The Estée Lauder Cos. Inc.-owned Clinique has undergone a shift in messaging as a part of the “value” creed being spoken by the brand. In May, Fabrizio Freda, president and chief operating officer at the time, told analysts during the company’s earnings call that advertising for some of Lauder’s products, including Clinique, is being infused with the value message without overtly mentioning price. “In store, the Clinique brand has begun making its prices more visible to shoppers through sales associates and elegant signage,” Freda said. “The consumer is simply more interested in price today.”

“To us, this was really the surprise here in the top five,” Unity Marketing’s Danziger said. “This indicates that selling in specialty retail stores has had an advantage.…L’Occitane isn’t heavy in department stores, which are struggling for this industry. This shows the power in having retail stores devoted to your brand.” WWD Beauty Biz reported this month, “With spot-on business targets and undeterred by the crisis, L’Occitane en Provence generated yet another year of double-digit growth in 2008.…L’Occitane added some 200 freestanding doors, bringing its total to 1,200 by yearend.” In April, it launched its first organic facial care line, Organic Olive Oil Cream Based Care.

Owned by The Estée Lauder Cos. Inc., MAC Cosmetics is slated to open some 50 doors globally in the next year. “This is the brand for young affluent women — everyone is always talking about MAC,” Danziger said. “Young women are very connected to the vibrant, true colors this brand’s palette has to offer.” The brand’s line offers a large selection of makeup, cosmetics accessories, skin care products and nail care items. MAC, the former cosmetics sponsor for New York Fashion Week at the Bryant Park tents, this fall instead plans to host a series of runway shows, presentations, special events and other creative activities at the Meatpacking District’s Milk Studios for the spring 2010 season.

“Chanel is simply a brand that hits everywhere. It’s a classic,” Danziger said. “This is also the only prestige brand among the top five that has plenty of emphasis on fragrance, which just goes to show that luxury consumers are remaining loyal to their fragrances.” WWD Beauty Biz reported this month that Chanel’s blockbusters, Coco Mademoiselle and No.5, increased revenues 19 percent and 14.5 percent, respectively, according to research firm The NPD Group. In Asia, the brand opened its first freestanding beauty store in Tokyo this spring. Key makeup launches for the brand this year include Rouge Allure Laque, Mascara Exceptionnel and antiaging line Lift Lumière Foundation.

The brand, owned by Tokyo-based Shiseido Co. Ltd., “is another heavily cosmetic color line that has the same kind of traction among younger consumers as MAC,” Danziger said. WWD reported in July that NARS is launching foundation and mascara offerings. The two foundations are coming out this month at Nordstrom, to be followed in September by a global rollout to all of the brand’s specialty doors, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys New York and Neiman Marcus. Also this month, NARS is launching Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara and Larger Than Life Lengthening Mascara. Both are exclusive to Sephora and sephora.com.