Beauty label launches own tutorial channel

Following the growing trend of online beauty tutorials on YouTube and other video portals, US brand Stila has introduced its own channel, stilabeautytube.com.

Other beauty labels have posted their own branded videos on YouTube before (see Smashbox or MAC, for example) but this marks the first time an independent channel is launched.

Incorporating YouTube videos into the site, the label's makeup artists such as Sarah Lucero explain how to achieve the perfect lip, eye or skin makeup, using Stila products.

Without a doubt, this channel is an attempt to gain control over the vast amount of tutorials on the web and re-establishing an authority in beauty. Vloggers have an impressive following with some of their videos being watched hundreds of thousands of times. One of the best-known among them, Lauren Luke, even released her own makeup collection with retailer Sephora -- a threat that classic beauty manufacturers must have grown aware of.

Coinciding with the channel launch, Stila has released another technological innovation: the Makeup Player vanity, retailing for $69.99, comes with its own music player and speaker system as well as some of the brand's beauty essentials and an instruction DVD to "transform you into your own Stila pro artist."

The US version of Elle magazine introduced its community-based online tutorial channel Video Star earlier this year.

Site: stilabeautytube.com