the beauty brew series: viral beauty phenomena
#chapter 2
Growing up is realising that the classic Hot Lips rollerball lipglosses from the hair shop has now been reborn as the Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil for the Gen Alphas. Cooler packaging and higher price point. What a life.
We’re in an interesting era of consumerism: one day the staple product you’ve never been without is abundantly in stock, the next, it’s nowhere to be found because the new age beauty obsessives have raided the shelves. 9 times out of 10 — it’s gone viral. From ready-made M&S dishes to that BHA toner your none-the-wiser boyfriend will reduce to “that thing for breakouts”, viral beauty phenomena are at every turn — or scroll.
The question is: what ingredients are needed to 1) capture an audience with the attention span of a Vine video and 2) keep it? In this essay I will…
Yes, it all boils down to sales and generating revenue but in this fast-paced digital age, it’s all about popularity. With every beauty brand yearning for a fixed spot on the FYP and their finite is-this-play-about-us reign, a moment in spotlight could potentially mean a lot more than money in the bank.
Enter: Topicals. I know you saw (read: couldn’t escape) the all-iconic brand trip to Ghana, probably found yourself on the website eyeing up those patches and perhaps placed an order? Exactly. As someone who’s already inundated with unopened moisturisers, serums, concealers and so forth, it takes a lot for me to make an informed trend-centred purchase. Price and formula aside, the main question that usually stops me in my tracks is “do I need this?” If I can answer that question faster than I can use my Apple Pay, then I either close the tab or add to basket. However, the really cool thing about Topicals is they successfully cut out the choice paralysis altogether.
In layman terms: you already want it and that’s why you’re here, so that means you need it.
Rocking skin care staples in the club like the latest designer drip (see: Faded Under Eye Masks and Slick Salve Lip Balm), Topicals transformed their hero products into merchandise, and therefore, collectibles. Like a band tee or tote bag, the brand’s high-performing formulas have earned their if-you-know-you-know stripes, which in turn breeds FOMO. And because no one wants to be left out of the conversation — so do the commas. By selling more than skin care i.e. a coveted Detty December experience, Topicals are proof that it pays to be popular… literally.
Sovereign in all things talk-of-the-town, rhode are yet to drop the ball. Artfully pictured with everything from ice-cream sundaes, espresso martinis and even regular degular toast, the sought-after Peptide Lip Tint holds the recipe for one of the best beauty marketing strategies. The ingredients? A solid and consistent brand identity, true innovation and a steady pace. I’m a fan of brands that take their time. Before overwhelming customers with so much newness, assess what is already working really well and build on that. Hence, the award-winning Peptide Lip Treatment to Peptide Lip Tint pipeline that didn’t shock people into pinching their pockets, but instead dig deeper with curiosity. Drip-feeding colour into the brand’s range had the entire FYP in a positive frenzy. A major OMG-it’s-happening moment which created a ripple effect of so many brands heading back to the lab to get on their zoom in an attempt to replicate the buzz.
And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better… Hailey Bieber hard launches a phone case for the hero product. GENIUS! By welding functionality with beauty, she’s successfully marketed the star formula as essential as house keys. Will you ever leave your phone at home? Would you go past a mirror and not take a quick selfie? No and no, again. Now, you’ll never be without your favourite lip gloss either. It’s free PR. That’s how give the people more of what they love, stay relevant and keep business booming.
*exhales* Maybe the internet isn’t so scary after all? Forgive me for wishing you a happy (Lunar) new year right at the end of my monologue but I’m hoping 2024 will be an exciting year for the beauty industry. As the pared-back, clean girl aesthetic gets messier with maximalist iterations (see: Pat McGrath Glass Skin), we can expect makeup to get way more interesting. I’m predicting makeup in more mediums to allow creators and enthusiasts more freedom to play. Think: sticks, water-activated pigments, creams, liquids, oils, balms, jellies and loose powders. I’m anticipating our favourite formulas finding a home away from the beauty corner and I’m so here for it.
See you in the next one!
P x
