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Gina Boswell, Executive Vice President of Unilever Personal Care, on the importance of taking risks and merging your career with your personal life.

Bob McDonald, President and CEO of P&G, on how P&G’s commitment to their diverse group of employees, particularly women, helps support their goals of improving lives around the world.

Jane Lauder – London 1960 Estée Lauder Opening

Ouidad, founder of Ouidad, discusses the difficulties of creating buzz in an era before social media.

Leslie Marino, General Manager of Kerastase & Shu Uemura Art of Hair at L’Oréal, talks about making tough decisions in order to keep a business alive in a time of economic crisis.

Andrea Jung, CEO of Avon, on the love affair that has kept her at the top for 12 years, through the good days and the bad.

Andrea Jung, CEO of Avon, discusses Avon’s founding goal of promoting women’s economic independence, and how that hasn’t changed in the past 125 years.

Jane Lauder, Global President of Origins and Ojon, on how the internet’s role as a source of information will shape the future of the hair care industry.

Lisa Hawkins, SVP of Marketing, Education & Events of Dior Beauty, on how success is determined not by the individual, but by the outcome of teamwork.

Andrea Jung, CEO of Avon, discusses Avon’s forays into retail, and how their acquisition of retail and direct brand Liz Earle compliments the company’s core direct sale model.

Barbara Zinn Moore, SVP and General Merchandise Manager of Cosmetics and Home at Lord and Taylor, on the lessons her mentors have taught her: the importance of relationships and pursuing things with an open mind, and how you’re never too old to learn something new.

Andrea Jung, CEO of Avon, discusses how Anew set Avon ahead of prestige in terms of innovation, technology, and credibility.

Jane Lauder, Global President of Origin and Ojon, discusses understanding and overcoming cultural barriers within different global markets in context of women’s willingness to get a facial in public.

Andrea Jung, CEO of Avon, on the successful marriage of Avon’s original direct sale model with an online, technology-driven market.

Agnes Landau, SVP of Global Marketing, on how their Anti-Aging BB Cream is an example of adding a feature distinct to your brand to an already successful concept in order to expand a product to another market.

Janet Pardo, SVP of Product Development, and Agnes Landau, SVP of Global Marketing, on the importance of staying true to the brand’s core values and strength in the skincare segment, while expanding into a color line.

Lynne Greene, Global Brand President of Clinique Origins and Ojon, on asking yourself how to modernize a brand in a way that the experience still feels the same to the consumers, rather than refusing to change in an attempt to stay true to the brand’s heritage.

Janet Pardo, SVP of Product Development, on how products developed specifically for one market—such as Clinique’s Lash Power Mascara—can end up being huge global successes.

Janet Pardo, SVP of Product Development, and Agnes Landau, SVP of Global Marketing, discuss planning ahead and anticipating what women want, and the benefits of social media in terms of immediate feedback from consumers.

Agnes Landau, SVP of Global Marketing at Clinique, on CEW’s role of guiding and nurturing young talent, and how proud she is to be a part of such a unique organization.

Agnes Landau, SVP of Global Marketing at Clinique, talks about how Leonard Lauder’s passion for branding and Lynne Greene’s visionary leadership have inspired her.

Janet Pardo, SVP of Product Development at Clinique, talks about how William Lauder and Lynne Greene’s commitment to vision and mentorship have inspired her and pushed her to grow.

Janet Pardo, SVP of Product Development at Clinique, on the importance of mentoring young women, and how CEW gives her the opportunity to create products that fulfill women.

Lynne Greene, Global Brand President of Clinique Origins and Ojon, discusses how their “Service as You Like It” counter at Bloomingdales and their color-coded bracelets changed and improved the dialogue between customer and salesperson, removed barriers, and ultimately produced a happier consumer experience.

Fragrance consultant Ann Gottlieb, the most in-demand nose in the industry, is the force behind some of the world’s best-known scents. Her secret to success comes not just from olfactive talent, but the ability to translate the language of a fashion house or global brand into one that an essential oil house can understand.

Lynne Greene, Global Brand President of Clinique Origins and Ojon, discusses how their “Service as You Like It” counter at Bloomingdales and their color-coded bracelets changed and improved the dialogue between customer and salesperson, removed barriers, and ultimately produced a happier consumer experience.

Color is second only to product innovation in what will drive beauty purchases in 2013, according to The Color Association.

The recession and technology have fueled a flat retail world where new places to buy, save and inform are creating a more savvy consumer.

Jane Lauder, Global President of Origins and Ojon, discusses the challenges of bringing choice and convenience to prestige hair care, and the opportunities for development provided by new technologies.

Engagement is the new direct marketing, say beauty’s IT girls: Annemarie Frank, Marisa Thalberg, and Kristen Yraola. The forward-thinking beauty trio recently discussed some of their digital successes and how to stay ahead of the game.

Susan Sweet, General Manager of Neutrogena Johnson & Johnson, on the importance of keeping your brand consistent across multiple channels.

Susan Sweet, General Manager of Neutrogena Johnson & Johnson, on the importance of keeping your brand consistent across multiple channels.

Susan Sweet, General Manager of Neutrogena Johnson & Johnson, addresses the issue of natural products and their efficacy, and how explaining the origin and purpose of each ingredient on the packaging helps the consumer to better understand natural products.

Susan Sweet, General Manager of Neutrogena Johnson & Johnson, discusses the modern beauty consumer’s desire to find “what works,” and how she now values the experience of discovering what that might be.

Susan Sweet, General Manager of Neutrogena Johnson & Johnson, on the consumer’s desire for immediate results and information about products, and how brands need to meet both of those needs in order to facilitate her decision-making and life.

Susan Sweet, General Manager of Neutrogena Johnson & Johnson, on how the nature of shopping has changed thanks to the internet, and how brands need to continue to enable the consumer’s immediate access to beauty.

McKinsey Quarterly pegs “hijacked” as the newest marketing media trend, joining traditional strategies paid, owned and earned. The form looks to present even seasoned beauty digital pioneers Lancôme and Clinique with the challenge of how to reclaim a campaign gone awry.

Veronique Gabai-Pinsky developed the scent that made fragrance history, Aqua di Gio, which remains a Top Three seller 15 years after it was launched. Veronique, global president of Aramis and Designer Fragrances, Beauty Bank and Idea Bank for the Estée Lauder Companies, shares her rules for creating winners.

Heidi Manheimer, chief executive officer of Shiseido Cosmetics America, talks about how to stay ahead of the ever-changing work landscape, from meeting expectations to redefining leadership.

Christina Hennington, Divisional Merchandising Manager, Beauty Division at Target, on catering to the urban consumer via CityTarget, Target’s new, smaller-format stores.

“There are a lot of young people coming into the marketplace and we need to create more products that engage them,” says The NPD Group’s vice president and senior global industry analyst, Karen Grant.

It’s no secret beauty brands are using Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr to strengthen their marketing clout. But who’s doing it best?

In her 25-year career, Barbara Zinn-Moore’s most notable accomplishment to-date may be transforming Lord & Taylor’s Fifth Avenue flagship from frumpy into a beauty destination.

In her 25-year career, Barbara Zinn-Moore’s most notable accomplishment to-date may be transforming Lord & Taylor’s Fifth Avenue flagship from frumpy into a beauty destination.

Muriel Gonzales, EVP/General Merchandise Manager, Cosmetics and Fragrance at Macy’s, on how more choices leads to more purchases.

Muriel Gonzales, EVP/General Merchandise Manager, Cosmetics and Fragrance at Macy’s, on how more choices leads to more purchases.

The Fragrance Foundation recently invited industry experts NPD’s Karen Grant, Elizabeth Arden’s Ron Rolleston, Macy’s Linda Levy, Parfums Christian Dior’s Terry Darland and Firmenich’s Theo Spilka to throw a spotlight on the current state – and long-term viability – of celebrity scents, a $1.3 billion business. The net-net? In order to thrive, the star firmament needs to shrink.

The Fragrance Foundation recently invited industry experts NPD’s Karen Grant, Elizabeth Arden’s Ron Rolleston, Macy’s Linda Levy, Parfums Christian Dior’s Terry Darland and Firmenich’s Theo Spilka to throw a spotlight on the current state – and long-term viability – of celebrity scents, a $1.3 billion business. The net-net? In order to thrive, the star firmament needs to shrink.

Procter & Gamble is tapping into consumers’ desire for individualized, customized beauty and fashion with a new website, StyleUnited. The beauty firm says the site will serve as an online destination for this unmet need, but will also look to provide invaluable information on how a woman shops. CEW Beauty Insider spoke with Charlie Chappell, associate marketing director at P&G, to uncover P&G’s interest in its bold online endeavor.

Why a fashion/beauty website? Women continue to tell us they turn to a number of websites every day for their beauty and fashion needs, and none recognize the complete picture…

Procter & Gamble is tapping into consumers’ desire for individualized, customized beauty and fashion with a new website, StyleUnited. The beauty firm says the site will serve as an online destination for this unmet need, but will also look to provide invaluable information on how a woman shops. CEW Beauty Insider spoke with Charlie Chappell, associate marketing director at P&G, to uncover P&G’s interest in its bold online endeavor.

Why a fashion/beauty website? Women continue to tell us they turn to a number of websites every day for their beauty and fashion needs, and none recognize the complete picture…

Best-selling author Francis P. Cholle has been challenging corporate America’s business approach since his book, The Intuitive Compass (Fall 2011, Jossey-Bass), offered up a new model of strategic management, where sustainable value, leading by influence and playtime were presented as alternative strategies to succeed in the new economy. Cholle spoke with CEW Beauty Insider on the reasoning behind these three business approaches—and at least one of them includes having fun as a path to accelerated growth.

• Put sustainable value at the heart of business strategy. In this particular economy, much of the focus is on return, a legitimate concept, but too narrow

Managing the manager can be a great way to stand apart from peers, commonly known as “managing up.” Industry experts Wayne Turk and Yael Zofi cite several ways to make your boss’s job easier while also proving your own net worth.

According to a McKinsey Global Survey, executives’ views on the global economy, namely their companies’ prospects, are more positive now than in September.

Corporate makeovers are underway at Procter & Gamble and The Estée Lauder Companies as both beauty behemoths alter strategies to better meet the changing demands of a global marketplace. Here are some highlights from their respective Consumer Analyst Group of New York programs:

We heard from beauty’s movers and shakers about what was on the lips of the 470+
attendees at this year’s Personal Care Products Council’s 118th Annual Meeting in
Naples, Florida. Newly elected Council Chairman E. Scott Beattie, Vice Chair Gina
Drosos and panel speaker Emrah Kovacoglu gave us a top line of their key takeaways:

Beauty Insider asked the industry who they think will help boost mass beauty in 2012, seeing that the category¹s sales only grew 4% in 2011 versus prestige’s 11% jump. Interestingly, the marketers you said might matter most reflect a mix of new and veteran executives to their respective brands.

We found a recent study by Total Beauty, a digital publisher of beauty and health content, filled with some surprising behaviors and purchasing motivations, including:

Corporate makeovers are underway at Procter & Gamble and The Estée Lauder Companies as both beauty behemoths alter strategies to better meet the changing demands of a global marketplace. Here are some highlights from their respective Consumer Analyst Group of New York programs:

Following a successful run of growing Korres into a North American beauty darling—one that lured the likes of parent Johnson & Johnson—Robert DeBaker has been tapped again as CEO to overhaul prestige cosmetics firm, Becca. Charged with transforming the estimated $10 million Australian makeup brand, Bob spoke with Beauty Insider about using his leadership know-how to perhaps make beauty magic happen twice.

Despite the explosion of digital devices, the retail store is not going away any time soon and will remain the “core of the experience,” said a Deloitte Global Powers of Retailing 2012 study. However, a store may not be the final shopping destination, but “a piece in a larger, more connected customer experience,” leaving retailers to rethink their operating model. Additional retail trends from Deloitte LLC’s study include:

Sales of U.S. prestige beauty products hit a 15-year high in 2011, said The NPD Group, growth that actually reflects the overall spike realized in the luxury sector. According to the 10th edition of Bain & Company’s Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study, luxury saw a 12 percent uptick for the year in the Americas. “Despite the headwinds of global events and economic uncertainty, luxury is experiencing a sort of ‘anti-crisis,’” said Claudia D’Arpizio, a Bain partner in Milan and lead author of the study.

More than 2,000 beauty executives attended Manhattan’s hottest ticket in town Wednesday evening at the Metropolitan Pavilion: Cosmetic Executive Women’s Beauty Insiders’ Choice Awards Product Demo. That’s where CEW members judged 625 products from 29 categories in an effort to be voted one of the best products of 2011. Carlotta Jacobson, CEW’s President, toured the show floor that evening. Here’s a recap of what she saw.

Lily Garfield, operator of 12 freestanding, upscale beauty stores, is the envy of many small retailers. Here, Lily discusses how she landed the enviable deal of creating a beauty shop in Target and what it will mean for her brand when it realizes critical mass.

Lily Garfield, operator of 12 freestanding, upscale beauty stores, is the envy of many small retailers. Here, Lily discusses how she landed the enviable deal of creating a beauty shop in Target and what it will mean for her brand when it realizes critical mass.

Chatter inside the beauty industry continues to hover on the topic of who will be next in line as Chief Executive Officer at Avon. While analysts speculate a candidate outside of beauty may snag the post (non-compete clauses are limiting the pool), Beauty Insider thinks some of CEW’s very own members may make the best choice, regardless of contract restrictions. Here are some of our top considerations:

While most everyone wants to do her job better, did you know that doing more of what you already do well will only lead to incremental improvement? A better approach is to improve skills that complement your core strength, a practice called “business cross-training,” according to John H. Zenger, Joseph Folkman and Scott K. Edinger in Harvard Business Review.

After 45 years of operation, Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna is still the largest international beauty exhibition in the world. The four-day show, which ended Monday, March 12, hosted 2,320 exhibitors from more than 70 countries, sold 46,557 tickets, recorded 652,508 hits on its website and welcomed 175,703 attendees. It also saw some growth: foreign exhibitor attendance grew 5 percent; international attendees grew to more than 40,000.

Following a stellar 2011, prestige beauty sales show no signs of slowing down. The NPD Group reveals that total prestige beauty sales in U.S. department stores in January increased 14% to $554.2 million. In February, total prestige beauty grew 11% to $777.5 million.

Move over beauty advisors, beauty coaches are the next big beauty trend, according to SpaFinder’s annual list of Top Global Spa Trends for 2012. Makes sense, since we have life coaches, wellness coaches, so why not beauty coaches?

CEW Beauty Insider received a sneak peek of
The Color Association’s spring/summer 2013 fashion color forecast to see what’s to come for nail, lip and eye palettes. One of the trends is a bit disconcerting, as some colors will reflect the impact of natural disasters: murky grays and browns; browns mixing with blues; greens; and other muted pastels. Fortunately, at the same time, unexpected bright pops of color will emerge, signifying calm after the storm. Here are the hues that may define beauty’s color palette next year:

The attachment we have to our hairstylist lent itself to increased salon visits in 2011, along with our penchant for do-it-yourself professional products and frizz-fighting treatments. Last year, total revenues for all categories of the products used in the professional salon industry (including hair, skin and nail services) grew 6.0% to $4.24 billion, according to the 2011 Professional Salon Industry Haircare Study from Professional Consultants & Resources. Here, Cyrus Busara, president of PCR, lists how else our beauty behavior contributed to the increases, which were the largest since 2008 for the nearly 280,000 salons and barbershops in the U.S.:

The Estée Lauder brand has been developing a strong presence in China since opening the market in 1993, and remains the company’s principal engine. During fiscal 2011, it became the leading prestige brand in its distribution, with growth outpacing the total prestige market, according to company documents. Overall, Asia-Pacific is the Estée Lauder Companies’
fastest-growing region with sales up 17% last year, driven by skin care.

Your mobile phone will be your key tool to buying beauty, say L’Oréal Paris, Ulta, Macy’s and Lancôme execs. Watch them on film now.

The company that creates The Next Big Thing wins.

CVS Beauty 360 promised to deliver prestige brands and a luxe shopping experience. But, in the end “it was a bold idea that didn’t go far enough,” said Wendy Liebmann, Chief Executive Officer of WSL Strategic Retail.

E.l.f. Cosmetics recently tapped one of the mass market’s most visible executives, Shawn Haynes, for the newly created position of vice president of retail sales.

Seven out of 10 women have changed how they shop for beauty. Here are the characteristics that define the new customer, according to WSL Strategic Retail’s 13th edition of How America Shops® MegaTrends study.

Mass beauty brands grew exponentially in the social arena in 2011, showing they can play as hard as their prestige counterparts, said Maureen Mullen, Director of Research and Advisory Services at L2 Think Tank, a leading digital consultancy for prestige brands. Here are the campaigns that the brand said worked for them—and they may just work for you, too.

Mass beauty brands grew exponentially in the social arena in 2011, showing they can play as hard as their prestige counterparts, said Maureen Mullen, Director of Research and Advisory Services at L2 Think Tank, a leading digital consultancy for prestige brands. Here are the campaigns that the brand said worked for them—and they may just work for you, too.

Retailers snapping up brands is a top trend in 2012, according to Wells Fargo’s Kelly McPhilliamy. Watch and hear what else Kelly says is on the horizon.

Retailers snapping up brands is a top trend in 2012, according to Wells Fargo’s Kelly McPhilliamy. Watch and hear what else Kelly says is on the horizon.

Beauty Insider asked the industry who they think is lighting up the digital world, with next-level mobile efforts, Facebook campaigns, Twitter outreach and consumer engagement campaigns. The names that were ultimately selected represent a spectrum of digital roles, from public relations director to consumer engagement executive to global marketing head. See who you said is setting the beauty stage by serving as a trailblazer in digital beauty.

Can a brand that was sold twice, lost its creator and ran a bit off track return to what made it so appealing in the first place? It can if Liz Garrett has something to say about it.

Can a brand that was sold twice, lost its creator and ran a bit off track return to what made it so appealing in the first place? It can if Liz Garrett has something to say about it.

Tweezerman is about to get an injection of color.

Beauty Insider tapped nail experts Essie Weingarten and Jin Soon to get the latest on fall 2012 nail trends. The verdict? Stay tuned for nude nails, pumped-up formulas and a nail line from none other than Oscar de la Renta.

We wonder what it’s going to take to get men to use skin care when a disappointing 75% of men over 18 don’t use skin products. According to a Men’s Grooming Consumer Report by The NPD Group, Inc., “The opportunity lies in teaching men about specific skin needs, and their problem-solution orientation will fuel their desire to find products to alleviate their grooming challenges,” said NPD’s Karen Grant, vice president and senior global industry analyst. Here are other male beauty facts NPD revealed:

Beauty Insider spoke with makeup’s top talent to ask them to predict what will be flying off of counters this year. Here are the products they had a hand in developing to help fulfill beauty trends—items that may just create backorders.

Innovation and foresight training firm, futurethink.com, says that making minor adjustments to everyday aspects of the workplace can make a big impact. That’s the inspiration behind Little BIGS: the idea that small changes create the biggest ripples. Here, several action-oriented Little BIGS as suggested by futurethink.com that you can apply to something as typical as your next “team meeting” to shake up the status quo.

How does she get that J.Lo glow?

While growth rates in Brazil’s fragrance market may make foreign brands salivate, it is still the local direct sellers and franchising companies that are benefiting most from the category’s expansion, said a recent report in BW Confidential’s March/Aril print edition. Some 93% of fragrance sales are concentrated in the hands of local popular brands, and the country’s leaders—Natura and Boticário—together claim a 60% share of the perfume market. Indeed, among the Top10 fragrance brands in the market, Natura dominates with six products in the best-seller list, while Boticário has the remaining four top spots.

In L2’s five boldest predictions for 2012, the digital think tank discusses the increasingly important and lucrative roles mobile commerce and emerging social media platforms Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram will take, as well as how digital is the new pathway for prestige brands to achieve icon status. And because L2 said it wouldn’t be a prediction list without a prominent China mention, L2 also offers a perspective on how the world’s fastest-growing luxury consumer base will drive e-commerce not just in 2012 but for the foreseeable future.

Nivea For Men, a top-selling skin franchise—but not the largest—is making a strategic shift in advertising as a result of data showing exactly who buys men’s products in the first place.

Bitten by the perfume bug several years ago, François Damide saw white space in fulfilling orders for smaller players and set out to start his own firm, Crafting Beauty.

Technology is reshaping retail faster than we can keep up, quickly adding layers of digital interface with shoppers, according to WSL/STRATEGIC RETAIL’s second edition of “From Buzz to Buy 2.0, the Guide to Retail Strategy in a Digital Shopping World.” Here are some of the study’s highlights, which reveals just how connected beauty shoppers are to their phones, computers and the digital realm.

CEW’s West Coast Women & Men in Beauty Series, held April 4 at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, Santa Monica, featured Valerie Hoecke, VP Digital Experience and Commerce, Benefit Cosmetics and Kelly Solomon, VP eCommerce, L’Oréal Paris. Both women discussed digital trends, the challenges of translating beauty’s sensorial nature on the web and how mobile technology will influence the beauty buyer in the coming years. And, in the above clip, Valerie laid out a possible digital strategy for today’s ever-evolving digital landscape.

There’s no slowing down sales of prestige beauty products in U.S. department stores. In March, total prestige beauty sales increased 15% to $945.9 million. The record breaking sales figure comes on the heels of a strong February, when total prestige beauty sales grew 11 percent to $777.7 million.

Mike Indursky, President, Bliss World, recently spoke with Beauty Insider about taking the firm’s 15-year-old vision of beauty and evolving it into one that better reflects today’s idea of beauty: well-being and leading a healthy lifestyle. Here, Mike talks about his new “lifestyle” vision for Bliss—from spa to product—and what helps him achieve a higher state of happiness.

A new website, StyleSeat.com, looks to serve the bulk of professionals in the salon industry (stylists, colorists, aestheticians) by providing them with a free platform to create online profiles for the world to peruse. The free exposure looks to help them build their business by offering online booking capability so viewers can immediately make an appointment with a featured stylist simply by clicking a mouse.

See who attended CEW’s most recent panel covering the online beauty world.

See who attended CEW’s most recent panel covering the online beauty world.

Results of a March online skin care study by Total Beauty Media Group revealed marketing and education opportunities for Millennials in regard to skin care, most notably preventative skin cancer measures. Here are some stats that should evoke a call-to-action to Millennials, those aged 18 to 24.

Results of a March online skin care study by Total Beauty Media Group revealed marketing and education opportunities for Millennials in regard to skin care, most notably preventative skin cancer measures. Here are some stats that should evoke a call-to-action to Millennials, those aged 18 to 24.

It seems if anyone can make s-commerce work in beauty it’s Julie Mahloch, Chief Executive Officer and founder of bloom.com. She’s founded several ecommerce sites, dating back to 1998, and in August 2011 she launched bloom, an s-commerce beauty platform taking the industry by storm. Here Julie discusses her path towards beauty’s newest online social store.

New markets continue to serve as important drivers in beauty growth for Procter & Gamble, Revlon, Kao and Unilever, as did successful product launches that reinforced brand leadership in innovation.
Here are some highlights from their respective earnings calls.

Negotiating a salary can be an uncomfortable process and the situation may only get more complicated in a tough job market, writes Amy Gallo for hbr.org in “How to Negotiate Your Next Salary.” Here are the tips Amy said can help you get what you’re worth without offending your future employer.

Executives from top beauty manufacturers and retailers convergered at the posh Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, FL for The National Association of Chain Drug Stores Annual Meeting April 21-24. Here are some of the topics that were top of mind.

Sherilyn McCoy has officially assumed the title Chief Executive Officer of Avon Products, Inc., the second woman to hold the post in the 126-year history of the world’s largest direct seller.

Sherilyn McCoy has officially assumed the title Chief Executive Officer of Avon Products, Inc., the second woman to hold the post in the 126-year history of the world’s largest direct seller.

The role of beauty publicist now needs to create a unique experience for social influencers in the online beauty space, said Bobbi Brown’s Alexis Rodriguez during CEW’s WMIBS Digital Panel April 19 at the Harmonie Club. Here, Alexis provides details on how the brand created a video that involved partnering with the world’s top fashion blogger, one that ultimately led the blogger to share her Bobbi Brown experience with her own fan base.

NPD announced this week that fragrance sales within prestige department stores during the first quarter of 2012 reached $501.2 million, a gain of 11% versus the prior year. Unit sales also posted growth, up 7% with close to 8 million units sold.

Duty-free in the U.S. has long been criticized for its dim, dusty stores and poor quality merchandising. But an improving U.S. economy and an influx of foreign travelers from countries such as China and Brazil are encouraging retail operators in U.S. airports to make improvements, according to BW Confidential.

John Paul DeJoria, known as JP by everyone he knows, seamlessly makes time to do more than serve as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of John Paul Mitchell Systems, a company with almost $1 billion in global sales (according to industry sources), a big job in itself. Here, JP discusses his other businesses (he owns Patron Spirits), his passions (philanthropy) and how he juggles family, business and charitable work, while also making time for dinner or chats with friends Warren Buffett and Nelson Mandela.

Maybe appearances shouldn’t count, and maybe people shouldn’t be allowed to pass judgment based solely on how someone is dressed, but it happens. Let’s face it, you’re branded the minute you walk through the door. Robin Fisher Roffer, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Big Fish Marketing, Inc., is a brand strategist for the digital age and a leading reinvention specialist. Her blog recently discussed just how much appearances count in business. Here’s what she had to say.

As much as beauty brands, makeup artists, designers and press aim to predict what the major trends will be each season, ultimately there’s one deciding voice that speaks louder than the rest: the consumer’s. Here, Saks Fifth Avenue’s Deborah Walters, who oversees the store’s beauty, skin care and fragrance departments, explains which trends are most resonant at the moment.

London is on everyone’s radar right now, Hello 2012 Summer Olympics! And at the city’s most influential beauty destinations—from Selfridges department store to Space NK to tastemaker boutique Lost in Beauty—customers are looking for products with real results, particularly in the skin care category. Here are what retailers said are driving sales now.

Andrew Wu, Group President, Greater China for LVMH—and a native of Shanghai— discussed the complexities of the Chinese market in a special presentation last month for students of FIT’s Cosmetics & Fragrance Marketing & Management master’s program. In Andrew’s presentation he shared key statistics, but moreover stressed the importance of recognizing cultural nuances when doing business in China.

For a complete list of this year’s CEW Beauty Awards Winners, click the link inside.

NPD has announced that sales of prestige beauty products in U.S. department stores dipped 1% to $716.8 million for April 2012, the first decline since April 2010.

Rachael Ostrom, Executive Director Consumer Engagement for Aveda, explains the significance of utilizing Facebook’s timeline as a means to engage the consumer.

Rachael Ostrom, Executive Director Consumer Engagement for Aveda, explains the significance of utilizing Facebook’s timeline as a means to engage the consumer.

With social media impacting everything from readership to consumerism, Elaine D’Farley, Beauty Director of Self, has undergone a reinvention. Over the past several years Elaine has turned her role into one that’s multifaceted: it requires business savvy, creative marketing, social outreach and communications expertise. At Fashion Group International’s beauty networking event May 2, “Changing Lanes,” Elaine spoke about why success as a beauty editor is truly predicated on reaching out to readers.

With social media impacting everything from readership to consumerism, Elaine D’Farley, Beauty Director of Self, has undergone a reinvention. Over the past several years Elaine has turned her role into one that’s multifaceted: it requires business savvy, creative marketing, social outreach and communications expertise. At Fashion Group International’s beauty networking event May 2, “Changing Lanes,” Elaine spoke about why success as a beauty editor is truly predicated on reaching out to readers.

Beauty Insider went to the country’s top dermatologists to find out which treatments are driving office visits these days. Whether the doctors are in A-list Los Angeles, high-profile Washington DC or fast-paced New York City, we’ve found one thing that remains clear—Botox remains king!

Beauty Insider has made a list of the top beauty shows you should consider checking out this summer and fall. Read on to get details about a variety of different beauty shows serving the mass, prestige, salon, spa and packaging industries.

The fragrance category in Russia has recovered from the hit it took by the 2008-2009 financial crisis. During the recession, consumers postponed purchases or switched to cheaper and mass-market brands. The fragrance category was also said to be losing out slightly to skincare and make-up, which began to see higher growth rates.

Lord & Taylor is already on board to help their beauty consumers easily locate this year’s CEW Insiders’ Choice Beauty Award winners.

Lord & Taylor is already on board to help their beauty consumers easily locate this year’s CEW Insiders’ Choice Beauty Award winners.

Beauty made its mark on Millward Brown’s annual Brandz Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands List. The sole true beauty brand to make the list was…

Slowing economic growth in China is doing little to dampen beauty companies’ enthusiasm about the market.

Demeter Group recently issued a financial trends report, Beauty Industry Outlook, packed with data on category growth, retail trends and sales and marketing opportunities. Overall, Demeter estimates that U.S. beauty sales will reach $59.8 billion in 2012, slightly lower than estimates forecasted by Euromonitor, due to recent economic tribulation, causing concern at the consumer level. Here’s what the San Francisco-based investment bank had to say about category growth for the remainder of 2012.

CEW President, Carlotta Jacobson, appeared on The Today Show Tuesday morning pointing out several of this year’s CEW Insiders Choice Beauty Award winners. If you missed the original viewing, be sure to click the link to see Carlotta discuss the innovations that made these products winners.

Beauty veteran Anne Martin-Vachon has taken on the role of CMO at HSN and is reporting directly to HSN CEO, Mindy Grossman.

CEW’s Women and Men in Beauty Series hosted “QVC’s Stars” Wednesday evening, which revealed the secrets to selling on the shopping channel and featured QVC’s Claudia Lucas (center), Mally Beauty’s Mally Roncal (left) and philosophy’s Liz Garrett. The discussion touched on many subjects, including the dos and don’ts of TV selling.

CEW’s Women and Men in Beauty Series hosted “QVC’s Stars” Wednesday evening, which revealed the secrets to selling on the shopping channel and featured QVC’s Claudia Lucas (center), Mally Beauty’s Mally Roncal (left) and philosophy’s Liz Garrett. The discussion touched on many subjects, including the dos and don’ts of TV selling.

McKinsey found that overall organizational shortcomings and a lack of IT capabilities are common barriers to meeting a company’s technology priorities.
(Graphic by McKinsey.)

Since the fall of 2010, Shelley Rozenwald, Chief Beauty Adventurer for Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC), has been responsible for the beauty business at the Bay, Canada’s largest department store chain. As of last January, she’s added Lord & Taylor to her portfolio. Beauty Insider recently caught up with Shelley on one of her weekly visits to Lord & Taylor’s Manhattan offices.

Since the fall of 2010, Shelley Rozenwald, Chief Beauty Adventurer for Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC), has been responsible for the beauty business at the Bay, Canada’s largest department store chain. As of last January, she’s added Lord & Taylor to her portfolio. Beauty Insider recently caught up with Shelley on one of her weekly visits to Lord & Taylor’s Manhattan offices.

Hispanic women represent the most passionate and proactive shopper segment, searching for the best deals across all retail channels, according to WSL/Strategic Retail. See what else makes the Hispanic beauty consumer so unique.

A recent report by Kline reveals just how very strong China’s online beauty market is.

Who knows Millennials better than Teen Vogue? Not many! According to the publishing expert, it seems the mobile phone is clearly how this demographic communicates, informs and (especially) shops for herself. In an effort to provide the market with the latest data on Millennials—namely their insights, habits and motivations with their mobile phones—Teen Vogue took a deep dive into the subject and conducted The Teen Vogue It Girl Insights Mobile Behavior Report.

According to a recent study, odor clinically changes through different stages of life and that while an older person’s odor might not be “offensive,” it’s distinctively different from that of a younger person’s scent.

The sales slump seen in prestige beauty in April has recovered for May, according to NPD.

To kick off HBA Global’s 20th year of being the beauty industry’s key packaging and product development source, a panel of innovators assembled on stage at the Jacob K. Javits Center Tuesday morning to participate in a panel called “The Future of Beauty.” Panelists included (featured above, from left) Sonia Kashuk, Makeup artist/entrepreneur; Deanna Kangas, President and CEO of Stila Cosmetics; Jim Markham, founder and CEO of ColorProof Evolved Color Care, and Catherine Walsh, Senior Vice President, Coty Prestige, and was moderated by W Magazine’s Beauty Director, Jane Larkworthy. Here, their thoughts on some of beauty’s challenges and opportunities, as well as what “wows” them.

Claudia Lucas, QVC’s Merchandising Director of Beauty, spoke openly about what it takes to get onto the shopping network and what makes for a successful selling session during CEW’s WMIBS “QVC’s Stars” panel on the West Coast earlier this month. Here, a compilation of Claudia’s noteworthy comments on how to be a star.

On June 12 Elizabeth Arden wowed the fragrance world with the news that it had acquired several global fragrance licenses, including Justin Bieber from Give Back Brands LLC. But Bieber, who broke sales records with his fragrance launch in spring 2011 with Someday, is just one half of fragrance royalty. Taylor Swift is arguably the other half, with her Wonderstruck fragrance—along with Someday—accounting for half of the U.S. growth in fragrance last season. So, what does it take to launch a successful celebrity fragrance? Elizabeth Arden’s Kathy Widmer, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, and Ron Rolleston, Executive Vice President, Creative and New Business Development, chatted with Beauty Insider on what’s to come on June 26 at CEW’s WMIBS, “Formula for Success,” which also features Givaudan’s Olivier Gillotin, Vice President Perfumer.

More and more senior executives are suddenly facing a job search, and they’re discovering a previously unconsidered fork in their career path: consulting. According to specialized recruiting firm 24 Seven, sometimes opportunities for a full-time role at a comparable level aren’t forthcoming – especially in a recovering economy. So consulting is increasingly becoming a viable career choice that brings unexpected rewards. Here are five good reasons why 24 Seven said one should consider consulting.

Chuck Rubin, President & CEO of Ulta Beauty, discusses Ulta’s focus on creating a beauty-focused environment (physical and online) that fosters longstanding relationships with brands and consumers alike.

Chuck Rubin, President & CEO of Ulta, explains how digital can bring a beauty brand to life in a way that doesn’t occur in other more transactional industries.

Chuck Rubin, President & CEO of Ulta Beauty, discusses Ulta’s focus on creating a beauty-focused environment (physical and online) that fosters longstanding relationships with brands and consumers alike.

Chuck Rubin, President & CEO of Ulta Beauty, explains how Ulta’s customer-focused and nimbly innovative strategies set them apart from other beauty retailers.

Chuck Rubin, President & CEO of Ulta Beauty, on how Ulta curates a selection of brands in order to help their consumer find what she wants today and will want tomorrow.

Under state control, India’s duty-free business in 2011 was ultimately tiny, with a value that had no relation to the size of the market, estimated at more than 90 million passengers. Poor retail facilities, a clunky supply chain and the bureaucracy of the national airport authority, said a recent report by BW Confidential, were all barriers to development. No surprise then that beauty brands had kept away.

Chuck Rubin, President & CEO of Ulta Beauty, discusses the possibility of international expansion for Ulta.

Traditional marketing strategies came well after utilizing social media to market Taylor Swift’s Wonderstruck fragrance. On Tuesday night, CEW’s Women & Men in Beauty Series “Formula for Success” hosted a panel discussion featuring Givaudan’s Olivier Gillotin and Elizabeth Arden’s Kathy Widmer and Ron Rolleston (from left in above photo) who shared some fun facts on promoting Taylor Swift’s best selling scent.

Jill Belasco, CEO of Coscentrix, is an entrepreneur through and through. She recently spoke with Beauty Insider about her new firm, which makes and develops fragrance items for branded and private label customers. She also shared her affinity for fragrance’s latest innovation—rollerballs—and what it means to be a U.S.-based manufacturer these days. (Hint: A lot!)

Physicians Formula is a mass-market beauty maverick that takes aim at products with solutions – while doing it with style. At the helm is Ingrid Jackel, a fashion standout (her trademark look is a wardrobe filled with bright dresses and flowing skirts, not to mention her signature fashion-forward, jewel-encrusted rings and bangles) whose look books portend the trends for the year and are a must-see for retailers. Jackel talked with Beauty Insider about her hopes for Physicians Formula’s growth and the general health of the mass beauty business.

Brian Robinson, chief executive officer of TPR Holdings LLC, chats with Beauty Insider on the latest plans for his top brands, including the Nicole Richie fragrance and Oscar Blandi hair care.

Brian Robinson, chief executive officer of TPR Holdings LLC, chats with Beauty Insider on the latest plans for his top brands, including the Nicole Richie fragrance and Oscar Blandi hair care.

Karen Buglisi, Global President, M.A.C. Cosmetics, shares with Beauty Insider her start in the beauty industry, a perfect workday and how she stays focused in today’s social media-obsessed world.

Jenny Yeung, a Chinese beauty veteran, gives Beauty Insider a local’s perspective on doing business in China.

Don’t stylists know a brand has to be where the consumer is? Alterna Hair care, subsequently, is defending its July 8 appearance on QVC.

With companies such as M.A.C. and Joe Fresh organically creating nail polish collections, Revlon is buying its way back into the category with its recent purchase of the Pure Ice nail brand.

A recent cover story for The Atlantic, titled, “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All,” struck a nerve with working women across the country, some in favor of the topic, others against it. Marketing executive Stacey Epstein wrote a rebuttal to the story for Inc.com listing five ways working moms can have it all.

A recent cover story for The Atlantic, titled, “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All,” struck a nerve with working women across the country, some in favor of the topic, others against it. Marketing executive Stacey Epstein wrote a rebuttal to the story for Inc.com listing five ways working moms can have it all.

Laurie Black, Nordstrom’s General Merchandise Manager for Cosmetics and Executive Vice President, is starting her 35th year at the specialty retailer. Laurie spoke to Beauty Insider about her start at Nordstrom, the best career advice she’s ever received and why she thinks being a well-rounded executive helps contribute to successfully managing a $1 billion beauty division.

Laurie Black, Nordstrom’s General Merchandise Manager for Cosmetics and Executive Vice President, is starting her 35th year at the specialty retailer. Laurie spoke to Beauty Insider about her start at Nordstrom, the best career advice she’s ever received and why she thinks being a well-rounded executive helps contribute to successfully managing a $1 billion beauty division.

Beauty Insider took a tour of Bloomingdale’s 59th Street flagship with Francine Klein. The energy and excitement on the beauty floor was palpable.

Beauty Insider took a tour of Bloomingdale’s 59th Street flagship with Francine Klein. The energy and excitement on the beauty floor was palpable.

Alina Roytberg, Co-President and co-founder of Fresh, entered the beauty world in 1991 when she and her husband, Lev Glazman, opened up a beauty store in Boston. More than 20 years later, Fresh operates 15 stores globally and is part of the beauty division of LMVH. Here, Alina talks with Beauty Insider about what it takes—personally and professionally—to run a business.

Ever wonder how engaging and relevant fragrance brands are online? L2, the New York-based digital think tank, conducted a deep dive into the digital competence of 63 global fragrance brands. The above video sheds some light into fragrance’s digital intelligence (hint: most have a lot to learn.)

Sales of prestige beauty in U.S. department stores grew 5% to $815 million for June 2012. Makeup saw the highest gain with 7% sales increases to $316 million. Skin care grew 6% to $283 million in sales. And, fragrance sales grew 3% to $211 million.

Remarkably, sales of celebrity fragances are largely unchanged from eight years ago, according to Kathy Widmer, executive vice president, chief marketing officer, Elizabeth Arden. Kathy talked about the fragmentation of the market at CEW’s WMIBS “Formula for Success” June 26. Click to hear what she said.

Laurice Rahmé, founder and President of Bond No. 9, talks about joining the beauty world, some of the best career advice she’s received and how her most defining moment, September 11, changed the course of her business—and the fragrance industry.

Cosmoprof North America rang in its 10th anniversary in Las Vegas this past weekend, with more than 25,000 distributors, manufacturers and spa and salon owners passing through the Mandalay Bay Convention Center July 22-July 24. The professional beauty show, featuring the latest in spa and salon products, drew 856 exhibitors, 9% more than last year, “with a much more prominent attendee list from outside the U.S.,” said the show’s marketing director, Daniela Ciocan. Key trends seen at Cosmoprof include a zillion different nail offerings—from textured nail formulas to mood changing shades to at-home gel options—as well as DIY smart phone skin analysis technology and next generation hair smoothing treatments, minus the formaldehyde.

On Monday, July 23, QVC aired several of CEW’s Beauty Insider’s Choice Award winners in an effort to supply their vast viewership with the best products in the beauty industry. This year’s hour-long broadcast covered everything from skin care to hair care to makeup with products from Fresh, StriVectin, Clinique, Rita Hazan, Smashbox, Supergoop, Ojon, Kate Somerville and Estée Lauder. Sellouts included StriVectin-TL Face, Neck, and Body Trio; Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Foundation Primer and Kate Somerville 24-Hour Pimple Punisher. The broadcast also included insight from CEW President, Carlotta Jacobson, along with an inside look at industry trends. Here, Carlotta explains the importance of being a CEW Beauty Award winner.

Rose-Marie Swift, a makeup artist for more than 20 years whose work is regularly featured in all of the major fashion and beauty glossies, had her life transformed in the early 2000’s when she began to experience physical, mental and emotional health issues. After an extensive series of tests, she learned that her blood contained toxic levels of heavy metals including aluminum, barium, cadmium, lead and mercury, as well as high levels of pesticides and other chemicals. Rose-Marie was surprised when the technician asked if she worked in the cosmetics industry. After years of rebuilding her own health, Rose-Marie created RMS Beauty, a line of natural color cosmetics, and launched beautytruth.net, a website dedicated to exposing the dangers of personal care products. Here’s how Rose-Marie got her groove back—and launched a company—over the past 10 years, in her own words.

It’s amazing how many “Oh, yeah” moments you’ll have after reading HBR.org’s recently published story on how two-income married couples can better manage marriage and career. After all, 47.5% of all American married couples are dual-career couples—with many marriages failing for work-related reasons. But authors Jackie Coleman and John Coleman (Jackie’s a former marriage counselor and her husband, John, is a business author) think that with intentionality, it’s possible to manage marriage and a career. Here, their thoughts based on research and experience.

On her 100th day as Avon’s CEO, Sherilyn McCoy was peppered with analyst questions about a turnaround plan she shared with the release of another disappointing financial report. In the second quarter Avon’s sales fell 9% or 1% in constant dollars, with a 3% drop in representatives globally. Sheri outlined a multiple point approach focused on stabilizing the business by fixing existing issues, rather than setting a new course. Here’s how Sheri addressed specific analyst concerns.

In a year of transformation that designated Singapore as its new beauty headquarters and saw the departure of beauty executives Ed Shirley and Virginia Drosos, Procter & Gamble capped fiscal 2012 with fourth quarter net beauty sales down 4% to $4.8 billion. The company said organic sales (which exclude the impact of foreign exchange and acquisitions) rose 1%. Sales in developing markets continued to expand, now representing 40% of P&G’s total revenue, as many developed markets underperformed. To correct slipping sales of Olay and Pantene in the U.S., P&G plans to increase innovation, boost advertising and maintain a vertical approach. “It is still a strategy for us to have a full offering in every category,” said Bob McDonald, P&G’s CEO, speaking on a conference call Friday. P&G executives presented a corporate initiative to accelerate the momentum of new markets and jumpstart the old. Here are four main highlights from the call.

In a year of transformation that designated Singapore as its new beauty headquarters and saw the departure of beauty executives Ed Shirley and Virginia Drosos, Procter & Gamble capped fiscal 2012 with fourth quarter net beauty sales down 4% to $4.8 billion. The company said organic sales (which exclude the impact of foreign exchange and acquisitions) rose 1%. Sales in developing markets continued to expand, now representing 40% of P&G’s total revenue, as many developed markets underperformed. To correct slipping sales of Olay and Pantene in the U.S., P&G plans to increase innovation, boost advertising and maintain a vertical approach. “It is still a strategy for us to have a full offering in every category,” said Bob McDonald, P&G’s CEO, speaking on a conference call Friday. P&G executives presented a corporate initiative to accelerate the momentum of new markets and jumpstart the old. Here are four main highlights from the call.

Kline & Co.’s recent report on the professional skin care market reveals that the medical care provider channel is poised for nice growth in the next five years. Beauty Insider sifted through the 174-page report, titled Professional Skin Care 2011: U.S. Market Analysis and Opportunities, to highlight the medical care channel. Here’s what we found.

NPD survey results confirm that men are more educated now than ever before about skincare problems and solutions.

Elizabeth Arden closed out its fiscal year on a high note, with net sales up 5.3% to $1.2 billion. In North America, sales edged up 2.9% to $778.4 million benefitting from its prestige business, while internationally net sales jumped 9.8% to $459.9 million with Europe, travel retail and developing markets contributing the most gains. For the quarter, net sales grew 4.6%.

CEW has partnered with Beauty Bar to sell The Insiders’ Choice Beauty Box, a collection of the most innovative 11 winners and finalists from this year’s CEW Insiders’ Choice Beauty Awards. The box contains a mix of mass and prestige brands suited for all skin types. The retail value of the box is $109, and it is being offered at a substantial discount of $25. There are only a limited number available, and the first 250 customers to purchase two boxes will receive a third box for free.

At least one publisher is looking to capitalize on the nail phenomenon. Creative Age, the publisher of NAILPRO magazine, a leading trade publication covering nail trends for the salon industry, is planning to launch a consumer magazine covering fashion, beauty, and yes, nails. The magazine, to be titled Nail It!, is slated for a February launch on newsstands nationwide. Stephanie Yaggy, Editorial Director for Creative Age, which also publishes Launch Pad, Beauty Store Business and Dayspa trade magazines, is aiming for the debut issue to reach between 140 to 150 pages. Distribution will be 200,000.

In a recent blog, brand expert and CEO of Big Fish Marketing, Robin Fisher Roffer, writes how in business school, you’re taught about “Organizational Behavior.” During this lesson, you learn that there are two different kinds of people in business: Clock Builders and Time Tellers. The world needs both–those who create the vision (Clock Builders) and those that implement it (Time Tellers). Knowing which role you play best, said Robin, is essential to career fulfillment and happiness. If you’ve gotten off track and strayed away from your true calling, ask yourself these questions to determine if you’re in the wrong business.

Drybar could soon be blowing into a neighborhood near you. In the next several months, the blow out chain, based in Brentwood, California, will grow from 16 locations to 27, mainly in the Los Angeles and New York areas. Not bad for a company that broke ground two years ago.

Sales of prestige beauty products grew 5% to $627 million in U.S. department stores for July 2012, according to the NPD Group.

When 15-year-old Isabella Haddad got a hold of her mom’s Chanel temporary tattoos, she and her 11-year-old sister, Sophia, playfully applied them to their lips. One year later, their creativity spawned the idea to create temporary appliques specifically for lips. And with the help of their dad, Jeff, an entertainment industry veteran, in May 2011 Violent Lips hit the market: ultra bright, bold lip designs that produced $2 million in first-year sales in stores such as Sephora, Ulta and Urban Outfitters. Over the next two years, the company expects to surpass $10 million in volume, especially with a push provided by a new mass market collection, Bella by Violent Lips, named after its young creator.

Mary Fisher joined SkinMedica, Inc. in April 2008. Coming from almost 30 years in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical fields, Mary saw an immediate opportunity with SkinMedica: doctor’s offices. Today, SkinMedica, which is based in Carlsbad, Calif., ranks as the fourth best-selling brand by medical providers, behind Obagi, Dermalogica and SkinCeuticals, and is the fastest growing brand in the medical channel. Beauty Insider recently spoke with Mary about the firm’s unprecedented growth.

Mary Fisher joined SkinMedica, Inc. in April 2008. Coming from almost 30 years in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical fields, Mary saw an immediate opportunity with SkinMedica: doctor’s offices. Today, SkinMedica, which is based in Carlsbad, Calif., ranks as the fourth best-selling brand by medical providers, behind Obagi, Dermalogica and SkinCeuticals, and is the fastest growing brand in the medical channel. Beauty Insider recently spoke with Mary about the firm’s unprecedented growth.

Estée Lauder has partnered with Boots UK to launch a new product category, premium hair care, to ultimately enter 300 Boots stores in the United Kingdom, stores that currently carry prestige skin care, color cosmetics and fine fragrances. Both Bumble and bumble and Ojon will serve as anchor brands for the new category, with fully branded merchandising and customized fixtures supporting in-store presence. The premium hair care section will be located adjacent to the stores’ existing prestige beauty categories, which includes the Estée Lauder and Clinique color cosmetics names.

Procter & Gamble’s Salon Professional business is changing its name to better reflect how the industry refers to its business.

Procter & Gamble’s Salon Professional business is changing its name to better reflect how the industry refers to its business.

Cosmetic Executive Women, Inc. and The NPD Group, Inc. will partner for NPD Group’s “Hot off the Press” Beauty Industry Year in Review in 2013. “Hot off the Press” is the much-anticipated, invitation-only event where NPD gives beauty industry clients a first look at annual year-end results. This year, due to CEW’s involvement, this highly coveted event will be expanded to include insights from several key beauty retailers. CEW will also broaden the reach of “Hot off the Press” with a second event, exclusively for CEW members. Both events will be held at the Union League Club in Manhattan.

Elements Showcase has closed the doors on its fall beauty and fragrance trade show. The intimate, curated event, held Aug. 20-21 at Skylight West located at 500 W. 36th Street, attracted 115 exhibitors and 3,000 visitors. Attendees included buyers from independent boutiques, department stores, apothecaries, design shops, hotels, resorts, spas and lifestyle destinations, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys New York, Net-A-Porter, Aedes de Venustas, Harvey Nichols and HSN. The show, founded and operated by Frederick Bouchardy, Jeff Lawson and Ulrich Lang, came to life after Ulrich and Frederick took their idea of creating a fragrance fair to Jeff, an art fair producer, who helped them make it a reality. Apparently there’s a market for an upscale, aspirational fragrance show: exhibitor attendance has more than doubled in under two years. Beautypress.com, which attended the show, provided details on exhibitor trends seen at Elements. Some standouts included….

BB creams have become the breakthrough product of 2012, shattering retailers’ sales expectations and causing makeup and skincare companies alike to swiftly jump on the trend. But will BB creams become an everlasting category in the beauty market? Or are they just another passing fad?

Beauty Insider learned the secrets of to how to engage the high-end online consumer at Digiday. Here’s what we heard.

It’s the small talk that leads to the big talk, writes Allison Graham for Fast Company in a recent story for the magazine’s website. Here’s how to uncover common interests and the six degrees that separate you and a potential client.

In nearly 20 years, ECRM has become the mass market’s go-to for new products. Each show’s hotel atmosphere guarantees manufacturers a captive audience comprised of buyers and distributors, with regular attendance by retailers such as Walgreens and CVS. But the jury is out on it’s latest venture, a show for the prestige market, which took place this summer. The event, Prestige Beauty Cosmetics, ran concurrently with ECRM’s mass cosmetics and fragrance show, was attended by fewer than a dozen early adapters. Those who attended, however, were pleased with their experience. Here, a recap of some of the biggest news from the companies represented.

It seems like people are always talking about Lady Gaga, but right now, the buzz is focused on something other than a catchy new single or an outrageously over-the-top outfit. The singer’s first fragrance, Lady Gaga Fame, is hitting stores now, and all signs point towards it being a huge success. Why? Here are the Top 10 reasons Beauty Insider predicts it will fly off shelves, with insight from a conversation with Steve Mormoris, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing at Coty Beauty, the company behind this intriguing collaboration.

It seems like people are always talking about Lady Gaga, but right now, the buzz is focused on something other than a catchy new single or an outrageously over-the-top outfit. The singer’s first fragrance, Lady Gaga Fame, is hitting stores now, and all signs point towards it being a huge success. Why? Here are the Top 10 reasons Beauty Insider predicts it will fly off shelves, with insight from a conversation with Steve Mormoris, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing at Coty Beauty, the company behind this intriguing collaboration.

When President Bill Clinton took the stage at the Democratic National Convention last week, he once again mesmerized, energized, and tantalized his audience, writes Sam Harrison for Fast Company. Recognized by most today as “one of the best speakers of any generation,” his stunning performance is understandable given his decades of public experience and powerful charisma, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn from him. Here are some basic speaking techniques, as exemplified by Bill, that can help you improve your public speaking and presentation skills:

InoaColor Care, L’Oréal Professionnel’s much-lauded ammonia-free hair color brand, is launching a line of at-home hair care, to be sold at the salons where INOA is available. To kick off the launch, Jason Backe, celebrity colorist and ambassador for L’Oréal Professionnel, opened the doors to the Ted Gibson Salon in the Flatiron District last month—a place he likened to his “other home”—for an evening of discussion and celebration.

According to specialized recruiting firm 24 Seven, beauty companies are bringing many functions once outsourced to external firms in-house, adding new positions to their staff. Companies are looking for hard-to-find, specialized talent as well as high-demand, digital-focused professionals. Here are some talent areas that are particularly hot right now.

Skincare continues to see good growth, said BW Confidential in a recent report, driven by emerging Asian markets and the rise of the Chinese traveler, which is fueling travel-retail sales and increased investment in the category by major companies. Globally, facial skincare sales rose 4.9% to $78.33 billion, according to Euromonitor. Asia Pacific, which saw sales increase 5.9%, now accounts for around 50% of the market and China has overtaken South Korea as the largest country for skincare in Asia.

Birchbox can now call itself a global company. The New York-based online beauty, grooming and lifestyle sampling site announced Thursday it had acquired Paris-based JolieBox. The deal extends Birchbox’s current brand partners to more than 400 internationally and brings it into France, Spain and the U.K., where JolieBox has business units.

A new report by Professional Consultants & Resources (www.ProConsultants.us) shows hair color is driving many aspects of salon business. With $730 million in sales (based on sales from manufacturers to distributors) hair color service revenues at the salon level grew by 3.7%, as client visits increased and new hair color services for gray coverage grew, followed by fashion color services. “A major surprise is that Sally Beauty’s ION and other brands have experienced dramatic growth, making Sally the fourth largest hair color marketer, right behind L’Oréal, P&G and Goldwell. Schwarzkopf now ranks fifth,” said Cyrus Bulsara, president of Professional Consultants and Resources. Here are highlights from the study, which assessed the salon industry in 2011.

The life of working women just got a bit easier thanks to Manicube, the New York-based company that provides in-office manicures in 15 minutes flat. Launched in July 2012, privately-owned Manicube is the brainchild of former Beauty Bar employees Katina Mountanos and Liz Whitman, who set out to create a company that provides a basic—yet necessary—service to working women crunched for time.

Sales of prestige beauty products in U.S. department stores have grown 8%, led by the growth of skin care.

Beauty tutorial site Myglam.com has undergone a full-on makeover. For starters, the San Mateo, Calif.-based website co-founded by YouTube beauty darling, Michelle Phan, is now called ipsy.com. Myglam, it seems, served as the beta version of the new site. But no worries, Glam Bags, a subscription-based sampling program, will continue to live on with ipsy.com.

Renato Semerari, President, Coty Beauty, participated in a conversation at CEW’s Newsmaker Forum September 12 discussing Coty’s beauty business. Here, Renato talks about what it’s like working with Lady Gaga and the origins of the black juice for her Fame scent.

New entries are continuing to stream into CEW’s annual Beauty Insiders’ Choice Awards inbox, each with the hope of pinning down a coveted win for best new product launch of 2012.

How much does the first hour of every day matter? A lot, writes Kevin Purdy for Fast Company. Here, find out what executives from companies such as Tumblr and Craigslist do the first thing in the a.m.

The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences is targeting the beauty community to enter the 17th Annual Webby Awards, specifically to enter their sites into the Fashion & Beauty category for those that feature personal style, clothing, design and accessories, which includes style guides and fashion/beauty editorial. The early entry deadline is October 26. Entrants compete not only to win a Webby, but to deliver a 5-Word Speech, an event ritual that has garnered over 7 million views on YouTube.com/webby. Above, Carla Henny De Preval of YSL Beauty & Fragrances, delivering her 5-Word Speech after accepting The Webby Award for Beauty & Cosmetics in Websites last year.

The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences is targeting the beauty community to enter the 17th Annual Webby Awards, specifically to enter their sites into the Fashion & Beauty category for those that feature personal style, clothing, design and accessories, which includes style guides and fashion/beauty editorial. The early entry deadline is October 26. Entrants compete not only to win a Webby, but to deliver a 5-Word Speech, an event ritual that has garnered over 7 million views on YouTube.com/webby. Above, Carla Henny De Preval of YSL Beauty & Fragrances, delivering her 5-Word Speech after accepting The Webby Award for Beauty & Cosmetics in Websites last year.

An alarming number of spa delegates have reported a widespread lack of training and education within the spa industry. A new study explores how to address the workforce gap.

Yes, membership has its privileges. But for the month of October, Beauty Insider will be available to all. See who made the short list….

Revlon is staying the course despite a heavy debt load and limited funds for R&D and marketing: In July it acquired mass nail brand Pure Ice; its second quarter delivered U.S. sales growth of 4.6% and an overall sales uptick of 1.7%, and according to data from Symphony IRI, Revlon ranks as the leading mass brand in lipstick, lip liner and eye liner. Still, a lot of hard work remains. Julia Goldin, Executive Vice President, Global Chief Marketing Officer, discussed with Beauty Insider Revlon’s social media opportunities, Almay’s challenges and goals, the changing roles of women and the importance of being a mentor.

Striving for a clear, flawless complexion is what will bring in the next generation of BB Creams, known appropriately as CC Creams. That’s what Isabelle Bolson of Strand Cosmetics is predicting for the year ahead.

The industry’s most sought-after makeup artists recently told Beauty Insider about the beauty items they couldn’t live without.

Peter Lichtenthal, President of Bumble and bumble, is the architect who designed the new retail paradigm that brought professional products into prestige retail while honoring and elevating the brand’s salon Network. Here, Peter talks about changing the game inside a salon’s retail environment and how the salon’s consumers’ needs are ever evolving.

Wojtek Inglot started his cosmetics brand and retail business after he saw how colorful it was outside his home country of Poland. “That was a time when Eastern Europe was sort of a grey world,” said the former pharmaceutical chemist. Immediately he began working on a lively makeup line. Fast forward 20 years and now Inglot operates stores globally and sells products everywhere from Macy’s in New York to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Here’s how Wojtek took a homemade brand and turned it into a multi-country powerhouse that’s sparking comparisons to M.A.C.

People are always asking: How do you come up with story ideas for Beauty Insider? Today’s post, which lists the most popular beauty video tutorials on YouTube for the month of September, came from CEW’s president Carlotta Jacobson, who’s always looking for what’s hot on the web. From hair to makeup to Halloween how-to’s, here are some of the top trends and videos in beauty vlogging.

Procter & Gamble CEO Robert McDonald reassured stockholders during its annual meeting Tuesday morning that investment in the 175-year-old company was as sound as ever. P&G has been under fire for weak performance in developed markets, including the U.S. beauty sector. McDonald highlighted its billion-dollar brand portfolio, its organic growth strategy, financial history, product development and marketing agenda.

Procter & Gamble CEO Robert McDonald reassured stockholders during its annual meeting Tuesday morning that investment in the 175-year-old company was as sound as ever. P&G has been under fire for weak performance in developed markets, including the U.S. beauty sector. McDonald highlighted its billion-dollar brand portfolio, its organic growth strategy, financial history, product development and marketing agenda.

Scott Galloway, a Clinical Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern School of Business, founded L2, a think tank for prestige brands, with the aim of increasing brands’ digital IQs. Professor Galloway spoke with Beauty Insider about how his think tank came to life, his favorite sector of the prestige market and who are likely to be the icons of tomorrow.

Anyone in beauty thinking Procter & Gamble has lost its beauty edge hasn’t met Deb Henretta.
Deb, who was named P&G’s Group President Global Beauty in May, made her debut to the beauty press Wednesday morning at the company’s annual Vision House media event, where she addressed hundreds of beauty editors on the top innovations planned for CoverGirl, Olay, Pantene and other brands in 2013. Top P&G executives attending the four-and-a-half hour event at Manhattan’s Apella included Esi Eggleston Bracey, Vice President and General Manager CoverGirl Cosmetics; Walter Geiger, VP GM North America Hair Care and Joe Acuri, Vice President NA Beauty Care. P&G’s Global Creative Design Director, Pat McGrath, was also on hand to discuss upcoming makeup trends and her collaboration on several new products.

Anyone in beauty thinking Procter & Gamble has lost its beauty edge hasn’t met Deb Henretta.

Deb, who was named P&G’s Group President Global Beauty in May, made her debut to the beauty press Wednesday morning at the company’s annual Vision House media event, where she addressed hundreds of beauty editors on the top innovations planned for CoverGirl, Olay, Pantene and other brands in 2013. Top P&G executives attending the four-and-a-half hour event at Manhattan’s Apella included Esi Eggleston Bracey, Vice President and General Manager CoverGirl Cosmetics; Walter Geiger, VP GM North America Hair Care and Joe Acuri, Vice President NA Beauty Care. P&G’s Global Creative Design Director, Pat McGrath, was also on hand to discuss upcoming makeup trends and her collaboration on several new products.

Carolyn Holba of Maybelline New York, Garnier and Essie outlined the group’s new structure for bringing a product to market.

Carolyn Holba of Maybelline New York, Garnier and Essie outlined the group’s new structure for bringing a product to market.

Everyone kept telling freelance T.V. reporter Sandra Bennett she should be a QVC host. Noted for her gift of gab, on screen presence and perhaps most important, her love of beauty products, Bennett wholeheartedly took the advice of family, friends and her boyfriend-now-husband and traveled to an open host audition at QVC’s West Chester, Pa. headquarters in March 2006.

Call us beauty geeks, but there’s little more exciting than seeing what’s to come at a trade show—before the innovations have been branded by a major firm and brought to market. Beauty Insider visited Makeup New York in September, where we chatted with many of the show’s 35 cosmetics exhibitors to see the latest concepts being presented to some of the leading beauty companies in the world. These five new products stood out from the rest. How many of these new items will you recognize in stores next year?

Karen Grant, Vice President and Senior Global Industry Analyst of The NPD Group, noticed a spike in makeup sets for lip color and eye shadow palettes October 2011 as consumers prepared for Halloween. “The trick to taking off all that color is to treat skin with a top-selling prestige makeup remover,” Karen said. Here, the top five best-selling prestige makeup removers in U.S. department stores for the January-September 2012 time period.

Chandler Burr is focused on bringing perfume—and an understanding of its nuances and history—to a broader audience. Forget the hand-blown Austrian crystal bottle, a celebrity face and a marketing campaign to spin a juice to success. Chandler wholeheartedly believes the juice, at least certain ones, have the legs to find success all on their own.

The prestige beauty category continues its upward growth trend.

How could you not admire Katia Beauchamp, who before ordering Middle Eastern-mecca Barbounia’s lunch specialty of grilled flatbread with dipping sauces, leans in to ask, “Do you eat bread?”

One of the coolest things Beauty Insider has seen this year is undoubtedly the eBrush by Leonard. Essentially, a next-generation stylus pen, the eBrush allows users to “apply” makeup to a photo with a paintbrush-type apparatus rather than their finger. Consider it a makeup brush for the iPad. Fred Ghenassia, Managing Director at France-based Bullier SAS, manufacturer of the eBrush, said he is marketing the tool to makeup brands to use with their apps for the iPad and Android. Currently, he’s working with the designer of applications at Sephora and Makeup Forever. To see how eBrush works, check out the brand’s video on YouTube above. Modiface developed the app used in the video, called Makeup Touch, which is a touch-based application where a user can “paint” the makeup on their image using their finger, or in this case, the eBrush.

Once a year, CEW President, Carlotta Jacobson, and Senior Vice President, Lisa Klein, travel to London to meet with colleagues at CEW UK. After their visit this year, Carlotta and Lisa agreed that London is fast becoming a major beauty capital—with department stores serving as beauty’s top destinations. Here, Carlotta reports on the two London retailers that stand out, and provides feedback from CEW UK’s 20th Annual Celebration.

Carmen Bauza, Walmart Stores Inc.’s Vice President for Beauty and Personal Care, talked with Beauty Insider about curating assortments by community, beauty’s big growth opportunity and how the world’s largest retailer stays nimble.

BWConfidential, the Paris-based news group, recently reported on the state of Japan’s beauty market. Here’s what they found.

Many NYC retailers closed their doors early Sunday and remained shuttered on into Tuesday as Hurricane Sandy made its way further inland along the Northeastern coastline. The city’s best-known beauty retailers and specialty pop-up shops were forced to close, and will likely miss out on the sales surge traditionally generated by Halloween, especially at beauty counters.

She’s unquestionably beauty industry royalty, but Aerin Lauder certainly doesn’t spend her days resting on those famous-last-name laurels. On the contrary: Aerin’s busy working on her new multi-category line, simply called AERIN, along with her responsibilities on the board of the family company (and several charities as well.) Plus she’s an active mom, raising two young sons as her business expands.

To make a product a success, sometimes all that’s needed is to reinvent the basics.
From nail polish and mascara, to blush and eye liner, today’s companies are reformatting makeup drawer staples by having them follow beauty’s buzzword-of-the moment: gel.

Working on the front lines in the areas most affected by Hurricane Sandy is an effort being made by thousands of volunteers from New York and across the country. Beauty/fashion expert and founder of grassroots charity GLAM4GOOD, Mary Alice Stephenson, is one of those volunteers. In addition to spearheading donations of clothing, food, volunteers and money to areas hardest hit by the storm, specifically in the Rockaways and Breezy Point sections of Queens, she’s also delivering the items in the back of her car to the affected areas. Mary Alice, who photographed the above images of Rocky Point just says after the storm, is calling out to the beauty community to help provide hurricane victims the essentials they still need.

Working on the front lines in the areas most affected by Hurricane Sandy is an effort being made by thousands of volunteers from New York and across the country. Beauty/fashion expert and founder of grassroots charity GLAM4GOOD, Mary Alice Stephenson, is one of those volunteers. In addition to spearheading donations of clothing, food, volunteers and money to areas hardest hit by the storm, specifically in the Rockaways and Breezy Point sections of Queens, she’s also delivering the items in the back of her car to the affected areas. Mary Alice, who photographed the above images of Rocky Point just says after the storm, is calling out to the beauty community to help provide hurricane victims the essentials they still need.

Being diagnosed with lupus, winning a car and knowing little ablout launching a product line aren’t the typical catalysts to starting a beauty business. But for Kiley Russell, the founder of Chicago-based Big Girl Cosmetics, a makeup and skin care brand for women of color, these events shaped the rest of her life. Today, her brand is sold in several Macy’s doors and is currently expanding into Bon-Ton. And, most importantly, Kiley’s health is doing just fine.

No longer for little girls playing dress-up, lip balms, as well as other “lip hybrids,” are bringing in grownup-sized revenues, generating over $19 million in sales, an 83% increase since 2011, according to the NPD Group.

While social media and the Internet inarguably kept the world up to date on Hurricane Sandy’s effects, in the face of disaster retailers are showing they’re serving as the heart of their communities. Hurricane Sandy caused mass stores to lose millions of dollars in Halloween sales, as many kept their doors closed for as long as a week due to power outages, lack of running water and overall destruction. It’s estimated some 10 percent of chain stores were directly in Sandy’s path.

What’s hot in the indie beauty world? Beauty Insider spoke with executives from Bloom.com, Birchbox.com, C.O. Bigelow, Space NK, Bluemercury and Ricky’s about their indie standouts. And no surprise, several nail newbies came out on top as did makeup items with rich color payoff and innovative packaging. In hair and skin care, brands focusing on specific needs and eco-conscious lines are gaining traction. Here, picks by the industry’s best and brightest, all sold online and at select stores.

CEW’s annual Achiever Awards event commenced Monday afternoon at the Walfdorf=Astoria in Manhattan honoring beauty’s leading executives, including Fresh’s Alina Roytberg, Nordstrom’s Laurie Black and CoScentrix’s Jill Belasco, with Bond No.9’s Laurice Rahmé was taking home the Great Idea Award in Fragrance. L’Oréal was awarded the Corporate Empowerment Award for its dedication to serving women in its company. Despite a switch in scheduling (Hurricane Sandy forced CEW to push the event from Nov. 2 to Nov. 12) the event attracted a full house, but for those unable to attend, footage from the full event is available!

The Advertising Women of New York [AWNY] honored mentors and mentees Thursday November 8, at their annual Impact Awards Luncheon at The New York Hilton, which drew 200 attendees. Keynote speaker Bridget van Kralingen, SVP Global Business Services, IBM, shared tips on how to be a mentor, as did several Impact honorees, including executives from Kraft, Hearst Magazines, AOL, NBC Universal, TED, LVMH’s Lisa Hawkins and 
Pamela Baxter, and Dior’s
Terry Darland. Here, the top five mentoring tips to come out of the event.

The Advertising Women of New York [AWNY] honored mentors and mentees Thursday November 8, at their annual Impact Awards Luncheon at The New York Hilton, which drew 200 attendees. Keynote speaker Bridget van Kralingen, SVP Global Business Services, IBM, shared tips on how to be a mentor, as did several Impact honorees, including executives from Kraft, Hearst Magazines, AOL, NBC Universal, TED, LVMH’s Lisa Hawkins and 
Pamela Baxter, and Dior’s
Terry Darland. Here, the top five mentoring tips to come out of the event.

Brazilian Blowout has gone domestic. The Los Angeles-based distributor of arguably the most in-demand salon treatment for frizzy heads everywhere, Brazilian Blowout announced Tuesday it has moved production of its leading hair smoothing treatment, Brazilian Blowout Acai Professional Smoothing Solution, from Brazil to a facility in Southern California. The company is now distributing its made-in-the-USA product in California and expects to be able to supply salons nationally by the end of the year. The company emphasized that its stylists and their customers “won’t notice a difference in the product made in the new facility and that the U.S.-manufactured product is compliant with all California VOC standards.”

Fragrance’s future seems bright—but it’s low digital IQ ranking shows how in-the-dark a category can be.

Sales of prestige beauty products in U.S. department stores rose 6% during October, to $748 million, according to NPD Group.

Earlier this year P&G’s U.S. hair care market share slipped to second, behind Unilever, for the first time in more than a decade. Walter Geiger, tapped to head P&G’s North American hair care business in mid-2011, discussed with Beauty Insider how the maker of Pantene will close the gap with hair care’s current leading player.

Earlier this year P&G’s U.S. hair care market share slipped to second, behind Unilever, for the first time in more than a decade. Walter Geiger, tapped to head P&G’s North American hair care business in mid-2011, discussed with Beauty Insider how the maker of Pantene will close the gap with hair care’s current leading player.

The Museum of Art and Design exhibit allows guests to experience fragrance not as marketed products, but as pieces of olfactory art.

The Museum of Art and Design exhibit allows guests to experience fragrance not as marketed products, but as pieces of olfactory art.

Beauty executives from Unilever, M.A.C., Bumble and bumble and The Body Shop discussed the impact diversity and globalization is having on the beauty industry at a symposium Friday, November 17, sponsored by FIT’s School of Graduate Studies, the first event in a new series.

Black Friday is all about sales and CEW wants you to have special access to the hottest gift-giving item in beauty—at an amazing price. For a limited time only, CEW has partnered with Beauty Bar to offer beauty’s best in one box: a curated collection of 11 winners and finalists from this year’s CEW Insiders’ Choice Beauty Awards.

Katia Beauchamp answers 5 questions in 4 minutes. Learn what keeps her up at night, her tips for entrepreneurs and how she learned she was building a brand rather than merely starting a company.

While curated beauty boxes are the hottest must-have in beauty this Holiday season, gift sets sold in U.S. department stores are giving them a run for their money.

The NPD Group, Inc., released results on the total prestige beauty gift set industry Tuesday morning revealing that in the U.S., overall sales of gift sets in prestige department stores year-to-date (January to October 2012), grew a whopping 16%, versus the same time last year.

The digital space is ever changing – the faces and the facets, the buzz and the beauty. So, what’s hot and what’s not in the beauty realm? Beauty Insider asked the most influential beauty writers out there (above, from left to right: Amber Katz, Lianne Farbes, Jamie Stone and Kristin Booker) what’s exciting their readers right now.

Beauty Insider loves an awards gala that moves them to tears. And the Museum of Arts and Design Visionaries! Gala and Awards Ceremony, which celebrated two fragrance legends and two design pioneers, did not disappoint.

Next year will present a huge opportunity for those who understand and cater to consumers’ changing needs, desires and expectations in the remapped global economy. Trendwatching.com, a leading global trend agency with research teams and trend spotters in more than 100 countries, has revealed the 10 crucial trends you’ll need to know to be successful in 2013 and to stay ahead in this new landscape.

Carol Hamilton, Alina Roytberg, Karen Fondu, Jill Belasco, Laurie Black and Laurice Rahmé explain what “having it all” means to them and how to set boundaries to achieve a fulfilling home life and succeed at a demanding career. Click above to view their video.

The blow-dry industry is inarguably booming—dare we say exploding—and Blow, the pioneer of the industry, is innovating in ways that displays the brand’s experiential nature.

Japanese-American fashion magazine The Reality Show is “going nude” to focus on fashion’s greatest accessory: makeup. While it’s hardly uncommon for a fashion magazine to feature makeup, the magazine is approaching it in a fairly unique way: They’ve come up with 10 trends inspired by the latest runway season and modern aesthetics, and brought in five established and contrasting makeup artists to recreate those looks using their own sense of what is beautiful.

Today’s hippest hair trends are quick and inexpensive to achieve. Whether it’s temporary color, a 30-second bun or the latest fashionable hair tie, these picks recreate runway looks in real life. Here’s what’s turning heads, according to retailers, and Youtube links to help you use them.

Armed with a healthy portfolio of brands and strong retailer partnerships, Gina Boswell, Unilever’s Executive Vice President North America Personal Care, is proud. Seeing that she’s steered Unilever into the leadership position in hair care, a fete that knocked Procter & Gamble down from the spot it’s held for more than a decade, who wouldn’t be?

Marketing executives from Shiseido, Lancôme and Estée Lauder discussed with Beauty Insider which skin care products from their respective brands will be best sellers for 2012. Here’s what Tomoko Yamagishi, Silvia Galfo and Charisse Ford had to say, and their reasons behind why these products stand out from the pack.