Monthly Archives: May 2009

“Fair Trade” & “Ethically-sourced” emerge as new cosmetics trend

By Leah | Published: May 31, 2009
"Fair Trade" & "Ethically-sourced" emerge as new cosmetics trend Insight by Leah Although many companies outside of cosmetics have been touting "Fair trade" labels for a while (coffee, chocolate etc.), the trend is now catching on in the beauty industry.  Some companies, like Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, have been sourcing fair trade and ethically-sourced products for many [...]
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Genetics-based products stir concerns

By Leah | Published: May 27, 2009
Genetics-based products stir concerns Insight by Leah Lancome recently launched a a new skin serum called "Genefique" that is based on genes identified in "young skin," and Olay recently released "Pro-X," a product based on researchers’ work in identifying gene activity in young and aging skin.  Other beauty and consumer goods companies, looking for the next big [...]
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The Next Big Beauty Market?

By Leah | Published: May 27, 2009
The Next Big Beauty Market? Insight by Leah A recent report indicated that the cosmetics industry in India alone grew 7.5% between 2006 and 2008, highlighting the increased importance of this emerging market.  Even with the economic slowdown that is affecting all global markets, the make-up industry is expected to maintain strong growth in the coming years.  [...]
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Dior Suite in Cannes: Style and Pampering for Celebs despite the Economy

By Andrea | Published: May 21, 2009
Dior Suite in Cannes: Style and Pampering for Celebs despite the Economy Insight by Andrea Many parties and ad campaigns have been cancelled in Cannes to avoid sending the wrong message during these challenging economic times. However, Dior still opened the Rendez-Vous Beauté DIOR to pamper celebrities during the festival. Given the target audience, this is a [...]
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Stila to Launch Mass Retail Cosmetics

By Leah | Published: May 20, 2009
Stila to Launch Mass Retail Cosmetics Insight by Leah A recent interview with Stila’s new CEO, Lynn Tilton, revealed some interesting plans to broaden the appeal of the brand.  Tilton mentioned that she plans to reduce the brand’s dependence on "middlemen" and reach out to consumers directly through channels including HSN, QVC, infomercials and online.  As well, [...]
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Luxury Products and Film – Dior Jumps on the Bandwagon

By Leah | Published: May 20, 2009
Luxury Products and Film – Dior Jumps on the Bandwagon Insight by Leah Luxury brands are realizing that it’s increasingly difficult to grab consumers’ attention these days.  Following on Chanel’s lead, Dior is releasing a film starring Marion Cotillard (Oscar winner, La Vie en Rose) as the mysterious "Lady Dior" – a Hitchcock-style film that features Cotillard [...]
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Internet Increasingly Important for Beauty Sales

By Leah | Published: May 20, 2009
Internet Increasingly Important for Beauty Sales Insight by Leah Although beauty product sales are declining overall, a bright spot of news appeared – Internet sales are up.  Over the coming months, it will be interesting to see if retailers and brands shift their focus and campaigns to the Internet as it represents a viable and cost effective [...]
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Guerlain -Staying True to its Luxe Clientele

By Leah | Published: May 20, 2009
Guerlain -Staying True to its Luxe Clientele Insight by Leah Although many beauty brands have recently followed mass retailers’ lead in sales strategies, Guerlain has stayed consistent to its luxury clientele – in pricing, product offering and brand positioning. It remains to be seen if this approach, a clear attempt to stay faithful to its luxury [...]
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Organic preservatives come at a cost, but formulators are now willing to pay

By Leah | Published: May 19, 2009
Organic preservatives come at a cost, but formulators are now willing to pay [Podcast] Insight by Leah As demand increases, organic/natural preservatives are becoming more readily available, but still at very high costs. If the costs are still high, I wonder what preservative systems organic/natural mass brands are currently using to preserve products while still making a [...]
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Luxury brands (like mass retailers) launch Pop-up Shops

By Leah | Published: May 19, 2009
Luxury Brands (like mass retailers) launch Pop-up Shops Insight by Leah In an interesting development, a number of luxury brands (including Chanel, Hermes and Louis Vuitton) are opening pop-up stores across the U.S. and Europe. Hermes plans to open it’s first pop-up location this summer in East Hampton for four months. This new strategy, following the lead [...]
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