Rethinking beauty is a big task, and industry insider Jenny Frankel had stepped out of the business when her millennial daughters inspired her to get back in it with a brand, launched last May, that’s meeting young women where they are.
Adding on beauty
Nudestix cosmetics is a product line of pencils, or rather makeup crayons, that enhances the skin with a natural makeup look. There are sticks for eye color, lip and cheek color, concealer, and mascara.
“Beauty must fit into our clients lifestyle and not be disruptive or complicated. Our #gonudebutbetter suggests that beauty is you but better, an accessory – the person is the natural beauty that should stand out,” Frankel tells Cosmetics Design. She explains further, “applying a lipstick is an accessory to the overall look just as earrings would be.” And this isn’t merely anecdotal or observational thinking.
“51% of Millennials, aged 18-25, spend less than 10 minutes and use less than 4 cosmetics products in the morning,” says Frankel.
The beauty-as-accessory concept takes into account several aspects of modern consumer behavior—digital technologies, mobile lifestyles, hassel-free natural looks, and more—which all plays out in the Nudestix approach to ingredients, packaging, and distribution.
Ingredients
The company’s approach to ingredients is in step with consumer expectations when it comes to what’s not in the products. “Nudestix makeup crayons are preservative free, gluten free, vegan, and cruelty-free.”
And, Frankel explains, “The formulas are simplified to benefit sensitive skin and offer no over-inflated marketing claims. Enriched with skin-saving vitamins, antioxidants and moisturizers, each multipurpose Nudestix is loaded with just enough color to get the job done and leave you glowing.”
Packaging
“Every pencil is sold with a tin, mirror and cap sharpener. The Nudestix tins becomes your new urban makeup bag to-go,” Frankel tells Cosmetics Design.
Streamlined packaging is something of a rallying cry for Nudestix, “Out with the bag overflowing with compacts and brushes and in with simple makeup crayons for the face, eyes, lips and even cheeks,” exclaims Frankel.
Nudestix are a stand-alone cosmetic. The product is applied by drawing and smudging. So there are no sponges, puffs, or bushes.
Distribution
Omni-channel marketing makes sense for a brand like Nudestix that’s connecting with young women on their own terms. “Nudestix distribution consists of both top beauty retailers, such as Sephora, and lifestyle apparel retailers such as Urban Outfitters,” says Frankel.
“The Nudestix clients are shopping effortless beauty, a less-is-more approach to makeup, and appreciate the convenience of one-stop shopping…fashion + beauty.”
Ecommerce platforms and mobile purchasing are not to be overlooked. Frankel confirms that, “millennials are also very mobile, on-the-go and literally constantly on mobile devices, and therefore millennial friendly mobile and .com shopping experiences are also key to our [Nudestix] distribution strategy.”