In just four years, Artis has sold more than one million of its luxury makeup brushes in nearly 30 countries and 500-plus doors. Not bad for a product in a category that was once treated as an afterthought.Launching this week is the Next Generation Elite Collection brushes. Available in Smoke and Mirror finishes, the upgraded collection incorporates a new metal alloy in the handles. The material, similar to alloy used in the manufacturer of luxury car engines, increases the handle strength, functionality and durability, according to the company. The heads feature CosmeFibre, which was developed specifically for Artis, to ensure the best application of makeup.The Next Generation Elite Collection debuts on artisbrush.com and sephora.com. Earlier this month, sephora.com started selling several Artis items starting at $25 for a brush cleaner and expanding up to a 10-Brush Set offered at $360.Already sold by retailers such Neiman Marcus, Space NK, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, CosBar and HSN, Artis expects to add 100 more doors by the end of 2018. Beauty enthusiasts don’t blink an eye at paying prices such as $62 for the Artis Oval 7 brush on Space NK.The company hopes to double its annual sales within three years through a focus on innovation for a better user experience. It also has fortified its corporate structure to gear up for the next phase. Although the company did not comment on sales, industry sources believe the brand exceeded sales of $30 million to $35 million last year.Buoyed by support from influencers who educated consumers about the importance of the right tools, Artis proved the validity of elegant and fine-tuned brushes, especially for contouring and blending. “In the beginning, we provided something new not seen before,” said company cofounder Jeremy Adelman. “It was an uphill battle, but we proved we had a place.” Now the company is ready for its next act. Leigh Adelman, Jeremy’s wife, joined earlier this year as general manager to help accelerate company goals.“A good entrepreneur knows what they are not good at,” joked Jeremy Adelman. “What I’m not so good at is managing internally. Who better to manage this than Leigh? I’m her biggest critic. I hold her to high expectations. To get the next generation out there, she is the best person to run the show.” She’ll leverage her experience in marketing and public relations to oversee a new corporate structure tweaked to enhance tasks ranging from customer relations to internal management. The company’s philosophy going forward is to have fewer launches with a shift to improving the customer experience. In particular, she hopes to educate consumers on how to use the tools to “do beauty right.”One example will be inviting consumers into the corporate headquarters to “sit down” and experiment with the brushes. Education, the duo maintained, helps consumers get the most out of their purchases, especially against competition from “dupes” trying to ride on the brand’s success. “We’re not just here to sell products. We are here to engage with our consumers,” Leigh concluded.
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