PARIS — A one-stop shop for cosmetics manufacturers and suppliers looking for insight, information and intelligence — that is the vocation of Paris-based company Beautystreams.
The firm launched its Web-based consultancy at beautystreams.com in July, has already signed on Avon Products Inc. as a customer and is in talks with many of the world’s biggest manufacturers. “We’d like to have around 80 clients by July next year,” founder Lan Vu commented. Some 60 companies are currently trying out the offer.
“There is nothing on the market that can provide the same service for cosmetics and packaging companies without them having to sift through lots of information,” marketing manager Emilie Kodjo said.
Vu, who has 20 years of experience in fashion forecasting, leads a team of 50 creative professionals around the world, both internal and freelance.
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They put together seasonal forecasts, monthly focuses on macrotrends and weekly interviews with experts from both within and outside the cosmetics industry, to help formulators and marketers think outside the box.
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A trade show section features an agenda and reports on major industry events, highlighting brands and themes that stood out, and what is new. Beautystreams also publishes daily news reports.
The site’s database has around 100,000 images, search-able by keyword. Putting in “blue eye shadow,” for example, brings up 638 different images. Typing in “rough” brought back 54 results, from runway shots and hair styles to natural materials and product visuals.
The Resources section of the site features the online portfolios of artists, designers and photographers, with their contact details, allowing companies to get in touch with creatives, and giving the latter an outlet to build their renown.
Subscribers can pull out any item that interests them, a color or texture, for example, and carry it over to the virtual workspace section, where it can be shared with colleagues.
“This means they can share ideas with teams from around the world,” Vu explained. In the world of the virtual workplace, where many companies have cut their travel budgets in favor of online meetings, the attraction of such a tool is evident. “It makes sense when companies are streamlining their organizations,” she adds.
A subscription to Beautystreams cost $10,000 per year for five log-ins, although the company has an introductory offer of 10 connections for the same price. Beautystreams also offers a bespoke service; “Beauty companies need that exclusivity,” Vu commented.