Monday, August 30, 2010

Top Performing Beauty Brands of 2009



WWD Beauty Biz ranked up the Beauty's Top 100 largest beauty movers and shakers of 2009, which is also a glimps into how brands are performing in 2010, seeing as the year is not over yet. Overall, sales in 2009 declined but generated $140.78 Billion in total. That's a whole lot of products (defined in categories of Fragrance, Makeup, Haircare, Deoderant, Suncare, Cellulite and Shaving ).
Mass market certainly dominates the beauty market share as luxury brands have been on a decline, but not as much of a decline to stop future sales- standout products, re-formulations and re-newed consumer focus has helped luxe brands stay a float in a time of limited spending and skincare has rapidly increased in sales while makeup has had slow gains.
So who are the top performing beauty brands that we love, covet and spend our hard earned money engaging Makeup Artists on new products, searching forums, blogs and YouTube for reviews, swatches and support?




#1 L'Oreal ( $24.36 Billion) - Brands:L'Oreal Paris, Lancome, YSL Beauty, Maybelline, Shu Uemura
In 2009, L'Oreal's sales declined for the first time in seven years, however the brand is number one in beauty with consumer products such as L'Oreal Paris, Maybelline and Garnier. With $10.8 billion in strong sales, key performing brands are Maybelline and Garnier. Maybelline has garnered quite the mascara collection in the past few years and Garnier's skincare.
Western Europe is L'Oreal's leading market while sales in North America have declined.



#2 Proctor & Gamble Co.( $18.6 Billion)- Brands: Covergirl, Pantene, Dolce & Gabbana, Olay, Old Spice
When I think "Blue Chip" Beauty, I think of P&G. Pantene for haircare, CG for makeup and Old Spice for men's grooming. Sales fell for P&G but Covergir; and Olay's simply ageless succeeded in generating $1 billion in sales. Pantene products were introduced to new packaging and new ingredients this year and Cover Girl has a heavy roster of diverse spokeswomen ( Ellen DeGeneres, Queen Latifah, Drew Berrymore) , consumer favorites- Lash Blast series and Cover Girl Queen Collection and Pat McGrath at the helm as Executive Design director for the brand.



#4 Estee Lauder ( $7.8 Billion)- Brands: Estee Lauder, MAC, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Bumble Bumble, Aveda
Skincare accounted for 40% of Estee Lauder brand's sales with 39% in makeup and 15% in fragrance, respectively. Estee also acquired the Smashbox studios which is key for photo shoots and LA fashion week. Clinique up'ed their anti aging game with Even Better, Tom Ford Beauty held strong and MAC teamed with Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper for a campaign. Estee Lauder currently has Tom Pecheux is the Creative Makeup Director for the brand.


#6 Shiseido ( $6.83 Billion)- Brands: Shisedo, NARS, Cle´ de Peau Beaute´
Shiseido's key markets are Japan, China and Europe. While sales in North America took a dive, the brand strategically snapped up Bare Essentual which positions Shiseido for expansion in the US. Unfortunately, sales information for NARS cosmetics was not available at the time of the WWD Beauty Biz report.



#10 Chanel ( $3.95 Billion)
Chanel's makeup revenues declined 10% due to the economies of the brands major markets- the US and Japan. The US is Chanel's largest beauty market with France and Japan following. Women's fragrance is number one worldwide with Chanel Beauty at number four and skincare is in ninth place. Key product launches this year include Rouge Coco Hydrating Creme Lipstick, Chanel Bleu Fragrance for men and Asia exclusives- Vitalumiere Eclat Compact powder foundation and Mascara Sublime WP.



#11 LVMH Moet Hennessey Louis Vuitton ( $3.82 Billion)- Christian Dior Parfumes, Givenchy, Guerlain.
Strong performers under LVMH were Givenchy's fragrances and Christian Dior's mascarsa. Cosmetics generated 28%, unchanges since last year while fragrances were strong with 53% of sales. Key products include Givenchy Play with Justin Timberlake as the brand's face and Diorshow mascara with Monica Bellucci as the spokes woman.

Photos: Google Images
Brand revenue and sales information was gathered from WWD Beauty Biz.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Chanel SOHO Beauty Exclusives Launch on Sept 7th

here is a photo of the compact and collection in Nylon.

Oh September issues!

In Nylon mag for Sept- Holly Siegel reports on the Chanel Soho Collection. I'm counting the days- (14 to be exact) until I'm able to visit the newly upgraded Chanel store on Spring St and enjoy Fashion's Night out!
Better yet, for you impatient onces, the collection will be up on Chanel.com on September 7th!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Can't get enough of lipstains!


Oh yes, all summer I've been toting around Cover Girl's Outlast lipstain in Cinnamon Smile. I bought it a few months back and was surprised that 1. it lasted a long time in my makeup bag as I am in and out of varying temperatures ( my whitening strips couldn't handle the NYC climate change and are inevitably stuck to their packaging). 2. the color lasts a few hours! When applied before my Count Chocula breakfast, it lasts until after my sushi lunch. All I have to do is add gloss.
Now Maybelliene and Revlon have joined and expanded on their take of these lipstains , which means more shades to choose from!

Which lipstains are you currently enjoying?

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

and now a Fashion Moment: Dear Jen,


Photo: Style.com

Dear Jen,

Where can I find your aquatically awesome hued dress? This is the perfect transition piece that can take you from a 100 degree weather- with some bangles and some wide-rimmed sunglasses to a 70 degree weather evening gathering with a light wrap and a statement necklace.
For the love of blog, please help me find this.

xo,
L

Monday, August 23, 2010

YSL's New Shades of Touche Eclat!


Ladies, Have no fear of jumping a shade up or down when it comes to YSL's Touche Eclat. This September, YSL will debut 2 3 new Touche Eclat shades ( the Sephora counter in Soho). Once shade will be in between shades 2& 3 and one that is deeper than #4- my current favorite.
More details will follow!
Update: New hues are #8 Radient Silk ( the shade will be inbetween shades #2 & 3)
#5 Luminous Honey ( this shade will be in between shades 3&4)
# 6 Luminous Amber ( this shade will be after #4)

Sunday, August 22, 2010

LTBB Shu Uemura Giveaway Winner!


Thank you to all who entered!
Congratulations to Seymone who won this fabulous Shu Uemura Set which includes:

Skin Purifiying Cleansing Oil
Bronzing Powder in Dark Bronze
Rouge Unlimited in WN 292

There will be more giveaways to come so brush up on your beauty trivia..

xo L

Friday, August 20, 2010

Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait Gloss Swatches!


from left to right: Rouge Allure in Fatale, Rouge Allure Extrait Gloss in Impertience, Insouciance and Genie
Top Right: Rouge Allure Laque in Ming


Upon seeing my email from Chanel regarding these new glosses (which were set to launch in Oct.) I called my Chanel boutique and they had them in!
Before racing uptown to my store, I checked out the swatches on Chanel. com- let me tell you that the swatches do no justice for the actual colors. The coverage is amazingly thick and pigmented while un-sticky and glossy. The packaging is in a lengthier tube than the Rouge Allure Lacque's, you cannot see the product from the pacakge ( meaning, its in a sleek black tube), it was a rosey scent to it that smells pretty good compared to other glosses and the doe foot applicator is straight ( as opposed to the standard doe foot applicator- or a doe foot for that matter).
As soon as I arrived, I immediately started with swatching Impertience, which is a plummy-brown color and I knew I had a hit. If you have deep pigmented lips, this one is for you and perfect for the fall.
Insouciance is a very pale sandy color that did not work with my skintone ( it reminded me of MAC's Chai lipglass) and as fun as Genie was, the coral wonder came a little too late for me as I use Rouge Allure Genial on a daily bases.

Make sure to check these out at your local Chanel counter or brave the swatches online ( seriously, they do no justice compared to the actual product).

Chanel Soho Collection- September 10th

Wow, more Chanel Beauty news!
Just in time for FNO- Chanel's Soho store will commemorate the occasion with Pop Art-influenced beauty products!

Special Thanks to Beautysnob for the info and details will follow soon!

Click here: http://www.beautysnob.com/2010/08/chanel_soho_exclusive_limited.html

Chanel Les Khakis Nail collection


photot from vogue.uk

Les Khakis nail colour collection will debut on September 10th for Fashion's Night Out. Chanel's revamped Soho boutique in NYC will have manicures on hand for the event and a special appearance by the Kaiser Karl himself..
Les Khaki's are 3 new nailpolish shades with a khaki base and nuances of forest green rose and bronze tones. Perfect for fall, especially if you are on the prowl for some animal print heels that are making their way around the fall fashion circles.
As far as FNO, I'm seriously working on a scavenger hunt for this night. The more details released, the more I need to re-adjust my schedule and the little time I spend at each location!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Gabourey Sidibe and Bobbi Brown Collaboration


According to WWD, star Gabourey Sidibe is working with Bobbi Brown Cosmetics for a collab.

This is amazing, please have purple products!


Photo: Google Images

Just Beachy - Simple Summer Hair




Did it just get a bit cooler this weekend? No, summer don't go away, I need another 90+ degree weather day!

So I tried a new style beach inspired style with my hair with limited hair products. What is my definition of limited products? well seeing as I use one shampoo, two conditioners and up to three leave-in products for my hair. I decided to tone it down with all the products for a "lite" 'do- as a result, I had great volume, body and waves but I also discovered my new favorite shampoo- Kimble Hair Systems Silk Treatment Shampoo!
After my routine Sunday stroll-by at Target on Atlantic avenue, I decided to give the Kimble Shampoo a try- why not as Kimberly Kimble is the master of the mane domain, she is Beyonce´s hair stylist! The Silk Treatment Shampoo is phenomial, a quarter size goes a long way and it has a great coconut smell. After shampooing , my hair felt so clean and ready for the one conditioner I will use- MoroccanOil's Moisture Repair Conditioner and my MoroccanOil Oil Treatment. After the prep, I blowdried my hair 60% dry/40% damp and pin curled.
What you see here is the final result which lasted about 2 days- then I did my standard ballerina bun :)

Fashion's Night Out Schedule is Available

I'd like more details on the custom lambskin ballerina flats and the Les Khaki's de Chanel Nail collection. Sarah Silverman performing at the MAC stores and the release of the Fabulous Felines Collection!
Go to www.fashionsnightout.com for the current schedule.

I'm planning my day as we speak!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Summer Jam: Cut Copy- Lights and Music


On Sunday I went to the Williamsburg Waterfront show here in Brooklyn where Cut Copy headlined.
"Lights and Music" is definitely a summer jam though I can't decide on just one at the moment- Summer 2010 has been great, thank goodness there are a few more weeks left!

Apologies for the shakey cam, and check out the dude with arms-a-flailing in front of me- having a a great time!

xo L

Saturday, August 7, 2010

LTBB Shu Uemura Giveaway!


Yes, its about that time to win!

I'm giving away one set of three summer essentials from Shu Uemura!
Skin Purifiying Cleansing Oil
Bronzing Powder in Dark Bronze
Rouge Unlimited in WN 292

Shu Uemura is a much raved brand and I am so sad to see it leave US counters, but fortunately I was able to get some essentials to giveaway to you for being so spectacular!

How to win:
Let me know what you current Summer 2010 jam is by emailing at lacroixthebeautyblog@gmail.com or leaving a comment in this post!

The contest begins on August 7, 2010 at 12:00pm EST and ends on August 20th, 2010 at 12pm EST. One winner will chosen at random and will be announced the weekend of August 20th via email.This contest is open to all readers as per your local state and or countries laws. Enter as many times as your heart desires.

Good Luck!


disclaimer: Shu Uemura giveaway products were purchased by me with the sole purpose of a giveaway contest.

Friday, August 6, 2010

MAC Flashback: Tempt Me Tease Me Fall 2004


While on my vacation, I went through a box in the guestroom. Sure enough, there was my collection of MAC postcards. Remember when MAC used to either mail postcards about campaigns and invites or you used to pick them up at your local store or counter?
Well, now I get emails- ( unless its an exclusive event which has postcards) anyway, I started to rummage through them and that feeling of excitement hit me all over again!
My first campaign card was Lady Danger from 2000. It reminded me of the Charlie's Angels movie as the campaign and collection came out at around the same time, I was just starting my undergrad at SDSU and the trips I used to take to Fashion Valley on the regular.
I then moved on to some of the other cards I collected in different places: Peacenik ( 2002) acquired at MAC Hollywood, Smoke Signals ( 2007) acquired in Galleries Lafayette in Paris, etc. But one of my absolute favorite campaigns / collection was ( and still is ) Tempt Me Tease Me from 2004.

In MAC's Fall campaign fashion, Tempt Me Tease Me catered to both warm and cool tones but my excitement rests in the fact that collection was boudoir chic and come hither without being over- the-top ( no loud flashy reds in this one). Another plus was that I got to pick up a lookbook at my local Nordies with looks from the collection. YES!

Now I can look back and reminisce on all the great memories I have from the campaign cards and hope that in the future, MAC will create special items for artsy cosmetic aficionado such as myself.

Photos of the Tempt Me Tease Me campaign look book are below.

Enjoy!






Thursday, August 5, 2010

MAC Flashback: Campaign Postcards

Just a snapshot of some MAC campaign postcards acquired throughout the years.
Clocwise: Tease Me ( 2004), Snow Girl( 2002), MAC SIDA( 2004), Hipnotique( 2004), Sundressing( 2006), Ornamentalism( 2005), Lady Danger (2000) and Eden Rocks ( 2001).

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

FOTD: Sunday Funday- Hotter than July

Oh Sundays! Here's my face of the day while on vacation at my mom's house in San Diego! Here is the rundown:

Face:
MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NW45
NARS Casino Bronzer ( on cheeks)
MAC Eyekohl in Smolder
YSL Mascara Singulier in Black
CG Outlast Lipstain in Cinnamon Smile
Chanel Glossimer in Eclipse

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

San Diego Comic Con 2010 pics














Yes, its been too long since I have posted my pics but its been exhausting and relaxing since I've come back to NYC. Needless to say- you need more posts! Enjoy these photos I took while at the San Diego Comic Con 2010.. too bad there was no sneak preview for Wonderwoman for MAC but I'm sure there was a TON of inspiration!