Business Desk: The Beauty Playbook Everyone Is Copying

Jessica Matlin (0:00)

This episode is made possible by our friends at Front Row, a growth partner helping brands lead on marketplaces and win in commerce. With a world-class team that's already scaling some of the biggest names in global beauty on Amazon across the US and EU, and with a growing presence in Seoul, Front Row is bringing that same expertise directly to K-beauty brands looking to grow globally.

Hey everyone, welcome to Fat Mascara. Today, I am with the fabulous Michelle Lee, the Chief Brand Officer from Front Row, and she is also the former Editor-in-Chief of Allure. Michelle is really, I mean, she is just a beauty phenomenon. She's also the preeminent expert on all things K-beauty in my mind, and really she just gives so much wisdom in this episode. I really think you're going to enjoy this. We're talking about all things K-beauty in this episode. We're talking about why K-beauty is just this topic that we talk for quite a bit on this, but I felt like we could have made this a double feature. We're going to be talking about virality, if it really is all it's cracked up to be. We're going to be talking about misconceptions about K-beauty. We're going to be talking about what makes K-beauty K-beauty, and I think you're going to be really surprised with the answer. The beauty trend that people are not talking about yet, I'm just going to let Michelle take it away, because honestly, this episode answered so many questions, but also left me with some new ones. So Michelle, we're going to have to have you back. I absolutely love talking to her. Thank you so much Front Row for welcoming me into your gorgeous office and just giving us so much access to all this information. Thank you so much guys. Enjoy the episode.

Michelle Lee (1:44)

How are you? I'm good.

Jessica Matlin (1:45)

Welcome to Fat Mascara. I'm so happy to be here in your home, your place of work.

Michelle Lee (1:53)

I know. Doesn't it feel very homey?

Jessica Matlin (1:54)

I have to say this office is gorgeous and you look great. You're here on a beautiful, beautiful sunny day, and I've seen you in so many different capacities. I mean, we both have an editorial background. We're both doing all kinds of different things. For those who don't know me, I'm the former beauty director of Harper's Bazaar, Teen Vogue, and retailer Moda Operandi, and I am sitting across from the multi, multi, multi-talented Michelle Lee.

Michelle Lee (2:20)

So nice to see you. I was trying to remember, I was on Fat Mascara years ago. I'm sure it was when I was at Allure, but so much has happened for both of us since then.

Jessica Matlin (2:28)

Yes. We've done a lot of different things, and I want to talk to you here at Front Row about a topic that has, I mean, since we were both on the purely editorial side, K-Beauty has, I was thinking about this on the way here. There is no other phenomenon in beauty that I can even create a parallel to. It's not a trend. Sometimes people say K-Beauty trend and I cringe because it's not a trend.

You could call it a category, but that doesn't even really feel accurate because it's not like we're talking about devices or lip gloss. It's a region, but it's also inspired other brands who are not from Korea. It's something much bigger and that's what I want to dig into. It's a phenomenon that other brands are really looking to inform the success of their own business, to either formulate, how they distribute, how they ideate. It's really just a spectacular phenomenon and you really are preeminent expert here. Michelle, are you in Seoul a lot now? I think I saw on Instagram you're going back and forth.

Michelle Lee (3:37)

I am in Seoul so much. I call it sort of home away from home at this point. For the past year and a half, I've been there pretty much every other month, and so I'll go for quite a while, usually about 10 days at a time.

Most of my time has been spent meeting with lots and lots of brands. I obviously do all the skin clinics too while I'm there.

Jessica Matlin (3:55)

Sounds fabulous.

Michelle Lee (3:56)

But yes, we're in the process right now, a front row of setting up a soul-based operation, and we are so highly invested in K-Beauty and just where we really think it's going to go, that we think there's a big opportunity in us helping brands to really establish themselves here in the US and then also in Europe. With Korean brands, the time zone difference can be really tricky.