NEW YORK — Toronto-based Cover FX Skin Care Inc. is out to provide one thing to consumers: effective, natural-looking foundation with therapeutic benefits. And now, the brand is building a presence in the U.S., rolling out to four New York and New Jersey Nordstrom locations at the end of this month.
Cover FX president and founder Lee Graff said while the brand is available in 300 retail locations in Canada, including Shoppers Drug Mart, and had its U.S. launch with three Chicago-area Nordstrom locations in May, she is planning on increasing the brand’s U.S. retail distribution over the next year. “We’re planning on being in 35 Nordstrom stores before the end of the year, and right now we’re looking at a retailer in Europe,” she said. While Graff would not comment on sales figures, industry sources expect the line to do up to $3 million in its first year at retail in the U.S.
As a corrective makeup specialist in Toronto, Graff faced the challenge of helping patients overcome skin conditions — from discoloration to burns and scars — on a daily basis. So in May of 2003, she created the line of foundations and powders, developed not only to cover imperfections but to offer a wide range of shade options for women of all nationalities and backgrounds: The line offers 40 shades, and recently added four more geared toward the Latino market. “The line offers real colors for real people,” said Graff. “Even for Caucasians, we have over 20 shades and we still have the ability to introduce more colors as we see a need.”
Graff speaks passionately about the reaction her clients have had to the product, often citing personal stories. “For the first time in 15 years, [a patient of mine] went to a party. The impact it has on people goes well beyond makeup,” she said. “It almost gives them a reason to live again.”
She still spends time at CosMedic Clinic at Sunnybrook and Women’s College Health Sciences Center in Toronto, where she first got the idea to develop Cover FX. “The most gratifying part of what I do is when I go into my clinic once a week and see people on a one-to-one basis,” she said.
Related Articles
The Cover FX line has expanded to feature a variety of color cosmetics, including Setting FX Loose Setting Powder, Powder FX Mineral Powder Foundation, Bronzed FX Bronzing Powder, as well as a collection of brushes (which range from $14 to $32). The color cosmetics line ranges from $23 for Lip FX Treatment & Tinted Lustre to $37 for the Total Coverage Cream Foundation. Cover FX’s most recent addition is the Lip FX Treatment & Tinted Lustre, a tinted lip treatment with SPF 15, which comes in six colors — from Pearl Lily to Merlot.