NEW YORK — Jennifer Lopez’s blockbuster beauty lineup is adding a little color to its fall season.
The singer/actress’ beauty licensee, Lancaster, plans to add two “look books” — color palettes with detailed instructions for use — tied to Lopez’s best-selling Glow by JLo and Still Jennifer Lopez scents, in mid-August.
The brand had dabbled in color last year with a back-to-school promotion, which featured a bronzer as well as lip, eye and cheek colors, all tied to the Glow by JLo line, noted Catherine Walsh, senior vice president of cosmetics and American licenses for Lancaster Group US and Coty SA. In the U.S., 50,000 units were produced, which all sold through in less than a month, she said.
“We had such a success with that effort that we decided to raise the bar,” said Walsh, adding that more than 100,000 units will be produced for the U.S. this time around. That boils down to 50,000 units each for Still and Glow by JLo. Eight additional countries will also get varying numbers of the palettes.
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Since the two new sets differ completely in colors offered —?and since the two fragrance brands themselves have different primary age targets — Walsh is expecting similar success this year. “The [primary] Glow by JLo customer is a teenager, while the [primary] Still customer is her older sister or mother,” she said.
“Jennifer’s fans really want to buy into her look, and we were continually told by our retail partners that they were doing so by buying other color brands,” Walsh continued. “It made sense to offer something ourselves that would allow her fans to get the look. She’s best known for her glowing, bronzy skin and lip gloss, so that’s where we focused. This isn’t about the color of the season — it’s about her look.”
The Glow palette, intended to offer a natural look, features beige and brown hues, including eye shadows, bronzer, eye shimmer cream, illuminating cream and lip gloss. The Still palette takes a more glam approach, with shades of midnight blue and lavender eye colors, sparkling pink powder blush and cherry-hued lip gloss. The Glow set, which includes the palette, a 3.4-oz. Glow by JLo eau de toilette spray and a face brush for makeup application, will retail for $59.50. The Still set includes the palette, a 3.4-oz. eau de parfum spray and a compact mirror; it will retail for $69.50. “Each palette is set up almost like a diary from Jennifer,” said Walsh, noting that application tips and comments are printed inside the palettes.
The sets will be available in the fragrance’s full U.S. distribution — about 2,000 department and specialty stores —?on Aug.13. Lancaster will promote them in-store and on Lopez’s Web site, where visitors can register to win one of more than 400,000 lip glosses. In stores, more than 500,000 color cards — with samples of eye shadow, blush and lip gloss — will be disseminated. Industry sources estimate that the kits will do about $6.5 million at retail in the U.S.
But does this mean that Lopez’s brands are headed for a full-scale color cosmetics launch? Walsh wouldn’t say, although she noted that “we’re always trying new things. If this works again [the color promotion], we may explore other options.”
But that doesn’t mean that a third JLo scent is on deck for fall 2004, any rumors to the contrary notwithstanding. “We’re in a place where we have to build the brands and support what we have,” said Walsh. “Our focus for the fall doesn’t include coming out with a third fragrance.” Further beauty projects featuring Lopez, however, are “always under consideration.” In the second half of 2004, fragrance and body gift sets are slated for the holiday season, and will be on counters in October.
Walsh credits the success of the Lopez lines to both the diva and to the coherence of the marketing program. “A lot of the success has to do with Jennifer — she appeals to so many different age groups and ethnicities,” she said. “Her name is a big drive. But also, we made sure that we were launching strategic concepts. Glow by JLo reaches the 15- to 18-year-old. Still is catering to a more mature woman. From a marketing point of view, the whole mix works.”
— Julie Naughton