BEAUTY GOES SOCIAL ON OPEN SKY

05-19-12 | Posted by Dorene Kaplan

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Tired of muddling through endless options on beauty retail websites? OpenSky.com offers an expert solution on its new beauty channel. The social shopping site has just added 11 experts – from doctors to makeup artist to perfume experts– to pick and showcase products they love and hope you will too.

By creating their own shop, the curators aim to share their insights with OpenSky beauty customers and create a dialogue. Even actress and natural product advocate Alicia Silverstone is a curator on the site.

“People are always, always asking me what’s the best for this or that,” said curator Pati Dubroff, a celebrity makeup artist who has worked with such brands as Dior and Clarins. “It’s awesome to be able to tell people about the things I love, without setting up my own business.”

OpenSky Beauty Curators

Unlike most online beauty retailers, OpenSky does not sell entire lines and may not even keep a curated item in its lineup for long. The intention is to focus on the unique and create a conversation around it. “The products are mostly discovered by the curators plus a few that I discover,” said Allison Slater, general manager of beauty and healthy living at OpenSky. The curators’ expertise covers multiple areas of beauty including skincare, hair care, color makeup, wellness, scent, nails, sun care and more.

“For me the interesting thing about OpenSky is that I can interact with people and offer explanations about my selected products to provide more information,” said curator Dr. Frederic Brandt, a New York City dermatologist.

Fragrance curator Chandler Burr wants to use the site as a platform to educate people about the art of perfumery. Each month he will present a fragrance he loves in a generic spray vial. He will describe the scent, but won’t reveal its name, parent company or packaging. “The point is to experience the fragrance without any marketing at all,” he said. A month later the name and packaging will be revealed.

“We’re an item driven business and we want to be about storytelling,” said Ms. Slater. “It’s a combination of education and discovery.” You can visit and join OpenSky to discover the entire list of beauty curators and the products they love.

The 11 curators will create a new presentation of products every week consisting of their personal picks for the best in beauty. Current faves include By Terry Lipstick, Two Faced Cosmetics BB Cream and Sue Devitt Tinted Body Moisturizer.