Are you guys on Instagram? I am, and I LOVE IT

Are you guys on Instagram? I am, and I LOVE IT.

I caught up with Amy Cole, Instagram’s head of Business Operations, after the Decoded Fashion Summit here in NYC (such a great conference on digital + fashion - bookmark it for next time it comes around).

We talked a bit about why beauty brands have been slower to adopt the Instagram platform, while fashion brands have flocked to it:

Amy > Most beauty brands are small.  They have to make decisions about where to best allocate their time and they may not have the resources to dedicate to all of the emerging social platforms.

But don’t you guys think Instagram is such an amazing fit for beauty brands - especially color cosmetics, nails and hair?  I want to see stuff in action … and what better way? I think it’s a worthwhile place to spend resources, myself.

I asked Amy who in the beauty sector was using Instagram well:

Amy / There are a number of beauty brands on Instagram now, but the two that I think stand out are Smashbox (@smashboxcosmetics) and Sephora (@sephora).  Smashbox has roots in photography - the brand was designed specifically for photographers, models and beauty artists and they still share a space with their studio (@smashboxstudios).  They have a great Instagram account and show a really good mix of behind the scenes, product shots, beauty tips, etc.  Sephora is known for being good at digital - they launched their Instagram account a couple of months ago and have been posting from their stores, the Sephora HQ, photo shoots, etc.

I’d like to add @illamasqua to list as well … those guys seem to have a great time on the platform. I’m also on Instagram @holierthannow … I share beauty stuff mixed in with outfits and pictures of sunsets, dog naps, and tacos (what else is there?).

I really look forward to more beauty folks joining the party … in the meantime, please share your favorites (and your own handles) in the comments!!