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ISSUE #18JULY 17, 2020
A Publication of WWD
Remodeling RetailKimberly Smith and Amaya Smith, owners of The Brown Beauty Co-op, are part of
a growing group of Black-owned retailers reinventing the beauty buying experience for BIPOC. For more, see pages 12 to 14. PLUS: Estée Lauder’s Jane Hertzmark Hudis
on future growth, Giorgio Armani’s new fragrance pillar and touring Le Bon Marché’s revamped makeup department. PHOTOGRAPH BY JULIEN JAMES
Beauty Bulletin
Tk Caption
¬ PARIS — Aryballe, a digital olfaction company that combines biochemistry, advanced optics and machine learning to mimic humans’ sense of smell, has raised 7 million euros in a recent round of international funding.
It involved new investors Samsung Venture Investment Corp. and Seb Alliance, as well as existing investors Innovacom, Cemag Invest, Asahi Kesei and HCVC, the Grenoble, France-based company said in a statement.
Aryballe’s total funding now stands at 17 million euros.
“Digital olfaction is the next wave in smart sensors,” Aryballe said in the statement. “Organizations across industries, from automotive to food and beverage to consumer applications and personal care and cosmetics, rely on machine-learning-powered digital olfaction to accelerate R&D projects, reduce
maintenance costs and provide better customer experiences.
“The funding enables Aryballe to build out its manufacturing operations to meet accelerating demand for its newest high-volume, low-cost universal odor sensor as organizations across the globe look to enhance the capabilities of existing smart sensor networks,” Aryballe continued.
The quest to quickly evolve the perfume industry comes as category sales are stagnant or down in most mature western markets and the coronavirus pandemic is causing brands and retailers to look for alternate fragrance delivery systems.
In early 2019, IFF collaborated with Aryballe on the development of odor-sensing and quality-control applications with the aim of developing a platform for applications
in the food, fragrance and cosmetics industries, among others.
Aryballe collects, displays and analyzes odor data for companies’ better decision-making, it said.
The new funding will allow the company to double its number of employees in engineering and product positions, and further bolster its technology’s industrialization.
Last year, the company grew headcount by 30 percent, enabling it to more than double its intellectual property portfolio.
Aryballe was established in 2014 and launched the digital nose, NeOse Pro, at the beginning of 2018. That device is billed to be able to detect, record and recognize odors, generally used in research and development, laboratory and quality control, and assurance applications.
Sam Guilaumé, Aryballe chief executive officer, explained in the statement that the company focuses on helping its customers and partners solve industry problems through smell.
“Our mission has always been to empower brands through the use of reliable, quality data, and today we’re seeing more companies using digital olfaction to design improvements in the customer experience and generate additional revenue,” he said. “Now, with the support of our industry partners, we’re well prepared to continue executing on that mission and take on this next stage of growth.” —Jennifer Weil
2
JULY 17, 2020
THE BUZZ
¬ PARIS — Alès Groupe, the maker of Phyto and Lierac beauty products, has entered into administration proceedings.
The family-owned group said in a statement that on July 6 it had requested to enter administration in Paris’ commercial court, which three days later gave the green light. Alès Groupe’s operational subsidiaries are not involved.
The company is facing severe liquidity issues. On June 30, while publishing its 2019 results, Alès Groupe said at the end of May it had a cash balance of around 14.8 million euros and financial debt of approximately 96.8 million euros.
“In this context, the group is
facing a significant need for liquidity and is continuing in this framework the sale and leaseback process of some of its real-estate assets and the strategic review of its assets,” Alès Groupe said.
The group’s sales last year gained 2.7 percent on a like-for-like basis to 208.6 million euros. Meanwhile, Alès’ profits were down 39.1 million euros in 2019, versus a decline of 15.4 million euros in 2018.
Alès said its activity has been seriously impacted by the COVID-19 crisis that resulted in a distribution freeze.
The group is now in a six-month observation period.
“Alès Groupe management
will seek all solutions allowing, under the best conditions, to continue the business, maintain employment and settle liabilities,” the company said in a statement, adding it would be open to finding new investors selling outright.
Alès Groupe’s stock will not resume trading on the Euronext Growth market, where it was suspending on June 29, until further notice. —J.W.
Aryballe Raises 7 Million Euros
Alès Groupe Enters Administration
Aryballe's NeOse Pro technology.
CLEANLINESS IS next to godliness, according to data from IRI. For the first half of 2020, soap made the largest leap in the mass market with 39.1 percent growth. The segment includes hand sanitizers up 418.6 percent. Other categories, such as nail products, at-home hair dye and permanent kits, corroborate the quarantine-induced DIY trend. Color cosmetics all saw double-digit declines, with lipstick sales taking the furthest tumble.
soap: +39.1 percent
cosmetics, nail: +24.6 percent
hair coloring: +15.7 percent
hair conditioner: +8.5 percent home permanent/
relaxer kits: +5.8 percent
hand and body lotion: +4.5 percent
skin care: +3.9 percent
shampoo: +3.7 percent
hair accessories: +3.2 percent
deodorant: flat
hair-growth products: -3.6 percent
fragrance, women’s: -4.2 percent
hairstyling gel/mousse: -7.1 percent
cosmetics,accessories: -8.1 percent
shaving lotion/men’s fragrance: -10.8 percent
cosmetics, eye: -14.1 percent
hair spray/spritz: -17.9 percent
cosmetics, facial: -19.6 percent
cosmetic storage: -22.2 percent
cosmetics, lip: -24.3 percent
Phyto plant-based hair-care products.
By the Numbers: Mass Market Beauty Stats For First-Half 2020 New sales data from IRI shows continued success for DIY and double-digit losses in color cosmetics. BY JAMES MANSO
Source: Market Advantage TSV; IRI Liquid Data. Data for the 12 months ending June 14, 2020.
IMAGINE if you could GENERATE the look of YOUTH, STRENGTH and RADIANCE—night after night.
Introducing Our Next Revolution in Skincare Premiering Worldwide August 2020
esteelauder.com
© 2
020
Esté
e La
uder
Inc.
4
JULY 17, 2020
NEWS FEED
PARIS — Seven years after
launching its blockbuster women’s
fragrance Sì, Giorgio Armani is
poised to introduce a new perfume,
called My Way, developed with
sustainability in mind.
“I believe that enriching
experiences, capable of creating
real progress, come to be through
exchanges between cultures,” Armani
told Beauty Inc. “The aesthetics and
atmospheres of distinct countries
are part of my imagination: I have
always felt great curiosity for other
cultures, which I have tried to get to
know through travel.
“My Way condenses into a perfume
my idea that new experiences and
encounters change and enrich the
personality,” the designer continued.
“Add to this my love of the concept
of timelessness. Being timeless for
me is the highest quality. It does not
mean abstracting yourself from the
moment, but instead, capturing it
and then sublimating it.”
Armani said: “It is an extremely
subtle quality, which can be achieved,
in part, by subtraction, by taking
things away until you are left with the
essence. I apply the same method to
perfumery. My Way, with its motto ‘I
am what I live,’ is a celebration of the
intensely personal journey, of those
experiences and those meetings with
people that make us who we are.”
The timing is right to launch a new
Armani scent, brand executives say.
It has one feminine fragrance pillar,
Sì, which last year ranked seventh
among prestige women’s fragrances
globally and placed fifth in Europe,
each up one notch versus in 2018.
“It’s important for Mr. Armani and
the brand to show another facet,” said
Véronique Gautier, global president
Armani beauty at L’Oréal, the brand’s
licensee. She suggested the two pillars
would be very complimentary.
Despite globalization, there’s
been a counter trend of erecting
barriers and discrimination, and
the coronavirus pandemic has
exacerbated this, according to
Armani. The designer called himself
a staunch supporter of “métissage”
— or the mixing and blending of
peoples — “because progress is born
from meeting and exchange,” he said.
Armani emphasized the importance
of sharing significant ideas. “For
example, I’m particularly interested
today in the responsibility that we
all have as inhabitants of this planet:
responsibility toward the environment,
which we should hand over as intact as
possible to those who come after us,”
he said. “In order to do this, we must
genuinely engage with other cultures,
whose wealth and diversity are an
immense good to protect.”
Armani sketched My Way’s bottle
and cap, reminiscent of a stone, blue
like the earth viewed from space.
A gold-colored band encircles that,
meant to evoke the notion of a path,
while blue fabric around the flacon’s
neck winks to Armani’s fashions.
“This project encapsulates our
vision and commitment to climate
change,” continued Gautier.
My Way is a project that is integrally
carbon-neutral. It’s a first step for
Armani beauty to achieve carbon
neutrality for all its products and
reduce its carbon footprint by 25
percent more by 2025.
The My Way eco-conceived, fully
recyclable bottles, for instance,
have a functional refill system that
eschews funnels. When compared
to using four 50-ml. spray bottles,
the 50-ml. spray and 150-ml. refill
bottle combined represent a 32
percent reduction in cardboard use,
55 percent reduction in glass use, 64
percent reduction in plastic use and
75 percent reduction in metal use.
A contemporary floral, the
fragrance contains a note of tuberose,
a flower Armani adores, and other
ingredients sustainably sourced, such
as vanilla from Madagascar.
“Armani is committed to financing a
program with an NGO in Madagascar
for responsible, inclusive sourcing,”
said Gautier.
Other notes in the fragrance created
with IFF’s Carlos Benaïm and Bruno
Jovanovic include bergamot from
Calabria, Egyptian orange blossom,
jasmines, cedarwood and white musks.
America actress Adria Arjona — of
Guatemalan and Puerto Rican heritage,
who spent her childhood on the road
with her musician father — was chosen
to front My Way. She’s appeared in “True
Detective” and “6 Underground,” and
will costar with Jared Leto in the Marvel
movie “Morbius” next year.
“I have never made a secret of my
love for natural beauty free of artifice,”
said Armani. “Adria Arjona, the face
of My Way, perfectly reflects this ideal.
Her story is written in the harmonious
features of her face, in her smile, in
her gaze. Her look has the pure charm
of what is authentic. Furthermore,
Adria is a curious traveler. She is
someone for whom the saying ‘I am
what I live’ really does hold true.”
For the campaign, Cristian Borillo
and Martin Cespedes (aka Hunter &
Gatti) lensed Arjona having true-life
encounters, such as experiencing
a sangeet ceremony in India or
the festival of lights in Thailand.
Spots were also filmed in the likes
of Tokyo and Seville.
Two spots give virtual-reality
experiences, allowing the viewer to
take Arjona’s vantage point.
No images were retouched.
“There was no script,” said Gautier.
“There is a very rich communication
platform.”
Prices for My Way range from $74
for a 30-ml. eau de parfum to $126
for a 150-ml. edp refill.
Armani executives would not discuss
projections, but industry sources
estimate My Way could generate $220
million in first-year retail sale globally.
The scent will launch Aug. 10
exclusively on Armani beauty’s
e-commerce platforms, followed by
an on-counter rollout beginning
Aug. 24 worldwide except for
China, which is slated for 2021. TV
advertising will go live on Sept. 6.
Whereas Sì is meant to channel a
powerful, elegant, passionate woman,
My Way is more about a free spirit.
“She is a young woman of today:
intelligent, curious, free of prejudice,
independent and capable of
treasuring every life experience,” said
Armani. “She is a citizen of the world.
I love the idea of this woman, fiercely
independent and brave, genuinely
modern in her attitude, free and able
to take on board any experience and
encounter on her life’s journey.”
Over the past decade, Armani
beauty’s business including women’s
scents, makeup and skin care grew
from generating less than 30 percent
to now about two-thirds of its overall
sales, or approximately 1.5 billion
euros annually, according to industry
source estimates.
The sources estimate Armani’s
fragrance and makeup revenues are
about on a par with each other. Skin
care is a smaller business, with sales
growing by double digits.
-EXCLUSIVE-
Giorgio Armani Set to Launch My Way Fragrance Actress Adria Arjona fronts the women’s scent developed with sustainability in mind. BY JENNIFER WEIL
Adria Arjona
My Way from Giorgio Armani.
UNBOXING THE FUTURE OF PACKAGING
Driven by a vision for a sustainable future and an ever-evolving omnichannel world, Aptar Beauty + Home has been a leader behind innovations in dispensers,
pumps and other packaging solutions used by many of the world’s leading beauty brands. Aptar Beauty + Home’s commitment to research and development has also proven to be a vital piece for consumers and brands as the industry works together to care for the planet.
And as online sales continue to soar in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, discerning online shoppers are judging not only the quality of a product, but its container and packaging as well. As a result, dispensing and packaging solutions that prevents leakage, disassembly, damages or accidental opening, has now emerged as white space in the market where Aptar Beauty + Home is a dominating force.
CONSUMER-DRIVEN DEMANDYears ago, it was common practice for con-sumers to receive luxury beauty products wrapped in ample amounts of “protective packaging” to ensure an uncompromised delivery. To better understand these prac-tices, the demand for leak-proof dispensing solutions, and the perception of overpack-aging experiences with e-commerce unbox-ings, Aptar surveyed 1168 consumers asking for feedback on the unboxing experience. The survey found that an overwhelming 77 percent of consumers have experienced this overwrapping or excessive packaging when
unboxing personal care items. For many consumers, this unboxing
served as the first impression of a brand. And while this remains true, excess of packing paper is now met with disappointment for a brand’s sustainable values. In fact, Aptar’s consumer survey found 80 percent of con-sumers felt frustrated with the amount of overwrapping they have received when un-boxing personal care items.
Still, consumers expect brands to deliv-er on a beautiful presentation that has not undergone a compromise during travel. And when a brand sacrifices quality, it can result in excessive chargebacks and returns, negative reviews, and ultimately a damaged relationship with retailers and consumers. The challenge is one that has required brands to move quickly, as consumers have become adept at sharing frustrations through social media.
“Your first impression can set a negative or positive tone for the rest of the experience with the brand,” said Philippe Erhart, presi-dent of Beauty + Home, North America, at Aptar. “Think of it like a job interview – if you show up unpolished, you will most likely not get a second chance.”
And further omnichannel packaging has been found to build trust with customers in traditional retail outlets. According to Aptar, this is because the omnichannel pack-aging delivers leak free functionality with a convenient, single SKU. For brands, omni-channel packaging eliminates prep charges, while delivering on consumer expectations, further optimizing overall growth in the e-commerce channel.
“E-commerce has unique potential to reduce waste in the environment by elim-inating excessive packaging,” said Erhart. “For example, expensive ‘romance’ pack-aging is no longer required. Products, not packaging, displayed to consumers, without visual size comparison, perception across products or theft prevention packaging fea-tures, product reviews and star ratings are able to guide the customers first moment of seeing the product, or what P&G calls the ‘Zero moment of truth’.”
LUXURY WITHOUT EXCESSWhen discussing product package develop-ment with brands, Erhart said the approach
for Aptar Beauty + Home is a two-prong, meaning expectations of both consumers and brands must be met. Moreover, each brand has its own needs as it navigates om-nichannel packaging. Collaboration, there-fore, is essential.
While brands hold the key to consum-er communication, Aptar Beauty + Home leverages technology expertise to provide brands with unique custom dispensing ca-pabilities. “We look to our brand partners as they are a critical part of our innovation development,” said Erhart. “They are the first line of communication – though not just communication, but interaction, en-gagement, touch points – with consumers and are able to help us understand what the needs and the expected benefits are. We also do consumer research, [includ-ing] online surveys, in-person and virtu-al studies, and market trend analyses, to provide brands with value-added insights that may be outside of their scope. The mindshare during our meetings truly goes both ways.”
With expectations becoming higher and higher, the beauty industry has made bold statements and taken on very ambitious goals in terms of sustainability and well-rounded omnichannel experiences. And to be sure, each company has needs specific to its brand DNA and corporate mission as well as its relationship to its consumers.
“First and foremost, brands are consid-ering the consumer experience, especially now with the huge shift to online retail,” said Erhart. “It is their first impression – good or bad– to who they are. This heavily
The panelists agreed that the “human
connection” is most critical
in establishing the initial, base-line
relationship.”
Aptar Beauty + Home wide selection of
dispensing solution products provide value
and convenience for end-users by anticipating
market expectations.
Amid rising demand for sustainable solutions and shifts to online retail, Aptar Beauty + Home is helping brands offer an improved and more satisfying consumer experience.
P R E S E N T E D B Y :
P R E S E N T E D B Y :P R E S E N T E D B Y :
INNOVATIONAptar Beauty + Home holds many industry “firsts.” Here are five notable ones:
GLIDE AND APOLLO are hoodless aerosol actuators with
a twist to lock mechanism.
First to market, Aptar’s LOCK + GO technology is an e-commerce capable tube top closure with a built-in finger recess.
DISC TOP GO features a unique three-piece closure design and prevents accidental actuation in transit with a lockable on-off feature.
E-CLIP prevents traditional dispensing pumps from breaking in transit or actuating by accident.
EASY CLIP is designed to
hold a fragrance sample in
place.
The panelists said social media and marketing
works best when
customers are fully engaged.”
impacts brands from a perception and cost value perspective.”
Brands are also considering supply chain costs. “The traditional supply chain has an average of four touchpoints through the process, while an e-commerce supply chain can increase touchpoints,” said Erhart. “There is a lot more room for issues to occur. Overwrapping, excess packaging and larger shipping boxes can lead to higher an-cillary costs.”
As a global organization with manufactur-ing facilities in 18 countries, Aptar Beauty + Home is able to offer global brands dispens-ing components where they are formulating and filling, cutting supply chain costs.
RECONSIDERING THE DELIVERYIt is important to note that working with some large-scale retailers brands are subject to additional new challenges. Amazon, for example, requires that brands maintain cer-tain shipping guidelines. The Amazon pack-aging mission is to have products designed to reduce waste where Amazon Overbox is not required, to use 100 percent recyclable packaging, to make the consumer experience optimal with “easy to open” gestures, and to protect products against damage without preparations made by Amazon. Notably, a package’s carbon footprint can also offset the use of sustainable packaging.
In April of 2020, Aptar Beauty + Home opened its on-site ISTA-6 lab testing fa-cility to help brands meet Amazon’s guide-lines for ISTA-6 Overbox Testing through the APASS program. Aptar Beauty + Home also has pre-qualifying dispensing solu-tions to ensure they meet Amazon’s guide-
lines. Brands are able to utilize the com-pany’s testing facility to understand what potential issues they are facing and learn about dispensing products that will miti-gate any issues.
“We have a unique opportunity to rein-vent the packaging that delights consum-ers, reduce waste, and minimize costs,” said Erhart.
As part of its deep commitment to inno-vation, Aptar Beauty + Home invests 3 per-cent of total revenue back into research and development to continuously provide new solutions to brand partners. The company currently holds hundreds of international patents on dispensing technology and has launched over 70 new products in the last three years to meet every brand and retailer where they need to be.
Philippe Erhart, president of Beauty + Home, North America, Aptar
FOR PHILIPPE ERHART, president of Beauty + Home, North America, at Aptar, partnering with brands
for a sustainable future goes far beyond dispensing products. With innovation at its core, Aptar is continually evaluating manufacturing practices and the impact on global and local eco-systems, and as a company has positioned itself to be well equipped to support partners in the beauty industry to meet sustainability goals as well.
Excess packaging is no longer a viable solution for today’s savvy beauty consumers who demand brands to be actively, and transparently, work-ing towards sustainability. And with e-commerce on the rise investing in high-quality packaging to ship without compromise has become table stakes in staying ahead.
As sustainable and omnichannel product packaging becomes even more crucial to a beauty brand’s growth in today’s market, Erhart shares his perspective and insights into brands’ evolving packaging needs, addressing consumer demands, and his vision for a sustainable future in beauty.
WWD Studios: What are the key problem areas and challenges from a packaging perspective that beauty brands are facing today?Philippe Erhart: The two main challenges Aptar Beauty + Home continually hear
beauty brands face are: how to identify and execute their needs in regard to sus-tainability and the need for omnichannel ready packaging. In regard to sustainabil-ity, each brand has unique needs spe-cific to their DNA. Some of those needs shared with us include recyclability, reduc-ing, and repurposing plastics as it relates to the waste stream or how to create reus-able packaging platforms.
The most important component of the package for omnichannel needs tends to be the dispensing mechanism. If a pump breaks in transit or a closure acciden-tally opens, it can lead to poor customer experience and costly chargebacks to the brand. This applies to more than just
online orders. The increase of retail pickup and delivery makes it crucial for brands to take every potential touchpoint into con-sideration.
WWD Studios: Why is investing in higher-quality packaging, created with e-commerce in mind, necessary for brands, especially now?PE: It is important for brands to take into consideration the full cradle-to-grave customer experience. Yes, there is an increase in needs for omnichannel capa-ble packaging, but also consider – what happens after that? How are they being used in and outside the home? How will consumers perceive the value of your brand? Formula and performance are a key part of this, but high-quality packag-ing is equally important.
WWD Studios: How does Aptar part-ner with brands to address reducing the waste stream?PE: We are continually evaluating our own products and processes through the use of life cycle assessments and the implementation of eco-design. For all innovation moving forward we look at two critical components: how do we make the product more sustainable and how do we make sure it is e-commerce capable. Brands are also able to partner with us to perform their own life cycle assessments and ISTA-6 certifications through our internal programs.
PRESTIGE PRESENTATIONThrough Aptar Beauty + Home, brands are able to walk their sustainability talk, while meeting consumer’s evolving needs.
WWD Studios: Can you speak to the movement away from excess packaging?PE: Sustainability at this point is the norm, an expectation of the consumer. Over the past few months, we’ve had the opportunity to see our direct impact on the environment first-hand. It is critical brands look at the unique opportunities this provides them to play a part in their day-to-day lives.
WWD Studios: In your own words, how does a superior packaging product work to maintain trust and loyalty between brands and their consumers?PE: Trust and loyalty are built through extensive interaction between two parties. Consumers do not have immediate inter-action with the people behind the brands – so their products are the representation or extension of who they are.
Consumers are continually more educated and skeptical of advertising and influencers and rely on experiences from their peers or themselves to make purchasing decisions. When a brand considers each component – packaging, formula, etc. – as a unique extension of who they are it can build credibility that their story is authentic.
WWD Studios: How can Aptar play a role in a brand’s marketing?PE: We pride ourselves on being a B-to-B-to-C company and put extensive resources and revenues back into under-standing how we can provide consumers with a better-quality experience with their products – thus in return helping brands develop value beyond the cost.
Aptar is also able to help brands sub-stantiate packaging claims through our extensive technical capabilities and part-nerships with external resources. Some examples of these are ECO-CERT certi-fication, life cycle assessments, e-com-merce Capable, and ISTA-6 over box certifications. We are continually expand-ing and evaluating how these capabil-ities are uniquely used by brands and what we can do to help them.
7
JULY 17, 2020
NEWS FEED
PARIS — Le Bon Marché
department store has just gotten
more colorful, with its new “library
of pigments,” a 3,330-square-foot
makeup mecca.
Open not long after confinement
was lifted in the French capital,
in early June, on the first floor up,
L’Atelier Maquillage, or Makeup
Atelier, collects eight color-cosmetics
brands in one circular location.
“We wanted to open a new page
and create an unprecedented
beauty concept that unites for us
the market’s makeup players of
reference infused with service,”
explained Axelle Royère, beauty
director at Le Bon Marché. For her,
this marks a second act of the Beauty
Loft concept, on the same floor,
which debuted in 2015 showcasing
alternative brands.
“Today our clients are not on a
quest for product, but on a quest for
sense and experience,” she added.
Before, makeup at Le Bon Marché
was only found on the ground floor,
mixed in with other beauty categories.
“We have a skin-care offer that
is rather clearly expressed and a
perfume offer, as well,” explained
Royère. “It is true that until now,
the makeup references were quite
fragmented in terms of zoning and
retail expression.”
So she and her team went to work
for 18 months to conceive the new
department.
“For us, makeup is a fashion
accessory,” the executive said.
“It is a vector of self-affirmation,
the expression also of a certain
femininity, so we wanted voluntarily
to position this area at the juncture
between women’s fashion. You have
the room of designer [labels] to the
left, the sportswear room to the
right and the large lingerie space
[behind]. It’s a hyphen between
these different categories.”
Service, she says, is the makeup
department’s backbone. That
includes three treatment rooms,
where it’s possible to get, for
instance, eyebrows threaded (for the
first time at Le Bon Marché) by the
Blink Brow Bar.
“We wanted to bring something
different, innovative, extremely
modern, precise and cutting-edge,”
Royère said.
The Japanese brand Suqqu,
another new exclusive in France
at the store, has its own treatment
room, too, where clients’ skin can be
prepared for a makeup application
with ritual massages, such as the
Gankin Massage.
“One is taught auto-massage
techniques, allowing you to take care
of yourself at home,” Royère said.
Beside service, the two other axes
on which this department is built are
“specialist” and eco-conscious brands.
The specialist brands include
Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown, Nars
and By Terry. These migrated from
the ground-floor beauty department.
“Each one has a role to play,” Royère
said. That’s as complexion expert,
nude specialist, cult color designer and
custom pigment queen, respectively.
They provide services, as well,
such as By Terry’s Palette Factory,
where people can choose powder
pigments and literally compose their
own palettes.
At La Bouche Rouge, it’s possible
to pick out lipsticks’ outer tubes and
opt to have one’s initials hot-stamped
on them.
Bobbi Brown and Nars offer
consultations and lessons.
The sustainable brands decking
either side of the department’s
entrance are La Bouche Rouge and
Kure Bazaar, two “clean” French labels.
La Bouche Rouge, with its
rechargeable lipstick, was launched
at Le Bon Marché three years ago.
Alongside selling its existing line,
exclusively at the store it creates
made-to-measure lipstick with
a technique using a scanner on
anything to be color matched, such
as an item of clothing.
“It’s really appreciated by our
clients for an accessory,” Royère said.
Kure Bazaar’s rechargeable, vegan
lipsticks come in denim pouches.
Up next for L’Atelier Maquillage is
Charlotte Tilbury, which will settle in
the center of the makeup floor with a
“Beauty Wonderland” theme by Sept. 15.
“It’s a super-fun concept, quite
quirky and very playful,” Royère said.
For now, that area is lined with
alternative beauty brands.
“They respond perfectly to the
needs of our clients right before
summer, so it made a lot of sense for
us to unite some of our favorites in
terms of holistic beauty,” Royère said.
These include Sentara Holistic,
Odacité and D+ for Care. Also in this
section are workshops for people to
discover the brands.
“Since we are still under strict
sanitary measures, they’re small
groups, respecting the rules,”
continued Royère.
The executive would not discuss
projections, but industry sources
believe the new department could
boost makeup sales by double-digits
at Le Bon Marché, which continues
selling color cosmetics from brands
such as Chanel, Dior, Giorgio Armani,
Yves Saint Laurent and Guerlain on
the ground floor.
Royère considers L’Atelier
Maquillage as a focal point in Le Bon
Marché. “It’s a bit noticeable from
everywhere in the store,” she said.
The department’s circular shape
was chosen to reflect conviviality
and echoes the form of the shoe
department one floor above.
There’s a keen eye to design here.
The 1,700 jars of pigments decorating
the walls were sourced by specialists
from around the world. The glazed
lava stone counters are the same as
in the Beauty Loft, and comfy Tulip
chairs were designed by Pierre Paulin.
Each mirror has three light
intensities. Hooks are available from
which to hang bags, and telephone
charging stations are accessible.
Due to today’s strict hygiene
measures people may not have
makeovers. Rather, they can learn how
to apply products using a mirroring
technique, by which they imitate what
the beauty advisers are doing.
Le Bon Marché’s New Makeup Department Has Services Galore Bobbi Brown, Nars, Laura Mercier, La Bouche Rouge and Kure Bazaar are among the brands found there. BY JENNIFER WEIL
L'Atelier Maquillage at Le Bon Marché.
8
JULY 17, 2020
NEWS FEED
THE HAIR INDUSTRY IS joining
forces to offer COVID-19 health-
care workers free services through
a new digital platform launched by
celebrity hairstylists and longtime
friends Lucy Halperin, Jeremy Tardo
and Amanda Shuttleworth.
All three live in Los Angeles, where
the initiative was born. Familiar names
in the world of hair are among the
bunch to join the cause and offer their
talents, including David Babaii, Mara
Roszak, Ted Gibson, Benjamin Mohapi,
Johnnie Sapong and Jenny Cho —
whose clients collectively include
the likes of Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth
Paltrow, Billie Eilish and Meghan
Markle. So far, major L.A. salons such
as Mèche, Nine Zero One, Ramirez
Tran Salon and Sally Hershberger have
also signed up, though the endeavor is
open to all states. A total of 53 salons
and freelance hairstylists have joined
to date.
“We want it to be inclusive to
everyone,” Halperin said. “Whether
they have one chair or 100 chairs,
every salon is important.”
“It’s an army of hairdressers we’re
building,” added Tardo.
Services will be available for a two-
week period via Frontline Fortnight,
as it’s called, a nod to Halperin and
Shuttleworth’s British roots. Both hair
professionals and health-care workers
are able to sign up directly on
frontlinefortnight.com. It’s an honor
system, said the founders, and anyone
with a hospital ID working during the
pandemic is able to benefit.
“That includes the person
answering the phone, the janitors…,”
said Tardo, a colorist who’s worked
with Miley Cyrus, Jared Leto and
Miranda Kerr.
Though the idea for Frontline
Fortnight was sparked in March, and
the site is up and running, a launch
date has yet to be set. Evidently, it’s due
to the surge of coronavirus cases across
the country and news on Monday from
California Gov. Gavin Newsom to roll
back reopening of salons.
“We’re trying to be very sensitive
to the fact that the hairdressing
industry has been hit pretty hard
by the whole pandemic and a lot of
hairdressers have been out of work,”
Tardo said. “We really want to allow
those people to be able to go back to
work and make money for a period
before we ask them to provide free
services. That, combined with the
fact that obviously the pandemic
is ongoing, we can’t personally
be responsible for sending first
responders into people’s chairs all
over the country when they’re still
dealing with COVID-19 patients on a
day-to-day basis.”
The site also invites visitors to
donate to the Professional Beauty
Association's pandemic relief fund,
which is providing aid to those facing
financial hardships.
The hair salon business has been
hit hard. It was a relief to the industry
and hairstylists to return to work,
following Newsom’s announcement
allowing salons to reopen on May
26. Many had been unemployed
since March 19, when nonessential
businesses were ordered to close. But
now, the roll back is another blow.
“I understand that it is to reduce
spread, but for me, I’m having a
much, much more difficult time
personally with it this time around,
I have to say,” said Shuttleworth,
who works with Tardo at L.A.’s
Benjamin Salon as a hairstylist and
hair extension specialist. “There
seems to be little to no monitoring
of house parties or going out or
congregating….[The team has] gone
to extraordinary lengths to make the
salon safe and clean. So, for me, to
not be able to go to work when I look
outside or I see people eating outside
close together with no masks on…it
just seems unfair.”
For Halperin, who works as a
freelancer, life is different these days.
She's usually on the move, dividing
her time between between L.A. and
London, working as a makeup artist
and men’s groomer for clients that
include Brad Pitt and Kaia Gerber.
When work resumed, however, she had
one job total.
“I had a shield, a mask,” she said of
the experience. “It took me so long
to prepare mentally, actually. It’s
quite emotional. It’s just the process
of working. It’s so different. I don’t
think that there’s going to be the red
carpet for a while. Cinema is being
closed again, so that will set back
premieres. I know a couple of my
actors had premieres, and we did no
press. Normally, I would go to their
house, do all their press junkets. The
days of the big premieres are a long
time to come.”
Tardo normally splits his time
between L.A. and New York, working
in freelance and in the salon. “For
me, both of those things were
nonexistent overnight,” he said.
To adapt, he created at-home hair
kits for clients and offered FaceTime
appointments to walk them through
the steps: “I would put together,
personally in my home, a kit with
their color formula and all the tools
that they needed.”
“I have clients who just send
me money, because they’re
worried I haven’t worked,” shared
Shuttleworth.
When they were back in the salon,
the first two weeks were “really busy,”
though that changed as coronavirus
cases rose, she said.
“As soon as the numbers started
to climb, it went quiet for everyone,”
she continued. “People were too
scared to get back in. I noticed that
[compared to] the first two weeks, it
could not have been any different.”
Still, despite the hardships, the
three are determined to unite the
community and give back to health-
care workers. The entire operation,
including the site (created by Daniel
Landrocheat of creative agency Grl),
is built and managed free of charge
with the help of peers.
“It’s great to see that in the worst
of times, you do see the best of
humanity,” Tardo said. “We’re all
going through this together.”
“We’re a really resilient bunch,”
Halperin said. “The industry will
recover.”
“I think this is an opportunity for us
to grow and change,” Shuttleworth said.
“It is not the strongest of the
species that survives, nor the most
intelligent,” added Tardo, quoting
Charles Darwin. “It is the one most
adaptable to change.”
-EXCLUSIVE-
Hair Industry to Gift Free Services To COVID-19 Hospital Workers The digital platform, Frontline Fortnight, is created by celebrity hairstylists Lucy Halperin, Jeremy Tardo and Amanda Shuttleworth. BY RYMA CHIKHOUNE
Frontline Fortnight was created
by hairstylists Amanda Shuttleworth,
Lucy Halperin and Jeremy Tardo, pictured
here pre-pandemic at West Hollywood's
Benjamin Salon.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT RACHAEL DESANTIS, BEAUTY DIRECTOR AT [email protected]
BEAUTY INC’S ANNUAL ISSUE SHOWCASING
BEAUTY’S MOST POWERFUL—AND RELEVANT—BRANDS.
ISSUE:
08.28CLOSES: 08.14
MATERIALS: 08.18
POWERPLAYERS
ISSUE
BEAUTY INC’S OPPORTUNITIES:
CUSTOM WWD STUDIO FEATURES
BRAND AD ALIGNMENT
SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE
WEBINAR
10
JULY 17, 2020
WEEKLY ROUNDUP
BURBERRY Q1 SALES
SINK 48.4%¬ Stung by store
closures and dwindling international tourism,
retail revenue at Burberry fell 48.4
percent to 257 million pounds in the first
quarter ended June 27, while the current quarter will continue
to be “materially impacted” by the
coronavirus pandemic, Burberry said
in a trading update Wednesday.
Comparable store sales were down 45 percent in the
three-month period. Burberry shares were
down 4.4 percent at 14.88 pounds in morning trading on Wednesday.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Burberry also plans
to cut costs at its stores and offices outside
the U.K., with the aim of saving 35 million pounds.Burberry added
that based on the June figures, when sales fell 20 percent, it expects second-quarter retail
sales to decline by 15 to 20 percent. — Samantha Conti
¬ Some current and former employees of Nike have come together to post allegations of racism and mistreatment within the company.
The anonymous Black at Nike group is “amplifying Black voices from current and former Nike employees” via Instagram. BIPOC are encouraged to send their stories via a Google link to the non-Nike affiliated space.
The space had nearly 8,600 Instagram followers as of Wednesday morning.
The @BlackatNike
respondents, who opted not to identify themselves, said many of the Black employees have been “suffering in silence alone.
Many have been laid off due to retaliation. Many feel they should shut up and work, in fear of not being able to thrive in the corporate system.”
Like other Fortune 500 companies, employees are calling for more than goodwill and are demanding systemic change within their infrastructures. —Rosemary Feitelberg
¬ Neiman Marcus Group, in bankruptcy proceedings since May 7, is moving forward on disposing stores.
Neiman’s is already in talks to vacate its store in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards and is now working with A&G Real Estate Partners to market four other locations, according to A&G.
A&G said Tuesday that the Neiman’s locations being marketed are the 87,608-square-foot unit
in Walnut Creek, Calif.; the 126,296-square-foot unit in Mazza Gallerie in Washington D.C.; the 48,661-square-foot unit on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, Fla., and the 124,637-square-foot unit in the Shops at Bravern in Bellevue, Wash.
Sources also have said the list of locations being eyed for possible closures includes Dallas; St. Louis; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Natick, Mass., and Westchester, N.Y. — David Moin
¬ Farfetch has scored an exclusive tie-in with Rihanna’s Fenty label, WWD has learned. The retail giant will become the only online retailer stocking Fenty outside the label’s own
¬ Vanity Fair editor in chief Radhika Jones is calling out the glossy magazine’s long lack of diversity on its covers.
In her latest editor’s letter for the July/August issue, Jones quotes cover face Viola Davis as saying in her interview that the magazine “has had a problem in the past with putting Black women on the covers.”
Excluding groups and special issues, she counted
just 17 Black people on the cover of Vanity Fair in the 35 years between 1983 and 2017.
In contrast, she said in her two-and-a-half-year tenure, Vanity Fair has featured 10 Black cover subjects.
The photographer, Dario Calmese, describes his striking cover concept as “a re-creation of the Louis Agassiz slave portraits taken in the 1800s — the back, the welts.” — Kathryn Hopkins
Radhika Jones Pens Editor’s Letter on Diversity
Black at Nike Instagram Account Outlines Racism
Neiman Marcus Closes More Stores
Farfetch Nabs Exclusive Fenty Partnership
Vanity Fair cover of Viola Davis.
Nike's House of Innovation in New York.
A campaign image from Fenty Release 6-20.
The Latest From WWD Fashion.Finance.Media.Retail.
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The Burberry Summer Monogram Collection
campaign featuring and shot by Kendall Jenner.
e-commerce channel.The announcement coincides
with the brand’s new summer drop, dubbed Release 6-20.
“Fenty was looking for a retail partner to double down on its digital-first business model and, with our global customer base and industry-leading platform model, it’s an ideal opportunity to work together,” said Giorgio Belloli, chief commercial at Farfetch.
This comes on the heels of Rihanna’s announcement of Fenty Skin, which is set to launch exclusively on fentyskin.com on July 31. — Natalie Theodosi
R E G I S T E R T O D AY
In this digital event, Arthur Zaczkiewicz, executive editor of WWD, is
joined by Sonia Summers, chief executive officer and founder of Beauty
Barrage, to discuss rapidly-evolving trends and current opportunities in the
beauty industry. They will discuss why, as retail stores reopen, brands need
to make sure field teams and virtual teams are completely aligned; and why
there is a lot that brands can do to succeed in the fourth quarter to take
advantage of pent-up demand in consumer spending.
The lively discussion will also include how physical retail has changed in a
post-COVID-19 environment, and how Beauty Barrage is uniquely equipped
to help brands and retailers create a safe and optimal shopping experience
for consumers.
For assistance or attendee questions, please contact Keith Zanardi at [email protected]
W E B I N A R
P R E S E N T E D B Y
Fielding Beauty Trends
J U LY 2 2 AT 2 P M E S T
Sonia Summers, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
& FOUNDER, Beauty Barrage
in conversation with WWD’s Arthur Zaczkiewicz
12
JULY 17, 2020
DEEP DIVE
AS CONSUMERS BECOME increasingly conscious of their
purchasing power, some are placing
greater emphasis on buying from
Black-owned businesses.
In June, social media users began
circulating lists of dozens — and in
some cases, hundreds — of Black-
owned beauty brands in the wake of
the George Floyd protests. The lists
signified a desire from supporters of
the Black Lives Matter movement to
align their spending habits with their
core values. Less common, though,
than the widely shared lists of Black-
owned beauty brands were posts
raising awareness of Black-owned
beauty retailers.
The past few years have given
rise to a number of beauty retailers
nationwide that are self-funded
and owned by Black women. WWD
Beauty Inc spoke to six Black-owned
beauty retailers — five of which have
not yet taken on investment — about
their business models and causes for
launch. Despite each unique story, all
shared a common thread: Each of the
founders launched their businesses
because of one of a variety of failures
by the beauty industry to properly
cater to Black and brown consumers.
The Brown Beauty Co-op is one
such Black-owned beauty retailer
that currently carries 50 Black-
owned brands online and in its
physical store, based in the nation's
capital. Cofounded by Kimberly
Smith and Amaya Smith, who are
not related, the cooperative aims to
offer a more tailored alternative to
beauty supply stores, many of which
are not Black-owned.
“We are looking for people of color-
owned brands that are independently
owned,” Kimberly Smith said. “Our
mission is making sure that the
products are suitable for people of
color to use.”
In June, Kimberly Smith and
Amaya Smith penned an open letter
to Sephora prior to the retailer's
adoption of Brother Vellies founder
Aurora James' 15 Percent Pledge. In
the letter, The Brown Beauty Co-op
cofounders called out Sephora for its
lack of Black leadership, which is
6 percent in the U.S., according
to numbers Sephora revealed as
part of Sharon Chuter's Pull Up for
Change campaign. They also called
into question Sephora's diversity
and inclusion efforts, which the
retailer launched after the singer
SZA tweeted that she had been
racially profiled at a Sephora store
in Calabasas, Calif.
In-store mistreatment of Black and
brown customers is not an occurrence
exclusive to Sephora, but a widespread
issue at many retailers, including
beauty supply stores. Racially charged
misconduct perpetrated toward
Aisha Griffin is what led the former
automotive manufacturer consultant
to launch her direct-to-consumer
business, Coil Beauty.
“I became frustrated with beauty
supply stores in general, [and]
more mainstream stores didn’t have
products that catered to my needs as
an African-American woman,” Griffin
said. “I wanted to create a space where
women of color could come and find
things that are made for their needs,
but also a space where they could feel
comfortable shopping and not feel
rushed or not treated fairly.”
Maryland-based Dr. Kristian
Edwards said she was compelled
to launch online marketplace BLK
+ GRN, which features all-natural
products made by Black artisans,
after reading a study on the toxicity
of products typically marketed to
Black men and women. Edwards
also read Maggie Anderson's book,
“Our Black Year: One Family's Quest
to Buy Black in America's Racially
Divided Economy,” and understood
“the importance of Black people
supporting other small, Black
brands,” she said.
In her search for all-natural products
that were Black-owned, Edwards found
herself ordering from “15 to 20 web�
How Black-Owned Beauty Retailers Are Shaking Up the Beauty Industry Black-owned beauty retailers — many of which are women-founded and self-funded — are meeting the needs of consumers of color who have long been neglected by beauty's biggest players. BY ALEXA TIETJEN PHOTOGRAPHS B Y JULIEN JAMES AND MICHAEL DELANEY
Amaya Smith and Kimberly Smith, cofounders of The Brown Beauty Co-op, based in Washington, D.C.
13
JULY 17, 2020
DEEP DIVE
sites,” indicating a lack of a cohesive
online shopping experience.
“I thought, wouldn’t it be easier
if there was a marketplace where
everything can be bought together?”
she said.
BLK + GRN's four-person team
run the ingredients of each product
available on the company's web site
through the Environmental Working
Group's Skin Deep database. In 2016,
the EWG added more than 1,100
personal-care products marketed to
Black women to its database. The
organization found that less than
25 percent of those products rated
well on its scoring system for
hazardous ingredients.
Renewed conversations about
skin-lightening products — which are
prominent across Africa, Asia and the
Middle East — have drawn attention to
the category's history of health hazards.
In 2019, the World Health Organization
published a paper on the dangers of
mercury in skin-lightening products.
“The toxic trade of often illegal
mercury-added skin-lightening
products is a global crisis expected
to only worsen with skyrocketing
demand,” the paper read. It went
on to list the health risks posed by
inorganic mercury in skin-lightening
creams and soaps, such as kidney
damage, skin rashes, reduction in
the skin’s resistance to bacterial and
fungal infections, anxiety, depression,
psychosis and peripheral neuropathy.
In its product analysis, the EWG
found that bleaching products and
hair relaxers were the “worst-scoring
products marketed to Black women,”
according to an article on its web site.
Breaking the consumption cycle of
these kinds of hazardous products is
part of Brittney Ogike's mission with
BeautyBeez, an online beauty retailer
with a physical presence in Los Angeles'
North Hollywood neighborhood.
“A lot of our customers are loyal to
certain brands or products that they
grew up on because, for decades, it
was the only option at the traditional
beauty supply [store] — relaxers to
make our hair straight are products
with toxic ingredients, tools that are
damaging to our hair,” Ogike said.
“When our customers come into
our store asking for these products,
we try to educate them on why we
don’t carry that specific brand or that
particular product. We try to offer
them the better alternative.”
BeautyBeez is self-funded by Ogike,
who works in sports management. Her
brother, NBA player Khris Middleton,
is an investor in the business.
BeautyBeez's e-commerce platform
carries nearly 2,000 products by 200
brands. The brick-and-mortar store,
which reopened in May after closing
due to COVID-19, has a section called
“Classics” that offers some of the
brands Ogike intuited her customers
may have been taught to use at
an early age. When the store first
opened nearly a year ago, the Classics
section was its best-selling. Now, the
best-selling products are the “better
products for us,” Ogike said.
Jazmin Alvarez, an alum of Calvin
Klein and Condé Nast who also
worked on the production and casting
for Fenty Beauty's digital launch in
2017, is the founder and chief curator
of Pretty Well Beauty, a clean beauty
curation web site. She launched Pretty
Well Beauty last year after multiple
experiences with clean beauty retailers
that she perceived to be “elitist and
exclusive,” she said. Pretty Well Beauty
now carries about 30 brands.
“I like to consider myself the
anti-Goop, if you will,” Alvarez said,
referring to Goop's exclusionary
marketing that tends to leave out
customers with a more modest
shopping budget, as well as
consumers of color. “There’s very
little representation of women of
color in the clean beauty space,
so I wanted to be that voice and
set a really high standard. Almost
every other beauty retailer makes
concessions in one way or another.
That’s just not something I’m willing
to do, and it’s how I’m hoping to set
my brand apart from them — not just
with clean but with sustainability.”
Wendy Imbisi, founder of
Sacramento-based Nala Essentials,
said she left her corporate banking
job to start her online beauty business
after difficulty finding a “one-stop
shop” for Black-owned brands.
“I wanted to know I was providing
the best value for the people,” Imbisi
said. Nala Essentials' e-commerce
platform carries about 10 brands
created by people of color.
“Nala Essentials is here to make
Black women and people of color
know that they’re seen,” Imbisi said.
“Growing up, I did not see myself
in the cool, healthy-looking brands.
I’m glad to say that is now changing.
People of color and Black people
are now going to be taught about
the importance of taking care of
ourselves and spending a little bit
more money on products that are
much better and healthier for us.
I’m excited to see where the health
and wellness industry goes for Black
people and people of color.”
While some of the Black-owned
beauty retailers interviewed by Beauty
Inc were negatively impacted by
COVID-19, nearly all expressed that
the surge in conscious consumption of
Black-owned beauty has translated to
a bump in sales for them.
Imbisi said Nala Essentials'
overall sales have gone up, as has
the average order value. “Weirdly
enough, the men’s products are flying
off the shelves,” she said.
Ogike said that in June, BeautyBeez's
sales were up as much as 300 percent.
In-store foot traffic grew, as well.
“June has, by far, been our biggest
month yet in regards to sales and �
Inside The Brown Beauty Co-op.
BLACK-OWNED BEAUTY RETAILERS
BEAUTYBEEZ, beautybeez.comFounded by: Brittney OgikeLocation: Los Angeles# of brands: 200
BLK + GRN, blkgrn.comFounded by: Dr. Kristian EdwardsLocation: Maryland# of brands: 70
THE BROWN BEAUTY CO-OP, brownbeautyco-op.comFounded by: Kimberly Smith and Amaya SmithLocation: Washington, D.C.# of brands: 67
COIL BEAUTY, coilbeauty.comFounded by: Aisha GriffinLocation: Chicago# of brands: 14
NALA ESSENTIALS, nalaessentials.comFounded by: Wendy ImbisiLocation: Sacramento, Calif.# of brands: 10
PRETTY WELL BEAUTY, prettywellbeauty.comFounded by: Jazmin AlvarezLocation: New York City# of brands: 30
14
JULY 17, 2020
DEEP DIVE
social engagement,” Ogike said. “I the Black Lives Matter movement.
Our world is waking up and our
community is being more conscious
of where we’re spending our dollars.”
After experiencing a dip in sales due
to the coronavirus, BLK + GRN has
since seen an increase, Edwards said.
“One of the big things I’m trying to
get across is I hope people make this a
habit,” she said. “It doesn’t help for you
to [buy from a Black-owned business]
one time. We want it to be something
you understand the underlying reasons
of why it’s important, something you
continue to do.”
The Brown Beauty Co-op saw a 75
percent decrease in revenue in March
and April, when it was forced to
close its brick-and-mortar store. The
business has seen “steady growth”
since June, said Kimberly Smith, and
is currently allowing customers to
shop in-store by appointment.
“We've been getting an influx of
new customers based on a lot of the
campaigns we're seeing online around
'buy Black' and 'support Black-
owned businesses,'” Smith said. “This
is a crucial time for a lot of small
businesses. We'll take the support,
we'll take the tags because we are
trying to survive COVID-19. Put your
money where the message is.”
The Brown Beauty Co-op has been
called “The Black Sephora.” Similarly,
BeautyBeez's Ogike said she aims for
her store to be “the Sephora for Black
women.” That comparison is telling of
Sephora's aspirational value for many
beauty consumers and simultaneous
failure to cater to a diverse-enough
consumer base.
“When customers come in and
see our space — especially a space
curated for women of color, ethnic
beauty — they’re not used to it,”
Ogike said. “Beauty supply stores for
women of color, there’s no intention
in the retail space. There’s just
products. So when customers come
into our store and they see that it’s
a store for them but it looks like
a Sephora, they start questioning.
They’re like, ‘Is this Black-owned?’
“We have team members who
look like you, who understand your
unique needs,” Ogike continued. “Our
customers come in for one thing and
they leave with 10 because they trust
our associates in giving them what
they actually need that’s effective. We
get a lot of 'thank you’s,' a lot of ‘I’m
gonna tell my friends' or ‘I’m going
to church on Sunday, I’m telling my
whole church.’ And they actually bring
them. The enthusiasm they have for
the brand, the store, it shows.” ■
“Beauty supply stores for women of color, there’s no intention in the retail
space. There’s just products.” -brittney ogike, beautybeez
Inside BeautyBeez.
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Danessa Myricks first found her love of makeup when she got laid off from a corporate job, but an immediate white space jumped out to her when she entered the beauty world. “I found myself doing a lot of education for
hair professionals. I fell in love with education, but I found it was really hard to create a list of products they can use to work on anyone,” Myricks said. Now, multiuse formulas that work on all tones are Myricks' forte. With Vision Flush, an eye, cheek and lip tint she launched on June 15 in 12 shades, she wanted to offer a professional-grade, multiuse product. “I wanted something for a one-and-done look,” she said.
The product, which can be blended either with the
doe-foot applicator or a finger, also builds in pores and fine lines in a matte finish. “What I found is that creams are easy to blend, but scary for people, and the powder finish is more wearable for most,” Myricks said. “It blends on as a cream, but disappears into your skin to look soft like a powder finish.” Despite the ease of use, the product is just as friendly to Myricks' professional clientele. “I wanted to simplify something from an artist's perspective,” she said.
Makeba Lloyd, founder of Butter By Keba and its recently launched sister brand, My Palm Spa, loves scent. She even describes her range of body moisturizers as moisturizing fragrances. So, when formulating My Palm Spa with a hand butter, a hand scrub, and a cuticle oil (and a bundle including a cuticle stick and gloves), aromatherapy was a top concern. “It’s relaxing to have an aromatherapeutic benefit to it. I wanted to do
something that streamlined into the essential oils since it’s just for the hands,” Lloyd said. She highlighted the detoxifying ginger-lemongrass blend in the hand scrub, the brightening lemon-basil blend in the hand butters, and the rice bran oil in the cuticles as ingredients to freshen up any manicure.
The kit, which launched in May, was serendipitously timed to COVID-19, although the process predates the quarantine. “I had this whole thing in a vault before, but since COVID-19, it dawned on me that because we’re hand sanitizing so much, and the manicure salons are closed, what are we going to do?” she said.
My Palm Spa Hand KitAVAILABLE ON BUTTERBYKEBA.COM. PRICES RANGE FROM $8 TO $28.
Marie Hunter Beauty Fresh Glow Vitamin C Serum AVAILABLE ON MARIEHUNTERBEAUTY.COM FOR $54.
Skin care was always the top priority for Marie Hunter Beauty founder KéNisha Ruff, who launched her self-funded line in 2016 with 12 lipsticks. “I would’ve only been able to launch with one or two products, and with skin care, you need to invest a lot into marketing and people want to see instant gratification. Financially, I decided it wasn’t the best idea,” she said. Although she was able to mark her first launch into the category in 2018, with the help of feedback from her past color products, Ruff also launched a vitamin C serum in May.
A licensed cosmetologist, Ruff is no stranger to ingredient stories. The formula mimics her first serum, a hyaluronic acid serum, but also features citrus stem cells to boost elasticity and Caribbean orange oil for fragrance alongside the vitamin C. “With 'Fresh Glow,' I wanted to address age spots, hyperpigmentation, and even the skin tone. It’s a two-in-one product,” she said. During formulation, Ruff also left out gluten, parabens, silicones, sulfates and talc.
Danessa Myricks Beauty Vision FlushAVAILABLE IN 12 SHADES AT DANESSAMYRICKSBEAUTY.COM FOR $20.
Habit Cosmetics is expanding its clean nail polish offerings. The Malibu-based, nontoxic nail polish brand has made PETA-certified vegan, 10 toxin-free nail polishes (free of toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor, TPP, DBP, isobutylphenoxy epoxy resin, xylene and parabens) since its founding in 2013, and is adding 14 shades to the array of colors in August. Each polish, which features myrrh extract to strengthen nails and is packaged in glass, bamboo, FSC-certified paperboard, and recycled plastic components, will be available on the brand's site.
Aja Frierson, the brand's founder, said each of her products takes around two years to formulate, having recently expanded into cheek tints and highlighters. Her line is also self-funded. “I always had the ambition to grow our line, but to focus on sustainable packaging and multitasking formulas,” she said.
Habit Cosmetics Nontoxic Nail PolishAVAILABLE STARTING AUGUST 2020 IN 14 NEW SHADES ON HABITCOSMETICS.COM, $18.
Eyelash expert Dionne Phillips has a clientele that ranges from Victoria Beckham to Viola Davis, and a salon with her name on it in Beverly Hills. However, when the coronavirus pandemic hit, she had to find a convenient way to bring her lashes to her housebound devotees following closures over safety concerns. The solution was her Felt Tip Adhesive Eyeliner, which launched on July 12 on D’Lashes’ own site, taking the mess and guesswork out of eyelash glue. “It made the space a little easier to transition from extensions to strip lashes for my clients,” she said.
The multipurpose formula is also nontoxic. “I wanted to make sure it was something different to offer, and the ingredients were a factor,” Phillips said. “I made sure the ingredients were clean: nontoxic, waterproof and no parabens.” She is also launching the formula in two more colors: brown and clear, but wanted to start off with just a dark offering. “I wanted to give a polished face because of my fashion background, and the black eyeliner gives that,” she said.
D’Lashes Felt Tip Adhesive Eyeliner PenAVAILABLE AT DLASHES.COM, $20.
Black-Owned Beauty Brands to Watch From launches in new categories to celebrity followings, each of these brands’ points of differentiation marks notable expansions. BY JAMES MANSO
17
JULY 17, 2020
MASTER CLASS
THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS may have grounded Jane Hertzmark
Hudis, recently named executive group
president of the Estée Lauder Cos. Inc.,
but it hasn’t slowed her down.
Hudis, whose portfolio includes
many of the company’s highest-
growth brands, averages anywhere
from eight to 10 Zoom calls a day
from her home on the Upper East
Side of Manhattan, the first one
usually kicking off around 7:30 a.m.
As challenging as the year has been
for business, the executive clearly
relishes the complexities of today’s
landscape. “This is not a time for the
faint of heart,” she said. “You have to
be strategic and quick, and have great
teams and be able to lead through
challenging times. Business is there
to be had. This is the time to go for it
because so much is changing.”
What does being named
executive group president mean
to you?
It is an incredibly exciting moment.
Jane Hertzmark Hudis The executive group president of the Estée Lauder Cos. oversees the company's fastest-growing categories. BY JENNY B. FINE PHOTOGRAPH BY AMY LOMBARD
DIRECT CONNECT: @jhhudis
I’m responsible for skin care and the
other highest-growth areas of the
company. It is really about having
an impact on the company’s total
performance, both in terms of the
brands I oversee and my leadership
across the organization.
I’ve always been passionate about
this business and now, in particular,
is a time when powerful leadership
could not be more important.
What have the last few months
been like for you — what’s been
key as you steer the brands
through these turbulent times?
I’m an eternal optimist, and I see
everything with the lenses of what
is the opportunity. In the early
days, I led with heart and empathy,
connecting to all of our teams around
the world. The beginning was about
caring for the safety and health of our
employees.
At the same time, it was a period
of unprecedented transformation.
The speed of transformation over the
last few months has been nothing
short of extraordinary — the pivot to
digital and online is happening at an
accelerated speed, literally overnight.
We always wanted to be a digital first
company and that happened. We not
only went from producing the highest-
level products, but also [became]
a media company. We are calling
ourselves a digitally empowered beauty
powerhouse. The teams did this huge
pivot in one feel swoop, which was
pretty extraordinary.
Besides the pivot to online, there's
been an incredible focus on hero
products. Heroes have the highest
recruitment and repeat rate. People
wanted more of what they loved.
Can you talk more specifically
about where you saw out-
performance versus the market?
Estée Lauder and La Mer are
continuing on a fast trajectory, both
growing double digits and enjoying
great success around the world. But
we also see the emergence of a brand
like Aveda, which was born with the
values consumers find important
today. It is plant based and will be
vegan as of January.
Aveda has also transformed its
business model. The primary channel,
especially in North American, is
salons. About two years ago, we
thought it would be important to
enlarge and transform the business
by putting their model online.
Consumers might buy in salons, but
they want to replenish online.
The Aveda team developed
A-commerce, where orders are
fulfilled through aveda.com, but
created through the salon owner,
which has really helped these small
business owners, which many salons
are, and has transformed the Aveda
business model to be more direct to
consumer. I’m particularly excited
about the trajectory of this brand.
Bobbi Brown has also made an
incredible pivot. The brand has gone
from being a makeup artist concept
that was almost 100 percent store
dependent to a direct to consumer
business with always-on artistry.
What is so amazing is the speed
of decisionmaking in today’s world.
Things that took months now take
minutes. We’ve learned that we can
do things in unprecedented ways
with extraordinary speed and that is
here to stay. Are we going to forever
spend our lives away from each
other? No. But we have learned how
to do things far more effectively.
For example, we created a holiday
program for the Lauder brand and
did it on a couple of Zoom calls
versus six months of meetings.
What is China’s recovery
looking like?
China is buoyant. Shopping is
happening with passion. It is
happening online, but also in store.
What is so exciting about what’s
happening in China is that because
they have the consumer data, they
are able to accelerate the ability to
personalize and target messaging
— match the right consumer with
the right product with the right
messaging and that is going with
unbelievable speed.
What they’ve been able to achieve
portends great things for the rest of the
world, even though there are challenges.
How about North America?
North America is not so easy. There are
so many other challenges that aren’t
there in the rest of the world. The most
important thing is the acceleration of
the online business — both our own
and that of our retail partners.
It’s not just younger consumers
who are buying online. It is across
age groups. That will continue. The
ageless consumer has moved to
shopping online in droves. The idea
that you can capture everyone from
Gen Z to the ageless consumer makes
this channel incredibly important.
We look at our brand dot-coms
as media platforms — even if she
doesn’t buy, we have the opportunity
to introduce consumers to our brands
and our hero products. When they
come to our brand dot-com, they
spend much more time — we’re able
to teach them, show them, introduce
them to our brands, and this will
be critical to the turnaround of
North America, as we figure out and
rationalize what the store landscape
and experience are going to look like.
The future of North America is
understanding not only what the
experience and the players in-store look
like, but what is the experience online
and who are going to be the players?
Together, we have to invent the future
of prestige beauty. We have to leapfrog
ourselves into the future.
What’s the biggest challenge
you face?
The consumer is changing at the
speed of light. We need to be in touch
with her — connect with her, stay
ahead of her.
There are different challenges
along the way — I do have makeup
businesses, and skin and hair are
so much more powerful. But those
things change. The opportunity
with our brands is they are there to
connect, and what I’ve seen happen,
really out of necessity, bodes well for
the future.
You talked earlier about passion.
What role has that played in
your rise?
Passion is how you go into overdrive. It’s
what spurs you on to go for more, to be
competitive, to be challenging, to drive
for success. That is a key ingredient.
18
JULY 17, 2020
EYE CANDY
Tennis Hair, In Full Swing
¬ Tennis hairstyles have often impacted coiffeurs beyond the court. At their most influential, take a look at John McEnroe’s mullet and red sweatband, to the classic high braided ponytail worn by Anna Kournikova and Ana Ivanovic. Tennis hairstyles have been nothing short of iconic. Serena’s and Venus’ braids from their early career days are just as recognizable, too.
Celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and Ariana Grande have been known to sport tight high ponytails and accessories like visors and sweatbands. In 1999, pop star Britney Spears performed at the Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day held the day before the U.S. Open wearing peppy pigtails, similar to three-
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time Grand Slam winner Tracy Austin’s signature style.
Back in April, Wimbledon was canceled for the first time since World War II, due to the coronavirus pandemic. In June, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the U.S. Open would take place without fans at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13. Due to the recent spike in cases, fans and players alike are concerned the event may be canceled.
However, on the weekend that would’ve followed the final matches at Wimbledon, see the dapper histories of tennis players’ hairstyles donned over the years, both on the court and the trends that followed. — Emily Burns