Betty Beyene
“I just had to actively put it out into the universe, meditate on it, and put some words and visuals to it. Then it became real.”
Betty is the founder of the product development studio ALEM, which collaborates with emerging and leading brands and offers comprehensive consulting services across diverse product categories, including skin, hair, baby, and body care.
With over two decades of experience helping brands attain their unique versions of success, Betty holds an extensive background involving product lifecycle management, intuitive/innovative design, and generating high yield within the competitive market. She played a pivotal role in revitalizing iconic products like Colour Riche Lipcolour and Voluminous Mascara extensions for L’Oreal Paris, and oversaw critical categories and talent collaborations for M·A·C's product development team.
Subsequently, as the Head of Global Color Product Development at NARS Cosmetics, Betty orchestrated the successful launch of groundbreaking products, including Powermatte Lip Pigment and Climax Mascara, driving substantial growth for the brand.
What's an overused term in beauty and wellness?
I think one of the biggest overused words is “natural.” There is this misconception that natural is just naturally good for you and good for the environment. But it's actually quite the contrary. Working with natural ingredients, there’s so much more risk of skin irritation and adverse reactions.
In terms of sustainability, sourcing natural ingredients is an issue too. Heaps of water go into producing natural ingredients at a time when we are depleting all of our resources, and that’s not conducive for long-term sustainability. Whereas in the synthetic space, products are made in controlled environments and rigorously tested for safety. Synthetic ingredients tend to be more stable, so your formulas have a longer shelf life. Natural carries some strong misconceptions, and I wish that people would just chill on it a little bit.
What's a beauty and wellness trend that people should be paying more attention to?
I do a lot of trend overviews and recaps for brands and clients, and home spa technologies and devices keep popping up over and over again. There are a few brands doing it on a grander, more expensive scale, but home spa treatments will become more attainable from a price point standpoint.
We’re going to see products that are much more advanced and customized in the way they approach skin treatment. There's a hunger for that, people want to be educated about services and devices specifically tailored to their own needs. We’ll have to think about developing products and formulations that work in tandem with these devices to give the most optimal results and performance on skin.
“We’re going to see products that are much more advanced and customized in the way they approach skin treatment.”
Who's an artist or creative influence who you think should get more recognition?
I recently came across an Instagram account by this young lady named NYANE. She's fusing AI with the human aesthetic and doing something really different in the “getting ready with me” sector of makeup.
Remember that moment when everyone was downloading an AI app to see an AI version of their profile pictures? What she's doing is kind of the reverse of that, in which she's acting like an AI-generated robot or model. But it's just by way of retouching sound and editing graphics, and it's so beautifully done.
She looks like a doll to begin with, so it's not very hard for her to just kind of fuse herself into that element, but I think her execution is so cool. She's creating something new in that space, and there's a lot that could be leveraged there from a sponsorship, brand, and product development standpoint.
What's your favorite wall decoration in your home?
So right now, nothing. My walls are bare and white because when we moved to our current house I was so pregnant and I just did not have the energy.
But when we are more settled, I would love to go back to putting wallpaper back on my walls. I had really lovely wallpaper in my most recent apartment in Brooklyn, and my favorite was in the living room. I had an accent wall with black-and-white brushstrokes meant to emulate piano keys, and it was beautiful and so abstract.
My daughter was born in that apartment, and babies gravitate to black and white. It's all they can see for like the first few weeks or months of their lives. She was enamored and would stare at it all day, and I thought that was really awesome. It had a dual purpose: it was art and functional.
“People want to feel like they're being supported, and when you go against that, it's just it doesn't set anybody up for success.”
What's a good business book you recommend to people?
Richard Branson’s Like A Virgin is all about leadership. When I read it, I was going into a role at NARS where, for the first time, I was going to be in charge of my own department leading a team of six or seven women. I wanted to fully educate myself on being the best boss that I could be out of the gate.
I had some experience in managing people, but this was on a different scale. This book resonated with me because he really believes in leading with trust. It’s nurturing when you do that. Trust embraces talent, boosts morale, and pushes people to bring their best foot forward. People want to feel like they're being supported, and when you go against that, it's just it doesn't set anybody up for success.
Do you do anything for good luck or out of superstition?
Oh, 100%, I'm superstitious about everything. I keep things near and dear until I'm ready to share. I don’t talk about future plans or goals until I think that they have either manifested or they're really close to manifesting.
One thing I did recently that I haven't done in years was put together a vision board. I did one in 2018 when I was really searching. I was taking a leap from a corporate role and trying to figure out what was next for me, so I leaned on getting some guidance from the universe. I put together a vision board and it sat there in the background for a while.
Then life just went up in chaos with COVID and I revisited it. 90% of the things I put on there although they were intended for the year 2019, came to fruition. It was so amazing to see. I decided to do it again about two months ago, and it’s been great for me. A lot of what's coming into play right now in my life shows up on the board. I just had to actively put it out into the universe, meditate on it, and put some words and visuals to it. Then it became real.