CEW’s New Blueprint: Strategies Reshaping the Beauty Landscape

At CEW’s New Blueprint event on October 8, Elana Drell Szyfer, President of Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW), welcomed attendees. The event marks the first in a series of half-day conferences, with a new format designed to reflect the changing face of the beauty landscape. Nielsen IQ, Skeepers, Statusphere, Ogaki, Snapchat, Givaudan, Luseta, The Consumer Collective, Daash Intelligence, Tara Wilson Agency, and Moss sponsored the event.

“Broad strategies are changing in beauty,” Drell Szyfer observed. “All of it is being reinvented and re-imagined.” Acknowledging how “vibes and validation equal confidence and purchase,” she said the day’s presenters would address the changes across the board, from TikTok to MAC and more.

Drell Szyfer cited several data points from Circana’s Complete Consumer (26 weeks ending 6/14/26) and Social Commerce Tracking: Iced Media. (Both were presented at CEW’s Global Trend Report event on Sept. 23, 2026). They are:

• The US Beauty market reached $78 billion in 2026.
• Pureplay ecommerce is now beauty’s top retail channel.
• 7 of 10 top TikTok Shop skincare brands are K-beauty.
• AI-referred visits to Shopify storefronts grew by +197% year over year.

YISE Beauty’s Molly Sims on Trusting Her Gut

YISE Beauty founder Molly Sims and Doreen Arbel, CEO, keynoted the event and presented “The Next Chapter of YISE Beauty.” Sims, a model, actress, and beauty expert, shared her own skin journey and how she has built community around her YISE brand. When young, she was treated for cystic acne, later beset by hyperpigmentation, and subsequently addicted to hydroquinone. The patches on her skin led to laser treatments, peels, and assorted products, which led to the creation of YISE. “At the end of the day, I needed efficacy,” said Sims.

Living in Europe, working with dermatologists, and returning to school for marketing shaped her brand’s development. It took three years to develop the formulas. “I’m good at product development. The products have to reach my women and do a lot of things, including how they look and work,” said Sims. “I am the woman I’m product developing for. If the product is good, we’ll spend the money,” she said, citing YISE Brightening Eye cream with coverage plus skin care. “The 40-plus woman is still in the game. She doesn’t want to be spoken to as if she’s not,” said Sims.

Sims trusted her gut. “This is not a celebrity skin care brand. This is for my woman. She wants to problem-solve,” said Sims.

Pink Packaging—& Building Momentum

Sims talked about her brand’s packaging—and the serum she created, which comes in pink packaging. Xtreme Glow Dewy Peptide Plumping Serum sold out in Sephora, despite some calling the pink packaging questionable.

As her brand grew, Sims recruited Arbel to lead YISE into its next growth stage. Arbel oversees the brand’s momentum, and her combination of gut instinct and data has proven to be the “perfect match,” said Sims. Recognizing Sims’ commitment, Arbel said, “I knew the products were stellar, but most important was the founder. She knew where the North star was, and at the end of the day, we work with and for people. That’s most important.”

“Marketing is my superpower,” said Sims, who, in addition to efficacy, wanted some humor in her products. She cited her Morning Cocktail Vitamin C serum as an example. Arbel said product formulation combined with data, clear explanations, and disciplined growth momentum continues to build the brand. She told attendees to “watch the Sephora world and watch for extensions of the brand next year.”

‘TED Talk’ with 4 Beauty Brand Founders

Next, the event featured a “TED Talk” with the founders from four beauty brands. They shared their growth strategies, including deep dives into ingredients, formulation, sourcing, supply chains, and innovation.

The participants were:

• INNBeauty Project’s co-founders Alisa Metzger and Jen Shane, who is also Head of Innovation
• CYKLAR‘s founder and creative director Claudia Sulewski
• Sofie Pavitt Face‘s founder, Sofie Pavitt
• Crown Affair‘s founder Dianna Cohen

Metzger and Shane highlighted their woman-centered skincare journey and innovative solutions. They explained how they re-imagined sourcing and supply chains to lower the cost of INNBeauty Project’s high-performance formulations.

CYKLAR is a skincare-influenced body care brand, and Sulewski said her superpower stems from having been an early influencer. Her experience before founding the brand gives her a unique perspective.

In launching CYKLAR, she analyzed price points, considered packaging weight, and came up with a strong point of view. “Owning a business requires diligence and understanding flexibility. It also requires packaging adjustments, which often have to be made down the road,” she said. She cited a misaligned cap, saying issues will need to be fixed as you proceed.

From Designing Bags & Underwear to Selling Skincare

Pavitt went from designing bags and underwear to designing skincare products when she launched Sofie Pavitt Face. After running her own studio for ten years, she became known as “the acne whisperer.” Her treatments and products helped people clear their skin. As an aesthetician with a following, she created an acne-forward line and launched her first Mandelic Clearing Serum. Favored by facialists, word of her products grew. “Plans and data are great, but sometimes establishing a studio is a good way to start your growth path,” said Pavitt.

Crown Affair’s Cohen stressed community and responsible growth. “Crown Affair is the fastest-growing hair care brand in Sephora, she said, attributing its success to a strategy that emphasizes soul, purpose, and community. “The term community, while it has been overused, is still a group united by shared beliefs, with authentic advocacy you don’t pay for,” she said. “Community is the core of building a brand with responsible growth. Take your time. Take great care. Find your ritual,” she said, adding, “It’s not just how many people you reach, it’s how many people you move.”

Female Founders’ Superpowers

CEW’s New Blueprint event continued with a panel discussion with Metzger, Shane, Sulewski, Pavitt, and Cohen highlighting “Female Founders’ Superpowers.”

Moderated by Allison Collins, Editor and Co-Founder of The Consumer Collective, the discussion ranged from breakthrough moments to the power of word of mouth. Speakers gave insights on product development and the importance of having a consistent point of view.

Shane, discussing a new INNBeauty Project skincare product, emphasized enhancing the user experience, as well as a product’s texture and efficacy. Sulewski highlighted a strong point of view, and Pavitt touted ease of use and efficacy. Cohen, of Crown Affair, said, “The key is to find your people where they are.”

Sulewski said touching, smelling, being in stores, and on shelves were priorities. She found gratification in seeing that samples in stores had been tested and experimented with, saying it was a “good sign” of interest in your product.

When asked how to break through, Shane said, “You have to amplify what sets you apart and be true to the differentiation of your brand.”

Sulewski emphasized that getting people to try your products matters most, while Pavitt urged focus. “Don’t get distracted, really focus, narrow and deep,” said Pavitt.

Cohen urged creators to take their time to consider their next step. “Take a beat, and really decide if you are going to launch a lip product, for example,” she said.

The Solutions Showcase: Stratusphere, KIN, & NeilsenIQ

During another part of the event called “The Solutions Showcase,” three companies presented strategies to help your business succeed.

The speakers were:

• Statusphere’s Founder and CEO Kristen Wiley.
• KIN‘s C-Founder & President Brit Starr.
• NielsenIQ’s Managing Director, Beauty & Health, Jacqueline Flam.

Statusphere’s Kristen Wiley: ‘Human Context is Fuel for Generative AI’

Wiley’s presentation, “The New Discovery Flywheel,” highlighted how brands can show up in AI platforms, as well as in social searches and reviews. “You need to be visible in all of these to get your customers to show up,” said Wiley.

Discussing the role of Generative AI, which creates new content based on learned patterns, Wiley said beauty marketers should use it to boost SEO. She noted that 74% of Gen Z uses TikTok and 59% uses Generative AI for shopping. Statusphere connects brands with creators. Wiley explained that this connection enables brands to scale user-generated content.

“You need to decide your brand positioning, and use the same messaging language so Generative AI can predict you—and your brand as the answer,” Wiley advised. “Human context is fuel for Generative AI. Optimize your key messaging, and the more context you provide, the more visibility you will get. It will identify human content gaps,” she explained.

KIN’s Brit Starr on ‘The Next Layer of Influence’

KIN’s Brit Starr presented “How to Analyze a Creator’s Ecosystem.” “Relationship management is high-touch and high-impact,” she said. “It requires a lot of effort.” Looking at Beauty and Creator Marketing, Starr advises, “Relationships are at the root. Creator marketing works because of the people behind it. Building an authentic community and getting your product into people’s hands are key objectives.”

Starr said building the next “layer of influence” is important. “Building connected contagion drives a strong signal for action.” According to KIN data from this year, 89% of branded beauty is organic. Plus, word of mouth and reaching consumers where they live are important.

Regarding KIN’s strategic activation mix, Starr said, “Gifting is the foundation, and what you build on top is the strategy. Each beauty category has a different activation lever.” She cited makeup and gifting; fragrance and events; skincare and affiliates; and haircare ambassadors as some examples.

Honesty and authenticity are key to building relationships, Starr said, and “doing more of what matters.” It’s also important to identify and remove friction.

KIN data showed that 78% of attention and engagement for growing beauty brands in 2026 came from retained creators. “Lean into the relationship and understand what is important to your creation partners and community. Connection compounds results,” Starr advised. As a retention engine for growth, KIN focuses on managing programs, building AI-accelerated relationships, and enabling strong brand creation.

The next speaker, NielsenIQ’s Flam, examined “Why Data’s Not Just for the Big Guys.” Flam examined today’s changes in the beauty market.

“Consumers don’t discover brands in one place. And when growth happens, it doesn’t happen with guesses—it has better data,” said Flam.

Online Beauty Purchases Make Up Half of the Total Beauty Market

The total beauty and personal care market is worth $124.7 billion today, with $57.5 billion from online and $67.3 billion from in-store purchases. This means online is now half the beauty market, at $57.5 billion (Source: NielsenIQ POD Omnishopper Panel Total US L52 week ending 8/8/2026 vs YA Dollar percent change).

TikTok Shop and Club Stores are ‘Ones to Watch’

Flam said traditional channels are losing share. While Amazon is a known performer, TikTok Shop and Club stores are the ones to watch. Amazon dollar share was 27.0, Mass at 22.1, and Beauty Specialty at 20.1.

According to Flam, 63% of total Amazon Beauty and Personal Care sellers are third-party sellers. While TikTok Shop came in at 2.3 in channel dollar share, Flam observed that it grew into a formidable retailer in just three years. (Source: NielsenIQ Digital Purchases L52W Ending 9/20/2026). Currently, 29% of online shoppers buy on TikTok Shop.

Consumer preferences are shifting toward mid-price distribution, Flam notes.

Gen Z consumers are pulling back from Amazon and prefer shopping in-store for specific purchases. “Data has become the language of retail growth. No single channel tells the whole story, which is why gut and data are key to growth,” advised Flam.

Quince’s Head of Beauty Discusses Strategy

The next speaker, Lindsey Petersen, Head of Beauty at Quince, continued discussing growth strategies. Quince is applying its success as a fashion retailer to its range of curated beauty products. By using a direct-to-consumer model and avoiding middlemen, Quince has established a curated beauty marketplace.

“The Quince beauty shopper is loyal and quality-driven,” said Petersen. Since launching, Quince Beauty has scaled to 500 skincare products. Quince serves a research-driven customer who seeks a highly curated assortment.

Quince curates with brand leaders and founders, and partners with aestheticians and clinical formulation experts. “When you trust the curation, you come back,” said Petersen.

Petersen emphasized that brand loyalty and proven efficacy matter, and that the customers they reach want what really works and makes repeat purchases. Quince is also funding loyalty credit on every purchase, driving conversion and repeat purchases. “The products you purchase earn credit toward your next purchase,” said Petersen.

Proof in Practice—Case Studies Show How to Leverage Data

CEW’s Digital Blueprint Event continued with another segment featuring case studies that solved real-world challenges.

OGAKI on the Importance of Creative

OGAKI is a social-first digital agency focused on marketing and brand strategies for prestige beauty businesses. Founder and CEO Renee Ogaki discussed how the agency uses a variety of tools to ensure its content reaches a broad audience. Ogaki asked, “How do we create the best-performing content?” She described the ways OGAKI supports beauty businesses through influencer marketing, organic and paid social media, discovery, and outreach.

Ogaki explained that 60% of digital marketing’s sales come from creative, while media tactics account for 36% (Source: Google, Modern Brand Management Playbook).

“Creativity is incredibly important for driving brand growth,” she said. She emphasized reach, noting that 58% of TikTok views now come from its “For You” feed, which is up from 31% (Source: Dash Social Benchmarks).

Ogaki noted that trust is earned through User-Generated Content (UGC). Seventy-nine % of survey respondents said their peers are the “most-believed voices” in the equation.   

Ogaki shared “The Performance Content Framework,” comprised of Brand Discovery, Product Education, Brand Validation, First Purchase, and Routine Building. The agency used this framework while working with EltaMD, Laura Mercier, and other clients.

“Organic content fueled the funnel,” Ogaki said when discussing the agency’s work with Laura Mercier. She emphasized texture, product education, retail-supported discovery, education, and validation.

“There are quick wins to make creative perform,” she advised. “First, diagnose the gap and find where your content is thin. Next, secure usage rights on top-performing creator assets and test organic winners as ads. Next, match content and stage by creating organic and influencer content within the framework, so it can be used in paid ad campaigns,” she explained.

Jane Iredale & Skeepers Talk About UGC

Anna Araman, Senior Vice President North America, Skeepers, and Inhwa Lee, Chief Digital Officer, Jane Iredale, looked at Best Practices in UGC.

Lee leads the brand’s digital and consumer growth strategy, including Direct-to-Consumer (DTC), marketplaces, Customer Relations Management (CRM), media, social influencers, and content. She tracks, manages, and engages current and potential customers.

Iredale’s team already had innovator outreach in place, but sought more community outreach. The brand worked with Skeepers to discover new creators.

According to Inhwa and Araman, Iredale continues to leverage Skeepers to partner with the best content creators. Araman said, “That type of content drives the most effective way to reach a new audience.”

The most powerful content comes from a “real” fan, noted Araman. Lee added, “Retention and loyalty rates are built by leveraging the professional heritage and reliability of the Iredale brand.” The platform’s “My Community” tool continues to build community around the brand.

A Look at NYX’s Snapchat Success

CEW’s New Blueprint event continued with more insights and expert discussions.

Derek Todd Hester, Industry Manager, CPG/Enterprise at Snap Inc spoke about the Snapchat phenomenon—and why it made sense for NYX Professional Makeup. Santiago Amaya, Assistant VP, US Marketing, NYX Professional Makeup, L’Oréal USA, joined Hester.

“Gen Z is our core focus. They’re finding new looks and sharing them with their friends,” Amaya said. “This sharing behavior is a perfect match with Snapchat.”

Hester noted, “The Gen Z shopper opens Snapchat 60 times a day, while the average Snapchat user opens it 30 times a day.”

Snapchat is the second-largest community platform of all iPhone users. Seventy-six percent of sales come from new or lapsed beauty buyers. Hester said, “Snap has enhanced growth, and the sales increase is evidence.” Amaya said, “It is important to understand your consumer and how authentically we have integrated NYX into the Snap conversation.”

TikTok Shop & Daash Execs on ‘the Power of Discovery’

In another presentation, executives from TikTok Shop and Daash Intelligence spoke about commerce’s next superpower—the power of discovery. TikTok Shop helps small and large brands get discovered, while connecting brands with a new generation of consumers.

Emily Rhodes, Head of Cosmetics, TikTok Shop, and Justin Stewart, Co-Founder and CTO of Daash Intelligence, revealed how beauty is a natural fit for the three-year-old TikTok Shop.

“Consumers are using TikTok Shop for beauty shopping,” Rhodes said, explaining that discovery commerce offers a new model that blends community and trends. She cited e.l.f. Cosmetics as an early adopter, saying the brand’s sales doubled. Ulta Beauty and Sephora now sell on TikTok Shop. “Over 76% of our shoppers found a new product on TikTok Shop,” said Rhodes.

“TikTok Shop levels the playing field and allows everyone to play,” said Stewart.

Rhodes added, “When you join TikTok Shop, you are also harnessing the power of TikTok. Once this kicks off, shoppers experience the growth that distinct communities can provide for them.”

Rhodes noted how viral moments and online trends give customers new reasons to discover new products. Livestreams are also gaining popularity. Customers respond to seeing products in real time, Rhodes explained. She said 76% of people who see a livestream make a purchase.

Videos and livestreams should now be a part of every beauty brand’s growth strategy, because Rhodes says 76% of people who see a livestream make a purchase. Rhodes advised that identifying sensorial products is best for livestreaming.

Inside MAC’s Blueprint for Growth

Learning about MAC’s growth strategy was another highlight during the CEW’s New Blueprint event.

Jill Scalamandre, CEW’s Chairwoman (and President of Beekman 1802), asked Cori Reinartz, SVP/GM of MAC North America (The Estée Lauder Companies) about the brand’s growth. They discussed how a 40-year-old heritage brand stays strong.

Reinartz acknowledged, “Some say there is no playbook for growth, but understanding your customer is key. A brand can be cross-generational, not necessarily Gen X or Gen Z.”

Staying focused on the consumer without chasing trends is part of the strategy. “With MAC, we stay in touch with the culture and the voices that unite the brand,” said Reinartz.

“The consumer has been telling us they want to be able to find MAC wherever they shop,” she said. To that end, Reinartz noted MAC’s partnership with Sephora. MAC is also focused on expanding distribution, modernizing, maintaining relevance, and increasing productivity.

‘Artistry is a Key Core Differentiator’

“Artistry is a key core differentiator for us. We also continue to work with Ulta on launching strategies,” Reinartz explained.

Scalamandre asked about the role of community in MAC’s strategy. Reinartz said, “We have Chappell Roan and Doja Cat. They help bring wide-scale reach. We also work with makeup artists and have creators for specific campaigns or gifting. We also have our artists and an army of individuals who live and breathe the brand—from the aspirational celebrity to the creator with a tutorial that helps you use the product.”

“MAC isn’t a special occasion brand; it’s for everyone,” Reinartz said, “and part of the modernization is the cultural maximalism of MAC outreach.” She cited TikTok as an immediate way to get an early read on trends and observe what’s happening.

“Sometimes it catches fire—and then you see the halo effect taking off all around you,” said Reinartz.

Scalamandre asked, “Your strategy has stayed solid, but what has changed at MAC?”

Reinartz replied, “Fundamentally, we know exactly who we are.” She explained that at MAC, it takes a combination of leveraging culture, consumer awareness, and overall modernization. “Everyone is working together at MAC to make things happen. Our tremendous success is the result—and a large part of it is knowing who we are and staying true to our heroes and powering through.”

The Event’s Sponsors

Nielsen IQ, Skeepers, Statusphere, Ogaki, Snapchat, Givaudan, Luseta, The Consumer Collective, Daash Intelligence, Tara Wilson Agency, and Moss sponsored CEW’s New Blueprint event.

What’s Next?

Stay tuned for our coverage of the CEW Beauty Awards on Nov. 10, 2026, at The New York Hilton Midtown.

The awards luncheon celebrates standout launches across more than 30 categories. It’s an iconic event that honors what’s new, what works, and what’s shaping the future of beauty.

Get tickets for the luncheon if you’ll be in NY—and check out CEW.org for more not-to-miss events, both in-person and virtual.