It was surprising to say the least, when I was expecting contribute to the blog only to find I was being recognized for my efforts toward my own blog. Completely outright made my day, I was all smiles. Doing what you love is a great thing.

Meeting at Temptu Offices

Because Temptu is such an entrepreneurial company, it was interesting to hear about their visions to develop innovative products that have never before graced store shelves. Samantha talked to us about the successes and difficulties of their products and the ongoing research/development. Creative ideas are extremely encouraged throughout the company especially during the product development process. Samantha also left us a piece of advice to open up about our ideas and not be blocked in by the boundaries we’ve created for ourselves.   

Meeting at Avon offices

 Our next stop of the day was at Avon offices, and we met with Eileen, the VP of Global Product Innovation and several others from her team. They spoke to us on upcoming trends, how they transfer globally, and how they create products for a global market. People spoke from different departments and categories about how they developed their products. They also spoke to us about the product development process from concept to consumer and it was very similar to what we learned in class.   

I was surprised to find that they make a lot of different products and release them frequently. It’s amazing that a team can work and produce products so quickly, but it makes sense given the size of their team. The office was HUGE!   

Meeting at Space NK for Lime Crime

Me with Doe Deere, CEO and President of Lime Crime

 Our third appoint of the day was at Space NK and we met with Doe, CEO and President of Lime Crime. It was my first time visiting a Space NK, and we had some free time before Doe arrived so I had the joy of playing around with all the luxury brands. I wish we had one near San Francisco, but it’s probably a good thing that I’m keeping my money in my pocket.   

We met up with Doe shortly after, and she casually talked to us about how she got started with the brand and shared her vision. Her ambition and passionate outlook on life is enlightening and her brand is a direct product of her success. The bright, bold, and colorful makeup line has quickly attracted a loyal following of creative girls all over the internet. Did I mention she’s not even 30 yet?!   

A visit at the Dermalogica Academy

 Our last appoint of the day was at the Dermalogica Academy and we met with Steven as he gave us a tour of the academy. The academy was clean and modern throughout the entire office. We got to see where the students practice their treatments and the classrooms they learn in. Steven spoke to us about how the Academy works and how professionals work towards their credentials. This academy is the undergraduate program researched and developed by The International Dermal Institute, so it was nice to see what the students learn on a day-to-day basis.   

I had so much fun on this trip, it was such a learning experience and I’ve taken away such valuable insight. I am proud that I am following my passion and thankful I got to meet so many amazing successful people in the beauty industry. And the beautiful city of New York stole my heart, just as I thought it would. I wish I could do it all over again!

Givaudan Offices

Fantastic Fantasy - a trend board

Our meeting in the conference room at Givaudan

On the second day FIDM’s New York Beauty Study Tour, our first stop was at Givaudan, the world’s largest company in the flavor and fragrance industry. We met with Kate and Melissa who both work in the marketing department. They discussed their focuses in fine perfume, personal care, and finding new scent molecules. Innovation and trends are very important to the business; they are always looking for the next best thing whether it is a new smell, or a new trend. The company puts a lot of time and focus on researching and discovering new scents never been used in perfumery. They have a team that goes on ScentTrek’s, which allow Fragrance Research scientists to travel on expeditions to try to capture rare scents from plants and flowers. Givaudan also spends time doing consumer research. I’ve always found a great deal of interest in consumer research so I really enjoyed the presentation.

Givaudan has created some of the most recognized classics to the hottest new fragrances on the market. Some of their work includes classics such as L’Air du Temps by Nina Ricci, Opium by Yves Saint Laurent, Obsession by Calvin Klein, and best sellers like J’Dore by Christian Dior, Armani Code by Georgio Armani, and 2010 FiFi award winner Lola by Marc Jacobs.

FIDM's Beauty Majors at Marina Maher Communications Offices

Our next stop of the day was at Marina Maher Communications, a PR agency that works with various beauty brands. We met with Kate, Jessie, and Marissa who told us a bit about the kind of work they do. MMC has hosted many special events and promotions for brands like CoverGirl, Aussie, and Herbal Essences just to name a few. How’d you like to say you host events as your day job?

They shared with us some of their most recent and successful collaborations. MMC just worked with Pat McGrath and CoverGirl for LeSportsac. They also worked with  CoverGirl’s Lash Blast Length and Nylon Magazine a few months back for a design contest (Congrats to winner Lauren Okura for her cutesy tube design!). Last year, MMC worked with Bebe and did a special promotion for CoverGirl’s Outlast Lipstain and gave them out free as a gift with purchase.

Visiting both companies was a both a fun and a learning experience. There’s so much more to the beauty industry than just what you see on the store shelves. On a side note, it’s really interesting to see how different offices run from one company to another. It’s like stepping into a different world every time, no two are exactly alike.

DAY 1: Bumble & Bumble, L’Oreal, and Arcade Marketing

Bumble and Bumble offices

The first stop on the FIDM’s New York Beauty Study Tour, was at Bumble & Bumble offices. We got to meet with Suzanne Machesky, a fellow FIDM aluma. She was on this very same tour and got hired at Bumble & Bumble because of it! She gave us plenty of tips on being successful in the industry and shared with us what she does on a day-to-day basis. And yes, it’s fun.

A person from each department came down to speak with us about how their department collaborated on a product line they recently launched called BB Wear and Care (Fabulous line btw, love their Quenching Masque). I was quick to notice that how  each department worked together in the same exact fashion that I learned at FIDM. To be more specific, group work, group work, group work. It made me so happy to see that what we were learning in the classroom translates smoothly into the work environment.

A visit to the L'Oreal office - my notes and gifts

Our next appointment was with L’Oreal, we met with two women from the Designer Fragrance Division. They spoke to us about two new projects they were working on. One was on their upcoming release of Aqua Di Gioa Georgio Armani, a new women’s fragrance to complement best-selling counterpart Aqua Di Gio. It smells very clean and fresh, look out for it this summer. The next project they are working on in is the release of a new fragrance collection for Ralph Lauren. They explained to us what it’s like to work with a living designer for the creative design process. Ralph Lauren is very much involved. It was nice to see how a large company works when creating a new product. It is a bit different compared to smaller companies because there are more people involved.

The view from Arcade Marketing's office

Our last stop for the day was at Arcade Marketing, they call themselves specialty printing marketers. We met with Laura who told us about what she does for the company. They were one of the first in the industry to create scent sampling for fragrances. When you open your magazine to get a whiff of the latest Juicy Couture or Dior fragrance, you can thank them. Arcade talked to us about how they work on marketing campaigns that samples for their clients in fragrances, color cosmetics, and skin care. It’s important to note that they mentioned a revolutionary idea or concept is all about timing. Something that isn’t hot right now could be or will be in 5 years.

(P.S.) We totally saw Jay-Z and Eminem performing on the rooftop of David Letterman which was right across the street from Arcade Marketing. I got a picture from the office!

The Late Show with David Letterman in New York

Jay-Z and Eminem perform on the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater, home of The Late Show with David Letterman

Just after the first day of the FIDM’s New York Beauty Study Tour  I was having so much fun and felt inspired, there’s so much to learn and so much to see I wish we had more time!