Tween and teen makeup brand Petite ‘n Pretty is in-step with the larger trend of color cosmetics companies moving into skin care.
On Monday, the 3-year-old brand debuted its Fresh Start Cleanser and Fresh Start Moisturizer for $16 and $18, respectively on its e-commerce site and with retail partners like Ulta Beauty. The items will be available in full- and travel- size, as well within gift sets. The line was formulated with children in mind, and is cruelty-free, vegan and clean.
In March, Petite ‘n Pretty will launch additional skin-care products to further diversify its makeup assortment. Samantha Cutler, founder and CEO of Petite ‘n Pretty, expects skin care to account for 30% of its sales this year, and she is hopeful it will become 50% of sales as it grows. The company’s sales were up 300% last year, and Cutler expects them to increase another 150% in 2021.
“There is not a good skin-care brand formulated for children. We’ve spent the last two years working with chemists to make sure that our skin care and is made with the gentlest ingredients for an ultra-clean formula that make sense for kids. We went above and beyond, and made sure that it’s nut-free and also visually appealing,” said Cutler.
Cutler said that moisturizer was the No. 1 requested product by current customers’ mothers and grandmothers, and that teens and tweens were resorting to more mature brands like Tatcha or Morphe. The latter has recently made attempts to reach younger Gen Z shoppers with Morphe 2, which includes no-makeup makeup products and skin care. While acne care is a growing segment for Gen-Z beauty lovers, Cutler said the brand’s initial offering is meant to satisfy all members of its 4- to 18-year-old target.
When asked about growing competition, Cutler said she believes Petite ‘n Pretty has built-in authority with teens and tweens — and its ongoing.
“Millie Bobby Brown has, like, 40 million followers [42.7 million], and [her brand] does a good job, but she’s going to get older. That Millie Bobby Brown brand will evolve and so will the demographic, whereas moms and kids know we’re all about them.”
Though makeup usage continues to trend downward, Petite ‘n Pretty has had success establishing digital awareness and connection. Throughout last year, it hosted several virtual beauty bootcamps with 40 teens and tweens per class. The $150-ticket events, which offered a mix of a a makeup masterclasses and social media training sessions, had approximately 350 total signups. The brand plans to host more digital events beginning this summer, after schools wrap. About 42% of Petite ‘n Pretty sales are via its own e-commerce channel.
