(photo credit: Paula of Older Girl Beauty)
During The Makeup Show on Sunday, Amber of Beauty Blogging Junkie and I had the opportunity to chat with the Stila's latest girl, new owner Lynn Tilton.
Upon first meeting Lynn, you realize she is one tough chick. From her tanned skin to her shiny blonde hair to her love of boots, she seems to be every bit the opposite of what you would think a savvy businesswoman would look like. But within seconds of speaking to her, you realize she has her sh*t together, and she knows what she's doing. She may not be able to write the encyclopedia on Stila's vast product history, and she's okay with that. She is open to becoming every bit the Stila girl, while focusing on the company's distribution and customer retention. She was so eager to purchase Stila that from the time she heard the brand was for sale to the time the deal closed took all of 10 days.
Sephora may currently be Stila's biggest door, but Lynn is making strategic moves to entice the Stila girl to StilaCosmetics.com. The ink is barely dry on the contracts and you can already see evidence of her savvy. Stila has just launched the Stila Love rewards program.
It is similar to Sephora's Beauty Insiders, but with a much better points system. When you spend $100 on StilaCosmetics.com, you receive free shipping for the remainder of the year. At $250, you receive $50 to spend on the site and at $500 spent, you receive $100 to spend on the site. It's a pretty great incentive program for a brand whose customers have such a passion for the product.
Towards the end of our conversation, Lynn asked Amber & I's opinion on something - "What do you think of the brand Jane?". We both became so excited - Amber believes Jane is one of the most underrated drugstore brands, and if you've spent 5 minutes with me, you know how much I love the pan bronzer in #07 Sunkissed (the best bronzer for pale gals!). Lynn has such a passion for saving struggling companies, and Jane is certainly on her radar. (If you love Jane leave a comment below!)
If you think that drugstore news is good - try this - Lynn is toying with the idea of Simply Stila. Simply Stila is conceived as a drugstore brand with similar products for half the price. Would you buy Simply Stila or are you simply a Stila girl?
All in all Lynn Tilton is a delightful woman, who is truly a force to be reckoned with in the business world. From helicopters to Arizona Iced Tea to Stila, she's one smart cookie. I can't wait to see what she has in store.
