1. 20 to Know
It takes a lot of creative, capable people
to build and power the exciting and dynamic
beauty industry. Every year the editors of
GCI magazine meet or hear from hundreds of
you who keep us pretty optimistic about the
future. Presented here are 20 who captured
our imaginations in 2008.
28 20 to Know GCI January 2009

2. LeAdership is A quality that is marked in the production technologies and the
by many easily definable traits, but government’s reconsideration of tax
rare is the leader who exudes certain and trade policies on personal care.
intangibles that pronounce their ABIHPEC expects beauty exports to
leadership without the individual have reached $650 million in 2008, but
uttering a word. João Carlos Basilio Silva’s ongoing work includes efforts to
da Silva, president of the Brazilian untangle bureaucracy within Brazil and
Association of the Cosmetic, Toiletry bring harmony to trade and regulations
& Fragrance Industry (ABIHPEC), that have an impact across Latin
is a leader whose presence alone America as a whole.
communicates steadfast action and Silva also created the first Brazilian
confidence. Since first assuming his trade show dedicated to the cosmetic,
role with ABIHPEC in 1995, Brazil’s toiletry and fragrance industries, and
cosmetics and toiletries industry has conceived and established the Brazilian
grown to a value of $22 billion in 2007 Pavilion at Cosmoprof Bologna. Within
to become the third largest global this vein, his ongoing roles—which also
market, with the country achieving include president of the Association of
double-digit growth annually from Cosmetic Manufacturers of São Paulo
2002–2007, an average growth of 24% State, vice president of the Center
a year. of Industries of São Paulo State, and
Joao Carlos Basilio da Silva As an advocate, Silva has helped positions within packaging, technology
foster a unification of the industry and and trade organizations—continue to
President a closer working relationship with the make Brazil and the impact of its beauty
ABIHPEC Brazilian government—resulting in the industry relevant and game-changing to
www.abihpec.org.br industry’s R$600 million investment the market as a whole.
A senior member of The Estée Lauder experience at more affordable price points.
Companies’ management team, Jane This is what the modern shopping experience
Hertzmark Hudis joined the company in is all about.” For her business savvy, CEW
1986, holding various positions, including presented her with a 2008 Achiever Award.
senior vice president and general manager, However, Hudis not only leads the
Donna Karan Cosmetics; and senior BeautyBank think tank, but also pairs her
vice president of marketing and sales, time with two other brands—Ojon, hair and
Prescriptives. “Throughout my 23-year skin care products sourced from Central
career at The Esteé Lauder Companies I American rain forests that she has overseen
have been involved in every aspect of the since December 2007; and most recently,
business, including marketing, sales, product Origins, prestige beauty in the natural and
development, training, merchandising and organic segment. “You need to have vision
creative,” Hudis says. “My greatest lesson as a and passion for what you do in order to be a
marketer was in moving to San Francisco to great business leader,” Hudis says. “One must
be regional sales manager for Prescriptives. lead by example. When recruiting, it’s essential
It was there that I learned the business from to recognize talent that reflects your mission,
360 degrees.” In 2003, Hudis founded The and you must assemble a team that can
Estée Lauder Companies’ entrepreneurial work together toward a common goal.” For
arm, BeautyBank. As its president, she has Hudis, communication is the key to having
pursued non-traditional distribution for developed BeautyBank’s current working
unique brand concepts. In July 2008, Hudis model and creative team, focusing not only
launched BeautyBank’s newest prestige brand, on communication, but also on innovation
Eyes by Design, sold exclusively through and speed-to-market. “Global relevance is
home television retailer HSN. “BeautyBank achieved,” she adds, “by working closely with
is doing very well,” Hudis says. “We have our markets to develop new brand concepts Jane Hertzmark Hudis
tapped into a value-conscious consumer on or tailoring existing concepts based on the
a global basis and have given her exciting market needs and opportunities.” Hudis’ goal President
new products at the right price point, where is to further secure BeautyBank on the global BeautyBank, Origins and Ojon
she likes to shop. We are offering a luxury playing field. www.elcompanies.com
www.GCImagazine.com 20 to Know 29

3. 20 to Know
in november 2008, CVS/Pharmacy, the retail division of CVS
Caremark Corporation, opened its inaugural Beauty 360 store
on Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. Led by Mike Bloom, the
Beauty 360 concept is the first of its kind for the retailer with
more than 6,200 U.S. drugstore locations. The new upscale venue
offers customer-focused services for prestige and niche beauty
brands, including Zirh, Me Bath, Ahava, Payot, Supersmile,
Japonesque, StriVectin, Borba, Freeze 24/7 and more from the
skin care, cosmetics, men’s grooming and fragrance markets.
“This new concept will redefine the beauty shopping experience
by providing customers with access to prestige and niche beauty
brands as well as an unparalleled level of service,” Bloom says.
Bloom, who has more than 25 years of retail experience, joined
CVS in 1991. Since then, he has served in various merchandising
positions and was promoted to senior vice president in 2003.
In the position, he oversees the company’s multibillion and
multimillion dollar categories, including health care, beauty,
photo, consumables, private label, general merchandise and visual
merchandising. In 2007, annual revenues for CVS Caremark
Corporation amounted to $76.3 billion. Beauty 360 promises
Mike Bloom to boost revenue even further. To save shoppers time, signature
services feature mini-manicures, express facials, hand massages
Senior Vice President, Merchandising and makeup application consultations in stores adjacent to CVS/
CVS/Pharmacy Pharmacy locations. The corporation will unveil additional Beauty
www.cvs.com 360 pilot stores in 2009.
30 20 to Know GCI January 2009

4. in the 1950s, French stylist Rene Garraud The line is organized around five
launched an eponymous line of skin care categories including antiaging, prestige
and makeup in an effort to bring total beauty skin care, hydration, sensitive skin
to his customers. Today, Garraud Paris care, intense nutrition and men’s care.
enjoys a following among French beauty New to the line in 2008 were Garraud
professionals, and a new management team Evasion, skin care inspired by ancestral
is working to expose this legacy to a global beauty rituals from around the world;
audience. Under the direction of Jean Pierre Garraud Parfumer, offering three
Guay, president, and Lydie Hayek-Rocque, fragrances developed by Drom Fragrances
HayEk-RocquE
vice president commerce and marketing, the International, in bottles designed by
brand has been restructured for the modern Alain De Mourgues; and Garraud Lab,
market while remaining true to its heritage. an antiaging, nutricosmetic dietary
At the root of the reorganization is a supplement with marine collagen.
marketing strategy allowing maximum The goal of expanding distribution to
Lydie Hayek-Rocque flexibility for retailers and win-win a global audience takes a step closer to
Vice President, Commerce & Marketing partnerships with the professional market. fulfillment when Garraud Paris becomes
Garraud Paris “This approach is the cornerstone of our available in the U.S. and elsewhere in 2009.
corporate philosophy,” say Guay and Hayek- “We will continue product development
www.garraud-paris.com
Rocque, “as breaking into new territory is in the domain of nutricosmetics and in
not an easy task given the complexity of our endeavor to bring professional spa
Jean Pierre Guay today’s ever-evolving distribution profiles.” products—our legacy—to consumers who
The effort to take Garraud Paris beyond its expect the best of French savoir faire,
President (photo not available)
current borders is being undertaken by a quality, integrity and product performance,”
Garraud Paris
multicultural and multigenerational team. say Guay and Hayek-Rocque.
www.garraud-paris.com
www.GCImagazine.com 20 to Know 31

5. 20 to Know
Founded in the late 1980s as a scientific- the philosophy of the client. For example,
based professional skin care manufacturing it means understanding whether clients are
company, CoValence has grown to become science-driven or have a natural focus, and
an ingredient technology leader under the then guiding them to choices that best suit
guidance of founder and CEO Linda Walker. their individual philosophies.
The success of this evolution was fostered, “It is up to us, the manufacturer, to
in part, by two underlying initiatives: diligently research ingredient and marketing
Understand and adopt the philosophy of trends in order to understand the concept
the client, and constant focus on forward- of a product so our clients can concentrate
thinking strategies. on their strengths,” she says. “In an effort to
“The success of CoValence and our clients give our clients a big competitive edge, we
does not lie with just me. It is a collaborative have added our own proprietary ingredient
effort with every one of our employees,” development initiative. We understand that,
she says. “We have had brilliant ideas from as a personal care contract and private label
individuals in every department. If the idea manufacturer, the path toward success is to
will help our clients, we will implement it. continue with our new technology research
We will continue to put our clients first and, and implementation, as well as perfect all
ultimately, give them a competitive edge— of our services that set us apart from other Linda Walker
which everyone rightfully deserves.” manufacturers.”(Note: In 2008, the company
She understands that a client’s competitive was a finalist for Cosmetics & Toiletries Founder and CEO
edge is forged in partnership and by assuming magazine’s Best New Technology award for CoValence
the onus of developing products that suit the creation of Mitoprotect.) www.covalence.com
With 40 yeArs of experience across two continents,
Robert (Bob) Dowdell has been witness to a sea of
change in the industry. After a stint as quality manager
for the U.K. operation of Charles of the Ritz Cosmetics
in the 1970s, Dowdell managed the technical group of
The Body Shop International Plc, reporting directly to
Gordon and Anita Roddick. Dowdell cites those 16 years
as both rewarding and life-changing. The exposure to
meteoric year-on-year growth (the company achieved
global sales of $500 million by the time Dowdell left)
and experience in managing product development,
manufacturing and quality at overseas manufacturing
sites provided a reference point for future initiatives with
which he would be involved.
In 2004, Dowdell met Deborah Duffey, the president
of Dermazone Solutions, and joined the company when
it moved to a pharmaceutical standard manufacturing
facility. His work there has included the development
of dermaCM, the company’s contract manufacturing
and private label division, and he has become a wave
in the industry’s sea of change with his role in the
company’s development of a proprietary nanosphere
delivery system—a sustained-release and delivery
mechanism that has immediate ramifications for the
beauty, pharmaceutical and beverage industries and
ongoing ramifications as those fields continue to merge
as cosmeceuticals and nutraceuticals.
“I have been fortunate to be involved in some very
Robert Dowdell interesting companies in my career,” Dowdell says. “But
two are very close to my heart—one being The Body
Contract Manufacturing, Sales Director Shop International in the U.K. and the other Dermazone
Dermazone Solutions Solutions. And for very similar reasons: excitement,
www.dermazone.com professionalism and ethics.”
32 20 to Know GCI January 2009

6. Montgomery Taylor
Founder
Montgomery Taylor Fragrances
www.montgomerytaylor.com
An Apt exAmpLe of why this industry
is exciting and maintains its vitality,
Montgomery Taylor leveraged years of
developing retail images as a store planner/
designer, combined his experience with a
ranging background of interests and relied
on a bit of inspiration to bring Ambra di
Venezia to the niche fragrance market.
Kumar Ramani Ujala Ghauri Trained in architecture at Princeton
President Product Developer University, Taylor worked for Young &
Harvey Prince & Co. Harvey Prince & Co. Rubicam Brands, where he learned about
www.agelessfantasy.com www.agelessfantasy.com marketing and sending brands into the
world. He was then hired by Lancôme to
create designs for Macy’s counters, among
For mAny beAuty breakthroughs, in association with Stephanie Messing, other retailers. There, he was introduced to
innovation occurs from not just one consultant at Ungerer & Company, claims products as a tangent. “Marketing would
individual’s creative laboring but from a to make women smell three to eight years survey employees,” he says. “Then, I started
team effort. That’s how the new women’s younger. The trick is not to mask a woman’s going to product training, and was really
fragrance, Ageless, came into existence. scent, he says, but to neutralize body intrigued by products.”
Science, research and a drive to revive odors caused by diet, illness and age. By Taylor’s interests brought him to Venice,
the prestige specialty market inspired neutralizing the noneal chemical produced Italy, where he studied glassblowing. The
Kumar Ramani, founder of Ageless by the body as it ages, which causes the amber skies that greeted him after a day
Fantasy Inc., to lead a group at Harvey perceived smell of a chronologically working with molten glass was the canopy
Prince & Co., including product developer older woman, a clinical study discovered that he felt linked him to the artisans who
Ujala Ghauri, who was “with it since the the tropical and citrus notes that cut the had focused on their art and techniques for
beginning,” to create the first women’s perceived age significantly. Now sold in centuries. Back in New York, he shared this
perfume to claim antiaging benefits. high-end U.S. boutiques, U.K. Harvey experience with perfumer Rayda Vega, and
Launched in 2008 in the U.S., Europe and Nichols stores and Asian department set about creating a fragrance that captured
Asia, the brand’s stock sold out in less stores, Ageless is the first of what Ramani his daily Italian experience.
than six minutes during its November says could be a line of groundbreaking “I knocked on doors to pitch bottles
2008 QVC debut, offering a proprietary formulas, including a similar fragrance and fragrances. I went into it with a lot of
citrus blend of pink grapefruit, mango, for men and a fragrance targeted for naiveté,” he says. “What’s changed (since
pomegranate, apple, jasmine, cherry women in their 30s, determined globally the initial launch in 1998) are that there
blossom, musk and other youthful aromas by consumers’ needs. “We’re getting real are many more little guys. That’s a positive.
in a tall, rectangular glass bottle. “Our results on a massive scale, not with focus Together, we have made a mark, and are
goal was to find a fragrance that women groups,” says Ramani. “When we say this recognized by the industry and consumers—
and men would associate with youth,” fragrance was designed by millions of and they do like what we do. They like
says Ramani, whose final formula, created people, we mean it!” finding something unique.”
www.GCImagazine.com 20 to Know 33

7. 20 to Know
bAsing his in-house R&D approach on ancient Greek holistic
philosophy, as well as his experience as a pharmacist and a beekeeper,
Apivita’s founder, Nikos Koutsianas, has produced natural personal
care products since the 1970s—long before the world embraced the
trend. Sourcing most of his raw ingredients from the local countryside,
he relied on Greece’s abundant flora—more than 5,000 plants,
including sea fennel and dittany of Crete—and his bee products,
including organic honey, royal jelly, beeswax and propolis, to develop
the 50,000 formulas that have made Apivita a success in more than
3,000 Greek pharmacies and spas, and in new flagship stores in Hong
Kong and beyond.
“Natural and organic products are now the fastest-growing category
of the cosmetics industry with an annual rate of development of 17%,”
Koutsianas says. “There are two ways to create such effective products:
science and nature. The brands that succeed in combining both to deliver
results will be head of the class. Apivita launched a line of bespoke
cosmetics as early as in 1990 and is planning to expand it in the future.”
The first of such expansions involved the launch of Apivita’s Queen
Bee in 2008, a firming serum with royal jelly for mature skin.“We are,
however, leaders in shampoos—selling more than 600,000 bottles a year,
with a market share close to 40% in Greek pharmacies,” says Koutsianas.
Since formulating Apivita’s first shampoos in his pharmacy lab,
Nikos Koutsianas Koutsianas’ R&D approach has evolved, but his roots still remain. “Our
new ‘go green’ approach includes one of Greece’s first, bio-climate type
Founder
production plants,” he says. “State-of-the-art filters are used to keep
Apivita
gas emissions as low as possible. Also, a standard unit of biological
www.apivita.gr
cleaning uses the water from the liquid waste for the garden around
the plant. In addition, solar systems utilize renewable sources of energy
and reduce the levels of energy loss. The whole plant is designed to be
of low nuisance to the community and hopefully an inspiration for the
people toward a more natural way of life.”
The Sabar Family
Beraca
www.beraca.com
Founded by ubirAjArá sAbArá in 1956 as care division. “At that time, discussions “Customers are challenged to review
a chlorine distributor, Beraca threw its hat regarding social and environmental issues their mind-set to create a virtuous circle
into the beauty ring in 1991, distributing in the health and personal care market of sustainable values and practices,” said
jojoba oil. Ten years later, under the were quite rare. It started with a few people Sabará. “It is certainly an ongoing process
guidance of its president, Ulisses Sabará, inside the company. Fortunately, today the … to discover ways to maintain and
the company made a strategic decision to message of sustainability has spread within increase the vision every time a new daily
make sustainability its business focus and the company and is being spread [globally] challenge is faced.
an integral part of its activities—a decision through its customer and supplier “We are all stewards of socio-
fostered by the Sabará family’s leadership relationships.” environmental issues. Seed collecting by
in various corporate positions and adopted The company’s activities and businesses local communities in the Amazon rain
by the company as a whole with the goal of that could not be aligned with its mission forest, for example, is everyone´s business.
making this mind-set the global norm. statement were divested, and the mission We are all responsible for the big picture,
“[The mission] began in the 1990s itself is evaluated on a daily basis—with which is our planet. That responsibility
when [Ulisses] was looking for a reliable the impact of day-to-day business on the starts by understanding that, as a consumer
partner in the Amazon region to supply mission considered before decisions are or as a organization, we must require from
non-timber goods in an effort to slow finalized. And the company encourages the our suppliers and partners a stand on true
its deforestation,” said Daniel Sabará, companies it works with to practice this commitment to sustainability.”
chief executive, health and personal evaluation as well.
34 20 to Know GCI January 2009

8. in the 1980s, Zein Obagi, MD, best way to keep skin vital, healthy and
challenged the norms of traditional youthful.”
skin care by introducing the American Sold online, at select Nordstrom stores
Academy of Dermatology to his and at The Studio at Fred Segal, Zo Skin
perspective of skin health via cosmetic Health addresses the antiaging concerns
dermatology, rather than pathology of the prestige consumer. “People want
alone. After putting his name on a line healthy skin, which I define as smooth;
of professional skin care products, tolerant; even-toned; firm and tight,
he began educating women about and free of disease,” Obagi says. “Zo
ingredients and product usage. Zo Skin Skin Health products deliver the needed
Health, his new OTC brand launched punch by awakening skin cells and
in August 2008, sets out to prove, restoring their vitality and ability to
among other things, that moisturizers regenerate and renew themselves.”
aren’t necessary when skin cells are In his career, Obagi has trained more
functioning properly. “The 11-item than 7,000 dermatologists in the U.S. and
product line uses the highest OTC many more in Asia, Europe, the Middle
concentration of retinol—10 to 25 times East and Africa. He also developed the
higher than what is commonly found blue peel, a method that allows physicians
in department store skin care lines,” to control the depth of a skin peel,
Obagi says. “In Ossential Radical Night and is the author of Obagi Skin Health
Repair, for example, the time-released, Restoration and Rejuvenation, 1999.
super-charged retinol attaches to cells “I don’t think of myself as a business Zein Obagi, MD
where the body converts it to retinoic leader,” he concludes. “I’m not focused
acid that increases collagen production on the business as much as I am the Dermatologist and Founder
in the dermis. High concentrations and products, the technology and the science Zo Skin Health
a continuous supply of retinol are the behind them.” www.zoskinhealth.com
Alisa Marie Beyer
Founder and Creative Director
The Benchmarking Company
www.benchmarkingco.com
CALLed A “seriAL entrepreneur,” Alisa Marie Beyer’s
enterprising nature has proven a boon to the industry
as a whole. After building three successful companies,
she resolved to bring her built-from-scratch expertise
to the beauty industry and launched The Benchmarking
Company in 2006. The endeavor involves interviewing
thousands of women annually—52,000 women were
surveyed in 2008—to discover what they are doing,
thinking, feeling and buying, and what they want from
their beauty brands. This information is then translated so
that companies understand what it takes to gain customer
attention, achieve brand loyalty and build a beauty
business that works. The focus groups, surveys, lectures,
branding boot camps and published reports continue to be
game-changing reporting that has an impact beyond the
company’s own clients, and the fact that her professional
career has centered on women—built on a foundation of
dedication to and investment in women and business—
translates into a insight difficult to rival.
www.GCImagazine.com 20 to Know 35

9. 20 to Know
Tim Schaeffer
Founder
Depth Body LLC
www.depthbody.com
tim sChAeFFer LeFt his work as a marine corporate responsibility, and the amazing
biologist to create natural personal care scents made from essential oils and isolates.
products, but he didn’t leave the sea very far The line is 70% organic and all products
behind. He launched Depth, a body care line contain 100% natural aroma blends. Further,
including body wash, hand soap, hair care and they comply with the Whole Foods Premium
shave cream, in early 2008, to share his love Body Care standard. They are packaged in
of marine botanicals and their therapeutic bottles shaped like the blade of Pacific Ocean
benefits. He says response has been Giant Kelp that are made from recycled and
enthusiastic, adding “We believe consumers recyclable materials and printed with silk-
appreciate Depth’s balance of design, screened labels to reduce waste.
performance and value.” A portion of every So how do you top all that’s happened
sale supports Camp SEA Lab, a nonprofit in just the first year? “The next [products]
camp aimed at bringing a love and respect of will go beyond natural and organic and
the sea to underserved children. into the more encompassing concept of
Judges in the 2008 Fragranced Product sustainability,” says Schaeffer. “Moreover,
Awards named Depth and Schaeffer these brands will offer a better value than
Marketer of the Year citing use of eco- their predecessors.” As for Schaefer himself,
sensitive packaging and ingredients, continuing to grow Depth is his only plan.
in the not too distant past, outlets from which marketers
could share their stories were fairly limited—print, TV, radio—
and control of the message was almost exclusively wielded
by marketers. Today, there seems to be no limit to marketing
outlets, and the messages are free-form soon after they are
released to the world—with consumers avidly going beyond
participation in brand stories and, instead, reshaping them. It’s
easy to be overwhelmed, regardless of whether you’re the one
bombarded with messages competing for attention or looking
for the magic formula that allows your message to stand apart.
Within this storm stands David Frederick, whose reassuring
and plain spoken message maps marketing’s evolution and
provides the compass points for marketers to follow.
As director of living media at Coty Beauty, Frederick
revolutionized the way the company marketed its products
to the consumer, bringing Jennifer Lopez, Sarah Jessica
Parker, Gwen Stefani, Marc Jacobs, Vera Wang and Rimmel
London brands to life via non-traditional mediums and
integrated campaigns. As the chief idea officer at Alive
Idea Media Group, he has worked to cultivate consumer
relationships that go beyond traditional media by
embracing creative and forward-looking ways to connect
brands and consumers through experiences that create
unique emotional connections and inspire meaningful, David Frederick
two-way conversations.
Chief Engagement Officer
Alive Idea Media Group
www.aliveideamedia.com
36 20 to Know GCI January 2009

10. Lyn Kirby
President & CEO
Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc.
www.ulta.com
during the ongoing U.S. economic “Our passion is esthetics, escape, education
recession, expanding business by opening and entertainment—the core of our consumer
new stores is almost unheard of. However, experience,” Kirby says, “and it’s what is
Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. has getting us through this tough economy.”
been able to rise above the challenges posed With Kirby at the helm, Ulta remains an
by tighter consumer wallets. innovative retail concept, having launched
Under the leadership of Lyn Kirby, the an e-commerce Web site, featuring 12,000
company has transformed from the discount SKUs and 11 microsites in November 2007,
beauty retailer it was when it debuted in which she says could provide more than
1990 to the dual beauty superstore and 10% of Ulta’s business in the future. Sales
specialty store it is today. Kirby has led Ulta also stay consistent thanks to the company’s
into expansion since 1999, most recently “superstore” attributes: off-mall locations;
by spearheading the grand opening of its intense marketing campaigns through Lakshmi Prakash, PhD
301st store on State Street in downtown direct mail, newspaper inserts and e-mail
Chicago—the first four-tiered, 18,000 sq ft blasts; and value propositions that support a Vice President of Innovation & Business
prototype of its kind. The launch is part of customer loyalty program. Development
Kirby’s long-term growth plan to more than “We attribute our ongoing success in a Sabinsa Corporation
double Ulta’s ownership to 1,000 stores in difficult economy to our proven marketing www.sabinsa.com
the next five years as it strives to become a strategy, solid operational execution and
billion dollar beauty business. The plan also the beauty category, which is more resilient KnoWLedge is A valuable commodity,
includes expanding store sizes by up to 25%, than many retail categories,” Kirby says. “We and those willing to impart knowledge
developing more strategic alliances with are in great shape in this economy, and we strengthen an industry and seed its
major salon brands and learning from the believe it will be hard for our competition to advancement. Lakshmi Prakash, PhD,
outcome of the Chicago store prototype. follow us.” has leveraged a background in food
technology to become an important voice
as nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals
gain significance in the beauty industry.
Peter Kelly With more than 25 years of combined
research and management experience—
Co-founder & Director including head of the Department
Taxi Cosmetics London Ltd. of Food Technology at Shreemati
www.taxicosmetics.com Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women’s
University, Mumbai, India, and project
CreAtivity, AdAptAbiLity And resiLienCe and successful in our own home market manager at the Center for Advanced
are important traits for entrepreneurs in any before they listed us,” says Kelly, “so we have Food Technology, Rutgers University
industry, and the beauty business has plenty re-thought our strategy, concentrated upon (where she worked to facilitate research
of success stories to prove it. Peter Kelly has building the brand in the U.K. and will look collaborations between corporations
worked in the industry for more than 20 years, again at export in 2009.” Taxi London Ltd and academia)—she is an authority on
holding marketing and development positions currently is available in 51 U.K. Superdrug the science of herbal ingredients, their
with a number of contract manufacturers. In outlets and online. application and function claims.
2004, he took the plunge into entrepreneurship A men’s range launched this year has At Sabinsa, Prakash’s responsibilities
when he and his wife, Jane Williamson, created enjoyed some publicity for its ‘guyliner’ and include identifying and developing
a British beauty brand with an identity tied ‘manscara’ products. But Kelly says the best innovative health applications, delivery
to “the unsurpassed history and trends of the selling products right now are in the Taxipure systems and intellectual property pertaining
talented and enviable London fashion scene.” mineral makeup line. “The European market to natural actives and nutritional raw
They chose the name Taxi London because has been aware of minerals for a while but materials, and this work, in combination
the word taxi is understood around the world only in the last six months have they become with her food background, was instrumental
and connects with the brand’s ‘makeup on the widely available,” says Kelly. “We have to the launch of Sabinsa’s GRAS ingredients.
move’ philosophy. positioned Taxipure at competitive price And to the benefit of the industry as a
Kelly’s original plan was to target China points packaged in components that have whole, her findings and practical research
for product distribution, but that goal met built-in brushes and applicators in line with are often shared through peer-reviewed
with some resistance. “Most distributors and our … philosophy.” With Kelly at the wheel, journals and trade publications, making her
retailers wanted to know we were anchored Taxi London is on the move. a partner of many.
www.GCImagazine.com 20 to Know 37

11. 20 to Know
Beauty Bloggers WhiLe there’s some debate going on these At its best, blogging delivers beauty
days about just how much influence social without borders. From A Touch of Blusher
Anywhere, Anytime media and its participants really have over in the UK, to Jack and Hill: A Beauty Blog
consumer buying decisions, there’s no doubt in the U.S., to Rouge Deluxe in Singapore,
about beauty bloggers’ passion for product; beauty bloggers share their passion for
their willingness to talk about it with friends, products with anyone who cares to read their
relatives and complete strangers; and their posts—influencing others sometimes just
growing business savvy. A lot of beauty comes with the territory. A comment on a
blogs start out simply, as homegrown sites U.K. blogger’s post about Japanese brands
produced by girls and women who are said, “I love it when you review Japanese
admittedly crazy about beauty products. products so I know what to buy and what not
And many stay that way. On the other end of to.” The impact may never be equal to an ad
the spectrum are blogs that have grown into in Vogue, but large numbers of consumers
professionally designed endeavors complete seem to relate far better to a girly, bright pink
with advertising and their own “Best of ” blog created by someone just like them than
awards. They’re organized, too, with sites to a printed page. At the end of the day, blogs
such as Beauty Blog Network, founded by and bloggers are one more way that product
makeup artist Elke Von Freudenberg, who reviews and opinions are generated and
believed beauty needed a larger forum. shared in this fast-paced, multimedia world.
38 20 to Know GCI January 2009