Whenever I tell somebody
that I design makeup for a living, the first question they ask is, "How
does that work?" So I tell them that it is all about making your dreams
into reality. You have to be able to dream of a look that would inspire
you. What colors do I want to wear? What feature do I feel like
enhancing? What new technology have I seen? What runway trends are
trickling down? Then it is about tying all of the pieces and ideas
together. This is easier said than done, because this means that you have
to think outside of the box. You have to experiment to know what
would be interesting enough to grab attention. You have to understand
what you do NOT like in order to know what you WILL like. Being wishy
washy or too agreeable will not get you anywhere in this business. I
believe I have been successful in this job because I know immediately if I like
something or if I don't like it. I feel strongly about most things, which
allows me to make decisions quickly.
When I first
started in cosmetics at Mirabella, our dreams were pretty limited. They
revolved around variations of pink, peach and brown...sellable colors but not
necessarily new or noteworthy. It took awhile to understand that pink,
peach and brown always sell, but they do not necessarily inspire. These
shades should be part of every collection in some way, but you MUST have a pop
of something special to grab attention. Start looking around at every
pre-filled palette on the market. There are usually 2-3 really wearable
shades paired with a darker or colorful shade that provide a more dramatic pop
of color, if you will. In the shopper's mind they say, "I would use
three out of the four shades. I wish this fourth shade wasn't so bold,
dark, etc. (or whatever adjective they decide on for the moment)."
What you do not realize is that the fourth shade made the palette
interesting enough to look at in the first place. That shade drew your
attention to the pink, peach or brown that you may have passed over to begin
with.
In the beginning,
we never discontinued anything. We had a gigantic display with a myriad
of variations of pink brown. We barely even offered a red lipstick.
Yes, all shades sold ok, but we were not aware how many people just
passed our display without even looking at it. Our display just blended
into the background. In 2009, we discontinued 1/2 of our product line
because we realized this policy did not do us any favors. All of our
shades had a gray base that was so popular throughout the 90's. Since we didn't
update as we moved along, our line was no longer competitive in the
marketplace. When we added brighter colors to our mix, ladies started
stopping on their own to look. Two years ago we added brighter eyeshadows
to our display and sales increased by a surprising 300% for the year. I
share this because salons tend to be nervous with bolder colors, but that
shouldn't be the case. They will never be your best-sellers, but they
will draw attention and create a conversation that may otherwise not happen.
These are all
areas I consider when creating new products. I think about an inspirational
shade to draw attention then I work on the texture/application to make sure it
can work for all ages and tones. Then I support it with core shades that will
ultimately be the best-sellers.
The great thing
about working for Mirabella is that I am in control of my vision from start to
finish. This is very unique. Normally you have a team of people to please. Because
Mirabella is a smaller company, I work in the trenches every day even though I
have a management position. I try to surround myself with awesome people.
One of the awesome people I get to work with is Jamie Richards. Jamie is
my creative lifeline, and I trust her because she is willing to be in the
trenches as well. The stress of making all of the pieces come together
can be overwhelming at times, but it is so rewarding to see a product come to
life that was previously just in your head.
One dream that
recently became a reality was when we planned and executed our photo shoot for
the first half of 2014 launches. This is the most stressful event of my
year...but it is also the most fun. On this day, my dreaming comes to
life as the products are applied to the models. It is where I find out if
the past year of planning is actually going to come together in a cohesive
story. It is also the day that I spend the most money!! Talk about
pressure, because every second is costing a fortune. Wasted time equals
wasted money...and if you have ever worked with John Maly,
you definitely have to account for the money you spend. Each year I feel
like we get better at execution. This was the first year John decided to
stop by to see how his $$ were being spent. He commented immediately
saying that I seemed more relaxed this year. And it was true.
Because I did not compromise on the beauty team responsible for executing
my new looks, we came away with so many BEAUTIFUL images. It is impossible to
choose which looks to use. The models were amazingly talented and really
able to play up each look. Jasmine Dashtizad made my products look
awesome on these stunning girls. And a big shout out and thank you to Adir
Abergel for creating fresh and fabulous hair designs! I am humbled
that a celebrity/editorial stylist of his caliber is willing to work for my
brand. My spring collection was a harder sell than usual to all
parties involved. It was a lot of panicking up until the last minute that
really sapped my energy...which is not good for my most important day of the
year. Adir restored that positive energy ten fold, and I will be forever
grateful. The lesson to be learned is that you must surround yourself
with people that provide positive energy. You will never dream big if you
don't have people to believe in you. Check out this fun video and some
pics from the shoot!
