Beauty and the Breaux: February Round Up
Covering: Beauty at all ages, visual storytelling and luxury on Amazon
As promised, there is no cadence to this. I wanted to write once a month and here I am 6 months since my last newsletter update. Well, I did technically publish “You’re Wearing Overpriced Garbage” last month so that has to count for something, right?
Also, I’ve been really flattered by all the responses I’ve gotten thus far, both in my inbox and in person! I thrive on feedback and engagement - tell me what you liked or disliked. Hate my spin on something? Tell me. Read or see something you think I’d also enjoy? Send it to me on Instagram!
Alright, here’s what stood out to me this month.
Beauty at all ages: California bill will ban the sale of anti-aging skincare to children; Paulina Porizkova returns to Estee Lauder at 59 years old
Double whammy here but both topics are important. First, the California bill. There is absolutely no reason to market anti-aging skincare to children under 18. The ban would target retinol, glycolic acid and vitamin C. Brands should not be selling insecurity to teens and preteens. We spend our entire lives measuring up to unrealistic beauty standards with carefully crafted campaigns. It shouldn’t start when you’re 10 years old. I have to emphasize, this is my opinion and not representative of anyone but myself. Targeting children should be illegal in all instances, not just skincare. Coca-Cola, the NFL, all consumer packaged goods should be banned from advertising to people under 18. Advertisers want the under 18 crowd to start lifelong consumption and habits early. I had my first Coca-Cola as a child and 30+ years later, the answer to “is Pepsi ok?” is still a resounding NO. They got me.
And then on the opposite end of the spectrum we have Estee Lauder bringing back Paulina Porizkova as a brand ambassador. The angle? Aging beautifully. Read here.
As with the use of the term “ambassador,” the language around the partnership is critical for her, and she is emphatic that she won’t put her name or voice to the term “anti-aging,” but rather intends to showcase how we can feel like our best self at any stage of life.
She recalls telling the Estée Lauder team at her first meeting with the board: “‘Number one, I will not do anti-aging anything. So if you need that, I’m walking out right now.’ They all went, ‘We know, that is why we asked you.’” It seems Estée Lauder is heeding their new ambassador’s advice as she attempts to positively change the industry from the inside. Porizkova is currently lobbying the brand to change the name of its Revitalizing Supreme+ Youth Power Moisturizer Creme, replacing the word “Youth” with “You.” “And they are listening,” she says.
I love this collaboration and hope more beauty brands align with using women (and men!) of all ages.
Favorite Ad Creative
Creative is always a hot topic with the luxury fragrance brands I work with and the best way to inspire creativity is with examples of brands who are doing it great. Some of the brands I support are resistant to voice overs and to text overlays… How are you supposed to sell a $300 fragrance without those? Enter ffern who has been doing a tremendous job telling the story of their fragrances through creative and copy. No voiceovers, limited text… just visual storytelling. Here are two ads they’re running right now.
The ad above effortlessly captures the essence of renewal and rebirth in just 15 seconds. It opens with a woman waking up bathed in sunlight, a clear nod to the spring equinox. Surrounding her are lush green elements that harmonize with her flowing green dress, while blooming plants in the background subtly reinforce the theme of new beginnings.
As the scene unfolds, we witness her intimate ritual of applying the fragrance, a moment of personal connection that draws the viewer in. A close-up of the bottle follows, highlighting the perfume itself. Despite its brevity, the ad is packed with symbolism and storytelling, making it a strikingly powerful piece of visual marketing.
The ad for Ffern’s Autumn '24 release crafts an immersive experience through visual storytelling. It opens with a warm, intimate scene— a flickering candle and a cozy fireplace— setting the tone for the fragrance’s essence. Subtle glimpses of golden quince, a key ingredient, appear before we see a woman inhaling the scent from a sample, immediately followed by a smile. She then reveals the accompanying artwork, a signature element of each purchase.
Next, the ad transitions to her brewing a cup of herbal tea— the same herbs used in the perfume’s formulation— reinforcing the connection between scent and experience. Remarkably, the actual perfume bottle doesn’t appear until the final three seconds, when it’s elegantly sprayed in front of the golden quince. In just 30 seconds, the ad takes the viewer on a sensory journey, telling the fragrance’s story without a single spoken word— only evocative visuals and a seamless call to action.
Saks & Amazon: The pivot to a digital department store
Read the article here. Saks is in crazy financial trouble - they’re struggling to pay vendors on time and keep the lights on. Saks, other department stores and luxury beauty brands did not pivot quickly enough to customer shopping behavior. Being slow to adapt really punished them during the pandemic and continues to punish them.
This partnership with Amazon makes a lot of sense for a few reasons:
Over 180M Americans have Prime memberships
Amazon has phenomenal logistics and infrastructure for fast fulfillment and even better customer service
Amazon can send push notifications to users about Saks items
Saks and other department stores lack all of these. Amazon lacks luxury products. At the surface, this looks like a symbiotic relationship. Big picture, this is just delaying their demise.
My current obsession
The Tom Ford Beauty team gifted me a bottle of Fucking Fabulous last week and I’ve been layering that with Tom Ford Ombre Leather. I tried it out this weekend and I’m loving the combo.
