Wow Victoria! Thank you so much for posting this. It was fun to read! It sounds like it was done in 2000, but none-the-less still very interesting! Thanks for the read! Lisa =)
victoryasue <victoriasueno@...
This interview is interesting, and answers the questions I asked earlier, what
does i.d. stand for!?
Beauty Buzz Meet Bare Escentuals: An Interview with Leslie Blodgett
Reported by: Deanna
Bare Escentuals Mineral Makeup has a large and devoted following, so,
when I got the chance to talk with Ms. Leslie Blodgett, the President of the
company, I jumped at it. Beauty Buzz would like to thank Ms. Blodgett for her
time and Ms. Melissa Garber at QVC for arranging for the interview.
Beauty Buzz: Ms. Blodgett, on behalf of Beauty Buzz may I say, "Welcome"
and thank you for your time. It's very nice of you to join us, today. I know how
busy you must be.
Leslie Blodgett: Thank you for having me. I truly want to be accessible to my
customers, and this is one way that I get the chance to do it.
BB:So, tell us about Bare Escentuals, and especially your i.d. cosmetic line.
What's the inspiration behind your products?
LB: Well, the i.d. by Bare Escentuals line of cosmetics is completely natural
and mineral based. Our bareMinerals foundation has been around since
1976, which is part of the company that I actually inherited when I came on
board in 1994. I came in, changed the name, and updated the foundations
and other colors when I took over the company. The other products I've
developed are really inspired by different experiences in my life. For example,
"Peace & Quiet" is an aromatherapy product that started as an idea for a
Mother's Day gift for my mother. When my brother and sister and I were
younger, my mother was always asking us for "a little peace and quiet!" So, I
gave it to her. (LOL) Now it's one of my best sellers!
BB:That must be very gratifying. I guess a lot of us need "Peace and Quiet."
(LOL) And, the i.d. cosmetics line?
LB: The idea behind the i.d. line is basically about being true to oneself and to
one's own identity. When I was working behind the counters at Macy's and
Bloomingdale's, I was always uncomfortable with how Makeup Artists and
Sales Associates would tell customers exactly what they should buy and how
they should wear it. The i.d. line is designed to empower our customers, let
them make their own choices and wear whatever makes them feel good.
BB:Like the rose geranium scent to your lipsticks?
LB:Exactly. We are so hard on ourselves, especially when it comes to beauty.
The rose geranium in our lipstick is actually an aromatherapy extract that is
not only great for your skin, but helps you to be centered and relaxed, and feel
good about yourself.
BB:What a nice philosophy. I'll never be able to wear my "Hello" lipstick the
same way again.
LB: I want to create products for people, who like myself, care for the
environment and those around them. And, I don't mean just the outer
environment, but their inner environment as well.
BB:Can you explain that to me?
LB: Sure. I want to convey positive images with my products, positive self-
images. For instance, our Cush line includes not only skincare, but products
for the home as well. The concept behind this line is to "feel comfortable in
your own skin" and spread that comfort around throughout your home and
your life. I really do care about creating positive images with my products. If I
didn't care, I wouldn't offer the best. Really, the whole line is just stuff I love
every day. Scenting my surroundings and caring for my family and myself.
BB:So, you're very environmentally conscious?
LB: Oh, absolutely. In fact, in my boutiques, you can bring in an empty bottle,
any brand name, and we will refill them with any of our refillable products, and
only charge the customer by the ounce. We estimate that we have kept at
least 300,000 bottles from ending up in landfills this way. We were one of the
first companies to offer this service.
BB: Wow, I didn't even know that you guys did this! How do you manage
personally day to day? I know that you have to do a great deal of traveling?
LB: Well, first of all, I do have to give a lot of credit to my husband who is very
loving and very supportive. He is a "stay at home" dad, so when I have to
travel, I don't have to worry about my son being put into weird situations. I'm
very lucky to be able to get up and go. Also, my staff is very dedicated, very
creative and very highly motivated. They keep things going while I'm away
and are the mainstay behind my business. I can't stress enough how
important it is to have good people behind you, not just in this business, but
any business.
BB: I've seen you on QVC, so I know that you're a makeup artist.
LB: Yes, I am a makeup artist and I have been for quite some time. However,
my real role in the company is more product development. I assist in formula
development, keeping our colors and products updated and designing new
products. I actually went to school at FIT in New York and specialized in
cosmetic marketing. Being a makeup artist, being very familiar with and
actually using the products really helps me when I'm working on new colors
and formulas.
BB: How do you know what the market wants?
LB: Well, we really rely on our customers. I read the mail and e-mail from our
customers regularly, and I have to say that we get some of our best ideas from
our loyal customers. Bare Escentuals customers are really great people!
BB: How do you test your products?
LB:Our products are people tested. We have a mailing list of customers who
try our products and assist us when we really need to "tweak" something to
make it just right. We have people in 50 states in all age groups that help us
by evaluating our products and giving us honest and straightforward feedback
on them. In fact, let your Buzzers know that a good way to get on this list is to
send me an e-mail at leslie@... tell me that you read the
article at Beauty Buzz and that they'd like to join our product testing list. If they
already use Bare Escentuals, then have them tell me what they think about
the products, give me any suggestions they have for improvement, or even
just tell me what they love about the products. If you can have them send me
their phone number, too. Sometimes I try to call people personally for more
detailed input on great suggestions, or if someone doesn't like something. I
find that the phone can be easier than emailing back and forth.
BB:That's a really big investment. Your testing list must be very important to
you.
LB: It is. We want to make sure that our products work effectively for different
age groups, in different climates, and across the board. As I said, we try to
give our customers the best product we possibly can.
BB:So, why did you start to sell your line on QVC? Your products already
have a huge following, and you have boutiques all over the United States.
LB:It started out with me actually being a QVC customer. In the fall of 1996, I
was having a terrible time with insomnia, and started watching QVC when I
couldn't sleep. Finally it dawned on me after the holiday season that I have a
really great products, and I could use this as a way of letting people know that
my products were available. QVC also has a very high-end format. I filled out