Like fashion, makeup changes with the season. And just like fashion, makeup trends are decided upon a few years in advance, explains Maybelline’s Assistant Vice President for Global Product Development – Orrea Light. Makeup companies, such as Maybelline, need to know what women will want next season, the season after that and even two or three years from now.
Runway makeup, like the clothes, is known to be very dramatic and exaggerated, but cosmetic companies take these “over the top” looks and create wearable colors and product lines. At Maybelline, it's no different – as the global cosmetic giant is famous for taking most of its inspiration directly from the runway and transforming the current “head turning looks” into dynamic cosmetic collections. As AVP for global product development, Light says her inspiration comes from many sources besides the runway, such as TV and even the streets of New York. From the Upper East Side, to down in Soho and the up and coming trendy area of Williamsburg in Brooklyn – all these neighborhoods represent unique values which inspire products that fit the demands of many different types of women.