Ballet Slippers Tip Toes to L’Oreal
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
Loading ...Harriet and Buddy Rose were pioneers. Back in 1979, they started Forsythe Cosmetics and introduced the first range of $1 polish in over 100 colors. This was around the same time little known Arnie Miller, Paula Meehan Kent, Jerri Redding and Paul Mitchell were coming out with Matrix, Redken and Paul Mitchell salon lines.
Forsythe had two key salespeople working for them, Janet Greenberg and Essie Weingarten. Both left around the same time in 1981 to start their own companies. Greenberg went on to start Charni and Weingarten went on to start Essie.
Charni and Essie both copied Forsythe’s marketing idea and launched $1 polish in a multitude of shades. Both prospered quickly due to their previous connections and they became natural competitors. However, Greenberg decided motherhood was more important and Charni faded away. Essie on the other hand kept on churning out new shades focused in the French manicure category and came up with names like Ballet Slipper and Waltz to differentiate her brand from the masses like Revlon and L’Oreal.
Eventually the $1 bottle went to $1.25, then $1.50, then $1.75, then $2.00, then $2.50. Mind you, this bottle had no brand name, it was a square bottle with a white top. If you called Essie to order, most of the time after 6PM Essie herself would answer the phone and take the order, no order too small. Her and Max (business partner) sat upstairs in a small open office with four others yelling back and forth while processing orders. One caveat with Essie: she made sure she was paid.
Then Max had the brilliant idea to put the logo on the bottle. Of course the price zoomed to $3.00, then $3.50 and now sits at $4.00, surely ready to go up again once the economy settles in (they always kept pace with OPI).
During the growth stage, you could see Essie and Max behind their booth at the NY, Long Beach and Midwest trade shows. Manicurists would come with lists and buy hundreds of bottles. Essie was there packing up the boxes, tearing apart the boxes, talking and yakking. Max stood behind the booth with his Armani suit and Hermes tie watching the whole time and making sure the money was properly accounted for. Smart man.
Alas, a couple years ago L’Oreal nearly bought Essie but something happened. But not for long. Perhaps as long as 6-9 months ago, Essie signed the dotted line agreeing in principle to sell her company founded back in 1981. Yesterday the press got hold of the news that L’Oreal in fact bought Essie and both Essie and Max signed long term contracts to stay on.
Needless to say, life in Astoria, NY will change quickly as L’Oreal moves production and inventory to its central locations. It will be strange to see Essie and Max walk into 575 Fifth Avenue and sit in an office.
In the end, it’s yet one more entrepreneurial-based company gone in our industry. Snatched up like gold floating in the river. L’Oreal is now in the polish business and God only knows what they will do with the brand. George at OPI is most likely wondering the same thing himself.
I will miss the Essie chapter. There are memories that won’t fade especially when it came to Max’s BS, but all in the love of the business. This was a long chapter, nearly 25 years long.
Good luck Essie and Max. Enjoy your newfound wealth and take time to travel. Be sure to visit Turquoise & Caicos and Playa Del Platinum. After all, you are now living in the Lapis of Luxury.
Happy Thursday!
