Nars: Playful Customisation Palette

With the tagline “inspired by artistry, created for self-expression”, US-based colour cosmetics brand Nars has launched a fully customisable artists’ palette, encouraging consumers to build their own bespoke products.

Colour palettes are a key product category for colour cosmetics brands, but consumers can be put off when a number of shades don’t appeal. My Pro Palette can be built online, with colours cherry-picked from its comprehensive range of eye, cheek, lip, and contouring products, including cult colours such as the Orgasm blusher. See The Economy of Cult Beauty for more on how products achieve cult status.

The shrewd strategy offers up a product portfolio for fans to create their own playful, experimental interpretation of the brand, and taps the consumer desire for products created exclusively by or for them. For more on bespoke beauty offerings, see Bespoke Beauty: New Retail Strategies.

This type of product offering, which encourages experimentation and artistry, is particularly attractive to teen and young millennial consumers, who use make-up as a tool for transformation and self-expression. For more on this market’s attitudes to beauty, and how brands can capitalise on them, see Teen-Targeted Beauty: Product and Teen-Targeted Beauty: Retail.