Stila has turned 30 and is refreshed, refocused and ready to shine again
Stila is back. Not that it ever went away. But in its 30th year the US-founded cosmetics brand is refreshed, refocused and ready to get back out into the market and reclaim its position as one of the best in multitasking make-up.
Readers of a certain vintage will remember when Stila burst on to the beauty market in the 90s with its distinctive branding centred on whimsical illustrations and a line-up of products that quickly became cult must-haves, such as the Plumping Lip Glazes, Convertible Color compacts for lip and cheek, and the Kitten eye-shadow (a universal champagne pink shade that is a best-seller to this day). Its Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner is the stuff of legend and is number one in its category in the market.
For many young consumers back in the day, Stila was the first "premium" cosmetics brand they invested in (though prices have always remained relatively affordable ranging today from around £16 to £36) and make-up artists everywhere found room in their kits for its products.
Stila was founded by make-up artist Jeanine Lobell and first arrived in the UK in 1994. It left again in 2006 after a change of strategic direction, following its sale by The Estée Lauder Companies to a private equity company. However six years after its exit, it made the decision to return to these shores and distributor Glorious Brands, then newly established by founder Tracy Moores, was asked if it would consider taking on the role of reigniting the flame here.
Moores did not need to be asked twice. "Of course this was an incredibly exciting opportunity for a young company like ours, and we persuaded Stila’s management that we had the passion and the skill to bring the brand back to the UK market," she recalls. "There was so much excitement. Our first press event was a huge success – even our PR company were surprised at the fantastic response – and we quickly signed deals with Boots and Harvey Nichols. Those deals attracted a lot of retailer attention, and helped us to roll Stila out across the UK; both online and with other major store groups like M&S."
Despite this success, the affection for the brand and a steady stream of product innovation, it has felt as thought the Stila has been somewhat quiet in recent years. The beauty landscape has changed dramatically since it first arrived with new brands, often fronted by celebrities and social media stars, launching constantly. In addition it's now TikTok and not shops that drive demand. It felt like Stila, which has always been a great brand with fantastic products, has got a bit lost in the noise. On top of that, the pandemic dampened demand for colour cosmetics, in which Stila is expert. But the desire for colour is now back with a vengeance and Stila intends to capitalise.
"We are now seeing renewed excitement among customers, press, and media who are eager to embrace and experiment with great products and vibrant colours once again. This resurgence in interest has led to significant growth in the category, prompting the brand to increase its investment. New product launches, marketing campaigns and innovative colour palettes are being introduced to capitalise on this upward trend," explains Moores.
On top of this Stila has a brand new CEO and she is raring to go. Michelle Kluz is a seasoned CEO and Stila superfan. This CEO role is her fifth and her CV includes names such as Pure Barre, Boston Consulting Group and Australia's Honey Birdette and Lovisa. "When I was called for the role to run Stila, I was tickled pink. " she says, "I’ve been a customer of Stila since the early aughts!"
Tracy Moores (l) and Michelle Kluz
"Stila is one of those brands that almost everyone knows and loves but may not have thought about in a while… or they buy one or two products but are not aware of our innovation launches. I knew that I could take that truly authentic love for the brand and reinvigorate interest in the brand by making it relevant and visible again. I couldn’t have done it if the products weren’t truly best in class or if the brand was unloved, but fortunately, I felt Stila was a diamond that just needed a little polishing to make it shine brightly again. And that polishing wasn’t an entire brand revamp, but careful pivots to make sure we were serving our customers as well as we could and creating a dialogue, or a connection, with our brand fans and bringing in new fans that don’t remember Stila in its earlier days," Kluz says of the opportunity she saw with the brand.
She admits the brand went through a "quiet" period, at least in comparison to its peers in the market, but many products were still performing well. "During this 'quiet' period, we’ve remained the #1 liquid eyeliner! I suppose you could call us a sleeper hit. But seriously, in the early days, there was a tremendous amount of investment in marketing initiatives and many first-to-market products, and over the past decade, the brand had moved away a bit from this. We were always launching newness, but we weren’t as loud about it. Now we have a stable and stellar team that won’t let Stila be quiet any longer."
Before shouting about the new Stila message, Kluz and team undertook an exercise to ensure the brand tone and values were clear and consistent across all platforms. "We went through an exercise last year so that our values, products, and brand voice all embody the same message. First and foremost, we are an artistry brand so high performance is a key attribute. Beyond that, we are innovative, creative, spirited, and authentic. But we are also inviting and feminine – a counterpoint to many of the harder edged, minimalistic, and more urban brands we compete against. I love our new tagline 'We see the artist in you'. Everything we do is geared towards this," she says.
As well as the new tagline there has also been some NPD. In keeping with the multitasking ethos that is at the heart of the Stila proposition, Blush & Bronze has been launched combining blush, bronze and contour in one neat stick. It is also building on its market-leading position in liquid liner with the new Stay All Day Smudge & Set Waterproof Gel Eye Liner which promises the perfect line, plus the best smudginess and blending as a shadow (more shades of its original Gel Eye Liner have also been introduced). Finally, a Heaven’s Hue Hydro-Luminator has been introduced, which can be applied in multiple different ways to highlight the skin.
"We look at trends, how certain product categories are performing, and where we have 'right to play' to help us determine our product development," explains Kluz. "Recently, we launched our Blush & Bronze hydroblur cheek duos – blush is a huge trend and we hadn’t launched a new one in awhile. This little multi-tasker recently won a Cosmopolitan Holy Grail award and we couldn’t be prouder. We’ve also recently launched our summer shades of liquid eyeliner. Because we’re the leading liquid eyeliner brand, we always want to offer fun and trendy shades. The product development cycle often takes 18 months and I’ve been in the role for about two years, so there’s a lot more things I’ve been working on with the team that will be launching soon!"
According to Moores, the introduction of new vibrant colours across the brand's product portfolio has been key to the renewed excitement. "The heightened focus on colour is not only revitalising the brand but also capturing the imagination of beauty enthusiasts and industry influencers alike. The enthusiasm from these key groups has generated a buzz that extends beyond traditional advertising, fostering an organic growth and word-of-mouth promotion that is invaluable in today's market. As a result, the brand is poised for sustained success and innovation in the vibrant colour category," she says.
The NPD has been backed up with a comprehensive approach to marketing, explains Moores: "Enhanced marketing strategies, including influencer collaborations and social media campaigns, have been deployed to engage and inspire the audience. These efforts have successfully reinvigorated the brand’s image, aligning it with the current cultural emphasis on self-expression and creativity through make-up."
This has been vital as Stila had been something of a laggard when it came to social media. The brand needed to get on board not just to engage new customers but to re-engage former fans of the brand too. Kluz says: "When I took the reins at Stila, we did not have a TikTok presence, and we were not posting on YouTube. Because we found that so many younger customers use those channels to find out about brands – as well as learn beauty tips – it’s the best way to get a new customer base on board. We haven’t forgotten about our loyalists: We exist because of them! But we try to create content that is relevant and engaging for different kinds of customers and we vary it by platform. I hate when brands think that they can be all things to all people – while our brand tone and voice remains the same regardless of platform, the content DOES vary, and that’s an easy way to balance both."
Vibrant colours are key to the new strategy
The UK is key to Stila's revival plans, adds Kluz: "The UK is a priority market for us. First, we’ve partnered with our UK team for 13 years, so we truly understand each other. Second, the UK market is very influential globally. Therefore, we will be conducting more events and working on additional distribution opportunities to create more buzz and more destinations for Stila fans across the UK."
Glorious Brands' Moores also sees an opportunity for growth in the market she oversees, particularly given Stila's broad appeal amid customers new and old. "When a brand spans multiple generations, there is always an opportunity to introduce it to new retailers," says Moores. "For us this involves creating an edited product range tailored specifically to the unique preferences and needs of a particular retailer’s customer base. By doing this we can make sure that the brand keeps its core identity while appealing to a broader audience and meeting the demands of different market segments."
It's clear Kluz has brought a new energy with her and the results are starting to be clear. Moores, for one, is excited: "With Michelle at the helm we feel that the future of the brand has been secured. Michelle has hired an experienced leadership team who are ambitious for the brand’s future, bringing a wealth of knowledge and innovative ideas to the table. This strategic move has instilled a sense of confidence and excitement within the company, as we anticipate new opportunities and continued growth under their guidance. The combined ability and forward-thinking vision of the team promise a bright and prosperous future, reinforcing our faith in the direction Michelle is steering the brand."
As Kluz says, she's been with the brand for two years and NPD takes 18 months so we are just starting to see the beginnings of her vision coming through. Word has it the brand is also open to relaunching some beloved products from that past that have since been discontinued. "People tell me all the time that they miss some of the old colours of Convertible Colour, Plumping Lip Glaze, and eyeshadow palettes. I can’t give up all of our secrets… but stay tuned!" says Kluz. What she will say is that she intends to build on the key categories of eyes, lips and face.
But as for the wider business she says: "My top focus area is to continue to build a high-performance team internally and a great culture – I firmly believe that successful businesses start there. On the external front, we are going to be making a much bigger splash than we’ve been."
Our favourite Stila products...
Tracey Moores, founder and CEO, Glorious Brands
"Convertible Color; as I’ve grown older it has become my go-to product for achieving a fresh and natural look. Its multi-purpose versatility allows it to be used both as a blush and a lip colour, making it a staple in my make-up routine. And I have to mention Stay All Day Eyeliner again. I would challenge anyone to find a better eye liner. It provides a rich, deep black finish that lasts all day without smudging. The precision tip allows for easy application, whether you're going for a subtle line or a dramatic cat-eye."
Stila Stay All Day Eyeliner
Michelle Kluz, CEO, Stila
"I’ve always been a fan of the liquid eyeliner, basically since it launched all the way back in 2009. I have to admit: I’ve cheated on Stila and tried others (prior to taking the reins), but I always came back to it – it truly is #1 for a reason! Since joining, I’ve fallen in love with the Gel Lip Oils and the pencil eyeliner Smudgesticks, too. I’ve been stacking my eyeliner and wearing both the smudgesticks and liquid eyeliner together. Recently, I tested out our newest eyeliners by running a half marathon in them and was pleased as punch that they didn’t smudge a bit in the heat and during a fast pace! Someday, I won’t be the Stila CEO anymore, but I’ll never abandon our eyeliners. They LITERALLY go the distance."
Stila Convertible Color
Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, TheIndustry.beauty
"Stila was the make-up brand I turned to when I first starting working in the mid-90s. It holds a special place in my heart and to this day I miss the Convertible Eye Color in Stone. It was the perfect brown eye pen at one end and a co-ordinating eye shadow with a little foam applicator at the other. I used to buy two or three at a time and I'm hoping it's on the resurrection list for new CEO Michelle Kluz. Berry Lip Glaze was also another bulk buy; this colour is no longer in the line-up, so again am dropping a big hint here... Mercifully my third must-have Convertible Color lip and cheek in Peony is still in the range and still in my make-up bag more than 25 years after I first discovered it."
