Meet the beauty queen
In 1994, Bare Escentuals was a struggling bath and body shop in San Francisco. Selling aromatherapy scents and unheard-of mineral makeup products, it had a faintly hippy vibe and only just managed to break even at the end of the year. By 2010, however, the company had the bestselling foundation in America, and was acquired by cosmetics giant Shiseido for a record-breaking $1.7bn.
So how did this happen? Well, it’s a two-word answer: Leslie Blodgett. This dynamic – not to mention awlessly presented woman – is a rock star of the cosmetics world. Even those with a eeting interest in beauty cannot help but notice that mineral make-up is huge. Whereas thick, cakey, chemical-laden foundation (not too far removed from Max Factor’s original pancake 1930s make-up) was the norm, now millions of women lightly dust on mineral powder before they face the day.
‘It was underneath the counter, collecting dust. Even the people who worked at the store had no idea what it was.’ Recruited to run this small retailer, she knew she was on to something special but did not have the budget for great marketing campaigns. When the stress of waning pro ts kept her up at night, she switched on the television for comfort, and while watching the shopping channel QVC, she realised she’d found her opportunity to bring mineral make-up to the masses.
Undaunted by the prospect of selling foundation on television (a medium by which it was not possible for women to test the shade), Blodgett became the first person to sell a beauty brand on QVC. ‘It had to be me going on air because I couldn’t a ord anybody else. I didn’t tell the people I worked with – not even my family,’ she says.
The response was overwhelming. The first stock sold out within six minutes, and soon Blodgett was selling $1.4m worth of products an hour.
So what makes the products so special? The star creation, the bareMinerals foundation, contains just ve ingredients, which are naturally sourced, and do not irritate the skin. Generations of women have grown up believing that sleeping in one’s make-up wreaks havoc on the complexion – but Blodgett encourages doing this: ‘Here is make-up that you can sleep in, and your skin will be healed by the next morning.’
Such a story is, of course, a marketeer’s dream, but it is obvious that this fostering of self-worth is an integral part of Blodgett’s personal, as well as professional, philosophy. In an industry that has been criticised for exploiting insecurities, Blodgett is adamant that bareMinerals should do the opposite. ‘With beauty, the intimidation thing only goes so far. We’re talking to women who have never felt beautiful – I know I had big issues with that growing up. We want everyone to feel beautiful in their own way.’
Blodgett’s passion for her brand emanates from her. She gesticulates wildly when speaking, smiles often, and frequently breaks into laughter (‘we want a little chuckle here and there if we can, we don’t want to take ourselves too seriously’). Her energy seems endless and rumour has it that she has been known to do the splits in the middle of board meetings in order to galvanise her team.
But her road to success has not been without its obstacles. Born to a single-parent family in Long Island, New York, she grew up with a desperate need to impress her mother.
‘Mom always told me to be independent and make my own money. I’ve wanted to please my mother my whole life,’ she says.
As her career with bareMinerals went from strength to strength, she became the breadwinner while her husband stayed at home to look after their son. ‘I’ve felt guilt that I wasn’t there when my son got home from school. But he said to me: “These women need you more than I do.” It became an obsession to help these women feel better about themselves.’
Having been at the helm of bare- Minerals for 19 years, she’s the life and soul of the company – her girly signature even adorns the packaging of the products. So how does she feel about being heralded as today’s Elizabeth Arden?
‘I feel like I’m helping others,’ she says with characteristic animation. ‘But to be honest with you, it’s helping me. We need to do a better job as an industry to make young girls feel beautiful – not just from the neck up, but everywhere. We are who we are and we should embrace that.’
www.bareminerals.co.uk
Leslie Blodgett is a member of Cosmetic Executive Women: www.cewuk.co.uk
So how did this happen? Well, it’s a two-word answer: Leslie Blodgett. This dynamic – not to mention awlessly presented woman – is a rock star of the cosmetics world. Even those with a eeting interest in beauty cannot help but notice that mineral make-up is huge. Whereas thick, cakey, chemical-laden foundation (not too far removed from Max Factor’s original pancake 1930s make-up) was the norm, now millions of women lightly dust on mineral powder before they face the day.
PIONEERING MAKE-UP
Frequently compared to cosmetic queens Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein and Estée Lauder, Blodgett was instrumental in pioneering this form of make-up, completely turning the beauty industry on its head. She remembers rst discovering the mineral make-up at the back of the San Francisco store.‘It was underneath the counter, collecting dust. Even the people who worked at the store had no idea what it was.’ Recruited to run this small retailer, she knew she was on to something special but did not have the budget for great marketing campaigns. When the stress of waning pro ts kept her up at night, she switched on the television for comfort, and while watching the shopping channel QVC, she realised she’d found her opportunity to bring mineral make-up to the masses.
Undaunted by the prospect of selling foundation on television (a medium by which it was not possible for women to test the shade), Blodgett became the first person to sell a beauty brand on QVC. ‘It had to be me going on air because I couldn’t a ord anybody else. I didn’t tell the people I worked with – not even my family,’ she says.
The response was overwhelming. The first stock sold out within six minutes, and soon Blodgett was selling $1.4m worth of products an hour.
So what makes the products so special? The star creation, the bareMinerals foundation, contains just ve ingredients, which are naturally sourced, and do not irritate the skin. Generations of women have grown up believing that sleeping in one’s make-up wreaks havoc on the complexion – but Blodgett encourages doing this: ‘Here is make-up that you can sleep in, and your skin will be healed by the next morning.’
A MARKETEER’S DREAM
And if any more evidence were needed, the reaction from customers the world over is astounding. Women travel across America in order to meet Blodgett at in-store events, and she receives a slew of written testimonials from women whose lives have been changed by the products. One woman wrote that she had such a debilitating skin condition that, until discovering bareMinerals, she hadn’t left her house for years.Such a story is, of course, a marketeer’s dream, but it is obvious that this fostering of self-worth is an integral part of Blodgett’s personal, as well as professional, philosophy. In an industry that has been criticised for exploiting insecurities, Blodgett is adamant that bareMinerals should do the opposite. ‘With beauty, the intimidation thing only goes so far. We’re talking to women who have never felt beautiful – I know I had big issues with that growing up. We want everyone to feel beautiful in their own way.’
Blodgett’s passion for her brand emanates from her. She gesticulates wildly when speaking, smiles often, and frequently breaks into laughter (‘we want a little chuckle here and there if we can, we don’t want to take ourselves too seriously’). Her energy seems endless and rumour has it that she has been known to do the splits in the middle of board meetings in order to galvanise her team.
But her road to success has not been without its obstacles. Born to a single-parent family in Long Island, New York, she grew up with a desperate need to impress her mother.
‘Mom always told me to be independent and make my own money. I’ve wanted to please my mother my whole life,’ she says.
As her career with bareMinerals went from strength to strength, she became the breadwinner while her husband stayed at home to look after their son. ‘I’ve felt guilt that I wasn’t there when my son got home from school. But he said to me: “These women need you more than I do.” It became an obsession to help these women feel better about themselves.’
Having been at the helm of bare- Minerals for 19 years, she’s the life and soul of the company – her girly signature even adorns the packaging of the products. So how does she feel about being heralded as today’s Elizabeth Arden?
‘I feel like I’m helping others,’ she says with characteristic animation. ‘But to be honest with you, it’s helping me. We need to do a better job as an industry to make young girls feel beautiful – not just from the neck up, but everywhere. We are who we are and we should embrace that.’
www.bareminerals.co.uk
Leslie Blodgett is a member of Cosmetic Executive Women: www.cewuk.co.uk