The makeup brand that’s applying fashion concepts to high street beauty, and blowing our minds
Thanks to the likes of Zara, Topshop and Asos, to name just a few fast moving high street stores, we’ve become well accustomed to wearing catwalk trends seemingly moments after they’ve debuted on runways. The same can’t quite be said for beauty, as the slow migration of Asian skincare into the western market testifies, but tides are turning in cosmetic circles, and a new brand with brains from Net-a-Porter, Apple and New Look behind it is leading the charge.
3ina, pronounced ‘mina’, aims to create the most dynamic, responsive and accessible makeup range in the industry, responding to trends quickly by taking products from design to shop floor in a mere four months (a flash in the pan in terms of traditional product development). Having launched with a lineup of 450 products, clearly the 3ina crew mean business.
Offering customers choice, affordability and performance is at the heart of 3ina’s mission, but promoting creativity in beauty is also a big objective. With product development spearheaded by former Kiko and Sephora execs and a particularly innovative creative agency steering brand image and presentation, it’s no surprise that 3ina prizes variety and self-expression over identikit Instagram-fuelled beauty rules and one-size-fits-all colour palettes. Instead, shades range from vibrant to neutral (think 9 colour options for mascara, 12 for eyeliner and 13 for lipgloss) and campaign imagery promotes not only racial diversity, but also experimentation in the makeup stakes.
Looks are bold, graphic, fresh and inspiring, and while they do seem tailored towards a younger demographic, the rich colour payoff, reasonable price points and versatility of products on offer leaves no one out in terms of cosmetic appeal. Basically, 3ina is innovating at ground level, which is both exhilarating and much needed in the beauty space. Anti-formulaic, stylish and looking to the future in terms of bringing consumers what they want, the brand soon aims to sell products via an app as well as online. Do head down to their sweetshop of a flagship store in Covent Garden for a playtime if you can, however. My standout favourites from the range currently are the lipsticks and silky eyeliners; the only let down has been the slightly streaky nail polishes, but that could simply be impatience re: application on my part. One niggle out of 450 ain’t bad…
Shop 3ina here
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