Six years after its debut, Versed, the affordable beauty brand launched by Katherine Power, is launching at 300 Ulta Beauty doors on July 7. It is available on Ultabeauty.com as of July 1.
The move comes on the heels of the brand’s introduction of color cosmetics in February, when it introduced a makeup collection with 14 new products at Target, which, apart from its DTC site, has been its sole retailer for the duration of its existence.
When Versed launched, Power said, it was a “major disruption” to the aesthetics of mass skin care. “It was Aveeno, Oil of Olay, Neutrogena and Burt’s Bees — those were the brands we were sitting among,” she said, pointing to Versed’s more shelfie-worthy packaging.
In December, Versed rebranded — an exercise that Power believes every brand should undertake about every five years — simplifying its look and stripping away some color. “Our customer has grown up quite a bit. She has evolved. She’s older and more sophisticated, and we wanted to reflect that in the packaging and bring that elevated look to market.”
To amplify its retail expansion via Ulta, Versed is making its largest-ever investment in influencer marketing. It is partnering with 14 creators, including makeup artist Kelli Anne Sewell (345,000 Instagram followers), with whom it is hosting a consumer-facing masterclass in Chicago on July 23.
It is a good time for the brand to expand beyond Target. In January, it announced it would pull back on DEI initiatives, resulting in a widespread consumer boycott. Target’s first-quarter earnings and revenue came in below Wall Street’s expectations, with sales dropping nearly 3% year over year. Transactions across its stores and website also fell, declining by 2.4%. Ulta, on the other hand, saw a 4.5% net sales increase to $2.8 billion for the first quarter.
“Ulta is where prestige and accessibility meet, and that’s very aligned with the Versed brand,” said Power. She noted that Ulta shoppers will be able to test and swatch products in-store, allowing Versed to gather data on shade gaps and other customer preferences through conversations between sales associates and shoppers. “With skin care, you don’t need to test anything. … You’re buying off of ingredients or word of mouth or promised results. But with color, our customers want to swatch. They want to touch and feel,” she said.
The Ulta Beauty shopper differs from the Target shopper in that she is much more focused on beauty, said Lola Gonzalez, Versed’s vp of creative. “She’s a beauty enthusiast. She’s there because she is looking for something new to try, or she’s restocking her favorites. The Ulta customer gives us an opportunity to talk about beauty in a more specific way. Meanwhile, our Target consumer, who is still our main focus, is there for her entire life. She may be coming in to find us, or she may be coming in to buy household necessities.” Target will continue to carry a larger assortment of Versed’s collection.
Power noted that Versed’s makeup assortment supports customers who also have sensitive or troubled skin. “We’ve always been extremely careful with our formulations to make sure we’re not creating something that would cause inflammation or pore clogging or trigger acne or rosacea or eczema. A lot of the SKUs that have taken off are products that solve real skin care challenges,” she said. “So, when entering the color space, it made sense to double down on this customer segment that wants this [makeup] look but [also has] these skin-care issues.” To that end, the brand’s Skin Solution Multi-Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 is certified by the National Rosacea Society, and its Skin Soak Rich Moisture Cream has approval from the National Eczema Association.
Creators tapped for the brand’s launch campaign include Dara Levitan (452,000 TikTok followers), Jordyn Woodruff (431,000 TikTok followers), Fatou Fall (276,000 TikTok followers) and Angela Park (209,000 TikTok followers). Versed’s influencer team made sure to include creators who have spoken about struggling with skin sensitivity. Their posts will begin to go live on July 7, as Versed hits Ulta’s IRL doors.
Sewell is also part of the campaign. Power noted that it is rare for mass brands to have masterclass moments. “It was really important to us that we did something to showcase the products in real life, now that we do have an opportunity to drive people into stores to test the product,” she said.
In further support of the launch, Versed is seeding to 2,000 creators two of its hero skin-care products — its Day Dissolve Cleansing Balm and its Good Defense Daily Sunscreen SPF 50 PA++++ — plus one of its color sticks (blush, highlighter or bronzer) and its Lip Serum.
Makeup has been a huge hit for Versed. The brand’s 4-month-old skin tint has been a standout, outpacing its sales projections by 350% at Target. Its skin tint, blush, concealer and lip blush have all sold out three times on the brand’s DTC site, according to the company.
