Beauty

[Crisso]

I have the impression that when a makeup/cosmetic company is invited in to QVC based on one or two real "hero products" that end up being winners in terms of sales, QVC then pushes them to come up with more and more items which the company may not be prepared to do in a rush, but does so to keep QVC happy. (Or buys the Kool Aid QVC serves). Not surprisingly these rush-job items are less than satisfactory. In the long run, I think this could only hurt the company. Then the Q gives them less air time and moves on to another it can bully (well, maybe that is stating it too strongly).

I do have in mind IT Cosmetics in particular. I have seen them from the very start, where they had very few products that took many years to perfect. QVC was slow on the ball in inviting them in. Then before you know it there was an explosion of new products. Many of these have not fared well. I don't think, from what I remember Jamie saying when she was on HSN, that a foundation was in the works for a very long time. We all know foundations are the biggest sellers in makeup lines.

Jamie has said it took her 4 years to develop a foundation. I have a feeling that was rushed for her. Look at all the confusion over the colors (where Light is darker than Medium and Tan is a third shade of medium etc). This had to have been a mistake. Then the lipsticks....

I can think of other lines on the Q that started with Hero products and soon produced a volume where it was difficult to distinguish what one did from another. e.g. why 3 types of concealers or 4 types of primers?

Sorry for the diatribe! I am done for now.