Now that Joe Fresh is in your closet and unmentionables drawer, it wants to get into your makeup bag, too.
The brand launched by former Club Monaco honcho Joe Mimran under the Loblaws umbrella is applying the same cheapie-chic philosophy as it does to its clothing and accessories: premium goods at rock-bottom prices.
The makeup is modelled after prestige lines, but offered at prices to suit these recessionary times: Most items are $4 to $8, with tools from $2 to $16. But while design innovations like felt-tip lip markers and dual-sided concealers are clever, do we really need another cheap cosmetics line?
The answer, in fact, is yes, if it's one designed for Canada's multi-ethnic DNA. Foundations in the Joe Fresh range come in three tones each of light, medium and dark. The palette of nine shades suits skin from Caucasian to South Asian to black.
"Our customer is every woman who makes up Canada," says Elizabeth Margles, vice-president of marketing for Joe Fresh Style. "There needed to be a huge range of tones and shades."
And being inclusive means serving Canada's time-pressed masses as well. Everything in the line is meant to be put on fast, the theory being that you don't need more than five minutes for a put-together face. For example, the Cream Cheek Tint blushers can be dotted on, then blended with your fingers in seconds.
We sought professional advice from makeup artist Claudine Baltazar. So how did Joe stack up?
She loved the Fine Tip Liquid Liner pen ($6) and the Cheek Tint in bronze ($4). The foundations, moreover, "have fantastic pigments and textures," she said. "It didn't just sit on top, but looked like real skin."
For more information, visit http://www.joe.ca.
- Report on Business Company Snapshot is available for:
- LOBLAW COMPANIES LIMITED