Costco Connection - January 2012

Consumer reporter Pat Volchok gives a behind-the-scenes look at Costco products and services. Send your questions about this article to: buyingsmart@costco.com. BuyingSmart

A beauty-full
Kirkland Signature and Borghese are

NEW YEAR’S CHEER comes in many forms. One that is sure to gladden the spirits (and brighten the faces) of many members is the new packaging and product facelift of the Kirkland Signature™ Borghese skin-care and cosmetic collection. The Borghese cosmetic company was founded by Princess Marcella Borghese in the 1950s. With a focus on the curative botanicals and minerals found near her home in Italy, this aristocratic princess was one of the ;rst to create a skin-care line mirroring the natural therapies of a spa. I remember the buzz that occurred in 2006 when Borghese was ;rst introduced in all U.S. Costco warehouses under Costco’s Kirkland Signature private-label brand, as it had previ- ously been sold only in the ;nest stores. “Borghese is a skin-care and cosmetic Italian beauty house with a long-standing reputation for innovative, superior formulas using natural ingredients,” Costco health and beauty assistant buyer Andrea Padilla says. “;eir products have never been tested on animals. Our members immediately recog- nized the line’s value, and the word spread.” ;e Costco team recently retested every
product o;ered in the classic, department-
store Borghese line, seeking the best of the best
in categories such as moisturizing, luminosity
and gentleness. Standouts were then com-
pared to the existing Kirkland Signature
Borghese collection.

Robin, from Costco’s Home Office, tries out the Advanced Lash Defining Mascara.

ALL PHOTOS BY IRIDIO PHOTOGRAPHY EXCEPT RIBBON BY SHUTTERSTOCK.

92 ;e Costco Connection DECEMBER 2011 JANUARY 2012

Warehouse facelift

In another change, the warehouse kiosks for Kirkland Signature Borghese are gone. Costco has switched to seven ongoing warehouse pallet platforms featuring skin care, foundation (concealer and translucent ;nishing powder) and mascara, plus an eighth pallet with a rotating limited-edition item about every three months (see “Limited editions”). Products are also o;ered on Costco.com.

Each category within the collection is packaged in easy-to-identify, color-coded, recyclable cards (skin care: terra-cotta; color cosmetics: blue; limited editions: pink).

Additionally, the skin-care and foundation products are packaged in redesigned, customized, airless containers. This allows nearly 100 percent of the product to be pushed up from the bottom for use, while reducing exposure to air (and possible bacteria).