Flower Beauty Fridays // A New Series

July has been hectic! I've completely dropped the blogging ball due to being out of town (and back in my hometown). However, ideas were being mulled and research was being done behind the scenes.


Hard at work doing research.

I have decided to do another brand series. This time, the series will focus on a brand on the lower end of the price spectrum as I slowly but surely continue to warm up to drugstore cosmetics. Because I appreciate alliteration, I present to you Flower Beauty Fridays. This series will run for five weeks.
Flower Beauty is the brainchild of actress (mother, producer/director, wearer of many hats), Drew Barrymore. A cosmetics enthusiast from a young age, Barrymore released the line in Wal-Mart stores in early 2013 after being inspired by her years as a CoverGirl ambassador. Barrymore wanted to create a line of high quality cosmetics at an accessible price point, noting that marketing and high-end names drive up product costs significantly. With no marketing strategy other than word of mouth, Flower Beauty became an instant success due in large part to Barrymore's star power.

Though admittedly star power is what drew me to it, Barrymore proves that this isn't just another celebrity beauty endeavor. It is a carefully curated, well-thought out collection of products clearly created by the hands of a makeup enthusiast. As the owner of Flower Beauty, she lends more than just her name and image to the brand. She is involved in the business and retains major creative control over the products and direction of the company. In so doing, Barrymore ensures that the brand embodies her ideals and who she is. The products are made in the US, not tested on animals, and are accessible to customers of all means. Her hard work and dedication has resulted in a full-fledged beauty brand which contains hundreds of color cosmetics products.

At first, I was miffed that the line was being released only to Wal-Mart stores as I only shop there occasionally and do so purely out of necessity. (#teamtarget) However, when I realized the reasoning behind the move was to give more consumers access to the products, I was willing to put retail politics aside. Having grown up in a rural area (where I am visiting as I write), I understand completely the inability to have the things you want and need readily available to you. While we definitely believe in shopping locally (as we tend to know personally the mom and pops that run the smaller retailers), the draw of a larger retailer is an unavoidable convenience in modern times. The Wal-Mart in our local area is the closest and largest major retailer, so we are limited in our choices until we have time to make the 45-minute trip to the city, or unless we rely on the mysteries of online shopping. Placing the brand in Wal-Mart stores reaches both the urban and rural consumer.

In addition to the "geopolitical" factor, I can appreciate that the items are available at a Wal-Mart price point. While there is some truth to the adage "you get what you pay for", Flower products are formulated with the same ingredients as luxury makeup. The budget leftover from marketing is put into the products themselves yielding a high quality product at a mass-market price. We all like an indulgence from time to time, and I willingly admit my allegiance to high end cosmetics, but this line proves that good makeup doesn't have to come at a high price. While a celebrity face helps to sell products and makes consumers feel inspired, at the heart of it we purchase cosmetics because we wish to take pride in our appearance. This quest shouldn't have to be exclusive or indulgent, but something that is attainable by all.

I've long been a fan of Barrymore's California-cool style, so I'm easily persuaded to try anything she endorses or creates. Any chance I have to emulate her natural beauty and bohemian style, I take it! I have been very pleased with the items I have tried from the line and look forward to picking up more...for the sake of research of course! Stay tuned as I brave the aisles of Wal-Mart to find the hidden Hollywood gems of Flower Beauty.