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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Smooth Look

Cinema Secrets is freshening up its foundation. The Burbank-based beauty line and retail store recently narrowed its product focus, and is in the process of renovating its retail store and rebranding its in-house product line in hopes of raising its profile in the marketplace and improving business. The company, started by retired professional makeup artist Maurice Stein, has faced a three-year slump brought on by the tough economy. Now, Cinema Secrets is looking to boost its appeal to both professional clients and everyday consumers, and differentiate its brand from competitors such as Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and LORAC, which dominate the professional makeup industry and also sell to consumers through various retail channels. “I want to see more people aware of our company,” Stein said, noting the company has eliminated several operations in an effort to focus on what the company does best — makeup. The retired professional makeup artist, who runs the company with his wife Barbara and children Michael, Danny and Debra, is well-known in the entertainment industry. He has worked on more than 200 films and television shows and more than 400 commercials. Some of his most prominent projects included “Golden Girls”, “Funny Girl” and the Academy Award-winning “Planet of the Apes”. Offering everything from theater makeup and wigs to makeup palettes and hair products, the Cinema Secrets retail outlet serves as a one-stop shop for consumers who want to take a little bit of Hollywood glamour home with them. The store has garnered popularity among residents, industry professionals and celebrities. It also houses a salon, esthetician room and classroom, where beauty enthusiasts can learn tricks of the trade. For a cosmetics brand to remain relevant today, products must consistently be fresh and new, said Brad Masterson communications manager for Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Professional Beauty Association. “The beauty industry is constantly demanding innovation and newness in products,” Masterson said. “You have to find something that works, whether it is formulations or ingredients.” Facing challenges While Stein’s prominence in the beauty and entertainment industry has helped Cinema Secrets to survive over the years, the company has seen its share of challenges. The company was faced with one of its toughest periods some four years ago. The 2007 Writer’s Guild of America Strike coupled with the tough economy delivered a devastating blow to business. As sales from professional clients and studios halted, revenues took a nose dive. Seven banks refused to rescue the company from its financial bind, so Cinema Secrets had to rely on its own resources and decided to restructure its business model. “We downsized,” Stein said. In 2009, the company ceased production of its line of Halloween costumes. A year later, the company vacated a 30,000-square-foot building in North Hollywood that served as a warehouse and factory and moved into a smaller space. Brand makeover But like some other cosmetics companies, Cinema Secrets is on the road to recovery. According to Santa Monica market research firm IBIS World cosmetics manufacturing is on an uptick, growing at an annual rate of 1.3 percent, generating some $55 billion in revenue. Last year, Stein and his team enlisted the help of a fresh, young staff to help expand the company’s appeal to the masses; it hired five employees including Lucy Washam, who was brought on as the company’s director of sales and marketing. Washam is a beauty industry veteran, who has worked for major companies such as Chanel, Lancome and Estee Lauder. Since she joined Cinema Secrets in November, she has introduced new products on the market. The latest launch, a brush-cleaning spray, debuted at an industry trade show last month. She also has developed new product packaging options for Cinema Secrets and a new logo. The new packaging and logo have yet to hit the market. And for now, it’s a secret. Although Washam declined to reveal details, she said the new product will be more fun and modern. “(Cinema Secrets) hasn’t ever had a re-haul,” she said. Cinema Secrets also is giving its retail store a makeover. It is currently in the process of replacing some of the old fixtures and flooring and has opened up its product offerings that were once designated to industry professionals to consumers. But Stein said the company won’t abandon its roots: makeup education. The store’s sales staff consists of professional makeup artists who are educated on the store’s product lines. “In our store you’ll get somebody who knows how to educate you and help you make the right choice,” Stein said.

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