November 2023

Call it the age of experience. After years of celebrity- and influencer-driven brands, a requirement for expert-led content is paving the way in which for makeup artists, hairstylists, aestheticians, dermatologists, plastic surgeons and more to enter — or in some cases reenter — the brand game. While a crowded playing field rife with incumbent authorities and a slew of buzzy, celebrity- or influencer-backed competitors awaits them, it’s their backgrounds of their fields, though, that provides them their edge. “Expert-driven brands are having a renewed moment,” said Lucie Greene, founding father of Light Years Consulting. “That is partly driven by TikTok and Instagram culture, where we’re seeing more of the folks that we follow and love crediting who they use — that might be...