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ISSUE
#85
MARCH 11, 2022
A Publication of WWD
The Entertainment Biz
From mastering the metaverse to the fast-changing creator landscape,
the speakers at WWD’s Digital Beauty Forum heralded a new age of engagement
in the quest for digital dominance. Our coverage starts on page 6.
PLUS: Moisturizers with momentum and the latest from Paris.
COLLAGE BY JASMINE CHEN
THE BUZZ 2
MARCH 11, 2022
Beauty Bulletin
By the
Numbers:
Brandefy’s
Top
Searched
Brands
Cosmetics brands are
gaining more momentum
with Brandefy’s users,
data shows. BY JAMES MANSO
Ceramides are among
the top beauty trends
Whole Foods Market
anticipates for 2022.
Whole Foods' Beauty Predictions Charlotte Tilbury Pinkgasm
MAKEUP SEARCHES are on the
¬ Amazon-owned grocer Whole Merchandising at Whole Foods from Karuna, Evan Healy and Acure. rise, new data shows.
Foods Market is betting big on Market, in a statement. For the SPF-focused trend, According to Brandefy, a beauty
ingredients for 2022. "Our customers are keeping a sunscreens that boast mineral product research app that has more
As a part of its Beauty Week, close eye on ingredients as they filters, such as zinc oxide, but don't than 64,000 monthly searches,
beauty shoppers have turned their
which includes a 25 percent-off sale experiment with new items and come have a white cast are expected to
interest back to color cosmetics.
on beauty products, Whole Foods' to us for standards that go beyond perform well.
When the pandemic first hit, “we
Trends Council predicts ingredients typical 'clean beauty' claims and Whole Foods has also seen rising saw makeup searches almost entirely
such as ceramides and prickly pear ban more than 180 ingredients," the activity around hair products for disappear,” said Meg Pryde, the app’s
will pick up steam in 2022. statement continued. nighttime, ranging from accessories founder. “The color cosmetics brands
Also among the trends are Alongside the trends themselves, to treatments. A range of products are back in the top 10, whereas 18
translucent zinc sunscreen, overnight Whole Foods Market included a from Kitsch made the list, along with months ago, it was all skin care.”
hairstyling and skin care products roster of products that fell under leave-in conditioners. Charlotte Tilbury has held the top
with a jelly-like texture. each trend's umbrella. For ceramides, Lastly, the retailer said top brands spot since the middle of last year, a
spot it continues to occupy. Joining
"Consumers continue to invest in products such as Acure Ultra are rethinking formulas for a texture
it on the top 10 list are brands like
beauty as we've adjusted to a new Hydrating Plant Ceramide Daily between a gel and a cream. 365 by
Tarte and Nars, as well as trending
normal, and we're seeing a focus Facial Lotion and Cocokind Ceramide Whole Foods, for example, has three skin care brands. “People are certainly
on conscious and at-home beauty Barrier Serum made the list. jelly masks; Cocokind, Mad Hippie, searching for products that have gone
treatments," said Jen Coccaro, Prickly Pear, for example, can also and Pacifica Beauty also have jelly- viral on TikTok,” Pryde said, adding
vice president of Whole Body be found across several products like textures. — James Manso that Fenty Beauty products have also
taken off. ”Drunk Elephant has always
been on the list. The other one to call
out is Glow Recipe,” she said.
Dr. Dennis Conversely, brands that have
seen significant sales declines more
Gross Unveils
recently, such as Glossier, have seen
searches "tank."
Below, the top searched brands
'Peel Mobile' in the Brandefy app for February, as
ranked by search volume.
¬ As consumers head outdoors,
Dr. Dennis Gross top 10 brands:
so is Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare. Skincare's Peel Mobile.
The brand is hitting the road with 1. charlotte tilbury
a bus, called the "Peel Mobile," Gross said the brand is refocusing which include the Alpha Beta Peel, 2. tatcha
which will hit 11 destinations. It will marketing efforts on out-of-home as well as its recently launched 3. drunk elephant
be making stops in New York, N.Y.; activations. This one, in particular, accompanying moisturizer. 4. fenty
Miami; Boston; Austin, Houston and will include a robust influencer "The Alpha Beta Peel is our hero 5. tarte
San Antonio, Texas; Minneapolis; campaign, as well as in-store events product, our reason to exist, and the 6. skinceuticals
San Diego, San Francisco and Los with retail partners. locomotive that started our brand,"
7. nars
Angeles; and Toronto. On the bus itself, participants can Gross said. "We are teaching clients
8. glow recipe
The national route will take place get free skin care consultations and about the moisture barrier and how
from Mar. 31 to June 6. product samples. The truck will also important it is to hydrate properly." 9. sunday riley
Chief executive officer Carrie be promoting new three-step kits, — James Manso 10. clinique
NEWS FEED 3
MARCH 11, 2022
Injecting Olive Oil With a Dose of Cool
Fashion veterans Claudio Castiglioni and Jeffrey T. Matsumoto are behind emerging skin care label
Beauty Thinkers that is already expanding its assortment. BY SANDRA SALIBIAN
MILAN — “We want to make oil offered in refillable packaging at 58 our values with a cool product,
sexy and cool. Wine already is, now euros and 88 euros, respectively. which I couldn’t find elsewhere,”
it's oil's turn,” said Claudio Castiglioni Now the company is stepping up he continued. One such value is
at the end of a lively conversation its game, launching two hydrators sustainability, so the range comes in
about Italy, the state of the beauty and SPF products. Hydrator 1 has ungendered, refillable glass bottles
and fashion industries and Beauty nourishing properties while Hydrator 2 that ensure higher hygiene standards
Thinkers, the emerging skin care label Dry Touch is an ultra-light moisturizing and an extended life cycle.
he launched at the end of last year lotion. Both contain hydroxytyrosol but “Recyclability doesn't necessarily
with the help of Jeffrey T. Matsumoto. also EVOO Enzimatico, an extra virgin mean that a product is recycled, so to
Both fashion veterans — Castiglioni olive oil treated with specific enzymes prolong a life cycle is more important
was the global general manager at to convert its triglycerides into skin to us,” said Matsumoto. Secondary
Tod’s Group and president of Tod’s compatible free fatty acids, resulting packaging includes a repurposable
USA and Matsumoto has experience into a nongreasy and absorbing texture. pouch.
at brands including Prada, Tod’s and The products are priced between 48 Distribution-wise, products are
Burberry — the cofounders have euros and 53 euros with refills retailing currently available on the brand’s
brought their professional expertise between 27 euros and 32 euros. e-commerce and Castiglioni is
and personal experiences to deliver In particular, Matsumoto poured exploring partnerships with e-tailers
a sleek brand rooted in 100-year- his personal experience into products’ and eyeing collaborations with spas.
old olive trees grown in the Monte formulations, which are free of Meanwhile, the company’s online
Hydrator 1 by
Vibiano castle on Italy’s Umbrian Beauty Thinkers.
fragrance — “because I can’t stand store is registering encouraging
hills. Starting from these, they scents” — and silicons — “because my performances, with shoppers mainly
developed scientific formulations A partnership with the University skin breaks.” hailing from Europe and the U.S., in
based on hydroxytyrosol, an of Ferrara’s spin-off company “It’s really all about gentleness,” particular from New York, California
antioxidant derived from the Ambrosialab and seven years said the cofounder. “I messed up and Arizona. “The audience is varied,
byproducts of olive oil production. of scientific research later, the my skin barrier four years ago by but it’s interesting to see how young
“Over 10 years ago, the father of company fine-tuned the extraction overusing products, so I had to people already know that prevention
Lorenzo [Fasola Bologna, chairman technology that enabled it to get the relearn and reeducate myself,” he is the most important thing and far
of the Monte Vibiano company] hydroxytyrosol from the upcycled added, underscoring that the brand’s better than repair,” said Castiglioni.
wondered how to use these pressing water of olive trees, mission is to blur the boundaries “How do you measure a success of a
byproducts cosmetically and tried which led to its first two products: between health and beauty, proving brand? This is a start-up, so for us is
to find a way to make this work,” Antioxidant Boost face oil and the that “you can be cool if you are safe.” seeing people reordering and sending
said Matsumoto. Antioxidant Cream moisturizer, “The idea was to merge all of us notes. They're engaged,” he said.
Hawthorne Heads The cofounders said they leveraged
data from millions of responses from
their new customer surveys to help
To Target With develop the products and better
serve the needs of the “underserved
14 Exclusive Products
and unserved.”
“When we started talking about this
[Target] was looking and prioritizing
The brand is expecting to double their overall their base and looking at their base
business with this partnership and see a evolve,” Jeong said. “A lot of products
are differentiated on scent, but we
2x increase from its first-year sales at Target. were one of the few, if not the only
BY OBI ANYANWU one, that had numerous products that
serve skin needs and hair types.
HAWTHORNE IS heading to Target. The brand-new range of products “It’s very hard to find a stand-alone
The New York City-based men’s serve specific needs like the Frizz conditioner and we’re coming in with
personal care brand this month is Fighter Shampoo and Ultra Nourishing four different ones for different hair
exclusively launching at Target and Conditioner for curly hair, Thickening types and needs, and formulas that
Hawthorne is launching the
target.com a new line of 14 co- Shampoo and Weighless Conditioner for are highly functional and delivers
Everyday Face Cleanser and
developed products ranging from thinning hair, Scalp Cooling Shampoo benefits that the customers haven’t 13 additional products exclusively at Target.
skin, body and hair care but with an and Scalp Reviving Conditioner for dry had a chance to buy.”
emphasis on hair care. The range will or itchy scalp, an Everyday Shampoo Hawthorne launched in 2016 with care and skin care products, as well
be available for $9.99 each at 1,200 and Conditioner for moisture, as well fragrances before venturing into as fragrance. Now at Target, they
doors nationwide, marking, according as various cleansers, exfoliators, lotions personal care products. The brand are expecting to double their overall
to Hawthorne cofounders Brian Jeong and body washes for dry or oily skin. fields a quiz so new shoppers can business and see a two-times increase
and Phillip Wong, “their biggest “We’ve seen that for the Target more easily pick the best products to from their first-year sales of Target.
men’s launch ever.” customer base, hair is the place serve their needs. “We always have expectations, but
“This has been our dream from where men are most likely to buy Last fall, it raised $12 million in what’s been really exciting for us is
the start and for them to give us this their own products,” Jeong said. Series B funding led by Coefficient even at pre-launch, the Target team
platform feels amazing,” Wong said. “The majority of customers are Capital and entered its first retail is very optimistic and doubling down
Jeong added that the brand will women buying for themselves, but stores at Nordstrom and Ssense. on this launch,” Jeong said. “They’re
have displays at “95 percent” of hair indexes the highest for men. We The cofounders said they saw doing reorders and replenishment
Target’s stores. wanted to leverage our array.” considerable growth in their personal before we even launched.”
NEWS FEED 4
MARCH 11, 2022
Angela Angela Caglia
Integrated Beauty
has closed its first
brand's LED mask, the brand's soufflé
moisturizer is actually the top seller,
Caglia
funding round. which is informing the brand's
innovation strategy. "There's going
to be a fundamental shift with how
Integrated
women take care of themselves.
The Korean 12-step regimen was
exciting, but our skin barriers became
Beauty really messed up," she said.
As far as scaling the business, Caglia
Closes
is also launching her line with QVC.
Although it's a first for her brand, it's
not Caglia's first go-around with the
Funding
retailer. "When I was just a facialist
building my clientele, Shannon
Dellimore [founder of GlamGlow]
Round Caglia said. "When the pandemic hit, mask, meant to combine LED light
flew me out as a celebrity expert.
I sold her YouthMud. It was a moment
of coming into my own," she said.
The seed round will people were really open to that." therapy with the soothing effects of To support the launch, Caglia and
fuel retail expansion and Caglia didn't comment on sales, Caglia's rose quartz tools at a more her husband, Rob Carliner, who serves
although industry sources estimate accessible price point. Called the Rose as the brand's chief executive officer,
product development,
the business will reach $15 million Quartz Crystal LED Face Mask, the built a QVC filming studio in their Los
Caglia told WWD. to $20 million in sales for 2022. silicone mask includes rose quartz Angeles, C.A. home.
BY JAMES MANSO Retail partners seem happy with embedded between the LED diodes "We've been in the minor leagues,
the brand's performance, too. Last and retails at $495. It is available on and now we have an opportunity to
ANGELA CAGLIA INTEGRATED year at the WWD Digital Beauty the brand's website, and launches at play on a massive scale, which is what
Beauty, the skin care brand by Forum, Newby Hands, Net-a- Saks Fifth Avenue in April 2022. we're all about: getting the message
celebrity aesthetician Angela Caglia, porter's beauty director, said Caglia's Other new products will be out, and getting the products out
has closed its first funding round. Cellreturn Premium LED Mask, "gentle to the lipid barrier but still there," Carliner said.
Terms of the deal were not which retailed for $1,900 at the time, efficacious," Caglia said. Caglia is also aiming to expand her
disclosed, and the round was led by was one of the site's top-performing "We launched with a roller, but spa business with a second location
a private individual. stock keeping units. there are so many brands bringing in New York. "I don't follow the
The raise is a direct result of the The funding round will go to a few on those tools, so I don't want to go competition, I don't want to see what
success the brand found during the different areas of expansion: Caglia's in that direction. I want to go the other people are doing," Caglia said.
pandemic, Caglia said. "I launched team, product development and simplified route of what I bring in the "I have the vision, I know exactly what
this brand four and a half years ago at sizing up the brand's retail footprint. treatment room," she added. I want to create, with the products,
Violet Grey to create a facial at home," First in the pipeline is another LED Despite the performance of the with the tools and with the spa."
Inside Pascal Houdayer's
Of Buxom, Houdayer said the goal is BareMinerals
nothing less than world domination. BarePro
Complexion
"The positioning is unapologetically
Game Plan for Orveon
Group.
sexy, and it's a trusted brand," he
said. "This brand has the potential to
become a global 'e-brand.' Maybe we go
Pascal Houdayer, CEO of the newly created Orveon, global digitally without it being present
outlined his vision for the years ahead. BY JAMES MANSO in every brick-and-mortar store, and
just connect with young girls, our
ORVEON MAY ONLY be a few Orveon to be "sustainable face care target audience," he said. "The future of
months old, but Pascal Houdayer is experts," he said. "Each innovation this brand is international expansion."
aiming to build a company — and a will have a positive impact… Acquisitions are also top of mind speed, approachability," he said. "It's
culture — that stands the test of time. sustainability is feasible," he said. as Houdayer looks to expand the important for us to build this culture
Orveon, the Advent International- Despite BareMinerals' track record, company's portfolio. together with our colleagues."
affiliated company that acquired Houdayer said he is "working on "We have started to think about it, Houdayer acknowledged reported
BareMinerals, Laura Mercier and a full repositioning of the brand," and I'm not excluding any approach," layoffs earlier this year, which
Buxom in a $700 million deal that adding that he wanted to "monetize he said. "I'm looking at brands with affected 60 of the company's 1,700
closed last year, is under Houdayer's and digitize" the brand's pillars of the philosophy and vision we have of global employees, plus freelancers.
stewardship as chief executive "pure" formulations. being sustainable face care experts, "The reason is very simple, when you
officer. Shiseido spun off the brands "We want to take the concept, take and that compensate for some of the move from only siloing three brands
as a part of a larger pivot to a skin it to the next level, and go after the face care we are not yet covering with to them being a full organization,
care-focused business. youngest strategic target via our own one of our three brands. we need to have synergies across
"We believe these three brands have, platform, which will involve content "We want to blur the skin care and the brand. We had to make sure that
first, great potential, and second, cover and ecommerce," he said. makeup categories. We really want to some of redundancies were not
different strategic targets in terms of Laura Mercier will remain largely be able to propose to women products happening in our organization,"
consumers and trends," Houdayer said. untouched, with Houdayer calling the that are not only doing makeup, but he said, adding that Orveon is
On the one hand, BareMinerals — positioning "excellent" and noting also benefits in terms of long-term helping those employees find new
among the first beauty brands to that it grew double-digits, in spite of aging prevention," he continued. employment and providing consulting
position its product as "clean" — has a pandemic-induced declines across the Simultaneously with building opportunities where applicable.
strong relationship with its consumers, makeup category. He attributed some out Orveon's brand portfolio, "We believe that the way we do
while Buxom's plumping lip products of that growth to its French luxury Houdayer is also looking to create things is more important than what
attract Millennials, he said. positioning resonating strongly in a strong company culture. "This we do," he said. "We went out of our
Defining his strategy across the Asia, and also aims to grow its digital is a human-sized company with way to make sure that we went above
three brands is his ambition for presence and e-commerce capabilities. values of entrepreneurship, agility, and beyond the call of duty."
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DEEP DIVE THE 2022 DIGITAL BEAUTY FORUM 6
MARCH 11, 2022
Let Us Entertain You
The key message at the 2022 Digital Beauty Forum, held virtually in early March, was clear. Winning in the always-on
multiplatform world of today means creating environments (both real and imagined) that engage and entice.
NYX on Exploring AR, see what comes out of that.”
While applying the digital-first
VR and the Metaverse
approach, NYX has been leaning
into partnerships, collaborating with
Snapchat to reimagine the beauty
"[Consumers] really want virtual experiences and moments experience in the metaverse.
“[Snapchat] creates some of the best
to connect, to engage, and to really be inspired," said NYX
and industry-leading AR technology,”
Professional Makeup general manager Yasmin Dastmalchi. said Dastmalchi. “We link the idea of
BY RYMA CHIKHOUNE consumer touchpoints, like gaming,
AR and social commerce in one.
NYX PROFESSIONAL Makeup NYX has been looking to So…[users] start with a filter, and
is a digital-first brand, said Yasmin “entertain,” while allowing [it] allows people to experience our
Dastmalchi, general manager of the for experimentation, to get an product. Then from there you enter
cosmetics company. understanding of evolving shopping a portal where we created a gamified
Discussing its digital strategy — behaviors. “We believe that using experience where users can control
investing in initiatives in augmented the latest AR and VR technology is an avatar and move in the game Yasmin Dastmalchi
reality and virtual reality for digital the most compelling way to support with their mobile phones to collect
try-ons, gaming and exploring the product virality,” said Dastmalchi. different beauty items from NYX. It's Walmart and TikTok’s Avani Gregg
metaverse — Dastmalchi said the “It not only allows consumers to try a fun game where you can win prizes, during Halloween.
company has been meeting young products on virtually online or even get discount products and more. No What part do retailers play when it
shoppers where they are today, and on our social platforms, [but also] to question, it was super engaging. We comes to digital marketing?
that’s online. experiment with makeup.” saw that people were spending more “We approach experience with
“Our community is made of The NYX team has been prioritizing time in this experience, because it was retailers through co-creation of
demanding consumers,” said "evolving" existing technology to interactive.” collaboration, where we encourage
Dastmalchi in conversation with create for more realistic digital When it comes to navigating social our test-and-learn mentality, and
WWD’s executive editor of beauty, experiences, recently launching media — platforms like Instagram and really build robust plans on our
Jenny B. Fine. “There's no question “MYAIA” — an AR-powered “makeup TikTok — in the end, it comes down to platforms to really get the campaign
about that. They really want virtual artist” offering makeup consultations. the content creators, said Dastmalchi. out there,” said Dastmalchi.
experiences and moments to connect, “She's able to scan facial “It is about finding the right creator “Collaborating with our partners on
to engage and to really be inspired. features and create a personalized that speaks to that platform and those types of emerging platforms
It's been critical for us to walk that recommendation of different looks really has the right audience that and building full, 360 experiences so
walk and invent how makeup plays in using artificial intelligence,” said connects with those moments,” she that we really touch the customer at
this digital world. We're embracing it.” Dastmalchi. “We're really excited to said, referencing a partnership with every touchpoint is key.”
Macy’s Aims for ‘Happy Customers’
With Livestream Shopping
Thamar Campbell said Macy’s has been adding more livestream events in recent months,
and is up to four per week. BY ALLISON COLLINS
HOW DOES MACY’S measure “Ultimately, we want to meet and satisfying their different shopping
livestreaming success? With “happy serve our customers, however, they needs and their different social needs
customers,” according to Thamar choose to shop with us, wherever they in this context,” Campbell said.
Campbell, director of project choose to shop with us,” Campbell Macy’s livestreams have included
management at Macy’s. continued. “Livestreaming video is an event to shop Dorion Renaud’s
Campbell said the department almost the confluence of the digital Buttah skin care, one for stylist-
store giant has created livestream world and the physical world.” approved prom outfits and another Thamar Campbell
programming across several Macy’s is now doing about four featuring healthy meal prep
categories, including lifestyle and livestream programs per week, appliances. “We’re bringing the best directional communication.”
beauty. For Macy's, calculating the which. live on the company's website. of the in-store shopping experience When livestreaming, the retailer's
return on that investment does not Host Malia Makaila guides viewers to the digital world,” Campbell said. goal is to “create memorable
exclusively lie in the financials. through different products, which “It’s an exciting opportunity for our moments” for customers, which
“You know what counts as success? helps to foster a sense of community. customers to experience the social includes highlighting what makes a
Happy customers,” Campbell said, The goal, Campbell said, is “bringing side of shopping online, whether it’s particular product or category special.
during a converation with WWD deputy some of the special sauce that’s in the getting expert advice in real time or “Customers are super engaged in the
managing editor Evan Clark. “We want physical world into the digital world.” just deeper product knowledge.” chatbox and we created a system where
to see folks coming back, we want to “As we build relationships with Demand from customers is picking our hosts and stylists can respond to
see customers enjoying themselves, customers, that’s going to materialize up, Campbell said. them in real time,” Campbell said.
and sometimes it’ll materialize in a in a number of different ways. So, “The communication and that Campbell said the U.S. lags behind
purchase, and sometimes it’ll just some of that is engagement, some feedback loop, particularly in real China in terms of livestreaming’s
materialize in engaging in the content of that can be financial return, time, that’s where the magic really popularity, but that Macy’s is
itself. It’s building a relationship with but ultimately, we want to create happens, Campbell said. “This isn’t “learning along the way” and “happy
customers,” Campbell said. happy customers and that looks like like watching TV — that is one- with what we’ve seen so far.”
DEEP DIVE THE 2022 DIGITAL BEAUTY FORUM 7
MARCH 11, 2022
How P&G Beauty Is
Alexis Schrimpf company has already gleaned
numerous meaningful insights about
how the metaverse is evolving.
Tackling the Metaverse “First, we've learned how
important it is to be open to new
skills and exploring creative spaces,”
After a successful first foray with Herbal Essences, the Schrimpf said. “I've personally
company is looking ahead to opportunities across its brand really enjoyed this, and the passion
portfolio. BY JAMES MANSO of our team throughout the work
easily translated to the success
THE METAVERSE MAY BE telling the story of responsible we've seen with the importance
one of technology's most nascent beauty, which is our platform for of increased depth, and creating
frontiers, but for P&G, diving into new taking sustainable approaches engaging experiences for the
touchpoints with consumers is not. that are also safe, transparent and consumer. It's the consumer's point
During a wide-ranging inclusive,” Schrimpf said. of view that we have to take into
conversation with WWD's Jenny Beyond just an interactive, account, not ours. How are she or
B. Fine, Alexis Schrimpf, design three-dimensional experience, he going to explore this world?”
vice president, global skin and P&G also “game-ified” the space, Marketing the experience has also
personal care; chief design officer via an interactive experience based been integral, which included an
and cofounder, SeeMeBeauty, P&G on Herbal Essences hair care. “The my head around the future influencer campaign at launch. “We
Beauty, discussed brand-building highlight of BeautySphere is our technology space was both daunting partnered with influencers from the
opportunities in the new realm. partnership with Royal Botanic but exciting,” said Schrimpf. “We digital world, like Twitch gamers
Although the alternate digital Gardens, Kew, to authenticate had to learn how to apply design who gave tours of the BeautySphere
worlds are new, P&G pioneering botanicals in our Herbal Essences processes to a new medium, starting to their own followers, and even
new forms of content is not. “P&G products. For everyone who with storyboarding.” joined conversations in the
was the first company to develop completes this journey, Herbal Going forward, the company BeautySphere about what the future
soap operas in the 1930s on a whole Essences plants a real tree in will continue to push fast-paced of digital,” she said.
new consumer platform called Veracruz, Mexico, to support innovation, and plans on expanding The virtual possibilities for beauty
radio,” Schrimpf said. “We really restoration of native forest the BeautySphere into new realms. are unbridled, and Schrimpf said
believe BeautySphere represents the ecosystems,” Schrimpf said. “We believe the BeautySphere can P&G's stable of beauty brands are all
future of brand building.” P&G ideated and executed the serve all consumers,” Schrimpf said. interested in getting involved. “We'll
BeautySphere is P&G Beauty's first BeautySphere in less than a year, “We envision BeautySphere expanding continue to work on this accelerated
foray into the metaverse and virtual an accelerated development process as a series of worlds, or experiences, timeframe,” Schrimpf said. “I think
world creation. “Our first iteration that came with a steep learning social and hopefully educational.” that's the only way: to be quick, and
of BeautySphere really focuses on curve. “The prospect of wrapping Although it's early days, the nimble, and try things out.”
Versed’s Melanie Bender
Melanie Bender
Talks TikTok’s Viral Power
The clean skin care brand just wrapped one of its most successful campaigns on the platform.
BY JENNIFER WEIL
VERSED SKINCARE might not the algorithm. That’s led us to the increase there. In Versed’s other retail
have been among the earliest adopters initiatives that we found have driven channels, Doctor’s Visit registered a
to plunge into TikTok, but once it did, the most success for us on TikTok.” 400 percent sales gain.
the brand sure did make a splash. Key to partnering with creators on Concurrently, Nur’s social following
“We never like to be the very first the platform is finding those who are skyrocked from 17,000 to about 100,000.
to the platform. We like to really developing content that ultimately Lessons learned? Experimentation
understand: How is our community could be high reach, versus just pays off. “It was really by giving the
using it? How do they want to engage focusing on those that already have creator the right product — but also
with us on it?” said Versed president large, established followings. full freedom — to create what she
Melanie Bender, speaking with Ryma Versed just wrapped one of its wanted that ultimately we saw this
Chikhoune, Eye and beauty reporter most successful campaigns, which incredible momentum,” said Bender.
for WWD. began with an influencer partnership Another key is finding people who coming down to sales? What does
Bender, who launched Versed in around the brand’s Doctor’s Visit have content that is excelling in the that mean about how we should be
2019, watched while the social media Instant Resurfacing Mask. algorithm that a brand thinks is a great positioning both our time and spend
sensation evolved into an awareness Versed joined forces with creator fit and works to its product strength. going forward?” she said.
and discovery platform, home to Aisha Nur, who made a video “You also have to really think Bender believes that if one only
interesting conversations around showing her glass-like skin after about the products that are the most looks at metrics within a platform,
beauty and skin care. applying the product. That garnered naturally inclined to do well on the bigger picture will be missed,
As with other new platforms, about 1 million views, but afterward, TikTok,” said Bender. since all of the platforms have
Versed took a test-and-learn approach more than 70 other creators stitched Versed doesn’t look at “vanity different ways of scoring themselves,
to TikTok, where it ventured into in together the video she made, adding metrics” — feel-good, fluffy data even of defining the same metric.
mid-2021. their own responses and reactions. points that do not necessarily Instagram is Versed’s number-
“How TikTok distinguishes itself is Altogether, those videos had more translate to the bottom line. one channel (correlated to business
that it’s really not a social network. It’s than 50 million organic views. “Ultimately, you want to success), followed by TikTok and
not about finding people and staying In a few weeks, Doctor’s Visit understand: What are your CPMs YouTube. On the latter two, the
in touch with them,” said Bender. became the second bestselling and cost-per-reach specific to that brand focuses on paid partnerships,
“It’s very much an entertainment product on versedskin.com, platform? How does that correlate to whereas for Instagram it takes a
platform that’s driven by content and translating into a 3,000 percent sales the health that we see in the business heavily seeded and organic approach.
DEEP DIVE THE 2022 DIGITAL BEAUTY FORUM 8
MARCH 11, 2022
Taking NFTs Beyond Commercial,
Avery Akkineni
to Community
VaynerNFT's Avery Akkineni outlines the NFT opportunity for the beauty industry.
BY ALLISON COLLINS
NFTS — non-fungible tokens — they can help build brands and so NFTs, the Metaverse and Web 3
emerged as a major commercial much more.” emerging, Akkineni suggested that a
opportunity in 2021. Akkineni shared the example of cultural shift is underway.
But the opportunity for them is Cryptopunks free NFTs — “one of the “As with anything, there are going
much broader than that, according most valuable NFT projects to date” to be people who are skeptical of a
to Avery Akkineni, president of — as a means of community building. new technology. There were people
VaynerNFT, an NFT consultancy that For brands, Akkineni said there's who were skeptical of using credit
has worked with Coach, American an opportunity to think long term cards online,” Akkineni said. “There
Eagle and other brands. and use NFT's to do the same thing. are people who were skeptical of the
“There's a tremendous commercial She used the examples of L'Oréal and internet, or skeptics around, 'who's
opportunity that NFTs provide, and Clinique's NFTs as standouts thus far, gonna care, you know, what I eat for in these technologies, simplification
anyone who looks at OpenSea and and said that marketers should be breakfast?' Who's going to follow is coming, Akkineni said. “The
is following the headlines knows looking to NFTs to “add value to the Campbell's Soup on Twitter?” advancements being made by Twitter
that some NFTs are going for crazy space and add something special.” But 2020 created massive shifts in with their hexagon and NFT ownership
high amounts of money, and that's “The current buyers of NFTs is how people use and consumer media, verification by Coinbase, they've
exciting and amazing. And what's about 90 percent male and there's the executive said, and that has led to launched their NFT marketplace
really exciting is that a lot of that is an opportunity for beauty brands to “a very clear opportunity.” ... there's so much going into the
actually going into the hands of the create something really special for “To the skeptics, we say, educate development of these easier onramps
creators, people who are making art female consumers,” Akkineni said. yourself. Listen, learn and see if this to consumer adoption,” she said.
or making music or developing these “Twenty-twenty-one really is a community that you want to be “I don't know how a light bulb
communities and programs,” Akkineni opened up people's eyes to this part of,” she said. works, right. Like, the mechanics
said in a conversation with WWD new phenomenon of digital asset The big shift with the latest of it — I understand that it works,
technology reporter Adriana Lee. ownership,” Akkineni said. “To me, generation of digital offerings is the the use case and how to activate it,”
“But, there's so much more to NFTs really represent the first time idea of ownership, Akkineni said. Akkineni said. “That's how the next
NFTs than just the commercialization that an individual person has the “A lot of the content that people generation of NFT early adopters
aspect,” Akkineni continued. opportunity to own digital assets have been creating and sharing, will be. Understanding the value,
“NFTs can build communities, they and have this be proveable on the that's actually all owned by the main understanding the use case, being able
can highlight emerging creators, blockchain.” platforms,” she said. to engage with it, but not needing to
they can contribute to philanthropy, WIth newer digital concepts, like For consumers looking to participate know every single technical detail.”
Supergreat's Tyler Faux on Tyler Faux
Selling Beauty With Video
With a wide stable of brands and a few years into livestreaming, Supergreat's Tyler Faux
has also found success in retail partnerships.BY JAMES MANSO
FOR SUPERGREAT, the beauty new ways of engaging our users for as well as Credo, have used on
product review platform, livestreaming longer periods of time as they were their product display pages. Those
and video aren't just integral to spending more time in our app video testimonial carousels can lift
community-building, they boost sales organically,” he added. conversion by 30 percent.”
conversions, too. The brand's value proposition is Despite its digital nature — it is
“We see a lot of conversions simple: connecting users with content an app, after all — Supergreat does
happening from the short-form creators whose areas of expertise have potential in brick-and-mortar
videos,” said Tyler Faux, Supergreat's intersect with their own. “We try to environments, Faux said.
chief executive officer and cofounder, connect people based on relevancy “We think there are a bunch of
in conversation with Allison Collins, and the sorts of things that they have different ways that this might work come with myriad ways to bolster
senior editor, beauty, WWD. “Lives in common, and creating connections in the future,” he said, seeing the awareness. “We love getting started
can sometimes be more focused in that way,” Faux said. most opportunity in its vast network and launching for the first time. We
on longer-form, entertaining The app, which has partnered with of brand partners. “The majority worked with Starface back when they
content versus shorter-form and retailers like Ulta Beauty and Credo of the brands on our platform are were launching originally, and have
transactional.” in the past, has said that including still direct-to-consumer. Some of the been able to continue working with
The app joined the livestreaming its videos on product detail pages can leading retailers in our category carry them and with some of their peer
wave in the early days of the also supercharge sales. a few hundred brands at a time, so brands since then,” he said.
pandemic, a trend that has been It's “the move from text and five- there's a huge opportunity for more “We've also done a bunch of
faster to take off in foreign markets star reviews as a method of gaining potential customers to experience awesome lives this year with brands
like China. Less than 1 percent of trust and conviction,” Faux explained. a lot of these newer brands from and we try to pair them with some
creators on Supergreat are live “With Supergreat, we have contextual awesome entrepreneurs in-person,” of our great live hosts. We had
hosts, Faux said, but they do serve information of all the reviewers, and he said. Jenna Lyons come on, we also have
a strategic purpose to the app. “We we're able to surface that information Supergreat does have videos of Hailey Bieber with BareMinerals. We
discovered livestream during the in these embedded video carousels more than 5,000 brands, and Faux have really fun ways to partner and
pandemic, when we were considering that some of our brand partners, said partnering with the app does activate our community,” he said.
DEEP DIVE THE 2022 DIGITAL BEAUTY FORUM 9
MARCH 11, 2022
Winky Lux's Natalie Mackey on Marketing
In a Post-iOS Update World
Natalie Mackey
"It’s on us now to figure out how we manage growth going forward," said the executive
and entrepreneur. BY RYMA CHIKHOUNE
“I THINK EVERYBODY IS And that’s every CEO and CMO in the engaged customers,” she added, while
dealing with some level of change industry. It’s been a fun ride to do some also turning their attention to virtual
at post-iOS update,” said Natalie new growth hacking.” try-ons and developing an online skin
Mackey, chief executive officer and One change, she mentioned, was care quiz. When it came to products,
founder of Winky Lux, discussing the activity on Facebook: “It wasn’t items in complexion, mascara and
shift in Apple’s iOS settings last year. getting enough signals, so the brow were the focus.
Apple's policy now prohibits certain recommendations changed to creating “We have bridged the gap of that
data collection (unless users opted look-alike audiences that were much confidence to try some of these other
in to tracking) on iOS 14.5 or later larger. And so, it took away some of higher LTV,” explained Mackey of
devices, and as a result, businesses our ability to be hyper, hyper focused.” “lifetime value” goods. “So, really
have been impacted. As an experiment, Winky Lux — investing in those has dramatically
“It's a combination of iOS update, whose whimsical products are sold increased retention rates, because
more competition in the market, larger online and at retailers like Ulta Beauty people just use those products more.”
companies moving into digital in and Target — cut off its paid social The brand also invested in TV sense to me, but it's the truth.”
general during the pandemic,” Mackey marketing for a month. commercials. “When we started to see Winky Lux has done best on the
continued, in conversation with There were decreases in traffic as a CACs go up in paid social, which has Bravo channel and appearing on
WWD’s senior editor of beauty, Allison result. “But — and I have to preface been a big marketing engine for us, we ads during murder mystery shows,
Collins. “However, during the iOS this by saying, we turned off paid wanted to shift into some other growth revealed Mackey.
update, we really started to see issues social in October, so we saw that hacks,” Mackey said. “We felt that our Retail, where the digital experience
around May. And then we hit what decrease — it corresponded with a customers were watching more TV.” comes to life, remains significant for
I would call kind of peak inefficiency very robust retention campaign, so The ad was for its top-seller, the Winky Lux, and the brand plans to
with paid social in late summer, early actually, our sales grew,” Mackey said. “Winky Lux Uni-Brow Universal expand. Currently offering one shop in
fall.” “But a lot of that was due to a real lean Eyebrow Pencil”: “We saw incredible Nashville, the company is eyeing brick-
Mackey was quick to note, the update into email, to text, to all the different lift both on dot-com and on our retail and-mortar locations in Austin, Texas,
is a positive change for the consumer: retention platforms that we use. So, partners’ dot-com…A couple of things and Charleston, S.C. “It's profitable
“But, of course, beauty is a very nimble that strong marketing strategy helped that we've seen have been linear TV customer acquisition,” Mackey said.
business. It’s on us now to figure out counteract the decrease in traffic.” performing better for us than, say, “We're laser focused on the markets
how we manage growth going forward. The team targeted “really highly streaming which makes absolutely no where our customer really is.”
The Inkey List on
Mark Curry Colette Laxton
Powering Growth
Via Personalization
The skin care brand is winning consumers with knowledge-
driven solutions and a hyper-personalized strategy.
BY ALEXANDRA PASTORE
AS FORMER RETAIL executives, “Putting people at the center of
cofounders of Inkey List, Mark Curry everything is the Inkey way,” Curry said.
and Colette Laxton did not come into “Whether it's our team or Inkey family, have skin care experts on hand experiences in the future. Second,
the start-up with a digital-first mind-set our customers, our partners or, most whenever they need — even if they My Inkey provides the human touch.
and, in fact, didn’t even have a website importantly, consumers. Consumers are don't purchase from us.” The ultimate goal, Currey and
until two weeks into the pandemic. at the center of everything.” Recently, the brand did a TikTok Laxton said, is to provide a hyper-
Still, the duo is very much holding For Inkey, this starts by clearly campaign to ask Inkey questions and personalized seamless experience from
their own in the digital space. At just communicating what’s in a product quickly received engagement with more stores to e-commerce to social media.
three years old, Inkey List is already and personalizing the consumer’s than 2,000 users asking about cleansers. Personalization, they said, “cannot be
one of the most trending skin care journey to find the right products for The company has also launched a moment, an activation, tag line or
brands of 2021 and, according to Curry their concerns. My Inkey to offer a personalized anything other than a principle that
and Laxton, it’s completely due to their “We wanted to be the brand to experience that allows consumers lives and breathes in every facet of the
overwhelming, consumer obsession. answer any skin care question on our to engage with the brand in a way company.”
Putting people at the center of brand or otherwise, one-to-one, with that is unique for the individual from “We believe in our purpose and
everything was a decision made actual humans,” Laxton said. “Our answering simple questions to providing personalization so much that we do
even before the brand was born. To service offers a 24-hour skin care support and tracking progress. it relentlessly every single day, every
illustrate the point, Curry shared support service to help those who The magic of My Inkey, Currey said, single minute, every single second
a note scribbled in May 2017 that need completely agnostic help. We've is two-fold, allowing the company to in everything we do,” Laxton said.
had 10 clear values including “every answered over 600,000 questions in be human-driven while data backed. “It's exhausting, but it's worth it.
(people) thing,” “hold nothing back,” just two years and have over-invested Every interaction therefore informs Relentless execution is 90 percent of
and “enjoy every f* second.” in our humans to ensure consumers the platform to make even better the outcome.”
DEEP DIVE THE 2022 DIGITAL BEAUTY FORUM 10
MARCH 11, 2022
Veracity Pioneers Product Allie Egan
Customization’s Next Phase
Allie Egan launched the self-care brand in August 2021. BY JENNIFER WEIL
“WE’RE GOING TO create what I Veracity’s founding physician team unit Bioevolve line has essentials
call a new standard of clean beauty, included a dermatologist, OBGYN, for everyday skin health. The
where it’s focused on what is right for endocrinologist, functional medicine personalized line is made of four
your overall health,” said Allie Egan, doctor and nutritionist. Vital Concentrates, with high-potency
chief executive officer and founder The brand uses personalized health actives addressing specific hormonal
of Veracity, during a conversation data that goes beyond a simple quiz. imbalances.
with Jenny B. Fine, executive editor, Its approach is to analyze what is Demand for Veracity was palpable.
beauty, WWD and Beauty Inc. going on in a woman’s life and body A month before its launch, the brand
After working at L Catterton, the that could be affecting her skin, and had a 4,000-person waiting list. And
Estée Lauder Cos.’s Clinique and La to offer suggestions about the best in the last two months, its business
Mer brands, and Cynthia Rowley, way to treat skin topically and with grew more than 200 percent.
Egan’s own personal journey led her other lifestyle choices. Eighty-seven percent of women
to launch Veracity in August 2021. As a first step, people send tested so far have had a hormonal
Her dry, flaky skin was diagnosed as in a simple saliva sample for a imbalance. More than 75 percent
contact dermatitis, then four years hormone test. The results are sent of people take the test to receive an
later, after hormone-related infertility back within two weeks, along with individualized product prescription, Next year, Veracity plans to launch
testing, Egan learned a thyroid issue personalized skin care and wellness rather than simply buy the products. a DHEA-boosting product, and will
was at the root of both concerns. recommendations. Data collected, such as from the ultimately move beyond skin care.
That led to the aha moment, Egan explained Veracity educates skin and health form, is used to “We’re already giving [women] the
when she realized that although her on why the brand makes specific benefit Veracity’s growing community, recommendations across other areas
professional background should have recommendations. (More than according to Egan. The brand complies of her life, but definitely in the future
made her best equipped to get answers 3,000 different combinations are with HIPAA privacy standards. want to be able to provide additional
and results, that wasn’t the case. available today.) “We are here to empower women things in the beauty category,”
“And if I can’t, how many other All of its products are hormone to have the information that they said Egan.
women are dealing with things like disruptor-free, exclude ingredients need about themselves to go ask That could include hair and body
this?” she asked. “I really wanted to such as soy, are proprietary to more questions with their doctors care, as well as different whole
create a solution that brought real Veracity and created to treat hormone to then make the best decisions for health solutions on the supplements
whole health into the picture.” imbalances at the source. The six- themselves,” said Egan. wellness side.
FastAF's delivered to their homes and then
people wanting things delivered
with culturally relevant, mission-
driven brands that use high-quality
Susan Panico
Case for
to them quickly,” Panico said. “It's ingredients and think about
definitely something that's here to stay sustainability, Panico said. “We're
— customers demand getting things looking for brands that care about
Two-hour
they want and need very quickly.” the world around them,” she said.
The super-fast delivery trend began FastAF partners directly with
pre-pandemic, Panico said, with the brands or distributors, warehouses its
Beauty
“proliferation of mobile devices” that products and fulfills its own orders.
led to consumers becoming even more “We've completely verticalized our
used to instant gratification. Consumers business end to end. We have our
Deliveries
are getting used to quick delivery own warehouses, we pack and fulfill
options, and even as people return our own orders, we have in-house
“back to normal” as the pandemic drivers and what this really allows
FastAF's beauty shoppers evolves, executives expect FastAF's us to do is control the customer
often buy Olaplex with their momentum to increase, she said. experience,” Panico said. FastAF
groceries. BY ALLISON COLLINS FastAF's shoppers use the service delivers orders in branded bags,
both for discovery and replenishment, and delivery workers wear branded
BEAUTY CONSUMERS WANT Panico said. jackets, she added.
their products, and in cases where “A lot of our customers come for Right now, the service is available
they want them in two hours or less, particular products or particular in New York, Los Angeles and San
delivery start-up FastAF is there to brands that are their go-to, but Francisco, but Panico said there
provide an option. there's a big element of discovery as may be room for expansion. “We're “We can bring this service and this
FastAF aims to provide delivery well in introducing them to new and concentrating on a very specific convenience to them there as well.”
across high-end beauty, grocery, emerging brands or products they customer in highly dense, urban, Panico said shoppers' habits shifted
snacks and drinks, home, office may have not been exposed to in the metropolitan areas…our customer during the pandemic, more toward
supplies and fitness in less than two past,” Panico said. tends to be in that Millennial age self care. With working from home
hours. Often, the company provides In beauty, popular categories include range, in the their older 20s to their and Zoom, she said consumers are
delivery in 20 minutes, said Susan sexual wellness, skin care with CBD 40s,” Panico said. less focused on makeup and more
Panico, FastAF's chief marketing ingredients and Olaplex, Panico said. FastAF's shoppers typically have focused on hair and skin care, buying
officer. The service offers deliveries Olaplex's Bond Smoother is a “very a household income of $100,000 or eye masks, Skin Gym products and
in New York, San Francisco and popular product people repeatedly higher, and the average order value Solawave wands.
Los Angeles, said Panico outlining purchase when they're in there is $142, which Panico said typically “What the pandemic did is it
the case for fast deliveries to WWD shopping for groceries,” Panico said. leads to higher tips for drivers. brought a lot of people home, into
technology reporter Adriana Lee. Feelist's CBD Face Oil Serum is also a It “makes sense” to expand to themselves, and some of the self care
“The pandemic accelerated that bestseller in that category, she added. some suburban areas where that aspects, I don't think those are going
behavior of people wanting things The company looks to partner demographic lives, too, Panico said. to go away.”You can also read
