Is Teeez the next MAC?

Is Teeez the next MAC?

 

Beauty and fragrance is one of the most competitive businesses in the world. Only a handful of new brands break through on a global scale each decade. That is in part because of the start up costs associated with research and development, marketing, retail and staff training. Retailers can charge upwards of $100,000 to stock a product on shelves. Over the past decade, L’Oreal, Estee Lauder Companies, LVMH and Shiseido Corp has snapped up artistry brands like Urban Decay, Laura Mercier, NARS, Makeup Forever and shu uemura. There are very few independent artistry makeup brands today.

Of course, the scarcity of brands is driving retailers further afield these days to discover local gems that will appeal to the next generation of beauty enthusiasts. Thanks to social media, beauty fans in Canada can instantly discover up-and-coming brands in Korea, Germany and South America. I remember interviewing the president of L’Oreal Canada years ago when the company was actively searching for new brands. “I’m looking for brands that have a very distinct character or personality that will appeal to consumers around the world. It has to have a very clear voice and approach,” he told me. Urban Decay was the most recent brand that fit that criteria for L’Oreal.

 

The hottest makeup brand on the market right now might just be Teeez Cosmetics, based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. It originally appeared several years ago in a handful of beauty box programs with eye-popping packaging and edgy products. The packaging instantly made the brand stand out from others. Teeez’s design team follows all the catwalk fashion shows of the season in Paris, Milan, London and New York. They then take those trends back to their studio and design a capsule fashion & accessory collection. No one sees these clothes. They are used for inspiration and direction for a capsule makeup collection that includes fashion-forward lipstick, eyeshadow, blush, mascara and eyeliner. The packaging is designed based on the fashion collection they created. It sounds more like a project from Andy Warhol’s Factory days – fashion designers, makeup artists, illustrators and photographers all working in a studio to dream up a limited edition makeup collection. Once the products and packaging are designed, product development tests each item and makeup artists test them. The final assortment is confirmed and the model shots are designed and photographed. It’s a very hands-on approach to beauty.

Teeez Fashion Vendetta Collection

Take Teeez’s new Fashion Vendetta Collection that debuts this month for example. The design team spotted women wearing washed out pastels on the street outside of the Fashion Week tents and theatres. This look popped up on runways in a look they deemed ‘poison pastels’. This was often contrasted with transparent metal fabrics. Skull detailing was a subversive accent that appeared on handbags, belts and jewelry. Here is the resulting collection:

 

Fashion Vendetta Bulletproof Mascara

 

This fashion-forward mascara builds volume and length and is available in six shades. I particularly like how the skull silhouette is worked into the packaging.

 

Fashion Vendetta Material Girl Lipstick

 

Choose from 10 shades in this longwearing lipstick enriched with Vitamin E. It’s paraben and talc free. Better yet, the formula is very high pigmentation for bold colour on lips.

 

Fashion Vendetta Read My Lips Lipstick

 

This matte-finish creamy and high pigment lipstick actually helps to minimize small wrinkles. It promises up to five hours of wear and is available in 10 shades.

 

Fashion Vendetta To Die For Eyeshadow

 

What’s unique about these eyeshadow quads is the design team strives to pair unexpected colours and formulations that you might not think of yourself. Use dry for a more subtle effect or wet for strong colour. Choose from six different quads.

 

Fashion Vendetta Style Addict Highlighter

 

This oleo-gel based product instantly adds radiance to your complexion. Apply where the sun would naturally appear on your face. It’s easily blended and is buildable.

 

Fashion Vendetta Serial Lipstain

 

Create a really bold matte lip with this lipstain formula. It’s perfect for those who find their lip colour doesn’t last. This product does not move once applied.

Teeez Fashion Vendetta beauty look

 

Teeez Cosmetics is available in Canada at select Hudson’s Bay stores and thebay.com