As humid weather approaches, May brings a bevy of skin care items designed to keep skin balanced and hydrated, including a Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask by Glow Recipe, a limited-edition Rosewater Balancing Mist by Jurlique and a new step to Kat Burki’s 5-Step Daily Skin Regimen. Also this month, European-born La Roche-Posay brings their cult-following make-up products to the States, while hair has a moment with new items by Number 4 Hair Care and DAFNI go, a new brand that brings heat to the those on the go.

Product: Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask


Executive Credit: Sarah Lee, Christine Chang

How it works: Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask is a new iteration of multitasking skin care. A radiance-boosting hydrator and exfoliator in one, the mask is designed to hydrate and smooth skin overnight for luminous results.

Waitlist Worthy: This skin care hybrid screams cool—literally and figuratively. Packaged in a beautiful, melted ice cube-shaped jar, the formula retains a cool temperature, just like watermelon flesh does. It’s also an easy reach for the nighttime routine: combining gentle chemical exfoliators with deep hydration leaves skin looking luminous.

Marketing Plan: “Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask will be a Sephora exclusive both online and in-store,” said Sarah. “Nationwide distribution, influencer seeding and an influencer partnership will help drive this new hybrid category.”

New Strategy: “A host of social content has been planned to key consumers into this new category, and more broadly, K-Beauty, without overwhelming them,” added Christine. “The aim is to keep this launch fun and enjoyable. A key factor in the development of this product was that it needed to be easy to adopt with a major wow factor. We’ll be communicating this visually in impactful new ways, with visual storytelling driving consumer education.”
Get It: Available at Sephora and Sephora.com, and on glowrecipe.com. It retails for $45.

Product: La Roche-Posay Respectissime Extension Mascara


Executive Credit: Adrien Dissous, Assistant Vice President of Marketing, La Roche-Posay USA

How it works: Formulated with a gentle and fortifying polymer, the formula is designed to smooth and define lashes – which will appear thicker, longer and well-separated – while applying the color along the entire lash.

Waitlist Worthy: Fragrance-free, paraben-free and allergy tested, this product was designed for sensitive skin and eyes.

Marketing Plan: Launched in Europe in 1994, this is the first time the cosmetic line will be offered in the U.S. (The brand’s skin care items have been sold here for years.) “First, we are promoting the product across all of our U.S. social channels to generate awareness of the product with our loyal consumers. We will also be investing in sponsored content on both Facebook and Instagram, something we’ve recently started rolling out,” said Adrien. “Further, our strategy includes outreach to influencers in the beauty, skin care, health and lifestyle space to drive awareness in the social sphere.”

New Strategy: “Just as we do for any other La Roche-Posay product, our number-one driver of awareness and trial is dermatologist recommendation. Unlike previous launches that have gone directly into our traditional retailers (drugstores, big box stores, website), we decided to launch this exclusively with Amazon,” he added. “Due to the fact the channel for mascara (and our other US cosmetics launches) is exclusively online at both Amazon.com and LaRoche-Posay.com, we’re developing a 100 percent digital push for these products.”
Get It: Sold onAmazon.com and LaRoche-posay.us. It retails for $25.

Product: Sugar Texturizing Spray


Executive Credit: Rick Hough, CEO, Number 4 Hair Care

How it works: Sugar Texturizing Spray achieves hair texture through simple sugar cane molecules and flexible styling aids producing a lattice of soft structure and haphazard patterns of loose, shiny waves. Flex net resins help keep glossy texture intact despite unfavorable conditions of heat and humidity, while anti-static properties provide extra nourishment.

Waitlist Worthy: Fans will love this alternative to salt sprays that’s vegan and also free of gluten, sulfates, parabens and sodium chloride.

Marketing Plan: “We have a three-tiered approach to introducing the product through distributors and salons, key influencers and direct to consumers,” said Rick. “We are also working with Birchbox to sample Sugar Texturizing Spray to 150,000 consumers. The launch will be supported digitally though our email marketing efforts, as well as through our social media channels with eye catching photography and how-to videos.”

New Strategy: The brand worked hard at developing a word-of-mouth strategy, first by meeting with their professional salon distribution network, then with key, top-tier influencers and editorial stylists within the beauty world who were given the product to use on sets and with celebrities.

Get It: Sold in salons nationwide, and on Birchbox.com. It retails for $22.

Product: DAFNI go
Executive Credit: Margaret Salleroli, Director of Sales and Marketing at DAFNI.

How it works: Power Core Technology utilizes seven times the power of a traditional straightener to maintain 365-degree heat constantly and evenly, from root to tip, to sustain stronger, healthier hair.

Waitlist Worthy: Designed to provide a fast and safe hair straightening experience on the go, the product offers a detachable cable and heat-resistant travel case.

Marketing Plan: “The launch will focus on a robust social media effort in partnership with key beauty and fitness influencers on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube,” said Margaret. “Video content will feature demonstrations and education components surrounding the dangers of heat exposure greater than 365 degrees. Advertising will launch simultaneously on Facebook, Instagram and Google.”The company will use #DareToDAFNI to feature before-and-after transformations.

New Strategy: “DAFNI is a very new brand to the U.S. market and we’re positioning the product as a portable gym bag essential and your favorite new travel companion,” she added. “In preparation for the rise of the active beauty trend, we’ll introduce a mobile beauty tool that easily fits into an active lifestyle with a lightweight solution that also saves time.”

Get It: Sold on DAFNIHairUS.com and select e-tail and retail locations nationally.It retails for $99.99.

Product: PH+ Enzyme Essence


Executive Credit: Kat Burki, CEO and founder

How it works: It is uniquely formulated to correct the skin’s PH level by leaving the acid mantel slightly acidic (which is an ideal state for optimum skin health). Additional benefits include a mild enzymatic exfoliation.
Waitlist Worthy: Correcting the PH level allows for proper protection from daily environmental toxins. Consumers will love how the product leaves skin radiant, noticeably firmer and with a healthy glow.

Marketing Plan: “Pre-launch deluxe samples were dispersed with retail partners in March and April,” said Kat. “The product has already created a significant waitlist on both the brand’s website and with its retail partners. We also introduced PH+ Enzyme Essence to the press in April, and it will be featured on retailer emailers and in-store advertising campaigns.”
New Strategy: “We plan to merchandise The 5 Steps to Radiant Skin. The PH is merchandised as Step 3, after Super Nutrient Elixir (Step 2) and the Vitamin C Intensive Face Cream (Step 4),” she explained. “This allows consumers to not only understand the steps to apply skin care but where an additional step will be most effective.” Get It: Sold at SpaceNK, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Net a Porter, Tangs in Singapore, and Parfumerie Becker in Germany. It will retail for $100.

Product: Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist Intense Deluxe Edition


Executive Credit: Louis Chabert, Marketing & Operations Director, North America

How It Works: Rosewater Balancing Mist is an exclusive blend of pure rose extracts that aims to hydrate, restore and refresh skin. The limited-edition version contains five potent rose varietals to make it more hydrating and conditioning.

Waitlist Worthy: Each year, fans of Rosewater Balancing Mist look forward to the brand’s annual limited edition. This year’s special packaging and collaboration with Australian painter Belynda Henry looks to make it even more enticing.

Marketing Plan: Leading up to the official on-sale date, the company introduced key press to this product with a South Australian wine tasting hosted at an Australian restaurant. “Our marketing plan also includes taking the opportunity to celebrate Mother’s Day,” said Louis. “On our Instagram we’ll feature a very special #RoseMoment that we created, along with #InspiredByNature, throughout our campaign since this product is truly inspired by nature, inside and out.”

New Strategy:

“Through new prestige e-commerce sites and external partners we will be providing exclusive offers, including a pre-launch only on Skinstore where we will be profiled as brand of the month in May. We will also do digital advertising to highlight the launch,” he added.

Get It: The product is available until it sells out on Jurlique.com and at select spas and specialty stores. It retails for $65.