Jerrod Blandino, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer for Too Faced Cosmetics, is all smiles. And why not? This year his company, which he started with Co-founder and husband, Jeremy Johnson, celebrated their 20th anniversary. In November 2016, Estée Lauder bought the brand for $1.4 billion dollars in cash; the largest acquisition to date. Insiders said the brand’s massive social media presence and its Earned Media Value, the amount of engagement given by influencers, paired with the brand’s huge growth opportunities, were behind the hefty purchase price. And the product innovation keeps coming. Too Faced just launched Tutti Frutti, an Ulta Beauty exclusive comprised of a collection of 53 products including candy glaze lip glosses, sparkling eye shadows and cucumber and watermelon-infused foundations. Too Face also opened 579 additional doors globally, including their first free-standing store in London. Somehow Jerrod, who clearly doesn’t sleep, or has a cloned, found time to talk with CEW Beauty Insider about the beauty biz.

Beauty Insider: Did you ever imagine you would be working in partnership with a company like The Estée Lauder Cos.?


Jerrod Blandino: No, but it doesn’t surprise me. Working at the Lauder counter was the only job I ever had in cosmetics. I created Too Faced while working behind that counter. Coupled with the fact that I believe in miracles, it makes sense.

BI: How did the big buy come about with Lauder?


JB: We just got a call one Sunday afternoon and lauder made us a groundbreaking deal that we couldn’t ignore. Several conversations happened. The most meaningful being with Leonard Lauder, who is an incredible man both personally and professionally. He is amazing. He ensured us that they would only support our dream and our vision and allow us to run independently while Jeremy and I ran the business. I told him I wanted wings not weights and he understood that.

BI: What is your biggest fear in working with a corporate giant like Lauder?


JB:

That our culture would change and that our brand identity could get lost but that is exactly what they promised would never happen and that is why Jeremy and I are still in it 100% because we absolutely love our brand and our customers and they absolutely respect and support that.

BI: What’s the biggest lesson you have learned?
JB:

Every single little thing matters. It has forced me to become even more protective over our DNA because with opportunities, global influences, bottom lines, a corporate culture that’s new, it has empowered my sense of protection and passion for the brand to stay absolutely true to ourselves while succeeding in this global company and every opportunity that comes along with it.

BI: How did you gain such a fantastic following?


JB: From the very beginning we were excited by the idea that we could interface with our fans and with this emerging and creative voice that are the social stars. We made it a priority to cultivate relationships and to forge an authentic communication between us and our fans through social media. Built on respect, love and appreciation. Now we have this amazing force of information and communication on a moment to moment basis that helps us do what we do better because of the feedback and the ideas and in a sense the collaboration of our social fans and family.

BI: Did you have a specific social media strategy?


JB: No, it was an authentic appreciation for this new emerging platform since the very beginning. It was more fun and exciting than it was a business consideration. We got to finally communicate in a very personal way with our fans and cultivate relationships with these incredibly talented artists who were emerging as the very critical voice of these social stars. To this day we remain close friends with all of the original social friends that we’ve made.

BI: So how did you make Too Faced grow to what it is now?

JB:

Just by creating authentic relationships, by being absolutely honest with our fans and friends. It is not a calculated business initiative. It is a part of how we create product now. It is a part of how we market and speak to our customers. It is a living and breathing part of our company. It is in our DNA.

BI: Why do you think the brand is so loved by influencers?


JB: We are a brand that celebrates that it is fun to be a girl or a pretty guy. We want you to win. We are rooting for you and we want you to feel the most yourself in our brand, which is perfectly aligned with the heart and soul of social media.

BI: What is one of the biggest mistakes you’ve ever made?


JB: I allowed someone to come into my company in a very high level creative position who tried to edit my voice. I tolerated it at first based on this person’s pedigree. But I quickly learned to never let anyone mistake my kindness or professionalism for weakness.

BI: What other brands do you admire on social?


JB:

There are so many. From Pop and Suki…Gucci’s heart and soul really comes out through their images.

BI: What’s your best advice for newbies entering the business today?
JB: You must offer something uniquely yours whether it is a POV, attitude, formula, or all of the above. You have to have your own unique soul and you need to want to do something good or different. It doesn’t have to be better but it has to be different.


BI: What’s a mantra you live by?

JB: Live it up!

BI: If you were to write the inside a fortune cookie, what would it say?


JB: Never grow up, it’s a trap!