Nonie Creme: From Street Kid to Beauty Maven

Nonie Creme: From Street Kid to Beauty Maven

Article Credit: CEW Beauty Insider

Color and trend expert, Nonie Creme, has been a backstage fixture her entire career. She cut her teeth as a session manicurist in London, forging relationships over the years with the world's top fashion designers, photographers, makeup, hair and nail artists. As the Founding Creative Director of Butter London, Nonie was at the helm of product formulation, design and brand development with imaginative techniques, bold graphics and the audacious cheeky humor that made the Butter London range a modern cult classic. Her work in product design and development, color and branding have helped shape the now explosive nail industry, and have made Nonie one-to-watch for seasonal nail and color trends. Here, she shares her start in the beauty biz and the trends she’s seeing for fall. 

I was a troubled kid. I was smart, but I had a chip on my shoulder, and struggled with authority. When I ran away to London in 1994, my parents had enough and cut me off. Talk about tough love.

After a few months, it turned out that my 19-year-old British boyfriend was not going to be a rich and famous rock star. (I know, shocker.) I needed a job, and fast. I had an art degree from a great college…but no one wanted to hire a bratty American kid in Doc Martens. I was alone and scared, and that “shoulder chip” disappeared as I watched my last few pennies drain away.

I have to admit, I’d always really enjoyed painting nails, and it seemed like a fun and easy way to make money, so I went to night school and got certified. Finally, my art education really came into play. I had a natural affinity for color, and could hand-mix nail lacquer shades just by looking at a piece of fabric, a shoe, anything really. People in the fashion and beauty industry loved my “bespoke” nail lacquers, and I started to get calls from top fashion designers asking me to design nail looks for their runway shows and ad campaigns. Editors invited me to weigh in on what I saw happening in beauty and color, and I became a regular expert on the magazine circuit. I used those years to focus on truly understanding the intersection of fashion and beauty, and how color could be used to marry the two. It’s knowledge I used to create the Butter London product range, and now as Founding Creative Director of my next company, Nonie Creme – Colour Prevails, I get the opportunity to use my trend forecasting skills to create new products and colors each season.

So, let’s dive into that!

Fall 2014 is all about the new nude. But before you panic this doesn’t mean you will be wandering around wearing nothing but moisturizer and Chapstick. It’s more about blending and fading certain features, while subtly enhancing others. Features are stained and blurred around the edges, softened and enlarged.

Skin is about invisibility this season. You want it to just…disappear. Using a concealer that truly matches your skin tone, dot and blend in any blemishes, unevenness, dark spots, etc. Then cover everything in sheer matte foundation. Skin should not be a “thing.” There was almost no blush on the runways, but if you feel totally terrified by the concept, run a light bronzer over your whole face with a big, soft brush. No contouring, cheaters!

Next, you’ll want to choose a feature to play with. Eyes? Lips? Brows? Pick just ONE, and go subtle on everything else. For example, if you’re going for a lip, you might want to use a soft pink pearl on your eye lids, a tiny touch of mascara, and a little black eye liner only on your inner waterline, then go for a big, stained berry or wine lip that comes right out to the edge of the lips. Apply lip stain more heavily right in the center of your lips, creating a lust-worthy pout.

Brows are huge in every sense of the word. Let’s blame Cara Delevingne. Personally, I am cursed with patchy brows from my over-plucking punk days, but a little brown pencil, and I’m back in the brow game. Pencil in your brows one shade lighter than you think - strong brows mean Brooke Shields, not Frida Kahlo….Use a clear brow gel to rough up brows and make them “messy.”

Eyes this season are easier than ever to do well. Soft metallics are the order of the day, and although we are talking fall, there is a strong trend for pastels. Try a wash of metallic shadow or powder over your entire eyelid, and around your under-eye as well, then go back in with a good, smudgy black liner and heavily line your upper and inner waterlines. Next, gently rub your eyes, (like you’re tired), and behold your new “I woke up like this” sexy eye. Add a heavy dose of black mascara on upper lashes only.

Whatever you wear this fall, make it feel like you. Add your twist or favorite technique to the mix. Make up should enhance your beauty, not hide your lovely face!

XOXO Nonie Creme

L'Oréal to Acquire Urban Decay

A product from Urban Decay's Build Your Own Palette.

Photo By Courtesy of Urban Decay

L’Oréal Paris said Monday it has signed an agreement with private equity firm Castanea Partners to acquire Urban Decay. 

Based in Newport Beach, Calif., Urban Decay executives will report to Carol Hamilton, president of L’Oréal Luxe USA in New York. Hamilton praised Urban Decay as “experts in being able to appeal to younger consumers with the right presentation and the right products.”

She also cited the makeup-driven company’s expertise in navigating what she described as “the newest form of luxury distribution” — specialty chains like Sephora and Ulta. 

Wende Zomnir, the makeup expert who created the brand in 1996, said the core consumer is aged 28 to 29 years old, but the audience ranges up to age 40, running the gamut from “edgy girls to people who have kids and jobs and are looking for formulas.”

Zomnir will continue as general manager of worldwide strategic brand development and creative director. Her current title is chief creative officer. 

Nicolas Hieronimus, president of L’Oréal Luxe in Paris, said, “Urban Decay will beautifully complement L’Oréal Luxe’s portfolio of iconic brands. It is the makeup specialist we needed to fully satisfy young women in search of playful colors and inspiration in selective distribution, at an accessible price point. It is totally additional to our existing propositions and as such it will contribute significantly to the growth of the division in the years to come,” he added.

Urban Decay recorded net sales of $130 million in the fiscal year ended in June. L’Oréal did not disclose the sales price. However, industry sources estimate that the price climbed as high as $350 million. 

The brand is known for its vibrant shadows and pencils in the brand-leading eye category and has been branching out into complexion and primer products. This fall, the company transformed its Naked color cosmetics franchise into a new line, called Naked Skin, focusing on complexion and providing an entrée into foundation. Chief executive officer Tim Warner said the sell-through was above expectation. Instead of achieving a penetration of 8 to 9 percent, Naked Skin surged to a penetration of 15 to 16 percent. L’Oréal noted that specialist brands account for 44 percent of the luxury makeup market in the United States. In addition to chains like Ulta and Sephora, Urban Decay also distributes through Web sites like urbandecay.com and sephora.com.

“L’Oréal’s strong innovation capabilities and presence in every channel of distribution will enable Urban Decay to reach its full potential in the marketplace,” stated Warner. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval, which is expected by the end of the year.

By PETE BORN and JOELLE DIDERICH for WWD

BareMinerals to Launch Solid Foundation

BareMinerals Ready SPF 20 Foundation line and the Precision Face Brush.

Photo By Kyle Ericksen

Armed with a new tag line, “We Don’t Like Using the F-Word,” Bare Escentuals is looking to get consumers on solid ground with the introduction of its first pressed foundation. 

Launching in September, BareMinerals Ready SPF 20 Foundation is a solid sea mineral-enriched formula designed to provide natural coverage and antiaging benefits. 

“Leslie [Blodgett, Bare Escentuals founder and executive chairman] has always been frustrated by using the word ‘foundation,’” said Elizabeth Lamont, vice president of marketing. “It can be cakey and clog pores. This doesn’t look or act like foundation. It’s makeup that acts like skin care.”

At play in the formula is a cold-pressed oil technology, which binds the powder without the aid of talc or fillers. The brand’s proprietary SeaNutrive Mineral Complex, a concentrated blend of algae and seaweed, as well as vitamins A, C and E, are included to enhance cell turnover and provide a healthy looking complexion. “Solid mineral [powders] are different than what [our consumer] is seeing in the marketplace,” said Lamont. “It looks like a powder but feels like a cream.”

In addition, a time-released moisturizing technology delivers mineral-encapsulated glycerin and humic acid throughout the day to hydrate skin. The product is “clinically proven to firm skin,” noted Lamont. 

BareMinerals’ full breadth of 20 classic loose shades — from fair to warm deep — in original and matte variations, will be offered in the new Ready format, which has a “natural” finish. (Original imparts a “naturally luminous” effect, while Matte’s is “naturally matte.”)

“We listen to our customer first and foremost and she is very vocal,” said Lamont. “She asked for products that are convenient. She wants her product wherever she goes and solid form is preferred for portability.” 

Although the company declined to share sales figures, industry sources believe the collection could generate $50 to $100 million at retail in its first year.

Coinciding with the launch will be the introduction of the Precision Face Brush, which will be offered in classic and retractable iterations ($28 and $22, respectively). 

“The formula gives as much coverage as you like depending on which brush as you use,” said Lamont. 

With a history of loose powder formulas, BareMinerals entered pressed-powder territory with the launch of Ready Eyeshadow in September 2011. The company followed up with solid-form bronzers and blushes in March. 

In order to market Ready Foundation, BareMinerals will launch a new ad campaign featuring its most recent catchphrase in October and November magazines. The brand has also partnered with Ulta to promote Ready, which will be featured in the retailer’s monthly “prestige magazine,” marking the first color cosmetics sample offered in its pages. Ready will also be highlighted in a Macy’s direct mailer (with a sample) as well as during Sephora’s October Hot Now promotion. “We plan to distribute four million samples throughout September to November,” said Lamont. 

Also in October, Bare Escentuals boutiques will provide 50,000 customers “foundation fittings,” where they can be shade-matched and given a makeup application. 

The product’s official debut will be on QVC on Aug. 15, with a follow-up show on Aug. 25, featuring Blodgett and a QVC-exclusive silver compact with matching brush.

“There is a certain energy and buzz that travels through the airwaves when Leslie comes on to explain her products,” said Lamont. 

Come Sept. 1, Ready SPF 20 Foundation, $29, will be available at retailers like Sephora, Ulta, Macy’s, Dillard’s and Nordstrom, Bare Escentuals boutiques and bareminerals.com.

“This is our biggest launch ever and our partners are as [pleased] as we are,” said Lamont.





By BELISA SILVA WWD Copyright © 2012 Fairchild Fashion Media. All rights reserved.

Giorgio Armani Cosmetics to Launch Maestro Fusion Makeup SPF15

Armani’s Maestro.

Photo By Thomas Iannaccone

After eight years of research, Giorgio Armani Cosmetics is gearing up to release Maestro Fusion Makeup SPF15, a new formula the brand calls a “complexion perfector.”

The collection will be introduced globally in September; in the U.S., it will be on counter Sept. 15. 

“This product represents a new category for Giorgio Armani Cosmetics,” said Véronique Gautier, international general manager of Giorgio Armani Parfums. “It is a complexion perfector — pigments suspended in a water-free, powder-free new formulation unlike any other product. It is not a foundation; rather a fusion of oils and pigments. Maestro will offer an unprecedented weightless texture which is the perfect addition to the wardrobe of complexion products currently offered in the Armani beauty line.”

Added Linda Cantello, international makeup artist for Giorgio Armani Beauty: “The patented Fusion technology powers the high-slip fluid with smart pigment technology, which is dispensed via a dropper. It is an ultra-fine oil-pigment suspension designed to perfect the skin.”

The product’s base is both water and powder-free, and has five time-released oils which evaporate gradually while leaving color on the skin. The formula is also noncomedogenic. 

Cantello added that because oils are necessary for pigments to spread on the skin’s surface, the brand evaluated close to 100 oils based on volatility, nutrition and blending. From that group, five volatile, semi-volatile and non-volatile oils were selected. Each evaporates at different rates, maximizing color and moisture throughout the day. The volatile dry oil helps the color to glide on the skin and create an even distribution of pigment on the skin. A non-volatile complex, which includes lotus oil, has anti-free radical properties and hydrating agents and remains on the skin’s surface, she noted. 

While traditional foundations are comprised of 20 percent water in 80 percent oil, Maestro’s formula includes 60 percent dry oils and 11 percent pigments, with technology designed to adapt to the user’s natural skin tone, said Gautier.

In the U.S., 12 shades will be sold; globally, nine shades will be sold. In the U.S., each 1-oz. Maestro will retail for $62. 

U.S. distribution will include about 130 specialty stores, including Saks Fifth Avenue. While executives declined to comment on sales projections, industry sources estimated that Maestro would do upwards of $10 million at retail in the U.S. in its first year on counter. In the U.S., it will be promoted through heavy in-store sampling, dramming and direct mail. 

A complementary product, Maestro Eraser, will also be offered. Described as a hybrid of concealer, skin care and illuminator, it is designed specifically for the eye area, said Cantello. It is powered by haloxyl, which is said to eliminate bilirubin and iron — often causes of under-eye circles — as well as reinforce skin elasticity and firmness. In addition to its intended purpose, Cantello noted that she also likes to use Eraser on the tops of cheekbones, the bridge of the nose and above the upper lip to give the face a glow and contouring effect. It will be sold in six shades, each retailing for $40 for 0.5 oz.




From WWD Copyright © 2012 Fairchild Fashion Media. All rights reserved.

Be Well-Rested and Skinny, Ooh~La~La

Did you know that when people are sleep-deprived, they eat almost 300 calories a day more than when they are well-rested? Yep, it's been proven. 

And to top off that proverbial sundae, ice cream happens to be one of our favorite foods to eat when we're tired! According to a Columbia University study, too little sleep can lead to weight gain and obesity.

To determine whether people actually eat more when they’re sleep-deprived, they recruited 26 normal-weight men and women who routinely slept between seven and nine hours a night and brought them into an inpatient hospital-like setting for six days on two different occasions. Half slept four hours a night for six nights. The other half slept for nine hours a night for six nights.

For the first days, they got a portion-controlled diet. The last two days, they could eat what they wanted. The entire procedure was repeated a second time, with people getting a different amount of sleep.

The key findings:

• People consumed an average of 296 MORE CALORIES when they were sleep-deprived compared with when they were well-rested.
• When women were sleep-deprived, they ate an average of 329 MORE CALORIES a day; men ate 263 MORE CALORIES.
• Most of the extra calories came from high-fat foods like ice cream and fast food.
• Sleep-deprived women ate an average of about 31 more fat grams a day. Men’s fat intake didn’t climb that much.

“Ice cream stood out as the preferred food during the sleep-deprived state,” says lead author Marie-Pierre St-Onge, an assistant professor of clinical nutrition medicine at Columbia. “Sleep deprivation makes you more susceptible to overeating, so that can be something to consider when you’re trying to lose weight.”

University of Chicago sleep researcher Eve Van Cauter says an additional 300 calories day “is a substantial increase in energy intake that, if maintained chronically, would lead to rapid and robust weight gain.”

The reduction in sleep in this study “is pretty drastic but nonetheless occurs in real life under a number of situations, including among medical interns and residents who are known to pack on the pounds,” Van Cauter says.

Dr. Gina Lundberg, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association and a preventive cardiologist in private practice in Atlanta, thinks sleep-deprived people not only eat more, but also, “When you’re tired, you’re less motivated to exercise. You just want to go home and go to bed.”

SOURCE: Gannett News Service

Our Emotional Bond(age) to Beauty

The Beauty Co.'s (TBC) new survey of U.S. beauty consumers found women form deeply emotional bonds to their beauty products that inform all purchasing decisions.

“All brands think they know beauty consumers, but we thought it would be fun to take a deeper dive into what women really think about beauty, their beauty habits, their beauty addictions and their beauty passions," said Alisa Marie Beyer, founding partner and CEO.

The research, conducted in-house by TBC highlights more than 25 data points about American women and their beauty routines, brand preferences and purchasing behavior. “We found women would rather be well-liked than admired (61 percent), hear from a knowledgeable sales consultant over a lively one (78 percent), and are heeding the warnings of sun damage: 69 percent use a daily moisturizer with an SPF," Beyer said. "It’s exciting to hear first-hand what messages are working with consumers and how they are impacting her behavior in-market."

Further interesting facts about American women and their beauty routines revealed in the study include:

• Moisturizer is on the way up: 19 percent are using moisturizer more often than they were a year ago, but eye shadow is on the way down: 8 percent are using it less than they were a year ago
• 67 percent of American women consider their shopping style deliberate, and 56 percent are more comfortable relying on logic rather than intuition
• Seniority still counts: 72 percent of women would rather invest in an established brand over a cutting-edge brand
• Nearly equal amounts of women would like to have personal wealth (53 percent) versus personal beauty (47 percent)
• A majority of women would prefer purity of ingredients (65 percent) more than potency of ingredients (35 percent)
• 57 percent of women think the latest scientific advancements in beauty are amazing, but 34 percent think they are nothing new.
• More than a third of beauty consumers consider perfume a staple and won’t leave home without it
• Nearly equal percentages of women want to stand out (51 percent) versus blending in (49 percent)

“One of the most important facts to emerge from the research is beauty consumers find immense fun and happiness in their beauty products and routines," Beyer said."They are thoughtful in their choices, they are seeking knowledge and education from the industry and they overwhelmingly feel their investment in beauty is worthwhile and well spent."

“It’s always very exciting for us to hear from consumers, which is why we love to conduct this kind of research," observed vice president Kate Helfrich, “More than just typical demographics or statistics, we get down to consumer’s deepest thoughts and feelings on beauty at an emotional level, as well as a statistical level. By mining for this kind of information, we are able to capture immediately relevant consumer information that informs all aspects of brand development, distribution and marketing. Plus, it’s just fun! How else would we find out that when given the choice, 54 percent of women would rather have chocolate than beauty products, and the color most beauty consumers relate to is blue (23 percent)?"

Source: Inside Cosmeceuticals

What's Beautiful Now

Allure Magazine polled 2,000 men and women from across the country to find out what's beautiful now. The findings will surprise you...

WOMEN ARE CONFLICTED ABOUT CURVES

Seventy-three percent of women say that a curvier body type is more appealing now than it has been in the past ten years. Still, when asked if they wanted to change their hips, 85 percent of women wanted them to be narrower.

AGING ISN'T ACCEPTABLE

Ninety-three percent of women say the pressure to look young today is greater than it's ever been.

AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN HAVE KILLER CONFIDENCE

When asked about their personal attractiveness, African-American women were three times as likely as Caucasian women to rate themselves at the hot end of the spectrum.

MEN DIG 28-YEAR-OLDS

Men said that women are their most beautiful at age 28. In a similar study conducted by Allure in 1991, men voted 31 to be the hottest age.

THE MOST STRESSED-ABOUT BODY PART: ONE GUESS

Thirty-five percent of men and women said that, if there is one part of their bodies they'd like to change the most, it's their stomachs.

EVEN GUYS WORRY ABOUT WEIGHT

Eighty-six percent of men said that they wanted to weigh less—as did 97 percent of women.

MEN LIKE BIGGER BUTTS...ON THEMSELVES?

Twenty-two percent of men (compared to 11 percent of women) said that if they could change their butts, they would want it to be larger.

COUGARS ARE HOT!

Only 3 percent of women defined themselves as cougars. But maybe more of them should: Turns out, 26 percent of men say that cougars are hot.

HAIR COLORS HAVE SURPRISING STEREOTYPES

When asked to pick out adjectives that best describe blonde and brown hair, both men and women said that brunettes and blondes are considered to be beautiful, sexy and classy. However, brunettes were also found to be intelligent and trustworthy. And while blondes are seen as confident, they were also voted most bitchy.

MEN LOVE BOOBS AND BUTTS? SHOCKING!

When it comes to sexual attraction, women list their top five favorite male attributes as a guy's face, body type, smile, eyes, and height. And men's answers, in order? Face, body type, breasts, smile, and butt.

EVERYONE LOVES ANGELINA

Men want to be with her, and apparently women love her, too. Twelve percent of women and 9 percent of men agreed that Angelina Jolie is the celebrity that most represents the physical ideal.