Friday 27th August:
The sweet smell of non-conformity
On a recent fact-finding mission round Liberty, we stumbled across Le Labo, a perfume house with a difference.
Founded by Edouard and Fabrice (they don’t seem to need surnames), Le Labo is fighting the fight against fragrances that sell the promise of uniqueness to millions of people. Armed with years of olfactory diligence, all natural ingredients and the will to ‘make strategic and creative decisions in a matter of seconds in the name of intuition’, Edouard and Fabrice are taking the fragrance world by storm.
We got our noses involved and had a fine old time sniffing the likes of Vetiver 46 and Neroli 36. Each fragrance is named for its principal note and the total number of ingredients in the blend.
And yes, we did get ticked off by a security guard for ‘taking photos and writing notes’. Oops.
Via http://www.lelabofragrances.com/
Tagged with: Cosmetics
Tuesday 3rd November:
GRRRooming for ‘real’ men
Male grooming brand, Bulldog, is biting back. Their 100% masculine products provide an answer to those stripped down ‘for men’ versions of female brands. Bulldog’s affordable range also aims to provide men with a new, natural and pioneering alternative to the chemically over-laden grooming sector.
Packaged with strong but simple branding, Bulldog clearly knows its market: men who care about their skin but who aren’t interested in fussy lotions and potions. Simple and reasonably priced, it does the trick without the girlie frills – just right for these credit crunch times. (A big thank you to Lee for this.)
Friday 23rd October:
Freshly shipped for fresher skin
It’s no secret that skin care products become less effective and even unhygienic with age. Yet, few companies actually emphasise the freshness of their merchandise. LA-based Odacité, however, make a big deal of their manufacturing dates. They produce freshly made organic and preservative-free skin-care products. Stating that ‘freshness is the key to effectiveness’, Odacité marks each product with a ‘freshiency Date’, showing the month of manufacture and the month after which the product will start to degrade.
Rather than let their tubes and jars sit on store shelves, Odacité only sells its products online and made in small batches so they can be shipped to customers immediately. Customers are advised to keep their products in the fridge to help preserve them. And to really hit the brand’s point of difference home, it even sells a branded mini-fridge. The company claims there are serious health benefits to its methods, since it can make moisturisers, cleansers, eye-creams, etc. with as few chemicals as possible. Prices start at $45 for a jojoba exfoliant.
Odacité isn’t the first skin care company to place an increased emphasis on freshness; it resembles a high-end version of Lush, which also manufactures in small batches but sells its products at its own stores around the world.
Ref. http://www.springwise.com/fashion_beauty/odacite/
Tagged with: Cosmetics
Wednesday 20th May:
How can you help people be eco-friendly and thrifty at the same time?
Follow M·A·C’s ‘Back to M·A·C’ scheme. As the cosmetics company says, “M·A·C cares about the environment and takes back its primary packaging to recycle for new packaging. Return six M·A·C primary containers to a counter or online, and you’ll receive a free M·A·C lipstick of your choice.” And whenever people take back their empties we wouldn’t be surprised if they end up buying another product too.
(Big thank you to Gemma for sharing her free lippy tips.)
Ref. http://www.maccosmetics.com/giving_back/btm_return_packaging.tmpl
Friday 27th February:
How can your brand reflect these serious times?
Think like Greek cosmetic brand, Korres, who are bang-on-trend with their new brand aesthetic. More and more brands are adapting their packaging design to the new ‘rough luxe’ environment, reducing sparkle in favour of a more austere, serious aesthetic. Here Korres’ products are starkly labelled with simple fonts and white space, ideal for the new rough luxury consumer.
Korres Natural Products has roots in Athens’ first ever homeopathic pharmacy. Set up in 1996 in order to use its extensive scientific resources to create safe, effective products, the company today offers a complete skin and hair care range including make-up, sun protection products and herbal preparations.
Ref. https://www.lsnglobal.com/seed/view/393
Tuesday 3rd February:
How can you provide the antidote to today’s ‘anxiety’ megatrend?
Think like Icelandic cosmetic brand, Skyn. Their product, Antidote, is a lightweight hydrating lotion for chronically stressed skin. It goes on with a cooling burst to decongest, detoxify and stabilize, returning skin to its natural fresh and healthy state. With daily use, skin is fortified and protected from the ravages of stress.
http://www.skyniceland.com/home.php
According to Skyn’s manifesto, stress does not discriminate. It’s not interested in your age, your ethnicity, your job, your commitments or your needs. It’s an equal opportunity epidemic, affecting everyone in this high-octane, 24/7 world.
Which is why Skyn, inspired by Iceland’s abundant and unspoiled resources, have developed a skincare line specifically formulated to counteract the detrimental effects of chronic stress on skin . . . well, it’s a start anyway.
Tagged with: Cosmetics, Credit crunch, Packaging, Pharmaceuticals
Thursday 15th January:
How can you create unusual brand connections and partnerships to add value and extend your brand?
Think like Japanese cosmetics company Fancl and food manufacturer Itoyakado who have collaborated to develop a range of stimulant infused snacks!
Cosmetics company Fancl is connecting the dots between its customers concern about their appearance and health consciousness.
The Fancl Collaboration Series includes items such as bread, tofu, and sweets with added collagen, kale extract, germinated brown rice, and “twintose” (a Fancl branded supplement made from Chicory root that purportedly aids mineral absorption). These supplements are also used in Fancl’s existing beauty and healthcare products, and are recognized components of the Fancl name.
Ref. CScout
Monday 15th December:
How can you find ways of reinforcing that your customers are in the know and therefore make them feel closer to the brand?
Think like Aesop the botanically based skin, hair and body products for men and women, and known for their passionate engagement with the larger cultural landscape. To create this feeling that people who buy Aesop appreciate leading edge stuff they post news of the latest ideas and events around the world that can be an inspiration in your life.
(Tx to Joe in Oz for this one)
