La Bouche Rouge: red is the new green
Customization is redefining luxury
Customization in beauty has been around for years. Digital technologies, with its algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) has spread all over the world, and in every market segment. The growing consumer desire for unique and exclusive products puts the personalization trends as the main one for the next years. Moreover, Millenials and the next generation are demanding these products to express their singularity. Personal experience of customizing your needs is the ultimate luxury. Best of all ? When the brand invites consumers into the creation process. The strategic and key element relies on how AI gathers information about individual’s personal preferences. These data are at the basis of mood and emotions-based experience that leads to exclusive relationship between the user and the brand.
Beauty has a social and environmental mission
With a greater awareness of the climate changes and environmental issues stemming from human activities, people are more and more willing to protect the planet. Besides the environmental footprint, the industries have to identify the improvements of social impact that can be done in the next few years. When he saw that "83 % of the water in the world was polluted by plastic and the cosmetic industry is the 2nd most polluting industry », Nicolas Gerlier, 36 years old, founded La Bouche Rouge. What is this new and unusual French brand ? It is the first Make-up « Maison » with an eco-design and humanist vocation.
Future and tradition
La Bouche Rouge aims at reinventing the way consumers use make-up products. « It is impossible to create a new beauty brand without giving a true meaning to this activity ». By being ecodesign-friendly and having a social impact, the brand works for consumption changes. Nicolas met Ezra Petronio in 2016, who became his associate as the Creative Director of La Bouche Rouge and works between Paris and New York. La Bouche Rouge is the first Beauty Maison incubated at Station F, the biggest French startup incubator based in Paris. With a powerful Instagram communication, the brand is digitally present to build a strong relationship with its clients / followers. Although it is based on a traditional market, La Bouche Rouge offers eco-designed luxury products made with the French know-how specialized on leather goods. The lipsticks are modern as well as bold. Because it is so important to reinvent the way we buy and consume goods with common sense, it is therefore essential to combine tradition and innovation.
A humanist business model
At the heart of the Frenchtech ecosystem, this startup reaches the consumers expectations in terms of sustainability and luxury. Nowadays, what is important for beauty brands is to build a brand personality with strong and true commitment for the people and the planet. Through a manifesto, good stakeholders communication or NGO involvement, these best practices may inspire traditional companies. The EBITDA of the startup is not even evaluated in currency but in potable water volume. We tell you why. The lipstick designed by La Bouche Rouge is plastic-free, and it is product refill is PP and POM-free. Formula contain neither polyethylene nor methyl polymethacrylate. The startup works with the Parley association to help avoiding, intercepting and reducing plastic. Because lack of potable water is the first cause of children mortality, La Bouche Rouge gives 100L of potable water to the Eau Vive Internationale association. Imagining the future of beauty in a smarter and engaged way should represent a turning point of the cosmetic industry.
A unique, connected and smart technology
The patented technology developed by La Bouche Rouge allows the creation of an infinity of red shades. The color studio called Atelier 3.0 is based on micronized technology associated with artificial intelligence algorithm directly connected to the client’s device (smartphone, pads…). Thanks to picture analysis or mobile application, the Atelier will be able to create a personalized and registered formula, valable all around the world, starting in autumn 2018. The production process takes into account the water and energy savings.