Company Profile: Smashbox Cosmetics
Smashbox Cosmetics has slowly but steadily really earned a place in my absolute favorite beauty companies list. Their products are always innovative, reasonably priced, and they perform. Well. Very well.
About Smashbox Cosmetics:
Smashbox Cosmetics was born in Los Angeles in 1996 to the great grandsons of Max Factor, Davis and Dean Factor. They were hard at work at the photography studio they had founded 10 years prior (Smashbox Studios) and decided that they should create a makeup line that is fashionable, looks great on camera but is wearable for the every day woman.
Smashbox Cosmetics debuted in a big way – nationally, in 43 Nordstrom and 5 Henri Bendel stores. They struggled early on with the company in almost all areas. Consumers did not respond to the early packaging, beauty editors were relentless, and it wasn’t long before Smashbox was drowning in the highly populated sea of beauty companies. The expense of keeping the stores stocked with current color cosmetics was more than the Factor brothers were prepared for. They ran through their initial investment, including profits from Smashbox Studios, in no time. They received another round of investment in 1998, cut down the number of stores they were selling from, and experimented with lower cost marketing ideas.
Smashbox found QVC about 4 years into the business. Dean Factor called them up and worked out a consignment deal to sell Smashbox on the popular channel. Things have turned around for Smashbox since that day. With the help and high visibility that QVC has given them, Smashbox has turned around into a profitable company, with devout customers from both industry professionals and mass consumers.
The Factors have taken a bit of a different direction than most beauty companies, relying on word of mouth and working with retailers like QVC and Sephora to get the message out about their products, rather than using expensive magazine advertising.
Smashbox takes pride in the fact that they are cruelty free and use no animal testing, and they work hard to meet the needs of consumers just as they work with industry professionals. They are also involved in a variety of charitable causes.
Smashbox remains a privately held California corporation, with reported 2007 profits of $10.5 million.
For more information about Smashbox, and Davis and Dean Factor, check these articles out:
Fun little interview with Dean Factor at Meg’s Makeup.
2000 Article about Dean and Davis and Smashbox in the NY Times
Davis & Dean Factor at Beverly Hills People.
Watch Christina Loves for much more information about Smashbox in the future. My introduction to Smashbox was their constantly award winning Photo Finish Foundation Primer – a product that I hated at first, but grew on me pretty quickly, and is now a beauty essential for me and many, many other women. I have just purchased their Wicked Lovely Fall 08 collection, and it is truly amazing. More info coming up soon!
