Dear New and Upcoming Cosmetic Companies,
I want to start off by congratulating you on the start of your cosmetic company. You’ve made it! I know this process was a challenge in a way but all that hard work has paid off. Although you are new to the cosmetic world, I’m sure you are aware of what it takes to be a successful company in the cosmetic environment: if you are not I am here to explain some of those tips with you.
I am a customer of mostly drugstore makeup; but I do contain some high end makeup products. I begin having an interest in makeup my sophomore year of high school. While wanting to increase my skills in applying makeup I begin watching YouTube Beauty Gurus. After watching all these videos I began to wonder why many of these women were wearing more high end products than drugstore products when they’re basically the same thing just a difference in price. After more research, I begin to realize that high end makeup had two important things that drugstore makeup didn’t, a variety in color for foundations and better quality products.
I want to start off by congratulating you on the start of your cosmetic company. You’ve made it! I know this process was a challenge in a way but all that hard work has paid off. Although you are new to the cosmetic world, I’m sure you are aware of what it takes to be a successful company in the cosmetic environment: if you are not I am here to explain some of those tips with you.
I am a customer of mostly drugstore makeup; but I do contain some high end makeup products. I begin having an interest in makeup my sophomore year of high school. While wanting to increase my skills in applying makeup I begin watching YouTube Beauty Gurus. After watching all these videos I began to wonder why many of these women were wearing more high end products than drugstore products when they’re basically the same thing just a difference in price. After more research, I begin to realize that high end makeup had two important things that drugstore makeup didn’t, a variety in color for foundations and better quality products.
For example, M.A.C. Cosmetics is a very popular business and this company has been around for years. The two important things that keep their customers coming back for more whether you are a pale-white Caucasian or a dark-chocolate African-American, M.A.C has the correct shade of foundation for you, displaying 36 shades in the M.A.C. Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15, versus when you go into a drugstore and you want to buy foundation you may have to pick a shade lighter than your skin tone and a shade darker than your skin tone, and mix them together to get your correct shade. When customers have to do this, it makes them upset because they’re spending more money than they expected to.
Take Maybelline for example, this is a very popular drugstore company, they have a foundation out called SUPERSTAY BETTER SKIN FOUNDATION. The company says that “Superstay Better Skin Foundation gives an all-day flawless coverage and better-looking skin in 3 weeks. The foundation reduces the appearance of spots, dullness and unevenness and gives you a brighter, more even and stress-free skin” (Maybelline’s Website). Even though this is a great product it only has 12 shades to choose from and only four of them look to be for African- American women.
Every women wants to feel beautiful without spending a whole lot money, but it isn’t far if Caucasians get the better choice than African-Americans. This is not to bash the company but to let them know how some African-American women feel. This is why most of the African-American Beauty Gurus buy M.A.C. products or Makeup Forever products. It’s to keep them from spending a lot of more than they expect because no women wants to have to buy two of one thing if she doesn’t need to. So, I want you to keep in mind of who your customers are they could be any skin tone and if you want a higher demand you should take that in consideration when making your foundations whether it be powder or liquid.
The other important thing is quality. As you know your company will be successful if your products are good quality. Take eyeshadows for example, to me the company with the best eyeshadows are Makeup Geek. Their shadow are easy to apply, doesn’t have a lot of fall out, and are very affordable. These eyeshadows come in a variety of colors and they are only six dollars a pan (Makeup Geek’s Website). Also, Makeup Geek gives you a choice of making your own palette with the colors you choose or you can select from one of their palettes.
As you all know the eyeshadow is the make or break of a makeup look, but that’s not the only thing. There’s also concealer, lipstick, blush, eyeliner, and a lot more. Although in order to be successful, your products should have good quality along with a decent price. So for your eyeliners, they should be creamy and easy to glide on the eye. This is important because you don't want a customer complaint saying they accidentally poked themselves in the eye because the eyeliner was not easy to apply. Another example could be your blush. When swatch on a hand, it should reflect a natural glow not cakey or clownish looking. The products of your company should reflect how you would want the makeup to feel if you were to wear it.
As you all know the eyeshadow is the make or break of a makeup look, but that’s not the only thing. There’s also concealer, lipstick, blush, eyeliner, and a lot more. Although in order to be successful, your products should have good quality along with a decent price. So for your eyeliners, they should be creamy and easy to glide on the eye. This is important because you don't want a customer complaint saying they accidentally poked themselves in the eye because the eyeliner was not easy to apply. Another example could be your blush. When swatch on a hand, it should reflect a natural glow not cakey or clownish looking. The products of your company should reflect how you would want the makeup to feel if you were to wear it.
I focus on the two aspects because I am a victim of having this happen to me and I’ve also seen it in the YouTube Beauty Guru videos. I am eighteen years old and I’ve been it to makeup for a while. I have learn all there is to learn when it comes to application. This is why I wish these cosmetic companies would look out for women of all color and not just the Caucasians. Having to buy two foundation just to match my skin tone is never what I ever anticipated on doing, but it was about looking nice and not a mess with one shade on my face and my neck another. I’m not able to afford a forty-five dollar foundation at the moment so I try to make do what it do with the drugstore products. Don’t get me wrong there are some good drugstore products but there aren’t any great ones, which is what I am trying to help you become.
So, in conclusion I want to two reflect on those two main aspects in your company’s products and ask yourself does my company support those things and if so how do I know. If you’re still creating products and would like to know what people think; go to colleges and give them out to women saying “try this”, send your products to the YouTube Beauty Gurus: they love trying out new products and reviewing them for their subscribers; doing this will not only get you known in the community but also get you customers who would like to try out for your company’s product for themselves, and last but not least branding and advertising. These things will help you become a better company and also get a feel of what people want and what may or may not need to be changed in your products or company itself.
-Sincerely, Kay
So, in conclusion I want to two reflect on those two main aspects in your company’s products and ask yourself does my company support those things and if so how do I know. If you’re still creating products and would like to know what people think; go to colleges and give them out to women saying “try this”, send your products to the YouTube Beauty Gurus: they love trying out new products and reviewing them for their subscribers; doing this will not only get you known in the community but also get you customers who would like to try out for your company’s product for themselves, and last but not least branding and advertising. These things will help you become a better company and also get a feel of what people want and what may or may not need to be changed in your products or company itself.
-Sincerely, Kay