Lindsay Ellingson and her business partner Divya Gugnani are ready to unveil her cosmetics project Wander Beauty, a line inspired by Ellingson’s travels. The model is gearing up to debut the line’s first product, the On-the-Glow Blush & Highlighter Duo Stick on QVC next month, but before that and the launch of the brand’s city-themed capsule collection in September, Ellingson’s been dropping teasers, sharing makeup tips and tricks on the brand’s Instagram page (as well as her personal accounts) and getting feedback from fans in order to perfect their product selection.
One of the features of Wander Beauty is its commitment to appealing to a multi-ethnic consumer. Multi-ethnic beauty is the fastest-growing sector in the U.S. beauty market, growing 3.7 percent in 2014. Obviously, it is a smart business move on Ellingson’s part to take advantage of the burgeoning market. One way Wander Beauty attempts to attract this demographic is to use models of different ethnicities to showcase the same product. That way, customers of all skin tones will be able to get an idea of how the makeup might look on their faces– that is, if they aren’t much darker than say, a Kerry Washington. From what we observed, there seems to be a gaping hole in the spectrum for darker women who might have the complexion of Gabrielle Union or Lupita Nyong’o. But we suppose that is something that can be corrected before the official launch.
In the meantime, Ellingson & co. have been engaging with potential customers and fans on social media as they put the line together, providing a glimpse of what to expect from Wander Beauty. This sort of pre-launch brand engagement is smart, as it helps the company build a base before they actually release any products.
Look out for the launch of Ellingson’s first Wander Beauty product on QVC in Mid-April.
[via WWD]
