CYO debuted yesterday at Walgreens stores. And as Lauren Consiglio, Americas category director overseeing CYO Cosmetics, tells the press, the brand “is challenging the norms of how beauty products are used – we're giving makeup a shake up.”
Many brands and retailers are courting younger millennials and Gen Z consumers with beauty products meant to allow for customization, personalization, creative expression, and playfulness.
Recently Walgreens competitor CVS opted for a Korean beauty line to meet consumer expectations for trendy, playful makeup and skin care. “With the launch of the new K-Beauty HQ, we're able to deliver an extensive collection of new, on-trend products across healthy skincare and playful beauty, further establishing CVS Pharmacy as the leading health and beauty destination,” Alex Perez-Tenessa, vice president of merchandising for beauty and personal care at CVS Pharmacy, commented, as Cosmetics Design reported in April.
With CYO, Walgreens is competing for those shoppers’ dollars too.
Call it your own
Describing the new CYO color cosmetics line, Consiglio tells the press, “We've created an edgy line that doesn't break the bank and goes beyond your typical beauty boundaries.”
“This,” she says, “is for the new generation of beauty lovers who want to create and re-create the many versions of themselves, we'll never say 'do this' or 'look like that', instead we'll produce high-quality, functional products, that let them experiment and have fun.”
CYO might be an initialism for Call it Your Own or it might not be; Walgreens is more inclined to let consumers decide what the name means, though the company certainly has an ethos in mind. The press release suggests that CYO may also stand for Create Your Own or Color Your Own.
Categories
The CYO collection is 160 products deep. There are mascaras, eyeshadows, eyeliners, eyebrow and eyelash products, as well as primers and a base product just for eyelids. There are CYO lip glosses, liners, stains, sticks, and plumpers. For foundations and complexion products, CYO offers primers, setting spray, bronzers, concealers, contouring colors, blush, and more.
Walgreen’s press release describes the line’s price range and product selection this way: “With products ranging from $3.50 to $7.50, the CYO portfolio includes eye shadows that can be used wet or dry for different effects; highlighting creams that can be mixed or layered for shimmer that sizzles; blushers that pull double-duty; and countless other products designed for ultimate self-expression.”