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Branded Beauty: How Marketing Changed the Way We Look
Beauty is a multi-billion dollar global industry embracing make-up, skincare, hair care, fragrances, cosmetic surgery - even tattooing and piercing. Over the years it has used flattery, seduction, science and shame to persuade consumers to invest if they want to look their best.
Branded Beauty delves into the history and evolution of the beauty business. From luxury boutiques in Paris to tattoo parlours in Brooklyn, it contains interviews with the people who've made skin their trade. Analyzing the marketing strategies used by those who create and sell beauty products, it visits the labs where researchers seek the key to eternal youth. It compares attitudes to beauty from around the world and examines the rise of organic beauty products. Full of fascinating detail from great names such as Rubinstein and Arden, Revlon, Estée Lauder, L'Oréal and Max Factor, Branded Beauty is the ultimate guide to the current state of the industry and what the future holds for the beauty business.
Branded Beauty delves into the history and evolution of the beauty business. From luxury boutiques in Paris to tattoo parlours in Brooklyn, it contains interviews with the people who've made skin their trade. Analyzing the marketing strategies used by those who create and sell beauty products, it visits the labs where researchers seek the key to eternal youth. It compares attitudes to beauty from around the world and examines the rise of organic beauty products. Full of fascinating detail from great names such as Rubinstein and Arden, Revlon, Estée Lauder, L'Oréal and Max Factor, Branded Beauty is the ultimate guide to the current state of the industry and what the future holds for the beauty business.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
43 people are currently reading
538 people want to read
About the author
Mark Tungate
36 books21 followersMark Tungate is a British writer based in Paris, France. He is the author of Media Monoliths: How Media Brands Thrive and Survive (2004), Fashion Brands: Branding Style From Armani to Zara (2005, Second Edition 2008), Adland: A Global History of Advertising (2007) (listed among the best business books of 2007 by Library Journal) and Branded Male: Marketing to Men (2008), all published by Kogan Page. Tungate also collaborated with Renzo Rosso, the founder of clothing company Diesel S.p.A., on the book Fifty (Gestalten Verlag, 2006), about Rosso's life and the Diesel brand. The graphic design was by Barcelona-based creative collective Vasava.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 6, 2022
A painstakingly well-researched book on the business of beauty. As a self-confessed skincare and makeup addict, this book provided fascinating insight into the industry- from the history to the economics of contemporary brands. Eye-opening- it may not make you stop buying those eyeshadows, but you will now know the story behind them and all the other thousands of products in your kit! Fun and informative.
November 11, 2015
A really interesting read for anyone interested in makeup and skincare. While I was aware of all the gimmicks brands use to make us buy stuff we (don't) need, I really enjoyed the backstories on many famous brands.
It's interesting to see when certain brands started marketing themselves as we know them today and how bigger acquisitions influenced their image and overall development.
Parts I founds most interesting are the ones talking about "future" technology, and how certain formulas are already developed, but brands are waiting for good timing to release them. So, the innovations are also a gimmick.
I would definitely recommend this book for both beauty nerds and novices, everyone can benefit from reading this book.
It's interesting to see when certain brands started marketing themselves as we know them today and how bigger acquisitions influenced their image and overall development.
Parts I founds most interesting are the ones talking about "future" technology, and how certain formulas are already developed, but brands are waiting for good timing to release them. So, the innovations are also a gimmick.
I would definitely recommend this book for both beauty nerds and novices, everyone can benefit from reading this book.
March 21, 2012
I really enjoyed this book & found the history of the big beauty brands fascinating. A great read for anyone who buys beauty products.
August 19, 2022
Interesting, informative, but ultimately lacking in much of a thesis. It summarizes the history of the cosmetics industry and its snake oil beginnings, but doesn't have much to say about it. I expected more of an indictment, actually. Cosmetics are still largely snake oil, but the industry didn't just create the need. People are credulous and insecure, and they've been doctoring their appearances for thousands of years.
So what's the point? I don't know. This book didn't really have a point. My main takeaway is to never make my wife or daughter feel like they have to use cosmetics or surgery to have worth. If they want to, I have no problem with that, (well, I'd really rather they avoid surgery unless it's medically necessary), but I don't want anyone to feel like they NEED to alter their appearance.
So what's the point? I don't know. This book didn't really have a point. My main takeaway is to never make my wife or daughter feel like they have to use cosmetics or surgery to have worth. If they want to, I have no problem with that, (well, I'd really rather they avoid surgery unless it's medically necessary), but I don't want anyone to feel like they NEED to alter their appearance.
December 15, 2018
A brilliant history of the evolution of the powerhouse beauty brands of today as also some of the off-beat, niche and even the bohemian kind. Through and through the story has been one about empire-building through brilliant marketing, branding and salesmanship that preys upon human psyche and insecurities rather than about genuine effectiveness of products. Most of the science behind beauty products is hokum and even if genuine the efficacy claimed for the product is orders of magnitude taller than it actually is. I'm quite convinced that home-grown beauty and cosmetics brands in India are even more useless than these global ones.
January 28, 2021
This book had a lot of valuable information and taught me a lot, but the way it was presented was too much at once and very long winded. Took me a long time to finish as I dreaded having to return to the book. Interesting to hear about the beauty industry throughout the ages but a lot of points felt repetitive.
July 10, 2020
Not sure why I was deceived by the title that it’s another anti-brand/anti-consumption book. Surprisingly, the author took a different approach with sharing history and anecdotes of beauty (r)evolution. However, the missing point is perhaps the “so what” test. Overall a good read.
June 7, 2018
Wonderfully drafted! Just the right amount of inspiration and glamour
April 26, 2020
Excelente revisión de la historia de las principales marcas de belleza. Como comenzaron, quienes las fundaron, etc.
May 5, 2021
Outlines the entire beauty industry and the history behind the same in a detailed fashion. A must-read for anyone trying to understand the beauty industry in detail
March 10, 2017
Reading this book was like walking through a museum you weren't intending to visit. You stumble across plenty of factoids you're not sure what to do with. And then, every so often, run into a nugget that makes you think.
March 11, 2017
Ultimately, the book felt a little disappointing. It was a book about beauty products that seemed to be written from the perspective of someone who isn't actually personally familiar with them.
March 28, 2012
In this book, Mark Tungate explores how the beauty industry- soaps, hair products, perfume, makeup and skin concoctions- has pushed its way into a multibillion dollar business.
Like all beauty books, the author starts with a brief history of beauty trends, starting with the ancient Egyptians. He quickly gets to the modern age, though, giving brief bios of Helena Rubenstein and Charles Revson’s Revlon, who brought beauty products out of the kitchens of women and into a prominent place in the western world. With the advent of movies, makeup became something that was necessary for women to look their best, not something only fallen women wore. Advertising convinced women- and to a lesser extent, men- that perfect skin was necessary for happiness, that a well made up face would ensure success, and that smelling seductive would bring you love.
Only a small fraction of the price of cosmetics is actually spent on materials; packaging, advertising and promotion account for the rest. The cosmetics industry sells us stories, and humans thrive on stories. This perfume will make you feel like you’re walking on a tropical beach. This cream will keep you young forever. While color cosmetics (lipstick, eyes shadow, mascara) are probably the most visible cosmetics, they aren’t the ones with the biggest stories behind them. That you’ll be hip if you wear Urban Decay eye shadow is less of a lie (you can see the effects in your mirror) than the lie that creams that cost over $1000 a jar will make your skin soft, wrinkle free, and young, because it’s hard to verify if the cream is doing the job. In reality, expensive skin creams can do little beyond what the cheap ones do. Society has been changed by marketing to believe that youth, beauty and happiness are available in a bottle.
The book is fast reading; Tungate covers all the trends but does so fairly briefly. Each chapter has the main points in a box at the end, like a text book. It’s a very interesting read if you love sociology. The author amusingly points out that he himself and his wife buy cosmetics, knowing how they are sold to people, for the soothing, hopeful ritual of using them. Cosmetics just make people feel good; if you’re lucky, the feeling lasts. If not, the next advertisement will convince you that the new product is really what you need.
Like all beauty books, the author starts with a brief history of beauty trends, starting with the ancient Egyptians. He quickly gets to the modern age, though, giving brief bios of Helena Rubenstein and Charles Revson’s Revlon, who brought beauty products out of the kitchens of women and into a prominent place in the western world. With the advent of movies, makeup became something that was necessary for women to look their best, not something only fallen women wore. Advertising convinced women- and to a lesser extent, men- that perfect skin was necessary for happiness, that a well made up face would ensure success, and that smelling seductive would bring you love.
Only a small fraction of the price of cosmetics is actually spent on materials; packaging, advertising and promotion account for the rest. The cosmetics industry sells us stories, and humans thrive on stories. This perfume will make you feel like you’re walking on a tropical beach. This cream will keep you young forever. While color cosmetics (lipstick, eyes shadow, mascara) are probably the most visible cosmetics, they aren’t the ones with the biggest stories behind them. That you’ll be hip if you wear Urban Decay eye shadow is less of a lie (you can see the effects in your mirror) than the lie that creams that cost over $1000 a jar will make your skin soft, wrinkle free, and young, because it’s hard to verify if the cream is doing the job. In reality, expensive skin creams can do little beyond what the cheap ones do. Society has been changed by marketing to believe that youth, beauty and happiness are available in a bottle.
The book is fast reading; Tungate covers all the trends but does so fairly briefly. Each chapter has the main points in a box at the end, like a text book. It’s a very interesting read if you love sociology. The author amusingly points out that he himself and his wife buy cosmetics, knowing how they are sold to people, for the soothing, hopeful ritual of using them. Cosmetics just make people feel good; if you’re lucky, the feeling lasts. If not, the next advertisement will convince you that the new product is really what you need.
January 19, 2016
3 stars
This book is only going to be interesting to you if you already have an interest in both marketing and beauty (probably with more emphasis on the marketing side). I read it a few years out of date, but the main components of this book are relatively timeless. Mark Tungate does a deep dive among major beauty retailers and brands, looking at how they were founded, what marketing tactics made them successful and what trends are expected to be popular one day.
The major strength of this book is the rich history Tungate uncovers. Or maybe rich isn't the right word, but it's very thorough without giving me data overload. Some brands were more interesting to me than others, and I took a careful interest in the brands I actually work with. But I was surprised to realize how much the founding principles still impact mega-conglomerates today. As a marketing professional working with a lot of these brands, I also appreciated some of the working culture insights Tungate shared. You can tell he actually talked with people who work at these companies.
What felt really lacking here, though, was a connected narrative. Each chapter focused too much on the history of a certain brand but never really funneled back to a main thesis. When trying to write the intro to this review I realized I can't even tell you the main thesis, not really. I suppose it was that beauty marketing impacts us all, but there was no proof of that and very little discussion on the subject. I wanted something a little more impactful and meaningful, something that would move the conversation, but what I got was a really useful but still flat description of all the major brands' backstories.
If you're working with major beauty brands in marketing, this is a useful read. At worst you'll probably get more insight into company culture at each brand. Despite my criticism, there are still some really wonderful nuggets that I highlighted for my own work in the space.
This book is only going to be interesting to you if you already have an interest in both marketing and beauty (probably with more emphasis on the marketing side). I read it a few years out of date, but the main components of this book are relatively timeless. Mark Tungate does a deep dive among major beauty retailers and brands, looking at how they were founded, what marketing tactics made them successful and what trends are expected to be popular one day.
The major strength of this book is the rich history Tungate uncovers. Or maybe rich isn't the right word, but it's very thorough without giving me data overload. Some brands were more interesting to me than others, and I took a careful interest in the brands I actually work with. But I was surprised to realize how much the founding principles still impact mega-conglomerates today. As a marketing professional working with a lot of these brands, I also appreciated some of the working culture insights Tungate shared. You can tell he actually talked with people who work at these companies.
What felt really lacking here, though, was a connected narrative. Each chapter focused too much on the history of a certain brand but never really funneled back to a main thesis. When trying to write the intro to this review I realized I can't even tell you the main thesis, not really. I suppose it was that beauty marketing impacts us all, but there was no proof of that and very little discussion on the subject. I wanted something a little more impactful and meaningful, something that would move the conversation, but what I got was a really useful but still flat description of all the major brands' backstories.
If you're working with major beauty brands in marketing, this is a useful read. At worst you'll probably get more insight into company culture at each brand. Despite my criticism, there are still some really wonderful nuggets that I highlighted for my own work in the space.
January 8, 2018
The majority of this book consists of surprisingly interesting histories of the famous names in the cosmetics industry – Elizabeth Arden, L’Oreal, Revlon, etc. These segments are well-told and the stories of the founding figures of the powerhouse beauty brands today show that these companies were not started as much by chemists and dermatologists as by salesmen and women.
With less focus on the products and more on the selling, it’s no surprise that modern beauty companies keep finding new ways to make us feel inferior and – surprise! – happen to have just the product we need to fix that new-found problem. The lack of transparency in product development, manufacturing, advertising, and corporate relationships is a real danger to consumers – much of the information about mergers and ownership in this book was a surprise to me. It’s not fair to think you’re supporting sustainable manufacturing for cosmetics only to discover that the company whose products you buy is owned by a giant worldwide conglomerate who you’ve been boycotting for child labor in garment shops or unfair farming practices in food production.
This is a fascinating history of and glimpse into the modern beauty industry. If you like books like Why We Buy, this is a great one to look at for an industry-specific view.
With less focus on the products and more on the selling, it’s no surprise that modern beauty companies keep finding new ways to make us feel inferior and – surprise! – happen to have just the product we need to fix that new-found problem. The lack of transparency in product development, manufacturing, advertising, and corporate relationships is a real danger to consumers – much of the information about mergers and ownership in this book was a surprise to me. It’s not fair to think you’re supporting sustainable manufacturing for cosmetics only to discover that the company whose products you buy is owned by a giant worldwide conglomerate who you’ve been boycotting for child labor in garment shops or unfair farming practices in food production.
This is a fascinating history of and glimpse into the modern beauty industry. If you like books like Why We Buy, this is a great one to look at for an industry-specific view.
November 5, 2011
As a lifelong avid consumer of beauty products, *I* am this book's market . . . and I loved it. It's a stellar example of non-fiction--just good journalism and engaging, clean writing. I would use excerpts of it if needed to teach expository writing. It is excruciatingly well researched, with chapter notes and an bibliography (but no index.) Mr Tungate takes us along with him as he visits the scientists and marketers that enable our beauty, inserting himself into the story in little episodes so we can experience what he does.
Much of the earlier stories of the founding of the great houses were familiar (Elizabeth Arden and Estee Lauder, for instance.) There are many more; the stories of Anita Roddick and Max Factor are not as oft-told. The trends, fads, failures, and future of the cosmetics industry is covered. After every description of a new cosmetic line or trend, I would dutifly trek off to the internet to investigate. (I must admit, as a Baby Boomer, I skipped the chapter on tattoos. I've seen more than my share already.)
Although the clever cover, resembling a magazine ad, seems to be saying, "Look under this facade to see the ugly interior of the beauty industry revealed, this is not an expose. We can enter and leave the world of beauty brands with our illusions intact.
Much of the earlier stories of the founding of the great houses were familiar (Elizabeth Arden and Estee Lauder, for instance.) There are many more; the stories of Anita Roddick and Max Factor are not as oft-told. The trends, fads, failures, and future of the cosmetics industry is covered. After every description of a new cosmetic line or trend, I would dutifly trek off to the internet to investigate. (I must admit, as a Baby Boomer, I skipped the chapter on tattoos. I've seen more than my share already.)
Although the clever cover, resembling a magazine ad, seems to be saying, "Look under this facade to see the ugly interior of the beauty industry revealed, this is not an expose. We can enter and leave the world of beauty brands with our illusions intact.
July 16, 2016
"Across many ages and cultures, women painted their lips and darkened their lashes. They attempted to whiten their skin long before Fair & Lovely was created. Their desire to appear more beautiful can be attributes to many things -- status, sexual selection, even empowerment -- but it cannot be entirely ascribed to pressure from male-dominated cosmetic companies abetted by a misogynistic media."
Although an interesting read, this book often had me eye-rolling at the author's dramatic depictions of the beauty industry-- many times sounding like a whiny high schooler. I agree with many of his criticisms and skepticisms of the industry, however his delivery of the material left me wishing for a more professional read.
Although an interesting read, this book often had me eye-rolling at the author's dramatic depictions of the beauty industry-- many times sounding like a whiny high schooler. I agree with many of his criticisms and skepticisms of the industry, however his delivery of the material left me wishing for a more professional read.
August 1, 2015
I loved this book. As a marketing student, understanding the impact of marketing in our lives was never discussed with much critical thinking beyond the obvious which is getting into the target's mind, make him buy and profit. This book was really eye opening about how manipulated we can be and factually are without having a clue. If more people new about how really the beauty industry works and what they sell we would be harder to please and demand more transparency. Mark Tungate really knows how to write in a way that feels exciting to read. Also recommend Brandwashed if you are interested about the world of marketing/advertising.
August 15, 2016
Between the setup of this book (starting with history then marketing, then both) and the publisher's printing decision to put a double space after every paragraph, this was a very long read. In addition, each paragraph was very short so what should have been a quick book to get through was a laborious task and full of displeasure. The author was seemingly catty in his analysis as well as gossipy, so much so that I couldn't take him seriously most of the time. A lot of his ideas weren't referenced earlier within the writing but toward the back they were. It just felt rushed or disjointed and strange. In short, I kept thinking to myself, "I should stop reading this." But I didn't. I wasted time and made myself frustrated.
November 17, 2011
This is a very interesting and very well written book about beauty and its industry. The story of H. Rubinstein, Boots, Revlon and Chanel plus many more, the evolution of cosmetic science and surgery, the everlasting research for non-aging skin and the metrosexual revolution, all is written here and gives you a good inside view in a blasting and neverending Beauty Businness.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND KOGAN PAGE FOR THE PREVIEW!
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND KOGAN PAGE FOR THE PREVIEW!
November 2, 2012
A very insightful book on the marketing history of some of the biggest beauty brands in the world. It's mostly a factual book with a few subjective opinions by the author. A very engaging and informative read, it's also pretty inspiring for every aspiring marketer. Who knew Revlon had such a great history behind it?
August 16, 2013
The first few chapters were interesting (spiced with impressive facts) and covered the actual reason why most of us read the book. Coming closer to the end was just like reading facts from Wikipedia and did not much answered the "How marketing changed the way we look" promise of the tittle.
A good book to waste time in the long subway ride from work to home and vice versa.
A good book to waste time in the long subway ride from work to home and vice versa.
January 9, 2016
Not a quick or easy read, but a well-written text book that I'm so glad to have encountered. I feel so much more knowledgeable about the history of the big drugstore conglomerates as well as high end designer lines. The manufacture, regulations, and simple mental boost the cosmetic industry is involved in was really interesting to learn more about.
June 2, 2012
Starts off with brief, narrative bios of major players in the cosmetics industry, then transitions into discussions of trends and themes. Really too tidbit-y and observational/anecdotal to be informative; would have been good as a long-form essay.
December 31, 2019
Excellent historical account and background of many beauty companies. Always fascinating to read how these companies got started and the people behind them. Some hints as to where the industry could go in the future but not much, mostly backward looking.
February 9, 2012
really interesting history on beauty products and big names in the industry. tungate did a nice job of humanizing the different global companies. i learned a lot!
October 8, 2012
This book really taught me a lot about the history of beauty, it was interesting and really well-written.
October 19, 2012
Very interesting, but not interesting enough to finish reading.
November 12, 2012
Interesting history of the cosmetics and pharmaceutial industries from a business perspective.
July 6, 2014
Really interesting read. I'd prefer a bit more in-depth look at beauty industry.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews