Launch of the Year
Prestige: Prada Beauty
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Miuccia Prada is one of fashion’s most innovative thinkers; so it’s no surprise that when it came time to launch a beauty line with licensee L’Oréal, her goal was to shake things up. “What does beauty mean today?” Speaking at the launch with Raf Simons, the creative director of the brand, the designer stated that he believes that beauty is “the representation of personality, freedom and self-expression” and that the idea of care is also very important, and that this is Prada’s starting point. Licensee L’Oréal has translated this concept into a collection of skincare and color cosmetics, using Lynsey Alexander as global creative makeup artist and Inès Alpha as e-makeup artist. They delved into Prada’s extensive archives, transforming textures, prints and shades into stunning products. Likewise, skin care is less about correcting imperfections and more about helping the skin adapt to its environment in real time. On the heels of the very successful launch of the Prada Paradoxe women’s fragrance in 2022, L’Oréal’s ambitions for this range were equally bold. Cyril Chapuy, President of L’Oréal Luxe, said: “This launch will open a new chapter that will take the brand to new heights.”
Mass: Good
In a stellar year for perfume, Maesa took a different approach to the category and won top prize. Fine’ry, a line of nine body sprays and eau de parfum, launched at Target in February with the goal of democratizing fragrance. “We saw the huge appetite and desire for people to have access to a truly untouchable world of niche, prestige and premium fragrance, and when we looked at the consumer offerings en masse, there was essentially nothing,” he said. Dana Steinfeld, senior vice president of Maesa’s innovation arm, at the launch. The strategy worked. Circana reported that the mass-market fragrance business is growing at nearly the same rate as the prestige market, as consumers find value in lower-priced products at a time when demand for high-end luxury fragrances has slowed. For Fine’ry – mission accomplished.
Transformational Deal of the Year: Estée Lauder Cos.’s acquisition of Tom Ford
Since the launch of Tom Ford Beauty in 2006, the brand has been a shining star for Estée Lauder Cos. The fragrance department is going from strength to strength, creating global hits and sparking olfactory trends; While makeup has also been hit harder during the pandemic, the directional and unified Tom Ford Beauty is on the verge of billion-dollar brand status. It’s no wonder, then, that when the designer put his eponymous brand up for sale, Estée Lauder Cos. outbid rival Kering in a $2.3 billion deal that was Lauder’s largest deal to date and marked the beauty giant’s foray into fashion. “As an owned brand, this strategic acquisition will unlock new opportunities and strengthen our growth plans for Tom Ford Beauty,” said Lauder CEO Fabrizio Freda at the time of the deal. It also served as a guide going forward during a difficult year for the company, which was hit hard by the crisis in China. “This agreement will help further build on our momentum in the promising luxury beauty category over the long term,” said Freda, “and will reaffirm our commitment to becoming the leading pure player in prestige beauty.”
Groundbreaking Brand
Breakthrough Brand of the Year: RMS Beauty
Long before “clean” became a beauty buzzword, makeup artist Rose-Marie Swift was calling for cosmetics to be made with better, safer ingredients. When she launched the RMS Beauty brand in 2009, her closest competitors were in natural food stores rather than specialty beauty channels. Fast forward more than a decade, and Swift’s message is more relevant than ever and resonates with CEO David Olsen’s management. RMS Beauty developed its platform strategy on social media; While using Swift (a recent video reached one million views in less than a day) and a diverse roster of creators to create cross-generational viral moments on TikTok, she’s gone on to do more. Polishing content with smart use of short-form videos to increase engagement on Instagram. The strategy is working: RMS Beauty is cleaning up, with the brand’s website posting exponential sales increases — blush and foundation brushes are up 3,473 percent, SuperNatural Serum is up 573 percent, and Eyelights Cream Shadows are up 1,150 percent.
Newcomer of the Year: Polite Society
When Jerrod Blandino and Jeremy Johnson exited Too Faced, the brand they founded in 1998 and sold to Estée Lauder Cos. for $1.45 billion in 2016, it was only a matter of time before they got back into the beauty game. Partners in business and life, the kids are having too much fun building a brand to stand on the sidelines. It’s no wonder their new venture is called Toy Box Brands, a cross-category incubator that launched Polite Society in August. The clean makeup brand, exclusive to Ulta Beauty, taps into the duo’s signature sassy ethos and prowess in product development, with products like lip plumpers, mascaras and foundation that Blandino and Johnson know how to create lasting mega-hits. But Polite Society is an evolution, not a rebirth, of their past. This line meets Ulta’s criteria for Conscious Beauty, but its ethos is very different from most brands of its kind. “I didn’t see myself in any of these brands,” Blandino said. “Where is the shine? Where are the assets? There is room for a truly great punch line.”
Buzzy Collaboration: Lancôme x Louvre
One French icon deserves another, and Lancôme doesn’t think small when it comes to partnerships. This year, the L’Oréal-owned brand collaborated with the famous Louvre Museum in Paris for a limited-edition collection celebrating self-confidence and beauty with the slogan “Beauty is a Living Art.” Highlights included refillable lipsticks adorned with architectural details from the museum and the Richelieu Face and Eyeshadow Palette stamped with Venus de Milo’s likeness. The gala celebrating the collection was equally starry; Lancôme ambassadors Isabella Rossellini, Penelope Cruz, He Cong and Emma Chamberlain were among the guests lucky enough to tour the museum after working hours. He Cong said: “Venus de Milo is the ultimate beauty, a symbol of perfection, and when you face her, you feel her charm, radiating confidence.” Rossellini added: “Greek aesthetics, the search for beauty; it combines very well with the history of Lancôme.”
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