How makeup brands do relational campaign emails
1. ColourPop: Trick or Beat: Your Halloween Looks Start Here
Objective
This email aims to drive Halloween-themed makeup purchases by positioning ColourPop as the essential source for transformative, costume-ready looks. It encourages immediate engagement through a festive theme and flexible payment options to lower purchase barriers.
Why this works
The email brilliantly merges seasonal excitement with product utility by framing makeup as the costume itself, a clever psychological hook that makes the purchase feel essential, not optional, for Halloween fun.
How to implement
Using bold, dripping typography and a high-contrast color palette instantly communicates the spooky, playful brand tone while keeping the visual hierarchy clean enough to guide the eye toward the primary CTA without distraction.
Pro Tip
Add a countdown timer near the CTA to create urgency around Halloween shopping, since the campaign’s seasonal relevance fades quickly after October 31st. • Include a small testimonial or user-generated content snippet showing real customers in their 'Trick or Beat' looks to build social proof and inspire confidence in the product’s transformative power.
2. ColourPop: Build Your Own Palette! 🔮
Objective
The email aims to drive engagement and sales by inviting customers to customize their own 12-pan makeup palette from over 100 shades, while highlighting a limited-time offer of 60% off plus a free case to create urgency and perceived value.
Why this works
The email brilliantly combines personalization with scarcity by letting customers build their dream palette while emphasizing a time-sensitive discount and free gift, making the offer feel both exclusive and irresistible.
How to implement
Using bold, playful typography and glittery butterfly accents against a dark background creates a magical, high-energy aesthetic that aligns perfectly with ColourPop’s youthful, fun brand identity and captures attention instantly.
Pro Tip
Add a visual countdown timer near the CTA to reinforce urgency around the 60% off + free case offer, which would increase perceived scarcity and reduce hesitation in clicking 'START BUILDIN’.' • Include a small customer testimonial or social proof snippet near the hero section, such as 'Over 50K palettes built this month!', to build trust and validate the popularity of the BYOP feature.
3. Urban Decay - US: Want to see results? Our best-sellers can SHOW you
Objective
This email aims to drive immediate product purchases by showcasing real, visible results from Urban Decay’s top-selling makeup items, using side-by-side visuals to build trust and urgency. It also subtly reinforces loyalty by reminding subscribers of their rewards balance and proximity to their next cashback.
Why this works
Urban Decay brilliantly uses split-screen visuals to demonstrate product efficacy, showing real-time transformation from morning to night or before-and-after application, which builds instant credibility and reduces purchase hesitation by letting the results speak for themselves.
How to implement
The email strategically ties product performance to emotional payoff, phrases like 'No Retouching' and 'Prevents Creasing' directly address common consumer pain points, making each product feel like a solution rather than just a cosmetic item, which increases perceived value and conversion likelihood.
Pro Tip
Add a subtle countdown timer or urgency indicator (e.g., 'Limited stock on bestsellers') near each 'Shop Now' button to amplify FOMO and reduce decision latency, especially since the email already leverages visual proof of results that should drive quick action. • Include a short customer testimonial or star rating beneath each product section to layer social proof on top of visual proof, this would strengthen trust for first-time buyers who may need more validation beyond before/after imagery.
4. Saie: GLOSSY. JUICY. SAVINGS.
Objective
This email aims to drive immediate sales by showcasing curated, value-packed beauty bundles with discounted pricing, while reinforcing Saie’s clean, eco-conscious brand identity to appeal to conscious consumers seeking both performance and ethics.
Why this works
The email brilliantly pairs product visuals with benefit-driven copy that speaks to both aesthetic desire and emotional reward, like 'Undeniably Healthy Glow', making the bundles feel indulgent yet purposeful, which aligns perfectly with modern beauty shoppers’ values.
How to implement
By using strikethrough pricing next to bold discounted amounts, the campaign creates a clear perception of savings without overwhelming the user, subtly encouraging urgency while maintaining a clean, premium aesthetic that matches the brand’s minimalist identity.
Pro Tip
Add a subtle countdown timer or limited-quantity indicator near each bundle’s CTA to amplify urgency without disrupting the minimalist design, encouraging faster decision-making among hesitant shoppers. • Include a short customer testimonial or star rating beneath each bundle to social proof the value proposition, especially since the email lacks personal validation, which could increase perceived trust and conversion.
5. ColourPop: Happy New Year's Eve bestie! 💖🥂
Objective
This email aims to celebrate New Year’s Eve with customers while driving immediate sales through a time-sensitive end-of-season sale offering up to 70% off, paired with a flexible payment option via Klarna to reduce purchase friction.
Why this works
The email opens with a warm, personal greeting, 'Happy New Year’s Eve bestie!', which instantly builds emotional connection and positions the brand as a trusted friend rather than a faceless retailer, increasing engagement and loyalty.
How to implement
By combining a high-impact discount ('Up to 70% Off') with a payment flexibility hook ('Shop Now, Pay Later with Klarna'), the campaign removes two major purchase barriers: price sensitivity and budget timing, making conversion more likely.
Pro Tip
Add a visual countdown timer near the 'Up to 70% Off' banner to create urgency and encourage immediate action, since the sale’s end date isn’t mentioned and users may delay clicking. • Replace the generic 'Shop these must-haves!' section with a curated grid of 3–4 best-selling or New Year’s-themed products to reduce decision fatigue and guide users toward high-conversion items.
6. Guerlain - UK: Welcoming the Year of the Rabbit
Objective
To celebrate the Year of the Rabbit by inviting customers to embrace nature’s beauty through Guerlain’s luxury skincare and fragrance collections, while driving sales with a £100+ purchase incentive and promoting brand loyalty through digital wallet integration.
Why this works
The email masterfully ties cultural celebration, the Year of the Rabbit, to product storytelling, positioning luxury beauty as an expression of natural renewal and auspicious fortune, which deepens emotional resonance with the audience.
How to implement
Each product section uses rich visual layering of red orchids and gold packaging to evoke opulence and seasonal festivity, creating a cohesive aesthetic that elevates perceived value while subtly guiding the eye toward the 'Shop Now' CTA.
Pro Tip
The 'Discover' CTA in the hero section lacks directional context, replacing it with a more benefit-driven phrase like 'Unlock Red Fortune Gifts' would better align with the offer and increase click-through intent. • The loyalty program section, while informative, is visually underweighted; adding a subtle animated badge or icon next to the Apple Wallet/Google Pay buttons would draw more attention to digital engagement and incentivize wallet adoption.
7. Glossier: In our wellness era
Objective
This email aims to introduce Glossier’s new wellness essentials, the Water Bottle and Duffle Bag, by positioning them as lifestyle companions that empower customers to feel good while staying active. It reinforces brand identity by blending beauty, wellness, and everyday practicality.
Why this works
Glossier brilliantly reframes wellness not as a rigid routine but as a joyful, integrated part of daily life, using real-life moments with pets, outdoor adventures, and casual styling to make the products feel indispensable rather than optional.
How to implement
The campaign leverages emotional storytelling by showing the products in authentic, unposed moments, like a dog sipping from a water bottle or someone stretching with a duffle bag, which builds relatability and subtly suggests these items belong in the customer’s own story.
Pro Tip
Add a micro-copy line under the hero CTA like ‘Join 50K+ customers who’ve made wellness part of their everyday’ to build social proof and urgency without disrupting the minimalist aesthetic. • Introduce a subtle visual hierarchy in the product grid by highlighting the Water Bottle and Duffle Bag with a ‘New’ badge or border to ensure they remain the focal point amid other lifestyle goods.
8. Shiseido - US: Happy Lunar New Year 🧧🐎
Objective
This email aims to drive sales during the Lunar New Year by positioning Shiseido products as ideal gifts that symbolize renewal, community, and good fortune, while encouraging immediate purchases through curated product highlights and a dedicated gift guide.
Why this works
The email brilliantly ties cultural celebration to product gifting by framing skincare and makeup as tokens of renewal and good fortune, making the purchase feel emotionally meaningful rather than transactional.
How to implement
Each product is presented with a clear, benefit-driven headline and a concise description that speaks to both efficacy and emotional reward, helping customers quickly understand why each item deserves to be gifted.
Pro Tip
Add a subtle countdown timer or urgency indicator near the 'SHOP NOW' CTA in the hero section to leverage FOMO and encourage immediate action during the limited Lunar New Year window. • Include a short customer testimonial or social proof snippet beneath one or two high-impact products (like the Ultimune Serum) to reinforce trust and validate the product’s anti-aging claims with real-user experiences.
9. Glossier: Into The Gloss: Foundation Upgrades
Objective
This email aims to educate subscribers on expert foundation application techniques while subtly promoting Glossier’s own foundation products by aligning them with trusted beauty insiders’ routines. It positions Glossier as a curator of professional-grade beauty wisdom.
Why this works
By featuring real beauty insiders with specific, actionable routines, the email builds credibility and trust while making product recommendations feel organic rather than salesy, which enhances subscriber engagement and brand loyalty.
How to implement
The visual storytelling through close-up product shots and skin texture imagery creates an intimate, tactile experience that mirrors the personal nature of makeup application, drawing readers deeper into the content and subtly reinforcing product desirability.
Pro Tip
Add a subtle product highlight or 'Shop This Tip' CTA beneath each expert quote to bridge educational content with commerce without disrupting the editorial tone. • Include a mini visual guide or icon next to each tip (e.g., a brush for 'The Speedy', a droplet for 'The Lock') to enhance scannability and reinforce the unique technique visually.
10. Charlotte Tilbury - UK: Level Up Your GLOW This Valentine's Day! 💖
Objective
This Valentine’s Day email aims to drive immediate purchases by positioning Charlotte Tilbury’s glow-enhancing products as essential for romantic occasions, while also incentivizing new lipstick and lip cheat buys with free gifts and unlocking free delivery to reduce cart abandonment.
Why this works
The email brilliantly ties product benefits to emotional Valentine’s Day moments, like ‘dreamy dates’ and ‘romantic nights’, making the glow not just a cosmetic result but a romantic experience, which elevates desire beyond utility.
How to implement
By featuring award-winning products with celebrity and supermodel endorsements, the campaign leverages social proof to validate quality and exclusivity, subtly reassuring customers that they’re investing in Hollywood-grade beauty magic.
Pro Tip
Add a countdown timer near the free delivery and free gift offer to create time-sensitive urgency, since the email currently lacks any visual cue that the promotion expires on 05/02/24, which could reduce conversion momentum. • Reposition the ‘Share Your Feedback to Win £30’ section higher in the email or integrate it as a pop-up after purchase, since placing it below the main product offers risks it being overlooked and dilutes the primary shopping objective.