Category: Industry News

The industry is ever changing here are some various topics in the Industry! Good and Bad

Take Action To Clean Up The Beauty Aisle!

~ Joseph Kellner

 

Dear friends

When we buy products that we put on our skin, faces and hair, we rightfully expect that they are free of toxic chemicals that increase our risk of breast cancer or  reproductive health problems. But think again.

A recent report card from our partners at Mind the Store shows that retailers Sally Beauty, Ulta Beauty, and Sephora, are failing to address cancer-causing chemicals in the cosmetic and personal care products they sell. Take action to clean up the beauty aisle!

Companies can and should make safer products, sell safer products, and make ingredient transparency a priority. Following pressure from consumers like you, companies like Target, Walmart, CVS Health, and Costco announced policies to get toxic chemicals off their store shelves last year.

Tell these beauty retailers to get their act together!

As more and more families are devastated by a cancer diagnosis, it’s more important than ever to focus on prevention. That’s why we believe – and think you do too – that chemicals that can cause cancer have no place in the products we use to clean and care for our bodies.

Please take action to tell these retailers to stop selling beauty products made with toxic chemicals. Because body care products shouldn’t cost us our health!

Thank you for your own good work on this issue,

Janet

Janet Nudelman
Director of Program & Policy, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners
Director, Campaign for Safe Cosmetics 415-321-2902 (direct)

P.S. Donate HERE to support our work to hold beauty retailers and other corporations accountable for product safety and transparency.

MAC In ULTA Shameful. ULTA Is A Flea Market.

~ Joseph Kellner

MAC Cosmetics is betting that it has found at least a partial solution to the sales slowdown it is suffering as traffic thins out in America’s malls and department stores.  MAC is owned by Estee Lauder by the way and uses the best pigments that can be found in there products. But I would never think of such a wonderful company selling the products to a lower scale conglomerate. But it happens.

The answer as it has been for so many other brands one of the hottest retailers in the U.S. and one that MAC is planning to enter at last, first via the beauty specialty store’s e-commerce platform Ulta.com in May and then via about 25 stores in June. By the end of the year, MAC is expected to be in more than 100 Ulta stores, according to Karen Buglisi Weiler, MAC global brand president. “By mid-June we should have the first one opened,” she said. While MAC is initially going into only a fraction of Ulta stores, the move represents a dramatic departure for the makeup artist brand, which has confined its U.S. distribution mostly to department stores and its international chain of MAC stores, 200 of which are in North America. For example, the brand is not sold in Sephora in the U.S., according to executives.

While MAC is initially going into only a fraction of Ulta stores, the move represents a dramatic departure for the makeup artist brand, which has confined its U.S. distribution mostly to department stores and its international chain of MAC stores, 200 of which are in North America. For example, the brand is not sold in Sephora in the U.S., according to executives. Buglisi Weiler maintains that MAC is shifting in its philosophy from being “a destination brand” with only “one third of the distribution that most of the makeup brands in specialty have. We realize that with the changing behavior you really have be where they want to shop.”

On average, MAC will occupy 200 square feet per store and the product assortment will be limited to 600 stock keeping units, Buglisi Weiler said. While that number is on a par with Ulta’s big makeup brands — Lancôme, Urban Decay and Clinique — it is a smaller total than the roughly 1,200 sku’s MAC has in departments stores and the 1,500 sku’s in its own brand boutiques. Simon said the Ulta curation represents about 45 percent of MAC’s product universe and the individual items were picked in close collaboration between brand and store, playing to MAC’s heritage and Ulta’s penchant for crisp editing. “We worked very closely with Karen and her team to make sure we had the must-haves, the hero products and the pillar categories,” Simon added. “We are deep into foundation, primer and lipstick.”

sad sad sad

 

Ulta Beauty Starting To Make Headline For The Wrong.

~ Joseph Kellner

Ulta, Ulta, Ulta. Is in existence because the professionals of the Beauty Industry never took a stand. And a lot of the “Riff Raff”, in the Beauty is because of the complacent professionals.  Worry about there craft and not there industry. Not learning the politics and letting the wolves lead them. That is what happens when you are a sheep and not educated in the Art Of Deceptive Practices.  My Grandfather always said, “Be as sweet as a sheep, But as slick as a snake”. And right he was. The only reason ULTA is in existence is because of US.  No one else, just US. They sell our tools, products, they have a salon who will do work for very cheap cheap. They too away our retail edge and basically all you have is a craft left.

I could go on for hours, and hours and hours. Enlightening you of the “Dark Force”, in our industry. But to no avail the only interest is balayage, ombre etc, etc, etc. So here we go with some news.

A woman who claims she used to work for Ulta Beauty is calling out the chain for unsanitary practices. Twitter user @fatinamxo is using the platform to “warn” other beauty lovers about the safety of their makeup. In a series of tweets, the ex-employee alleged that her managers at the retailer would tell her to “clean” and repackage used items to be sold again. “So I was a former employee at ULTA and whenever a customer would return a product, we were told by managers to repackage/reseal the item and put it back on the shelf,” she wrote on Twitter. “They would resell EVERYTHING. (makeup , hair care , skincare, fragrance ,hair tools, etc.),” she said in a follow-up tweet.

She then posted images of new makeup and makeup she claimed was returned used, repackaged and resold. “For example this foundation (even-sticks) they would clean it with a q-tip to make it look new. I’ll attach a photo of a NEW foundation vs. the one they repackaged and put back on the shelf. ( NOT SANITIZED ),” she captioned the photo.

The Twitter user said her managers would “clean [products] with alcohol” as a way to make them look new.  Her allegations have earned thousands of likes on Twitter, as well as several people coming forward with their own similar stories about Ulta Beauty’s unhygienic practices. “Can 100% confirm this is true. Shopping at any ULTA in Frisco, Mckinney, Denton, Sherman, Allen, basically the entire Dallas area and around they train every single employee to do this. All the stores in the area do this,” one wrote. One ex-employee offered a reason for the “disgusting” action, writing “I worked at Ulta too…and they did that too. They wanted their shrinkage to be low so that’s why but it was so disgusting.” Some Ulta Beauty employees have shared different accounts, stating that their stores never cleaned and resold used make-up. The beauty store released a statement to TODAY regarding the allegations, saying that used products are supposed to be thrown out.

They even put back a USED liquid lipstick, the manager said she would “clean it with alcohol” ( that was the last straw for me ) here is a photo of a lip palette ( exclusive online only ) that was returned and mangers put it back on the shelf to resell (CLEARLY NOT SANITIZED).

 

“We do not allow the resale of used or damaged products,” an Ulta Beauty spokesperson told TODAY.

Here comes the “BULLSHIT” everyone.

“Our store associates are trained to catalog and then properly dispose of any used or damaged items. If associates have concerns that this or any Ulta Beauty policy is not being followed, they can anonymously report it through our third-party hotline. Our policies, training and procedures are aimed at ensuring that only the highest-quality products are sold in our stores and online. “We take any concern of this nature very seriously and if we find that there is any deviation from our policies, we will take appropriate actions to ensure we continue providing a consistently high-quality product,” the statement continued. “The health and safety of Ulta Beauty guests is a top priority and we strive to deliver an optimal experience every time they shop with us.” The woman said she took to Twitter not because she dislikes Ulta, but wanted to warn others against buying used makeup. Good Job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE AND WALK YOUR OWN PATH.

~ Joseph Kellner

So many people in my beauty industry have so much to say about being a suite or booth renter. To me it give the individual the chance to see if they can make it on there on. When doing commission based employment there is no funds for down time. Such as a hourly wage, you are told to clean, answer phones, stock shelves etc. And do you get paid? NO! So I feel there should be a wage for all cosmetologists in this arena. But as time goes on the same idea of commission still try’s to linger on in the industry. It is a simple way to get free labor from professionals in the industry. With out worrying about compensation to there employee’s. That is changing in California a law is being passed where a hairdresser or nail tech etc. Will have to get the state minimum wage which will be mandatory. I say AMEN to that.

Professionals coming out of school are no longer naive to the old customs of employment.  And I know a few academy’s out there educate there students on “What to look out for”.  Being your own “BOSS” is good for all. Living someones else’s dream and funding there retirement is now for the birds, the industry professionals have “AWOKEN”. Team work is what they will say but basically ‘YOU’, are just making them more profitable. I say take the risk and go for it. Your hard work will pay the bills and make you successful. When you work on commission you have to go to work and worry about how your bills will be paid. And then come to think of it how can you concentrate on what you are doing.  How do I pay my rent, medical, food, car?  Any thoughts?

Time fly’s by and there is change and if you don’t change you will remain stagnate in your life and profession. So many professionals I have worked with have so many talents that I often wonder why they just do hairdressing?  Time will be the ultimate judge for all of us. And we may ask ourselves why do we work for others, why do we live for others dreams? When we all are born with special gifts. Special talents. And in our own rights they are individual.

I have always been a team player and as time has gone by I have learned to look out for what is ‘Best For Me”. Not in a selfish sense but to have new experiences and not play “Follow The Leader”. I have never been such as one, and the only time I was is when I was in Naval Service. So I say to you why don’t you just take a risk, a risk in pushing yourself into a place where you are uncomfortable to learn anew.  They only way of getting enlightenment is going on a path of your own. No one else’s. So moving forward can be scary but learning and doing what you have never done will create a new vision for you. YOU WILL EDUCATE YOURSELF. A Education money cannot buy or a college class that cannot be offered.  I say to you let the past stay there and forge ahead with your dreams, and don’t let a industry say you cant make it. Go for it.

Think about it! You could write a book, make educational video’s, keep people abreast on what is going on with your business, offer class’s, tutor, you could learn to sell your self and not someone’s else’s idea’s.  Follow your own path is the point I am making. Don’t listen to others in your industry. Fear is the main problem with us, a lot of times when I was making my documentary’s, I would think about scripting and continuity, film locations and a timeline. I was scared and had only so much to spend. But taking little bites here and there and surrounding myself with people who new more than me about the ideas, I wanted to do was a very interesting learning process.  So I say to you it’s all about FEAR. That will stop you. Also a big EGO will stop you. Stay with your idea and you will see growth in what your doing and trying to accomplish. Don’t be scared. The funds will also come in time. And the project will let you know when it is finished. NOT YOU.  GO FOR IT MY FRIENDS.

Best Regards

Joseph Kellner