Beauty Store Business

JUL 2016

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46 July 2016 | beautystorebusiness.com THE BEAUTY BUG Erwin ventured into the beauty industry at the young age of 18. "My very first taste of the beauty industry involved working at Sally Beauty Supply. I needed more!" she says. "I enjoyed doing nails at the time, so I went to school to be a nail technician." Erwin soon discovered that she craved even more beauty experience and exper- tise. "After graduating, I furthered my education by studying cosmetology at Paul Mitchell Beauty School Denver. After that, I worked actively as a hair and makeup artist for several years prior to starting our company in 2012." NAMING THE BEAST When it came to christening her venture, Erwin knew that the name would need to reflect not only her and her products, but also her best friends as well. "My partners in crime, Lauren Ferchau (L) and Kanani Yasui (K) helped me select the perfect name. The capitalized 'LCK' in 'LunatiCK' [represents] our initials," says Erwin. "We are sisters in life and in business. [LunatiCK] Labs came from me personally handcrafting all of our cosmetics like a mad scientist when we first started out. In fact, I still develop and "hand-batch" all new products, just as I did in the beginning." BRAINCHILD LunatiCK truly reflects Erwin's bubbly and unconventional personality, and taste. "I put everything into each and every design. I grab inspiration in every- thing I do in my daily life. I have always been a horror-movie buff and Halloween- obsessed kid. "I knew a certain type of person would gravitate to [my products] and appreciate [them]," says Erwin. "I had no idea that it would explode as much as it has [within] the general population of makeup lovers, and for that I am so grateful!" She reveals, "I think it's the unique quality of each design that initially draws customers in; but it's the quality of the products that keeps them around for reorders and sharing with their friends." To Erwin, quality is key. "While our packaging is cool, we make sure to spend just as much time, if not more, formulating and finding the best sources of our ingre- dients, suppliers and manufacturers." While Erwin remains at the helm of her company, she concedes that she simply cannot do everything on her own. "LunatiCK Labs is all my brainchild; but this brain comes up with 946 ideas and then it is up to my team to help me nar- row them down," she explains. "With every product we make, there are a ton of moving parts to it." The road to success has not been an easy one for Erwin. "I've been told my ideas are 'too crazy' or that I don't have the technology to develop some of my ideas,'" she says. "The reason why we have been able to make new, innovative designs is because I don't stop when the door is shut on me, which has been many times. When one door shuts, I keep looking until I find the right people or company to help me bring my madness to life." BORN TO STAND OUT Aside from the obvious, what sets Erwin apart from other makeup brands? She laughs and asks, "Besides the coffin- shaped eye-shadow palettes and brain boutique bags we give to our customers at trade shows?" "Our brand is vegan, cruelty-free and talc-free," she says proudly. "When I first started LunatiCK, I handcrafted each and every product. I still make sure that when we are developing a new product I am very involved in all aspects." Indeed, the packaging is bizarre, yet highly fashionable. "From our bullet- designed lipsticks that we created and molded based off of actual .223 caliber ammunition to our coffin palettes and our wild graphics, we make sure we pay atten- tion to each and every detail," she explains. "I want to develop revolutionary products that are not industry stan- dards," says Erwin. "One of our products that really pushes the envelope is our contour palette!" THE CRYSTAL BALL "My mind is always working," admits Erwin. "I have 500 plans for the future. It's just a matter of when the stars align in the right way and what seems to come together first." Pressed further, Erwin unveils plans for an expanded line of cosmetics and skin care. "One product we are actively working on is a liquid-to-dry matte liquid lipstick," she divulges. "We will expand our line to beauty, SFX (special effects) and skin care, but we don't want to rush anything. Our goal is not to be the first or the fastest; it is to be revolutionary in formula and packaging." Catherine Erwin CONTOUR CONUNDRUM Discover all the tricks and treats concerning LunatiCK's groundbreaking (and unusual!) contour palette from Catherine Er in herself, o ner of LunatiCK Cosmetic Labs. "I want to develop revolutionary products that are not industry standards." • MUAs and More: "We developed this contour palette for both makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts, alike. It has been what is missing in our [contour] kits for years!" • No Type: "Our silk pressed-powder shades range from light to dark in cool, rose and nude hues. It is formulated for all skin tones and types, using ultra-fine silica powder that leaves [the user] with a glowing, matte finish. Each color was developed with a purpose." • Oversized: "Our contour palette contains 12 shades in extra-large pans that contain a whopper of 48 grams of product." • Shades of Gray: The No. 1 question Erwin receives in her inbox regarding the palette is " 'What the hell do I do with the gray shades? ' Shadows come from where the light is obstructed to create darkness or depth in contour. We created the cool contour just for this purpose; with colors ranging from pure white to dark gray; shades moving from light to dark to complement all skin tones and types." So, what does Erwin say to potentially dissatisfied customers, concerning this palette? "This palette can be intimating, and we feel you!" exclaims Erwin. "It's not the typical industry standard, and we know this. However, we are so confident you will love working with our palette that if you are dissatisfied in any way, we offer full refunds." And, the palette doubles as a great eye shadow, too. keup ontain e palette is " 'What b d d k d h Suggested retail price: $74

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