Recently, I was asking around the beauty industry for products that were specifically developed and marketed for women over 50. Of course, many products will work for women of all ages, but I was trying to get a sense of where the industry stood on marketing to mature women: understanding our concerns and challenges, testing products on women over 50, and using models we could relate to in ads. I heard back from people at a number of companies including Debbie Bondar, founder of FACE Atelier, a color cosmetics brand popular with professional makeup artists and with a philosophy many women can appreciate.
Makeup artists are called upon to bring out the best in people of all ages, whether for a stroll down the catwalk or church aisle, or for the portrait, TV or movie camera. It makes complete sense that a sort of universal, age-neutral range of products would work well in that world, and age neutral is exactly how Debbie refers to her line. “If you have a really good product, it works on all skin,” she says. “You don’t need different ingredients for makeup for older skin.”
Her star product is Ultra Foundation, one she describes as “a sophisticated, silicone-based emulsion that has optical blurring qualities and diminishes the look of fine lines and wrinkles. The silicone molecule, which is sebum and water-resistant, is larger than the human pore, enabling Ultra Foundation to literally float on the skin, as do the pressed powder products that also contain silicone. The result is a natural, dewy, youthful finish that's extremely long lasting.”
Debbie says that Ultra Foundation has become a favorite of professional makeup artists and is worn on-air by Rachel Ray, Katie Couric, Fergie, and others. It is available online and in stores, spas and salons around the world.
Raised in southern Ontario, Debbie attended Syracuse University in New York and law school in Canada. Married to a retailer, she found she enjoyed merchandising and buying, and she learned a lot about consumer buying patterns, notably that these are set, in fact, by the consumer and not by the retailer. “A company can bring out as many purple eye shadows as it likes, but if consumers don’t want them, they won’t sell,” she says. When she reached a point at which she wanted to start her own company, she liked the idea of a cosmetics line for a number of reasons. “My whole mandate was to have a beauty brand good enough for the professional makeup artist.”
Today, FACE Atelier includes face, eye and lip products, as well as high-performance tools for flawless application. She is more interested in innovation than replication, and relies on her makeup artist clients to tell her what is needed. She likes data and uses it to keep her line small yet appealing to the needs of a large percentage of makeup consumers. “I just like bringing out products that work.”
Having trouble finding just the right shade of foundation for your skin? Any Ultra Foundation shade can be mixed with a little “Zero Minus” or “Zero Plus” for a perfect match. Like the idea of a one-step makeup remover, cleanser and skin treatment? Try Melt, from the Effects by FACE Atelier line. The FACE Atelier Web site is filled with tips for getting the most from your makeup and application. What you won’t find there are anti-aging claims. Debbie doesn’t believe in a fountain of youth, and finds it unfair that “we’re not allowed to age.”
What she does believe is that being beautiful is about being the best you can be. She offers this advice for all women: “Look good, feel good, be kind to yourself, and celebrate who you are.”
