THE BEAUTY industry constantly churns out tempting new products, touting each lip-plumping gloss or skin-tightening potion as the next big thing. To understand what makes something an enduring cult hit, look at 1975’s “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”—perhaps the most famous cult film of all time. A cult product’s popularity isn’t rooted in advertising or paid celebrity endorsements—rather, it gains steam through word of mouth, whether that’s a friend gushing to her pal, a beauty vlogger suggesting it to her fans, or an unpaid pop star earnestly extolling it in an interview. She’s since touted his products regularly, including on insider-y beauty website Into the Gloss. That really appeals to anyone who wants more skin care mileage from fewer products, said Jessica Richards of Brooklyn’s Shen Beauty.

Source: Wall Street Journal July 28, 2020 19:06 UTC