MEET THE COLORMARK CREATOR – JOAN LASKER
In 1996, Joan Lasker was in an enviable position. She took early retirement from her position as Vice President, Corporate Public Relations at L’Oréal USA, and moved her family from New York to Santa Fe. The plan was to ski, play tennis and take long lunches. But the old cosmetic industry siren call soon arose and Joan found herself developing a product that she knew was sorely missing from the market – an instant liquid hair color for touching up gray roots. Wearing jeans and cowboy boots instead of stilettos and power suits, Joan, from her new home in Santa Fe, founded ColorMetrics, launching ColorMark, a liquid temporary hair color to touch up gray roots in 2003. An award winner time and again, the ColorMetrics products have changed the hair industry. Read on for Joan’s success story.
What inspired you to create ColorMark and TouchBack (by ColorMetrics) and how did you get started with the development of hair-color products?
I developed ColorMark and TouchBack because I needed them myself. I color my hair to cover gray. Because I am a brunette, my gray roots are annoyingly visibly in 2 weeks. I can’t color my hair with permanent hair color every other week, and so I looked for products that could temporarily cover my gray between permanent colorings. I began using the crayons and mascaras on the market, but they made my hair look dull and greasy. And, they flaked and rubbed off during the day. Powders were no better, and the spray-on products were hard to control and also flaked off.
What I wanted between permanent colorings was real, temporary hair color that could be applied directly to dry hair to cover gray roots instantly. And, I wanted the hair color to be dispensed from a wide tip marker. Even though I was retired, I had been in the cosmetic industry for 20 years as a Beauty Editor at Vogue, VP of Corporate PR for L’Oréal USA and President of CEW. I decided to try to develop the product myself. I had lots of friends in the industry to help me navigate the areas I didn’t know (which was a lot)!
I started in earnest in 1999 and didn’t get the product out until 2003. I couldn’t get the marker to work 100%, but the formula was great. So, I brought out ColorMark, Real Hair Color in Liquid in 12 shades, while I continued to work on getting the dye to flow through a marker. It took another 4 years of R&D. In 2009, I launched TouchBack, Real Hair Color in a Marker in 8 shades. Both products have multiple patents and have won multiple industry awards. Both products were a first — real hair color that you apply directly to dry hair to cover gray roots instantly. Because they are made with real hair color, they actually bond to the hair, blending seamlessly with permanent hair color, for a totally natural look. And, they won’t flake or rub off when brushed … unlike mascaras, crayons, gels and powders.
How do the two TouchBack and ColorMark products for eliminating gray roots differ?
TouchBack and ColorMark have similar formulas. The real difference is in the application. TouchBack is a marker with a 1/2″ wide Fiber Flow tip that delivers color continuously. ColorMark has a soft-tip applicator that you dip into a bottle and then apply. TouchBack will give you 40-50 applications. ColorMark gives you 30-40 applications… depending on the amount of gray that needs to be covered.
TouchBack retails for $29.95 and ColorMark for $21.95. The customer can decide which product she prefers. The result will be the same.
Who is the typical customer?
ColorMark and TouchBack are for anyone who colors hair to cover gray. Or, it’s a good solution if you are just starting to go gray and want to delay using permanent hair color. Men love it, too. It’s great for sideburns and temples.
How should customers use the TouchBack Plus+ Non-Stop Color System (color and clear versions) to best maintain optimum color protection?
I developed TouchBack Plus because I wanted a complete interlocking system of temporary hair color to keep hair color looking great between permanent colorings – without using any harsh chemicals like ammonia or peroxide.
TouchBack Plus Shampoo, Conditioner and Leave-In Conditioner come in 8 shades that coordinate with TouchBack and ColorMark products. Complementing the color products are three clear products: Clear Shampoo, Clear Conditioner and Clear Leave-in Conditioner — for those days when you choose not to add color to the hair, but want the benefits of the fade protection and shine that is built into all of the TouchBack Plus products.
Maximum Color Boost
Color Shampoo + Color Conditioner
Moderate Color Boost
Color Shampoo + Clear Conditioner
or Clear Shampoo + Color Conditioner
Maintain Color
Clear Shampoo + Clear Conditioner
No Time to Shower?
Color Leave-In Conditioner or Clear Leave-In Conditioner
The Color Leave-In Conditioner is a first-ever, and patented. You apply the Micro Foam directly to dry hair for an instant color boost. That’s it. You’ve just added color instantly… no waiting, no mess, no showering.
All TouchBack Plus Color products add vibrant color, blend away gray, have high levels of UVA/B sunscreens and antioxidants to safeguard hair and color fidelity, and contain moisturizers to repair damage and boost shine – all without ammonia, peroxide or sulfates.
TouchBack Plus Clear products have all the same color maintenance properties — without the color.
Add the TouchBack Marker Real Hair Color in a Marker or ColorMark Real Hair Color in a Liquid to this system to touch-up gray roots and you have a total Non-Stop Color System to keep hair color looking perfect between colorings.
And, for the brows, there is TouchBack BrowMarker, the patented eyebrow marker for graying or thinning brows– like TouchBack for the hair, BrowMarker is an instant, all-day application that bonds to hair and does not flake or rub off.
What do you love about these products and why will women want to use them?
They are instant. Like most women, I want to keep my hair color looking great, without the use of harsh chemicals. Having a system of real hair color products to keep my color fresh between permanent colorings, without ammonia or peroxide, is something that appeals to everyone who colors their hair.
What’s next for ColorMetrics?
TouchBack is just launching BrowMarker. It’s a fine tip marker that enhances the shape, color and fullness of brows. The patented formula comes in five shades. The Blonde shade was made for women with very thin brows or no brows, due to chemotherapy. The color is a sheer taupe that looks soft and natural when applied directly to the skin.
BrowMarker blends away gray, lasts all day and won’t rub off. I’m always interested in products that hide gray!
With one notable exception: using the same technology, we also make Streekers … Hot Color for Cool Hair. With temporary color in 8 vibrant shades (Ultra Violet is one example), Streekers promises a Wild Weekend with No Commitment. Younger fans of Streekers (and their moms) love it for just that reason: it washes out. So parents’ hair won’t turn gray when they see wild color on their kids. What makes it unique? It’s the only temporary bright color that bonds to the hair and won’t flake off when brushed, leaving the hair soft and the color vibrant.
MEET DANY SANZ – MAKE UP FOR EVER FOUNDER
The story of Make Up For Ever begins when founder Dany Sanz, a painter and sculptor, was asked by friends to do make up on bodies for a theater show. Seeing her painting come to life was the “aha” movement that led to creating the color cosmetics brand loved by professionals as well as consumers. Along the way she opened the first professional make up school in Europe in the 1970s, with students that came from all corners of the world and eventually became ambassadors for the brand. With the strong bonds that grew between her and her students, a base of users developed for the brand that is headquartered in Paris but now available worldwide. Read on for more of Dany’s story.
Tell us a bit about your background. What path led you to become a makeup artist?
I studied sculpture and painting, and was working in a theater painting sets one day when a body painting show was taking place. When the make-up artist on the set saw that I knew how to paint, they asked me to help because they were short staffed. When I saw my body painting coming to life on stage I had a revelation: “my painting is moving!” From that moment forth I fell in love with the art of make up. I continued my craft and word began spreading that there was a woman in Paris painting bodies! As a result, make up artists began asking me to teach them how to paint bodies. I thought it was funny because to me, I wasn’t a make up artist. Nevertheless, I agreed to teach them skills in painting and thus gained a following of young make up artists learning from me. And the rest is history…
What inspired you to create MAKE UP FOR EVER?
In the 1980’s there were very few products available for professional make up artists and those that were available came in a limited number of shades. I began formulating my own products in my tiny Parisian basement for both myself and my students to use. News in the beauty industry traveled fast and make up artists from all over Paris began to come to me for my products with highly pigmented formulas and incredible shade ranges. I never planned on creating my own make up brand but as my formulas became more and more in demand, I felt it was time to take things one step further and create MAKE UP FOR EVER.
What is MAKE UP FOR EVER’S point of difference? How does it distinguish itself from other professional brands?
MAKE UP FOR EVER is a creative and artistic brand. It is a brand that make up artists have an emotional bond with. I was first a make up professor and have taught thousands of students, but I have always communicated with them in a natural, instinctive and romantic manner. This has created a special atmosphere around me and it was essential for the success of MAKE UP FOR EVER. Other brands develop products only because they see a marketing opportunity behind it. We develop products to answer the needs of make up artists and people working backstage. Development is driven by a genuine willingness to solve a professional issue. And 90% of the time, make up artist issues end up being the same issues that real women face: they all want long lasting performance, foundation that provides flawless yet invisible coverage, products that are easy to apply and spectacular formulas…. As I often say, the daylight is as cruel as the spotlight on a TV show.
Where do you find inspiration for new collections?
My inspiration comes from my everyday life and exchanges with women from all nationalities. I love to walk around Paris, especially the Marais district, to be inspired by the women around me. I find inspiration everywhere. I like being in a city as watching people going about their daily activities interests me a lot. I look around me and the ideas immediately flow in scenarios and flashes. Sometimes I even take out a piece of paper and draw details so as not to forget any of them.
Please share a professional tip with our readers that they could adapt in their daily makeup application?
All women should care about the primers they use. The preparation of the skin before makeup is very important and it’s a step that is often missed. I suggest using our HD Elixir, which can be used alone as the very first step of a make up routine before a primer. Apply gently around the eye with circular moves from the bottom to the top of the eye and apply on the entire face with light touches. You’ll see that the application is quick, easy and convenient.
How do you balance your professional and personal life?
I must admit that they mix quite a lot since I spend the better part of my day at work or traveling for the brand. I would say what allows me to “escape” is my gardening. I like to spend time outside my home in my garden or when my schedule permits it (which is rare) and I also like to travel with my husband to Bali, where I find a lot of inspiration and where I am able to relax.
What’s next for MAKE UP FOR EVER?
2012 is an exciting year for us in lipsticks… I am looking forward to our next launch, which is going to be great for the brand and will complete an already-existing best-selling range. The concept, the colors, the product – I really can’t wait for everyone to see what we’re going to unveil.
MEET LISA HOFFMAN – FRAGRANCE AND LIFESTYLE CONCEPT ENTREPRENEUR
In a category that tends to prize logos over craftsmanship, Lisa Hoffman is passionate about pioneering new ways to experience fragrance – creating products that are innovative and that boast a singular purpose. Her fragrances come in vial-size sets of different scents that can be mixed and matched as the mood suits. Her Variations concept features four varieties of a similar scent formulated to be worn during the Morning, Daytime, Evening or Bedtime.
Inspiration for creating the Lisa Hoffman Beauty collection comes from her life as a dedicated mother, entrepreneur and wife of actor Dustin Hoffman. Foremost to the cultivation of her line, is Lisa’s focus on perfumery education. What began as a childhood experimentation has led her on a quest to unlock the history and potential of fragrance. Read on to learn more about her inspiration and insights.
What were your inspirations to start LH Beauty and how did your family encourage you to pursue your dream of creating a lifestyle brand?
The original concept for creating fragrances was inspired my travels. Navigating and living in remote environments and cultures opened my senses to extraordinary moments, which left an impression on me, like seeing a beautiful piece of art. The best way for me to share this was to translate those moments and impressions into fragrances and products that evoked the same feelings.
My family is my inspiration and support – their encouragement to pursue my dreams has meant everything to me. My husband has been especially supportive. Although, I think when he saw how much time it involved he began questioning whether it was such a good idea after all. Nevertheless, he is still my strongest supporter.
Tell us about your personal process from your idea to concept to packaging and on the shelf when designing a new range of products.
The products we create stem from something I feel is missing in the marketplace. When I have an idea for a new product, I share it with colleagues, friends and family; I can always tell by their reaction if I am on to something. As a mother, wife, and entrepreneur, I have an understanding of how women really live and try to create products with modern sensibility.
What product or range from the LH brand are you most proud of and why?
This is like asking a mother to choose between her children. I really am proud of all my products and love each of them at different times for different reasons. I can say that I get the most pleasure when women come up to me and tell me how much they love the way the fragrances make them feel.
As a parfumeur, what are your favorite notes and combinations?
I love unexpected scent combinations because they feel more unique and individualized. Recently I was in Grasse, France and designed a cologne for my husband and sons that has pear as a top note with tobacco and wood base notes. It has an intriguing complexity. The tobacco and wood base notes are classic, masculine scents, but the addition of the pear added a fresh and unexpected twist that transformed the cologne into something modern but timeless. Fragrances that break the ‘rules’ and transcend perfume norms are some of my favorites.
Fragrance has a strong emotional impact on most women, and often evokes memories. What advice can you give us for choosing the right scent and wearing it well?
My best advice on choosing the right scent is to choose fragrances that express your individual style. I encourage women to blend, layer and experience scent in ‘your’ way. Also, learn about the perfume you are interested in; knowing the history behind certain notes and the way that they blossom over time can really enhance your emotional response to a particular fragrance.
You have mastered perfumery, bath and body collections and home fragrances, so what’s coming next for LH Beauty?
It’s a secret! But I can tell you that it’s an entirely new and unexpected way to experience fragrance. You will see it at the beginning of November on my website…so stay tuned.
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