Perhaps it's me paying penance for my SPF-shirking youth or the fact that my crows feet are coming in hot and no price seems too great to restore my formative glow, but I've become a card-carrying member of beauty addicts anonymous.
Thankfully, Marcia Kilgore, founder of Bliss spas and the retro-kitsch Soap & Glory bath and beauty line, has come to my rescue. If not curing my "habit," she's making it considerably less expensive with her latest venture: Beauty Pie.
I've had my eye on this ambitious brand since it launched in late 2016. Borrowing from the best of the Everlane, Netflix, and Warby Parker business models, this direct-to-consumer beauty company is combining pricing transparency with a subscription model to change the game for beauty buyers in the UK and US, and soon other markets.
It works by offering high-end beauty products, developed at the leading labs and factories in the world, at cost to its members. So a lipstick that would normally retail for $25 is just $2.38 plus the price of a $10 membership. Membership grants you access to up to $100 of regular retail priced merchandise each month, so four of those lipsticks for example.
Mission Statement
What I love about this brand is that they understand that if you're going to disrupt an industry, you've got to come out of the gate with a crystal clear message. Words that help consumers instantly get what you do. What do you think of these taglines and headers?
Beauty Pie Messaging
"Makeup Without The Markup"
"Like A Buyer's Club For Beauty Addicts"
"Like A Backstage Pass Into The World's Leading Cosmetics Labs"
"Luxury Lipstick For Less Than A Latte"
I think they've nailed their message and made a potentially confusing business model super relatable to their core audience.
To boot, they've used their copy to cleverly distinguish themselves from the beauty samples subscription box companies they could easily get confused for.
A+ for positioning.
Do you need a clear message so others can finally get your break-through idea?
The Articulation Intensive might be for you. Let's chat through the details of my brand messaging engagement for business visionaries.