• There is brand name, which first draws one in. A good brand name builds pleasurable expectations in the consumer, and everything below builds to create the image. The choice of model/models is important here. Who doesn't remember Christy Turlington for Maybelline or Elizabeth Hurley for Estée Lauder? Chanel is haute, Wet 'n' Wild is supercheap, NARS is edgy, Dr. Hauschka is natural, Cellex-C is scientific, Stila is cute, MAC is fashion-y, and so forth. Every hustle has its angle, to paraphrase Malcolm X.


• Then, there is packaging. Many companies feel entitled to fleece their customers for fancy packaging, but that's an old story, often told. I like lipsticks to have a pleasant heft in the hand, a beautiful compact with a sizeable mirror, my perfume flacons elegant but my cream jars hygienic, my eyeshadows in one compact and readily customizable.


• Third, array, which is color selection or range of offerings. Some companies prefer offer variations on a theme, viz. Chanel perfumes, La Mer, and Stila. Others dazzle the eye with possibilities: Urban Decay, MAC, NARS. Others still bear the mark of a sharp editorial hand: Bobbi Brown, Chantecaille, Clé de Peau, Bésame, NARS (again). Names also play an important role here. I doubt Orgasm would have attained such popularity if not for the name.


• Hype is really important, but popularity mystifies me somewhat, as it is often misleading. Sometimes I wonder why some products merit a cult following at all.


• Next, sheer innovation. Most companies are lucky if they can claim one, such as Vincent Longo's Water Canvas or Stila's champagne, while others have a bit more, like Shu Uemura (cleansing oil, brushes, pewter, Nobara). The two brands that seem consistently innovative are Serge Lutens and Bobbi Brown, and MAC more or less steals from everywhere else. With innovation, there are the inevitable copycats.


• Quality is actually rarer than you might think. Jurlique, Serge Lutens, Clé de Peau, Essie are very consistent about quality. Others are more variable, such as NARS. This has much to do with the texture (the "feel" of the product), the grace required in mixing colors, notes, and ingredients, as well as results.

Labels: beauty notes, givenchy, philosophy