The Glossy Beauty Podcast

Since its launch in 2012, Violet Grey has made a name for itself among multi-brand beauty retailers, thanks to a carefully curated selection of products that helps consumers cut through the clutter and get straight to the good stuff. As the company continues to grow and develop its offering, it's making a big push toward content and storytelling, to help consumers learn what Violet Grey is and what it stands for, said CEO April Uchitel. In this week's episode of The Glossy Beauty Podcast, beauty editor Priya Rao sits down with Uchitel to discuss how Violet Grey differentiates itself from other retailers, how it's using editorial content to make luxury seem more accessible and how it's strategizing to build brand awareness.

John Demsey has spent over 13 years working at the Estée Lauder Companies, and throughout that time, he has seen the beauty industry go through massive changes. He's come to realize there's one thing about beauty that will never change: It will always be a good business opportunity, because people will always want to look good. For Demsey, the focus of the company has always been luxury products and authentic relationships with consumers. As consumer behavior has shifted in favor of digital, the company has had to find new ways to translate the personal connection and keep customers coming back. On this week's episode of The Glossy Beauty Podcast, beauty editor Priya Rao sits down with group president of the Estée Lauder Companies, John Demsey, to discuss how Estée Lauder strikes the perfect balance of product and brand identity, blurs the lines between cosmetics and skin care, and remains a pure-play in luxury beauty.

When Esi Eggleston Bracey began her career nearly three decades ago at Proctor & Gamble, she wanted to find a way to help brands solve the problems their consumers were experiencing in their everyday lives. When she began working with Covergirl, she realized that not only did she love the industry, but also that it was chock-full of problems for her to solve. Now, in her position as evp and COO of beauty and personal care at Unilever North America, and faced with the rise of independent beauty disruptors, Eggleston Bracey is finding ways to keep the CPG giant modern and competitive. On this week's episode of The Glossy Beauty Podcast, beauty editor Priya Rao sits down with Eggleston Bracey to discuss why she wanted to be at a company that puts beauty at the forefront, how a shift in consumer values has impacted her brands, and how she decides between the incubation, acquisition and pivoting of brands.

In 2013, Patrick Starrr was working as a makeup artist at MAC, but when the company started cutting his time at the counter, he found himself searching for a way to share his looks with the world. That's when he decided to start a YouTube channel. Now, six years and over 4 million subscribers later, Starrr has turned his hobby into a successful career as a beauty influencer and content creator. Part of this growth has come from expanding his content to all major platforms. According to Starrr, he's able to maintain a successful cross-platform strategy by creating excitement for each. Starrr has also earned numerous brand partnerships, his most recent being a five-collection launch with MAC Cosmetics. Recently, he started his own influencer management agency called The Beauty Coop. On this week's episode of The Glossy Beauty Podcast, beauty editor Priya Rao sits down with Starrr to discuss why he looks at brand partnerships like any other relationship, why he thinks a successful influencer is one who's brand agnostic and what the driving force was behind The Beauty Coop.

When Stacy Panagakis took the helm as CEO of LimeCrime just over a year ago, at the same time it was acquired by Tengram Capital, she was thrilled by the untapped potential of the brand. Since stepping into the role, Panagakis has helped the brand expand its product offering into new categories, such as hair, as well as into new markets in the U.S. and beyond. On this week's episode of The Glossy Beauty Podcast, beauty editor Priya Rao sits down with Panagakis to discuss how LimeCrime is partnering with Ulta, how it's utilizing AR to transform education, and why it's putting partnerships and collaborations at the center of its marketing strategy.

On this episode of The Glossy Beauty Podcast, Drunk Elephant Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Tiffany Masterson sits down with beauty editor Priya Rao to discuss building a clean brand before that label existed, the challenges of fostering community on social media and what she would need to sell her company.

When Tom Seery started content and reviews site RealSelf in 2006, he wanted to create an honest and accessible resource for people seeking information on cosmetic aesthetics and plastic surgery by focusing on user generated content. Twelve years, 2 million reviews and a fresh round of funding later, Seery saud RealSelf is positioning itself as the Yelp of "modern beauty." On this episode of The Glossy Beauty Podcast, beauty editor Priya Rao sits down with Seery, the founder and CEO of RealSelf, to discuss his approach to experiential marketing, the casualization of injections and the plans for the company's latest round of funding.

When Rob Robillard, vp of integrated beauty at QVC and HSN, started his job eight years ago, he knew there was a lot of untapped potential for modernizing these legacy retail brands. In this week's episode of The Glossy Beauty Podcast, beauty editor Priya Rao sits down with Robillard to discuss some of the ways he's contributed to giving the brands new life, including relaunching Beauty Bash, introducing private-label brands and introducing a clean beauty standard.

The world of beauty is rapidly evolving due to the impact of popular indie brands, and the hair-care category is no exception. Niche hair-care brands are finding success by sticking with one focus, whether it's a hair texture, color and or style. The secret, according to DevaCurl CEO Robert Schaeffler is being small and nimble, which allows the brand to adapt to its customers in a way the larger players simply can't. On this week's episode of The Glossy Beauty Podcast, beauty editor Priya Rao sits down with Schaeffler to discuss the perks of being a niche brand, the benefits of experiential events, and the differences between influencers and brand ambassadors.

When Katherine Power co-founded fashion and lifestyle brand WhoWhatWear in 2012, she wanted to democratize fashion. Now she is taking on clean beauty with a new brand, Versed. Just this week, Versed launched in 1,400 doors around the country, with an assortment of 19 different products, all under $20. The brand is currently sold both in Target stores and on a direct-to-consumer brand site, which according to Power, will be focused on replenishment orders and education. On this week's episode of The Glossy Beauty Podcast, beauty editor Priya Rao sits down with Powers, the co-founder and CEO of WhoWhatWear and Versed, to discuss the impetus for launching the new beauty brand, the way consumer data played a role in its development and the reason Target is the perfect wholesale partner.