Philosophy (brand)

Last updated
philosophy
TypePublic
Founded1996
FounderCristina Carlino
Headquarters New York, NY
Key people
  • Camillo Pane, CEO
  • Bart Becht, Chairman
Parent Coty, Inc.
Website www.philosophy.com

philosophy is a North American skin care and cosmetics brand founded in 1996 by Cristina Carlino, acquired by The Carlyle Group in 2007, [1] and later acquired by Coty, Inc. in 2010. [2]

Contents

History

philosophy was founded in Phoenix, AZ by Cristina Carlino. Prior to philosophy, Carlino founded Bio Medic, a medically based skin care line created for distribution in clinical settings by plastic surgeons and dermatologists. [3] philosophy products were inspired by years of medical research that helped to shape the skin care treatments, peels and protocols offered in medical practices.

1990s

philosophy launched at a press event on March 21, 1996, at the Rainbow Room in New York City, New York. The first product available was purity made simple, a facial cleanser that the brand continues to offer. It was available exclusively at Barneys New York [3] before being offered in other retailers such as Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. [4] Shortly thereafter, Carlino appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show to promote philosophy; Winfrey would continue to be a fan and brand evangelist, with her baby picture being featured on a special 15th anniversary edition of hope in a jar, the brand’s moisturizer. [5] philosophy’s first fragrance, amazing grace, also made its debut that year followed by its second fragrance, pure grace. In 1997, philosophy launched their in-home peel product—a new concept for retail cosmetics at the time. French cosmetics store chain Sephora began to stock philosophy in 1998. [3] In 1999, the brand expanded into bath products including shampoo, shower gel and bubble baths. By the end of the ‘90s, philosophy became the first skin care brand to partner with home-shopping retailer QVC. [3]

2000s

Particularly through home-shopping television sales, philosophy debuted “super-sized” versions of several items in 2000. In 2003, the brand expanded into fragrances with the falling in love line. The decade also saw the publication of a branded cookbook and the release of skin care kits designed to target damage, specific skin conditions or concerns, such as acne or anti-aging. In 2005, the brand launched shower for the cure, a multitasking bath product that could be used as a shampoo, shower gel or bubble bath, with all net proceeds given to the Women’s Cancer Research Fund. [6] In 2007, philosophy was acquired by The Carlyle Group for an estimated $450 million. [2]

2010s

Coty, Inc. acquired philosophy from The Carlyle Group in late 2010 in a deal that was valued at approximately $1 billion. [7] One of the goals of this acquisition was to expand the Coty portfolio with an entry into the luxury skin care market. After acquiring the philosophy brand, Coty altered the original fragrance, Amazing Grace, causing thousands of loyal customers to complain and boycott not only the Amazing Grace products, but the brand in its entirely. Even after many years of loyal customer complaints across numerous retail channels, Coty has not returned to the original formula of the Amazing Grace fragrance as of 2020. [8] In 2014, philosophy released an updated version of their hope in a jar line: renewed hope in a jar; it debuted domestically, then launched globally in selected European and Asian markets. Soon to follow were several more additions to the philosophy skin care line, including ultimate miracle worker, uplifting miracle worker and take a deep breath, which includes day and nighttime moisturizers and an eye cream. 2016 saw the opening of the freestanding flagship philosophy retail store in Paramus, NJ. [9]

Products

Though initially founded as a skin care line, philosophy has since expanded into color cosmetics, fragrance and bath and body products. Each product includes an inspirational name, saying, or recipe on the packaging.

Charity

hope & grace initiative

In 2014, philosophy established the hope & grace initiative to help raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing topics. [10] The majority of funding from the hope & grace initiative supports community-based mental health efforts. For every philosophy product sold in the US, the brand contributes 1% of sales to the hope and grace fund. Each year the hope and grace fund awards multiple grants to local organizations, including Bringchange2mind and NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), working toward promotion, prevention and treatment of women in need of mental healthcare. In 2017, the brand released a new national campaign and PSA to support the hope & grace initiative. [11]

Endorsements

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey has been a long-time endorser of philosophy, starting shortly after the brand’s launch. In 2005, Winfrey gifted hope in a jar to an audience of Hurricane Katrina relief volunteers. In 2010, Winfrey included hope in a jar in her final Favorite Things list. [12] philosophy honored Winfrey by including a picture of her as a baby on special edition packages of hope in a jar the same year [13]

Natasha Bedingfield

In 2015, English singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield partnered with philosophy to support its hope & grace initiative. Bedingfield created an exclusive, original song, “Hope” for the brand [14]

Ellen Pompeo

In 2016, American actress and Grey’s Anatomy star, Ellen Pompeo partnered with philosophy for the #CoolAger campaign, the goal of which was to help dispel the stigma women face over aging. [15] The campaign also launched their uplifting miracle worker line of products. As part of the launch, philosophy donated $10,000 to the Aviva Family and Children’s Services, a program chosen by Pompeo that provides mental healthcare to at-risk children and families. [16]

Gabby Bernstein

In 2015, philosophy named world-renowned spiritual guru, motivational speaker, life coach and best-selling author, Gabby Bernstein as its wellbeing ambassador.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Estée Lauder Companies</span>

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is an American multinational cosmetics company, a manufacturer and marketer of makeup, skincare, perfume, and hair care products, based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is the second largest cosmetics company in the world after L'Oréal. The company owns a diverse portfolio of brands, including La Mer, Jo Malone London, Clinique and Tom Ford Beauty, among many more, distributed internationally through both digital commerce and retail channels.

Max Factor is a line of cosmetics from Coty, founded in 1909 as Max Factor & Company by Maksymilian Faktorowicz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moisturizer</span> Type of cosmetics

A moisturizer, or emollient, is a cosmetic preparation used for protecting, moisturizing, and lubricating the skin. These functions are normally performed by sebum produced by healthy skin. The word "emollient" is derived from the Latin verb mollire, to soften.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olay</span> American skin care brand owned by Procter & Gamble

Olay or Olaz, previously Oil of Olay, Oil of Olaz, Oil of Ulan or Oil of Ulay, is an American skin care brand owned by Procter & Gamble. For the 2009 fiscal year, which ended on June 30, Olay accounted for an estimated $2.8 billion of P&G's revenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coty</span> French American beauty company

Coty Inc. is an American multinational beauty company founded in 1904 by François Coty. With its subsidiaries, it develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes fragrances, cosmetics, skin care, nail care, and both professional and retail hair care products. Coty owns around 77 brands as of 2018.

CoverGirl is an American cosmetics brand founded in Maryland, United States, by the Noxzema Chemical Company. It was acquired by Procter & Gamble in 1989, and later acquired by Coty, Inc. in 2016. The Noxell Company advertised this cosmetics line by allowing "cover girls", models, actresses, and singers who appear on the front cover of women's magazines, to wear its products. CoverGirl primarily provides a wide variety of consumer-grade cosmetics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shower gel</span> Liquid products used for cleaning the body

Shower gel is a specialized liquid product used for cleaning the body during showers. Not to be confused with liquid soaps, shower gels, in fact, do not contain saponified oil. Instead, it uses synthetic detergents derived from either petroleum or plant sources.

Fabergé is a brand name that was inspired by the House of Fabergé jewellery firm, which had been founded in 1842 in Russia. The name was used for various personal care products that were manufactured under the direction of Samuel Rubin, and then by George Barrie. The Fabergé company was sold by Barrie in 1984, and was subsequently acquired by Unilever in 1989.

Personal care products are consumer products which are applied on various external parts of the body such as skin, hair, nails, lips, external genital and anal areas, as well as teeth and mucous membrane of the oral cavity, in order to make them clean, protect them from harmful germs and keep them in good condition. They promote personal hygiene and overall health, well-being and appearance of those body parts. Toiletries form a narrower category of personal care products which are used for basic hygiene and cleanliness as a part of a daily routine. Cosmetic products, in contrast, are used for personal grooming and beautification. Pharmaceutical products are not considered personal care products.

Paula Beth Begoun, also known as "The Cosmetics Cop", is an American talk radio host, author, and businesswoman. She is the founder of Paula's Choice and Beginning Press Publishing.

"Oprah's Favorite Things" was an annual segment that appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show from the 1990s to 2008 and 2010, as well as on Rachael Ray in 2017. In the segment, which airs during Thanksgiving week and was inspired by the holiday song "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music, Oprah Winfrey shared products with her audience that she felt were noteworthy or that would make a great gift. In addition, the audience members that were present during the taping of the episode receive items from that year's list for free.

e.l.f. (cosmetics) American cosmetics brand

e.l.f. Cosmetics is an American cosmetics brand based in Oakland, California. It was founded by Joseph Shamah and Scott Vincent Borba in 2004. Items include bath and skin-care products, mineral-based makeup, professional tools, eyeliners, lipstick, glosses, blushes, bronzers, brushes, and mascara, among others.

Charlie is a line of women's and men's fragrances produced by the American cosmetic and perfume house Revlon.

Carol's Daughter is an American multi-cultural beauty brand headquartered in New York City.

Bourjois is a French cosmetics company owned by the American group Coty Bourjois creates make-up, fragrance and skincare products, which are sold in approximately 26,000 points of sales in more than 80 countries worldwide, as of 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jo Malone London</span> British fragrance brand

Jo Malone London is a British multinational cosmetics company, perfume and scented candle brand, founded by Jo Malone in 1990. It has been owned since 1999 by Estée Lauder. The brand is known for its perfumes, candles, bath products, and room scents.

Tarte Cosmetics is an American cosmetics company headquartered in New York City.

Beautycounter is an American direct to consumer company that sells skin care and cosmetic products. As of 2018, the company had 150 products with over 65,000 independent consultants, and with national retailers.

Haus Labs by Lady Gaga is an American vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics brand founded by Lady Gaga. First launched on September 17, 2019, it was the first major beauty line to launch exclusively on Amazon as a retailer partner, and released in nine countries including France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Haus Labs relaunched on June 9, 2022 with new retail partner Sephora. The company advertises its products as "supercharged clean artistry makeup powered by innovation."

References

  1. ↑ "Carlyle Group Acquires Philosophy". www.happi.com.
  2. 1 2 "Coty, Inc. To Acquire philosophy, Inc". www.carlyle.com. 22 November 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Wizards of home shopping TV". CNN Money.
  4. ↑ "Her Philosophy Isn't Merely Cosmetic".
  5. ↑ "Oprah Gets Her Own Skin Cream, In A Way". www.popsugar.com.
  6. ↑ "Think Pink: Philosophy Shower For The Cure". www.popsugar.com.
  7. ↑ "Carlyle Exits Philosophy in $1 Billion Deal". PE Hub.
  8. ↑ "Coty Says It Agreed to Acquire Skin-Care Company Philosophy From Carlyle".
  9. ↑ "Philosophy Launches Its First WellBeing Beauty Store".
  10. ↑ "hope & grace".
  11. ↑ "Philosophy Hope And Grace Mental Health Awareness".
  12. ↑ "Oprah's Ultimate Favorite Things 2010".
  13. ↑ "Oprah Philosophy Hope In A Jar Moisturizer - Limited Edition".
  14. ↑ "Philosophy And Natashing Bedingfield".
  15. ↑ "Ellen Pompeo + Philosophy Launch".
  16. ↑ "Philosophy And Ellen Pompeo Want To Take The "Anti" Out Of Aging".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.