at 424-BellaUna
THE COLOR EDGE: 2011 Color Cosmetic Direction
Jamie Ross, Creative Director of The Doneger Group, presented a comprehensive guide to expected seasonal fashion/color trends for 2011.
Seasonal Trends:
"Idyllic" - Winter/Spring
Fashion - Vintage sensibility, referencing the 50's and 60's. Fabrics - Soft, ladylike and ethereal. Antique lace and youthful styles will be prevalent. Colors - For clothing and makeup; pinks, lilacs, grays and soft apricots. Finishes - Almost chalky or velvety.
"Jubilant" - Spring/Summer ("South America, by way of Miami")
Fashion - Daring and impactful in their prints and color direction. Patterns - Painterly brush strokes, stripes and polka dots. Colors - For clothing and makeup;Â bright and bold, yet grounded by browns and dark purples; lots of bright colors on eyes and/or lips. Finishes - both matte and glossy.
"Travail" - Fall
Fashion - Casual and utilitarian. Fabrics - Lots of denim, leather and shearling. Colors - For clothing and makeup, dark, inky blues that are softened with taupes or browns and accented with coppers. Finishes - Almost imperfect.
"Cavalier" - Winter/Holiday
Fashion - A sense of heritage with a touch of the "haughty and naughty" with equestrian styles, tweeds. Fabrics - Leathers, faux furs, suedes and brocades. Colors - For Clothing and makeup, port wines, purples and berries, accented with metallics. Lips will be dark with subtle eyes. Finishes - Dark and suede like.
THE SHOPPING EDGE: Where to Meet Her
From Predicting What Consumers Want to Buy: How and Where They Want to Shop Session
Where She Shops
For further information on What Consumers Want to Buy contact Karen at karen@ygroup.com
Ecommerce - The internet will influence more than 50% of retail sales by 2014. Forrester . OnTheGo (Mobile) Commerce - 37% of smart phone owners purchased $1.2B in 2009 . AtHomeParty's - $28B total sales 2009 . FromHerCouch - Over $10B in sales via TV . Factory Outlets - By 2012, Saks, Neimans, Barneys, Nordstroms & Bloomingdales will have more factory outlets than traditional stores . VenderSpenders - Vending machines provide instant gratification on the go. Currently flat irons, caviar, books, gold bars, meat and beauty products can be found in vending locations.
From The Changing Face of Beauty Distribution Session
Direct To Consumer
Donna Tarantino-Loyle, Director of Health and Beauty at Shop NBC, addressed the increasing relevancy of direct-to-consumer sales. 10-12 years ago, this medium was largely ignored by prestige brands, but it has progressively become an opportunity that brands consider seriously. With lives that are increasingly busy, many consumers will have even less time in 2011 than they did in 2010 to shop in stores. Television sales can reach the consumer at home allowing a brand to present a consistent, controlled message and experience.Unlike in-store, a brands message can be diluted. With features like auto-delivery and easy-pay, the shopping and fulfillment is made that much more convenient. Couple that with an avid online community, women will still be able to feel connected.
Traditional Retail
Howard Kreitzman, VP of Cosmetics and Perfume at Bloomingdales, shared what Bloomingdales is doing to stay relevant. With the recent redesign of their 59th street branch, Bloomingdales is successfully addressing the needs and preferences of today's consumer by creating a unique and memorable experience allowing her freedom of choice on how she shops. They have also partnered with Space NK installing mini Space NK outposts in several locations as a way to feature niche brands. Retailers could certainly take a page from the Bloomingdales playbook in 2011.
Social Media
Maria Sansotta, Marketing Director of Tarte, cosmetics outlined their social media strategy. She encourages brands to truly embrace social media by creating an online family and keeping them up to date on news and events. She also advised that brands regularly thank their customers with special discounts and offers and keep them informed by providing regular video how-to's.
Emerging Markets
Karen Young informed us that the U.S. is only 47% of the world market. Brazil is the #2 hair care market in the world, after the U.S.; India and China are players to be addressed seriously as well. Her suggestion was that brands should first establish themselves in their country of origin, and then tailor their international approach to each country they are targeting.
THE FINAL EDGE: Opportunities in 2011
Due to busy lifestyles, multitasking, one-hand application and TSA-approved sizing (for air travel) will continue to be attractive products for on-the-go consumers.
Reconnect with the consumer and identify her needs.
In a troubled economy, the consumer is more conservative - she is "de-stocking", which means she is using up what she has at home and will only buy products she feels she truly needs.
Focus and streamline products and their messaging to remain relevant.
All brands have the same access to technology and packaging, focus on the targeted consumer and be authentic in brand messaging.
(Credits - Karen Young)
MORE NEWSLETTERS FROM BEAUTYEDGE ARCHIVES
SPA & RESORT EXPO - THE MEDICAL AESTHETICS CONF. NYC, September 20-22, 2008
INTERNATIONAL ESTHETICS, COSMETICS & SPA CONFERENCE - Las Vegas, June 2008
INTERNATIONAL ESTHETICS, COSMETICS & SPA CONFERENCE - New York City, April 2008
THE SPA & RESORT INDUSTRY - CorneliaDaySpa, New York City, March 2008
THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF ESTHETICS AND SPA - Philadelphia, October 2007
FOOD, SCIENCE AND BEAUTY
/BE attended a delectable lecture called The Science of Taste and the Chemical Foundation of Flavors and Foods at the New York Academy of Science in NYC. Presenters were Harold McGee, food columnist of the New York Times and Linda Bartoshuk, Director of Human Research at the University of Florida, Center for Taste and Smell.
We delved closer into the culinary world and explored Food Science innovation and molecular gastronomy which was pioneered by Ferran Adri'a. A fun and interesting event, we walked away with fresh ideas and thoughts that can easily be crossed over into the world of beauty.... mixed with a "spice" of the imagination!
Here's what we found:
5 Food Science Innovations
*** Scroll down to D.I.Y. BeautyFood Fusion for a chance to win a $25 gift card from Chef Central
. Disguising a Flavor to Confuse or Surprise
. Unusual Temperature
. Deconstruction of a Dish
. Presenting Foods with Ambient Aromas
. The Rise of the Miracle Fruit
TheCreativeEdge - Starter Concepts
We thought to ourselves, how can we translate current trends in Food Science into unique BE BeautyVision thought starters? Here's a few fun ideas:
Disguising a Flavor to Confuse or Surprise
Chef Heston Blumenthal created the Bacon and Egg breakfast, which is actually an ice cream dish. Customers who expect a traditional bacon and egg meal are in for a surprise when the server delivers ice cream, with red pepper compote, caramelized brioche, buttered caramel and a few drops of maple syrup. All served with a cup of jellied tea!
BE BeautyVision - How about a tubed lip stick with a center core that has one flavor on the inside like sweet chile pepper and second flavor wrapped on the outside like luscious strawberry mint?Studies show that the average woman consumes up to four pounds of lipstick in her lifetime, it might as well be flavorful!
Unusual Temperature
Chef Heston Blumenthal also created the Hot and Iced Tea, which consists of a cup filled with half hot tea and half iced tea. The cup is split vertically with the two liquids, presenting the customers with an unusual experience.
BE BeautyVision - In the winter time, we hate nothing more than to put on a cold body lotion after a warm shower. A self-warming body cream for the winter could be just the key to this problem. In the summer, a cooling body lotion could help soothe and refresh parched summer skin.
Deconstruction of a Dish
Harold McGee spoke of Jose Andres who created a deconstructed wine dish by creating a white wine gelatin that includes a taste of each of the flavors found in the drink such as walnut, apple and peach notes.
BE BeautyVision - Have fun with a colorful, vitamin packed fruit jello-ed face mask! Imagine good for your skin, cubed fruit juices with a jello-like texture that are mask-able and edible too!
Presenting Foods with Ambient aromas
Daniel Patterson created a pink grapefruit mousse that caps supreme of citrus macerated with a splash of cognac and tarragon. A generous drop of oil with the essence of ginger, black pepper, grapefruit and tarragon, all flavors in the appetizer, rests on a plate beside the bowl. Diners are then instructed to rub a little on their skin to create the full experience.
What are the benefits of rubbing this tantalizing food grouping on your face?!
All ingredients have promising characteristics for cosmeceuticals and cosmetic products.
. Ginger is excellent for stimulation and warming effects.
. Grapefruit has cleansing and toning effects on skin.
. Tarragon is an antiseptic and stimulant.
. As a constituent in a blended cream, Black Pepper can be used for tired aching limbs, sore muscles and rheumatoid arthritis.
The Rise of the Miracle Fruit
According to Harold McGee, there has been a revival in food tasting events, referred to as "flavor tripping parties". The tasters consume sour and bitter foods such as lemons, radishes and beer to experience the taste changes that occur. When the fruit is combined with acids, it strongly stimulates the sensation of sweetness on the tongue.
BE BeautyVision...hhhmmm....here's food for thought for all of you chemists out there...If the fruit makes acidy food taste sweet... what happens if the fruit molecules are infused within acidic facial chemical peels?...is there a new way here to deliver proteins or hydrating sugars to the skin?
D.I.Y. BeautyFood Fusion
YOUR TURN!!...Create a Cosmetic Beauty Concept using a Food Science Trend.Use 10 words or less.
Send concept entry to info@beautyedgeinc.com
The random winner will receive a $25.00 gift certificate to shop Chef Central
Entry deadline March 27, 2009
We hope we left you hungry...inspired...and bubbling with more ideas!
MORE NEWSLETTERS FROM BEAUTYEDGE ARCHIVES
- MAKE UP IN NEW YORK - WHAT'S NEW?
- BLUSH STOP New York City, NY May 17-18, 2009
- GLAMOURGALS - BEAUTY FAVORITES & INSPIRATION NYC November 22, 2008
- A "PEEK" AT THE MAKEUP SHOW - New York City, May 18, 2008
- GLAMMY AWARDS - New York City, May 5, 2008
- TREND EXPEDITION - ABC HOME - New York City, April 2008
- QVC BEAUTY BASH - West Chester, PA, April 6, 2008
- THE INTERNATIONAL ESTHETICS, COSMETICS & SPA CONFERENCE - New York March, 2011
