Jen and Fiona Lees (BALMSHELL)

Jennifer and Fiona Lees were searching for the perfect lip gloss – aren’t we all! They decided that if they couldn’t find it, they would develop their own. After years of working with a cosmetic manufacturer,  Balmshell was created. Now they have a collection of 16 pretty glosses, which can be found at Sephora stores throughout North America and France. The Lees sisters are this month’s Top Women in Focus.

When you were a little girl, what did you want to be?
Jen: I wanted to be a teacher. I loved stickers and my teachers were not only allowed to check homework in red ink but use fun stickers like “GRRREAT WORK!!!” I always thought that was such a powerful thing.
Fiona: I always wanted to be an actress. You know, live the Hollywood dream.

Where did the idea for Balmshell come from?
Jen: It started out as a closet dream. Fiona and I really wanted to create something together and always had a passion for cosmetics. We knew that we had to follow our passion, and our passion was cosmetics. We would brainstorm ideas and concepts and talk about how we envisioned the line. We knew that we needed amazing formulas, great branding and unique packaging. We worked with a chemist who helped create a fabulous formula and we thought of a fantastic name, we just needed unique packaging. One day I walked into a store and found a float art pen. The pen had a moving illustration and told a story. It had a sense of humour and personality. It was just a pen but a pen that had an instant emotional connection. That day Fiona and I knew that was what we wanted our customers to feel. That day the concept for the packaging of Balmshell was born.

What was the first theme that Balmshell produced?
Fiona: Shopaholic was the first illustration/theme. Balmshell is about unleashing your inner goddess and celebrating indulgence. We thought about what women really enjoy and take pleasure in. Shopping was at the top of the list. Every woman can relate to being addicted to shopping. So we picked shopping as our theme and then added a little sense of humour to it.

More At: http://lipstickpowdernpaint.com/2008/10/02/top-women-in-focus-jennifer-and-fiona-lees/

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6 Beauty Tips You Can’t Live Without, by Bobbi Brown

Internationally renowned makeup artist Bobbi Brown is the author of  the just-published beauty bible Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual. 
Her eponymous line of cosmetic products is sold in more than 400 stores and 20 countries worldwide.

WOW: What’s the one cosmetic a woman should never do without?

Bobbi Brown: Concealer. It’s the secret of the universe. It can make you look like you’ve had eight hours sleep when you’ve only had five.

WOW: What’s the beauty issue women complain most about?

BOBBI: Women are always saying that they “always look so fatigued.” They want to know how they can freshen up their appearance and look healthy and vibrant again.

WOW: And what do you recommend?

BOBBI: The best way to instantly make skin look younger is to layer two moisturizers. Start with a light hydrating lotion to plump skin and make fine lines and wrinkles less visible. Apply a richer balm on top
to lock in moisture.

WOW: Which of your own beauty strategies do you rely on?

BOBBI: I try not to be a slave to every makeup trend. The best path is to find what works for you and update it as needed.

WOW: What product are you turning to the most these days?

BOBBI: Sheer foundation. It used to be that women who wanted lightweight foundation had to sacrifice coverage, since many formulas are very translucent. Fortunately, technology’s improved. It’s allowed me to launch Skin Foundation SPF 15, a sheer foundation that provides natural-looking coverage. It’s taken a long time, but it was worth the wait.

WOW: Any bargain products you can’t live without?

BOBBI: Blistex and Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Soap.

Read More At: http://www.wowowow.com/post/6-beauty-tips-you-cant-live-without-bobbi-brown-186667

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Interview: Kiss My Face

Kiss My Face, a company that has been committed to creating natural products since its inception in the early 1980s, is taking its eco-consciousness to a new level, with Greenhouse, an in-store point of purchase display that is not only recyclable, but made from recycled materials—down to its nuts, bolts and lacquers.

The Gardiner, NY, firm worked with LG&P In-Store Agency, Paramus, NJ, to create eco-friendly display racks made from the highest level of recycled materials possible. Sourcing recycled materials strong enough to support Kiss My Face products proved difficult and expensive, but the company was committed and, by gathering materials from various sources, the project reached completion.

Retailers such as Wegmans and select Borders have committed to using the Greenhouse display, and Kiss My Face looks to expand distribution to additional retailers.

Lewis Goldstein, vice president marketing for Kiss My Face recently spoke to Beauty Packaging about the trials and tribulations of this project—and why it meant so much to the company.

BP: What was the motivation to create this display?
KMF: To create a primary or secondary display for retailers that enhances their store’s appearance while communicating the essence of the Kiss My Face brand to sell product. In the end, it is always about selling more product, but how you do it is the key to being true to your brand. By making it environmentally friendly in every way that is possible with today’s manufacturing capabilities, we are reinforcing our commitment as a company to work toward preserving our planet and doing what is important for our retailers and consumers. Kiss My Face has always been militant about making products that are as natural and organic as can be while still working. So this is the natural extension of the mission that Bob and Steve [Bob MacLeod and Steve Byckiewicz], our founders, started over 25 years ago.

BP: Will consumers be made aware of its eco-friendly nature?
KMF: We are at an important point in the movement to conserve and recycle and it is vital that we communicate and educate about what can be done and what consumers can demand from the companies they buy from. The eco-friendly nature of the display is a key selling point to retailers when they are deciding which company’s display they will put on their floor. We have both our mission as a company and the specifics of how the display was manufactured clearly positioned for the consumer to read at the top of the rack.

BP: How does the cost compare to previous displays used? Will eco-friendly displays replace all Kiss My Face displays?
KMF: The cost to Kiss My Face is about 30-40% more than previous racks because in many cases, recycled materials are more expensive than virgin. The process to design and source this was also much more time consuming and difficult because manufacturers have to do more work to find recycled and sustainable materials. This is new for them. When more companies demand recycled content, the price should go down, but we are a long way from that. Our goal as a company is to have all displays be made from 100% recycled content and be recyclable after their use. This isn’t always possible today because some materials are not available in recycled materials and also because 100% recycled materials may not yet offer the strength that a display needs. In those cases, we use as much content as we can and still provide retailers with a tool that will accomplish its goal at store level.
 
Keep reading at: http://www.beautypackaging.com/articles/2009/03/online-exclusive-eco-on-display

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