As the pandemic continued to impact every decision of 2021, LYS struck a partnership with Beauty Barrage to conquer the world of beauty retail. Launching at retail is no easy feat for any beauty brand, from creating the right retailer relationships to competing with brands that have legacy status.
In conversation, Tisha Thompson, founder and chief executive officer of LYS Beauty, told Fairchild Studio that launching LYS Beauty during a pandemic added layers of complexity to the already challenging journey of entrepreneurship. Supply chain disruptions were creating new hurdles, impacting everything from manufacturing to distribution.
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“Managing inventory early on is difficult when you’re not reliant on your customer’s buying patterns,” said Thompson. “And in-person testing and sampling was put on hold indefinitely during the pandemic, which made fostering consumer trust a task.”
Thompson said she was seeing consistent consumer behavior shifts taking place during the pandemic, but as the world adapted she was glad to see the hunger for the complete beauty experience, which was reflected in sales. “People were now finding solace and joy in beauty rituals. In hindsight, launching during the pandemic was kismet. It allowed us to leverage a reinvigorated consumer base craving connection and expression through beauty. Despite the challenges, I’m grateful to have launched during this time and the resilience that it birthed.”
Having identified the in-store experience as crucial to the success of LYS Beauty, Thompson said that brands should lean on partnerships with the retailer to glean insights and best practices. “They have a vested interest in your brand’s success, so tap into their expertise, embrace collaboration and be open to guidance. Together, you’ll be well-suited to navigate the turbulence within the retail landscape.”
Through Sephora, Thompson told Fairchild Studio, she was introduced to the Beauty Barrage team when transitioning from selling exclusively on sephora.com to physical stores. Known for its expertise in building strategies that lead beauty brands to success in retail, Beauty Barrage’s team brings brands to life in-store through events, merchandising and relationship building.
“It is always humbling when retailers recommend our services to brands,” said Sonia Summers, founder and CEO of Beauty Barrage. “Making a difference in-store for beauty brands is the reason why Beauty Barrage exists and it’s great to know that retailers appreciate and see the impact in-store.”
Without sharing specifics, Thompson told Fairchild Studio that since coming together with Beauty Barrage, LYS Beauty has experienced significant growth. Further, Beauty Barrage’s dedicated LYS Beauty team of ambassadors has built a foundation of understanding with Sephora’s store associates through education at in-store events which has led to ongoing consumer awareness.
Both Thompson and Summers describe the partnership between LYS Beauty and Beauty Barrage as dynamic, explaining that together the goal is to drive brand awareness, loyalty, trust and success. It’s uncommon, said Thompson, for a young beauty brand to invest as LYS Beauty did in its in-store presence, but with a background in the industry, she knew it was key to growth.
To that end, Summers applauded Thompson for her adeptness in navigating the beauty landscape through a launch in the pandemic.
“Thompson understands what pillars are necessary to make a brand successful,” said Summers. “She understands that scaling a brand requires significant investments from new product development, to investing in marketing and of course one of the biggest areas, sales support and education with the importance of the human touch in-store.”
Through their partnership, LYS Beauty leverages Beauty Barrage’s alignment with its own brand values and target audience. The brand also equips Beauty Barrage’s ambassadors with tools and support to authentically represent the brand and engage with their community in-store.
“Our collaboration yields market insights, consumer feedback and competitive information, enabling LYS Beauty to strategically position itself for success,” said Summers. “LYS Beauty is one of our favorite brand partners and mainly it’s because they treat us as a true partner. We ideate on strategies and how we can build an event in-store for a specific launch or how we work through products that may go viral and sell through in-store. These challenges and opportunities arise every day, the great thing is that our team is nimble, and we act fast to accommodate when necessary.”
An example of a Beauty Barrage and LYS Beauty curated experience in Sephora was a store-generated event called the Animation Station, which had consistent activation across all Beauty Barrage-supported Sephora doors. At the event, consumers saw branded mirror clings and received product samples and snacks. Beauty Barrage ambassadors executed a makeup application to introduce product functionality with a focus on blush-contour-bronze complexation. This application highlighted LYS Beauty’s highly anticipated launch of its Cream Glow blush sticks while also incorporating other products in the brand’s line which encouraged shoppers to further explore all of LYS Beauty’s categories.
One of the ways that Thompson “goes above and beyond” in her relationship with Beauty Barrage’s ambassador team is by making sure they feel like part of the LYS Beauty community. Ambassadors not only receive consistent training but are given product and merchandise gratis so that they can ensure they can speak to them from experience.
“At LYS Beauty, community is the name of our game,” said Thompson. “Community with our customers, community with our retail partners, community with industry leaders and the community at our headquarters. We work hard to foster a sense of belonging by building a community of passionate individuals who feel personally connected to our mission of diversifying clean beauty.”
For the Beauty Barrage ambassadors, this means experiencing thoughtful product education where ambassadors understand the “why” behind each of the brand’s products, enabling them to connect deeply with the LYS Beauty customers’ needs far beyond key ingredients and product descriptions, including why there is a demand for the product, why a customer is struggling with a particular
skin care concern, why LYS Beauty’s pricing commitment is important to uphold, why talc can be bad for skin and why undertone diversity is important.
“Our intentions can be felt, our team can remain aligned, and our products sell when we focus on the why,” Thompson explained. “The world moves fast, trends come and go, and consumer behaviors shift. However, people show up time and time again for the products in their routine that are proven to work. So, I dedicate most of my time to the product development stage. I also think the customer greatly appreciates how their feedback is welcomed here.”
Thompson told Fairchild Studio LYS Beauty will continue to expand its in-store presence with ongoing goals with Beauty Barrage including earning presence in more stores. LYS Beauty, she said, will always be accessible to all.
Top Four Lessons From A Beauty Barrage Ambassador About LYS Beauty
Beauty Barrage ambassadors receive consistent educational training on new and exciting products from LYS Beauty, here’s what they make sure every Sephora shoppers knows about the brand.
Clean Beauty Can Be Effective
Knowledge regarding clean beauty still has areas for improvement, but curiosity is rising. LYS Beauty creates formulas that prioritize clean ingredients, cater to all skin tones, and perform like top-rated products – clean beauty and effective formulas can coexist!
Value
Every LYS product offers skin-enriching formulas at an unbeatable price (under $30). LYS Beauty believes that everyone deserves access to clean beauty therefore, accessibility is
nonnegotiable.
Customizable Formulas
LYS Beauty offers flexible, easy-to-use makeup formulas designed to create a unique look. All complexion products are buildable in nature, allowing you to achieve your desired coverage. Shades are made to accommodate a wide range of skin tones with proper layering and blending.
Love Your Self
L-Y-S stands for love-your-self and the brand expresses the importance of honoring your mind, body and soul by giving it the best-in-class ingredients and experiences to make life more satisfactory. LYS Beauty is about improving the relationship you have with yourself (first!), so you can show up as the best version everywhere else.