EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Lip-Ink, the California company that pioneered semipermanent lip color with a line of long-lasting lip products, is now aiming to appeal to a younger market in mass stores.
In December, the company will launch GirlMakeup, and its debut product, Lip & Nail Shimmergel, a formula that combines a lip and nail product in one vial, to be used as both a lip gloss and a nail polish.
“It will be its own entity,” said Steve Monas, sales and marketing director of Lip-Ink. “We have taken what we do for Lip-Ink, but have geared it toward a younger customer.”
The original Lip-Ink, which has been on the market for a decade in professional beauty stores around the country, requires demonstration at the point of sale because of its three-pronged process — color application, shine and removal. Because of its formulation, it takes a little practice to apply it. It fades on its own after a couple of days, but can also be removed with a special remover. But the new line allows its target customers — girls age 14 and up — to change their look several times a day if they want.
The texture of the new shimmer gel is thicker than the original version’s, making it much easier to apply. The original Lip-Ink goes on like a liquid paint.
The gel is available in eight shades and will retail for $16.50. It will launch through its Web site, www.girlmakeup.com, but Monas said he is in negotiation with mass retailers, such as Target, to start carrying the product before the end of the year.
“We will also be introducing other products to go along with it to create a full line,” he said, adding that lip liners and bonding gels in girl-friendly colors and formulations will be next. “We anticipate at least another five or six stockkeeping units, depending on how popular it is. But there will definitely be a blowup of this product.”
The new line will also have its own marketing program, which Monas described as “community-driven.” The Web site will have a “forum atmosphere,” he said.
“Girls can ask beauty questions, talk amongst themselves, make everything more interactive,” he said.
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Starting with this small capsule collection, and given he gets mass distribution, Monas anticipates sales of around $200,000 for the next 12 months.
“If the numbers are where we want them to be, we will bring out everything under the new Girl label — eyeliners, deodorant, hair products. It’s their world,” he said.