MAKE UP FOR EVER Launching Foundation Nation Campaign

MAKE UP FOR EVER, the Paris based professional makeup brand coveted by top industry artists, is launching Foundation Nation, a campaign to help women everywhere address the most common foundation makeup challenges. The brand has commissioned The NPD Group, Inc., a global information company, to conduct a comprehensive study on foundation, the #1 makeup subcategory in the U.S. according to The NPD Group, Inc., BeautyTrends , 2012 annual sales report.

MAKE UP FOR EVER's study* revealed that 73 percent of women say it's challenging to find the right foundation. The #1 challenge associated with foundation itself is finding the right shade, according to 54 percent of women polled. It also found that 62 percent of women have problems applying foundation, and 52 percent stated that they aren't using a tool during application, which is likely to be causing at least part of their issues. Lastly, 72 percent of women admitted that they do not change their foundation shade each season, even though skin coloring can change by up to four shades at different times of the year and cause a noticeable foundation mismatch.

"We are not surprised that the study identifies shade matching as the biggest foundation concern among women, but as a brand that values education and empowerment, we don't want to simply offer a one size fits all solution to this challenge," said JP McCary, General Manager of MAKE UP FOR EVER, The Americas. "MAKE UP FOR EVER is setting out to teach women how to solve all their foundation concerns by choosing the right formula, the right shade, using the right application technique and the right tool, regardless of the brand they choose to buy."

As the leader in makeup education, MAKE UP FOR EVER is hosting more than 100 events at Sephora stores across the U.S. and Canada from September 20 th through October 5 th to help women learn how to solve their biggest foundation challenges. During the events, the brand's professional artists will be on-hand for complimentary 15 minute foundation lessons to empower women to put their most flawless face forward. During each one-on-one session, artists will help clients "diagnose" their biggest foundation issue and then learn how to solve it by teaching proper complexion application techniques. A makeup artist will do one-half of the client's face, and then have the client do the other half in order to learn how to do it on her own. This proprietary education technique was developed by the brand and is taught in their Make Up Schools across the country. Everyone will also be matched for their ideal foundation based on undertones, skin type, desired coverage level and finish. For those unable to attend an event, MAKE UP FOR EVER has created a tutorial video that demonstrates how to solve some of these top issues, as well as a complexion quiz.

"Brands continue to expand their shade range and introduce advanced new formulas to meet the needs of every consumer, but despite the wide selection 73 percent of women who use foundation say it's challenging to find the right one, perhaps due to a lack of foundation education," remarked Karen Grant, Vice President and Global Beauty Industry Analyst for The NPD Group, Inc. "We have been noticing a trend of brands offering in-store education, online tutorials, and shade matching tools to better inform the consumers."

For more information on Foundation Nation, please visit www.makeupforeverusa.com.

*Source: Proprietary Consumer Study Conducted for MAKE UP FOR EVER by The NPD Group, Inc.

About MAKE UP FOR EVER
For more than 25 years, MAKE UP FOR EVER has been the go-to color brand for beauty professionals and makeup enthusiasts around the world. Created by renowned Parisian makeup artist Dany Sanz, who was originally a painter and sculptor, MAKE UP FOR EVER is at the forefront of high-performance, innovative makeup with vibrant shades and truly long-lasting formulas. Sanz sought to develop an all-encompassing makeup line for fashion and show-business professionals that contained every kind of product, texture and color needed to achieve any effect a makeup artist could desire. Shortly after developing the line, Sanz opened the first MAKE UP FOR EVER boutique at 5 rue la Boetie in Paris, where it still remains today. The range is sold in more than 50 countries and currently counts over 1,400 products, including foundations, eye shadows, lipsticks, gloss, body make up, eyeliner pencils, loose powders, cleansers, brushes, faux eyelashes, glitter and more. Follow us on Facebook: @MAKEUPFOREVERUSA, or Twitter: @MAKEUPFOREVERUS.

About The NPD Group, Inc.
The NPD Group provides global information and advisory services to drive better business decisions. By combining unique data assets with unmatched industry expertise, we help our clients track their markets, understand consumers, and drive profitable growth. Sectors covered include automotive, beauty, consumer electronics, entertainment, fashion, food / foodservice, home, luxury, mobile, office supplies, sports, technology, toys, and video games. For more information, visit www.npd.com and npdgroupblog.com. Follow us on Twitter: @npdgroup.