Guest Guru with Christina Zilber, Founder and Creative Director of Jouer Cosmetics
Q: Have beauty and makeup always been a big part of your life? How did you first get interested in them?
A: My mother was a model in the '60s, when models had to do their own makeup. When I was about 13, she showed me how to apply my makeup and I felt transformed. Years later, when I became a model myself, sitting in the makeup trailer was always my favorite place to be. But it wasn’t until a makeup artist filled an empty palette with some favorite lipsticks of mine that I became hooked on the idea of makeup on the go. I began looking for palettes that suited my likes and needs, but I was frustrated by the limitations of product and color choice on the market. I set out to create a line of colors sold individually, where the customer could then build her own individualized palette.
Q: What was one specific challenge you faced when first starting out? Did you ever have a moment when you thought this brand wouldn't make it? If you did, what kept you going?
A: Every day I wonder if my brand will make it! I never went to business school and I'm not a makeup artist by trade. Defending my credibility was a challenge early on, then my challenges became about managing inventory and operations as the line grew. Jouer’s compacts, lip glosses, and mascaras all connect together (side-to-side and back-to-back). These slide and peg systems make for challenges with manufacturing costs, materials, and production timelines.
Q: How did you get Jouer to stand out and get noticed?
A: I've been very generous giving my product to professional artists since the beginning. They, in turn, have become my ambassadors. Whether using it on celebrities, in photo shoots, or on film and TV sets, Jouer became an "insider" brand for those in the know. That kind of attention gets me noticed.
Q: What do you think your brand brings to the market that's not currently out there?
A: Sometimes the simplest ideas aren't represented in the market. I found my niche when I kept trying to find a makeup palette with a concealer inside -- simple, but impossible to find. I wanted to carry a palette with what I wanted, no more, no less. The idea of individual customization is at the heart of the line and it doesn't exist anywhere else. I want to relate to what women really want with their makeup.
Q: What's Jouer’s best seller, and why does it stand out from the rest in its category?
A: Jouer's Luminizing Moisture Tint is the brand's best-selling product. It was really one of the first multitasking products on the market, giving women subtly glowing skin with sunscreen and skin care benefits. I look at the marketing claims of BB creams now and have to laugh -- I’ve been making that product for years now!
Q: What can we look forward to from the brand in 2013?
A: I've been focusing on rounding out the colors in each category so all skin tones can find their perfect lipstick, lip sheer, cheek tint, etc. It's all about finding the right color for you and making that your "uniform." This season, I’m launching a range of red lipsticks so every woman can find her perfect red lipstick. I've never been able to wear red lipstick, so this was a personal challenge as well as a professional one.
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