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Annie Tomlin from Bellasugar.com

One of the many things www.BellaSugar.com does well is share Beauty Must Reads from the Bella Community of beauty bloggers and other beauty sites. As Senior Beauty Editor, Annie Tomlin reports on all things beauty… it’s a tough job, but someone has to do it. She took some time from her busy schedule reporting on NYC Fashion Week, to do a quick Q&A for CPNAnewsflash on her experience at Cosmoprof North Americaas a first-timer this July in Las Vegas. As a group of beauty editors reporting trends from the show, Annie saw first-hand new brands trying to break into the industry, well established brands launching new collections and technology taking beauty to the next level. Now, let’s get her take on the biggest beauty venue in North America and what’s the next big thing in beauty.

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It takes a lot of people to put CPNA together. As the Marketing and Sales Director for the show, my team and I work almost a year in advance developing new programs and initiatives to attract the 22,000+ visitors to Las Vegas. It is with a strong commitment to excellence, that we offer our exhibitors and attendees, educational conferences, industry networking events and the opportunity to further succeed in the beauty market. With 10 days till show time, I want to share with you some exciting news of what will be taking place this July 31-August 2.

First and foremost, I am excited about all the brands taking part in the upcoming event. This year 750 companies, including 205 abroad companies, will introduce their innovative products and encourage consumers to discover these brands in local retail stores, spas and salons.
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By Jamie Kern Lima, Co-Founder IT Cosmetics

• How did Cosmoprof help It Cosmetics get to the next level in the beauty market?

Discover Beauty was an amazing opportunity to meet one-on-one with both domestic and international buyers and get their direct feedback on product assortment and brand positioning. Many of them had not heard of our brand before, so it was a great opportunity to get our products in front of them for the first time. As a result we had our first Trunk Show at Henri Bendel Department Store in NYC and are excited to continue working with them! We also met so many other wonderful brand owners, and it was a great opportunity to exchange advice as well. We were so honored to be selected as a Discover Beauty 2010 brand and the experience truly exceeded our expectations.

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Karen Young | CEO The Young Group

I was on the phone with a passionate entrepreneur this morning and it took him 22 minutes to explain his concept to me. Not only did he lose my attention, but I was convinced he hadn’t thought through the product story. In an era when everyone has ADD, multi tasks, doesn’t listen and refuses to read, this is not a good start. Executive summaries have replaced concept decks. Acronyms have replaced conversations. Text messages are practically considered full blown dialogues. That USP (acronym for Unique Selling Proposition) had better be strong, concise, clear, compelling and immediately understood.

By now, everyone has heard the adage that you have 4 seconds to connect with
the consumer. She is being bombarded with upwards of 5k messages of some
sort daily.

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At last year’s Cosmoprof North America I got to see my creative partner at united*, Andy Johnson, literally kill it on stage with an amazing presentation on how young, even start-up brands and entrepreneurs can develop their point of view and bring their brands to market so that they are truly differentiating. The message was that there is so much passion and energy in this industry, but that this doesn’t compensate for poorly designed brand strategies. Really sharpening a brand’s point of view and how and where to tell the story is something that many companies need help with, for sure. Companies big and small.

People were in line for almost 30 minutes after the 2010 session to talk to Andy and pick his brain on their ideas, brands and ways of coming to market. And this year he is back for more! In fact, be on the look for Andy at Monday’s session from 1:30 to 3:00, August 1, Private Label – Emotional Branding– How to Navigate and Attract? where his topic will be “emotional branding”.

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Every skin care line has that special ingredient or combination of natural extracts and actives that delivers smoother skin and fewer wrinkles, evens pigmentation, and nourishes and protects the skin. This year Discover Beauty’s skin care brands bring innovation, nature, and science to the plate – taking skin care technology to the next level. A healthy lifestyle and consistent regimen are key to having radiant skin, however ground-breaking trends will always have a place in the beauty industry..

Below please find a recap of what’s in store at this year’s Discover Beauty 2011:
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The Beauty Bus Foundation is a Los Angeles non-profit which provides in-home beauty and grooming services, free of charge, to chronically or terminally ill patients and their caregivers. One of the founders is Alicia Marantz Liotta, who has worked in the beauty industry for over ten years in marketing and communications at various beauty companies and as a well-respected beauty editor. Her work with a renowned beauty magazine has given her the opportunity to meet and work with industry icons and some of Hollywood’s finest and these relationships have helped fuel the Beauty Bus. The first client was serviced in 2009 and two years later the foundation is still going strong and pampering both patients and caregivers whose condition prevents them from accessing a salon or spa. This organization is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for chronically or terminally ill people and their caregivers by bringing dignity, solace and smiles through the lift and gift of beauty. For more information visit beautybus.org Read more/Comment

Every year, Cosmoprof North America is the venue where new beauty trends are discovered. With a trade show audience that is predominantly B2B, it is the beauty media who attends the show to report on what the next big thing will be to the consumer. This year, CPNA welcomes beauty editors from four large unique beauty websites – Bellasugar.com, Cliomakeup.com, Dailymakeover.com and Temptalia.com – who will post daily trends reports on their sites, giving their followers a glimpse into, “A Day in the Life of a Beauty Editor.” They will walk the show floor and meet with exhibitors while discovering what’s new in beauty, skin care, hair, nail and spa treatments.

QVC’s Director of Beauty Merchandising, Claudia Lucas, has years of proven experience identifying emerging trends in the beauty industry. She has particularly honed knowledge of the premium/luxury cosmetics and beauty industry. As the woman that millions of other women turn to for advice, she has a keen and flawless eye for what they need and want. We asked her to take a minute out of her busy schedule to share with Cosmoprof North America what inspires her and what she sees as the next big thing in the beauty industry and on shopping television.

So is there a huge difference going from a brick and mortar specialty environment, such as Henri Bendel to shopping television? What are some of the similarities and differences?

It certainly is different. I have been fortunate in my career to have worked across various retail channels in beauty. I started in travel retail, and then went to department stores, then specialty and now direct to consumer. The way we do business on day to day bases is very different from a traditional environment. My real estate is my airtime and it’s about driving productivity in that airtime. B&M stores can grow their business by opening more stores – unfortunately that doesn’t work in our world because there is no way right now to extend a day beyond 24 hours! It then becomes what each minute is worth plus how we develop our other retail platforms such as web and mobile. The one constant is understanding and knowing your customer so that you can best meet her needs and expectations.

Despite the efforts of day-to-day and long-term beauty plans—be it at the doctor’s office, at-home or the spa—one thing rings true among all women: the impact of instant results, and how we all want them. Maybe it’s because we are a society that moves at lightning speed, but when it comes to treatments at the spa, the impression of knowing what you paid for—be it a pore-cleansing facial, waist-whittling scrub or wrinkle-reducing treatment—actually worked is worth its weight in gold. See, most women will follow (or at least attempt to follow) the specified plan of attack bestowed upon them, visiting their aesthetician or expert at the spa on a regular basis to see the results they long for. But, when the effects are that much more immediate—we’re talking mere minutes to hours here—it can make a firm believer out of someone who may have been on the fence.

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