I was in the audience of Duel’s brand advocacy conference when indie beauty exec Anna Vale shared her “look up, look down” strategy—blending online and offline tactics to capture attention in fresh, impactful ways.

Fresh off leading an influencer activation across 9 brands, I couldn’t agree more: nothing beats the energy of in-person experiences, and it’s the fusion of digital and IRL touchpoints that creates real magic!

This week’s rundown explores how beauty brands are redefining the customer experience through smart leadership, creative activations, and innovative strategies. From balancing founder-driven vision to breaking through for impactful moments, it’s all about building lasting connections with consumers.

READING ROUNDUP - ARTICLES TO CHECK OUT

Driving beauty brand success today means mastering both strategic leadership and innovative activations. Whether it’s founders toggling between “founder mode” and “manager mode,” beauty brands stealing the spotlight at Fashion Week, or Kering Beauté’s move into luxury fragrance—staying agile and visionary is the key to winning in this fast-evolving market.

• “Founder Mode” Vs. “Manager Mode”: Beauty And Wellness Founders On The Best Way To Operate Brands - BeautyIndependent

• How beauty brands cut through the fashion week noise - Vogue Business

• EXCLUSIVE: Kering Beauté CEO Raffaella Cornaggia Unveils Strategy - WWD

PRESS PLAY - PODCAST EPISODES TO NOTE

Learn how brands are evolving by blending innovation with influence. From DedCool’s disruptive fragrance approach to Marianna Hewitt’s personal branding mastery and Tarte’s flashy—if questionable—gifting strategy, staying relevant today is about building meaningful, lasting connections.

• DedCool's Carina Chaz on 'reshaping the way fragrance is defined and experienced' - Glossy

• Building a Personal Brand with Marianna Hewitt - Fat Mascara

• What is Tarte’s Strategy, Exactly? - Gloss Angeles

PENCIL THIS IN - UPCOMING EVENTS

Catch up with beauty besties at these IRL moments.

• 10/5 & 10/6: Origins Youthtopia Pop-up // New York, NY

• 10/19: Allure Best of Beauty Live // New York, NY

• 11/2 & 11/3: Beautycon // Los Angeles, CA

JOB BOARD - EXCITING ROLES IN THE BEAUTY SPACE

Now hiring - check out these roles in the industry.

1. Senior Manager, Global Social & Influencer Communications at Fresh - Hybrid - New York, NY 

2. Senior Manager, Professional Trade Marketing at Nutrafol - Remote

3. Manager, Growth Marketing at Ouai - Remote 

4. Senior Manager, Growth Hacking, Brand.com at The Estée Lauder Companies - On-site - New York, NY

5. Assistant Manager, Influencer/PR | Global Beauty Company (Temp) - Hybrid - New York, NY

💌 Message me on LinkedIn if there’s anything else you’d like to see in future editions.

xx Saba Bokhari

Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the author’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the author’s workplace.