Posts Tagged ‘cosmetics’
Estee Lauder
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
Beauty pioneer Estee Lauder was born Josephine Esther Mentzer in New York in 1908, and was the youngest child of Hungarian immigrants. Her father ran a hardware store that gave Estee her first experience as a saleswoman, arranging merchandise and window displays. Her uncle, John Schotz, was a chemist who experimented with skin care treatments and was Lauder’s source of inspiration. She helped him sell his homemade products that he created in a laboratory behind the house. Lauder started out at the beauty counter for a salon, and then began her own operations that became successful through her practice of giving out extras with each purchase. She learned this marketing tactic from her father, who gave wrapped hammers and nails for customers each Christmas.
In 1930 Lauder married Joseph Lauder, and the couple went into business together. After incorporating her company in 1946, Lauder ventured into department stores. Her first accomplishment was getting into Saks Fifth Avenue, and the products eventually became a staple at department stores. Lauder opened the counter at each store herself and trained the saleswomen to be professional and stylish.
In 1953, Estee Lauder introduced her first fragrance, Youth Dew, which was a scented bath oil used in bath water instead of the traditional French fashion (behind the ear). This grew Estee Lauder sales volume from $400/week to $5,000/week in 1955. In 1960, Estee Lauder became international, starting with Harrods in London. Lauder kept the secrets of her ingredients within the family. In the factories, a final and secret ingredient was always added to the products by a Lauder.
Lauder had creative marketing tactics, such as slogans for her products i.e. “Start the New Year with a new face.” She also created the gift with purchase. In 1962, the Estee Lauder woman debuted. The same model was used in every advertisement – Karen Graham, Elizabeth Hurley, and Gwyneth Paltrow have all been Estee Lauder women. Products were packaged in a distinctive color she called ‘Lauder blue’. New brands were started being added to Estee Lauder in 1964: Aramis (1964), Clinique (1968), Prescriptives (1979), and Origins (1990). In the 1990’s, the companies M.A.C., Bobbi Brown, Aveda, Jo Malone, Bumble and Bumble, and Tommy Hilfiger and Donna Karan fragrances were acquired.
In 2004, Estee Lauder passed away at 97 years of age, and was later posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States.
“Not by dreaming or hoping for it, but by working for it.” – Estee Lauder
Tags: beauty pioneer, biography, cosmetics, Estee Lauder
Posted in Blog | No Comments »
NYX Cosmetics Round Lipstick
Friday, March 19th, 2010
With real lipstick making a comeback, we’re putting down our lip glosses and reacquainting ourselves with intense color. We really liked Round Lipstick from NYX Cosmetics. It’s no surprise that it’s their bestseller. It’s a perfect blend that gives moisture but stays in place for the day. It fades nicely as the day goes on, instead of drying out the lips. What we loved the most was the $3.50 price tag. They have a vast selection of colors, so you can build your lip collection in no time.
Tags: cosmetics, nyx, product review, round lipstick
Posted in Blog, Product Reviews | No Comments »
Helena Rubinstein
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
Our love of cosmetics naturally extends to an interest in the pioneers in the industry. Helena Rubinstein is arguably one of the most important women in the modern cosmetic industry to date. With little formal education, she established one of the first mass-produced cosmetics companies. Her innovations included tinted face powder, foundation, hormonal skin creams, a mechanical mascara applicator, and cosmetics for men.
Less commonly known, Rubinstein started out at medical school but discovered she disliked to be around sickness. Rubinstein was born in 1870 in Poland. She moved back and forth between Europe and the States before marrying a Russian nobleman who became an American citizen. In 1900, Rubinstein opened her first beauty salon and sold a cream based on her mother’s formulas in Australia. As her success grew she opened a cosmetic factory outside factory and then began to open salons in the United States in 1915. By improving the quality of her products, she was able to use department stores for distribution. She even insisted that she personally train the sales associates. By 1965, the year of her death, her company employed 32,000 people and sales were $42 million.
One hundred years later, Helena Rubinstein’s cosmetics are still a success. Demi Moore is the current face of the company and products are sold worldwide. For current product information, go to www.helenarubinstein.com.
Tags: cosmetics, Helena Rubinstein, history
Posted in Blog | No Comments »
L’Oreal Extra Volume Collagen Mascara
Thursday, January 7th, 2010
Eyeshadows may last forever, but it’s important to always have fresh mascara. We really liked L’Oreals new Extra Volume Collagen Mascara. Although it didn’t do much lengthening, we got a lot of volume. This mascara works by plumping the lashes from the inside out with hydra collagen. The brush is designed to get even your smallest lashes as well. What we liked best about this mascara is that we could keep layering without having to worry about clumping.
Tags: cosmetics, L'Oreal, Mascara, product review, volume
Posted in Product Reviews | No Comments »
Revlon Beyond Natural Defining Mascara
Sunday, December 27th, 2009
We’ve found mascara that isn’t so thick that it clumps but doesn’t have so much liquid that it smudges. We liked the Revlon Beyond Natural Defining Mascara creamy formula, because you can layer without clumping. This mascara also has a unique brush so you can actually comb through your lashes. The result is very natural looking; we suggest this product for when you’re going to be outside or for work.
Tags: cosmetics, makeup, Mascara, product review, Revlon
Posted in Product Reviews | No Comments »
Maybelline Mineral Power Natural Perfecting Concealer
Saturday, December 26th, 2009
Usually concealers thick enough to cover dark eye circles are creamy and not really appropriate for blemishes. We liked Maybelline Mineral Power Natural Perfecting Concealer because it hid our dark circles completely, but since it’s oil, talc, and fragrance free, we could use it on other imperfections. Now we don’t need two concealers- we can see why this product won beauty awards from Oprah Magazine and Marie Claire.
Tags: Concealer, cosmetics, makeup, Maybelline, Mineral Power, product review
Posted in Product Reviews | No Comments »
Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipcolor
Saturday, December 19th, 2009
We all know by now that sunscreen is a must, but many people are unaware of just how much to apply. You need about a teaspoon for your face, and a shot glass for your body. It’s a lot of rubbing in, but it’s necessary to get the coverage you need. And don’t forget to protect your lips. We like Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipcolor. It has an SPF of 15, and with 56 shades every woman is bound to find her perfect color. It also moisturizes like a lip balm, so you don’t have to worry about the heat parching your lips.
Tags: cosmetics, Lipcolor, lipstic, makeup, Maybelline, product review
Posted in Product Reviews | No Comments »
