I’ve been in the beauty business long enough now to remember Smashbox’s horrible history in the UK. Owned jointly by Davis and Dean Factor (great grandsons of Max Factor), it first came to the UK in 1998. However, its launch was horribly tainted when the PR who helped the brothers with the launch was drug raped by an assailant thought to be a friend of the Factors the very evening of the launch in Selfridges. It transpired that the man accused had been at school with Davis and was introduced to the Smashbox PR (who will remain nameless) by Davis as ‘my best friend’. A few days later she reported it to the police, but anyone who understands about GHB will know that memories are hazy or often non-existent so the story took a very long time to piece together properly. On behalf of the PR, a newspaper sent a private detective to LA and the police went to interview the Factor brothers. News of this spread around the beauty community and effectively Smashbox was given little or no coverage; some editors still refuse to countenance coverage of the brand; until very recently I had continued a blanket ban of ever featuring it. I thought though, that maybe enough time had passed and I could possibly start to include the brand again in features. For a little while I did. Nobody at Lauder, who recently purchased Smashbox, is going to thank me for bringing the subject up – as it was raw for a very, very long time, but I think it is an important part of the brand’s history. In other countries, it doesn’t hold any such connotations for make-up lovers, but in the UK, the beauty industry turned its back on the brand, and it even struggled to find anywhere to stock them.
Interesting too that Andrew Luster, a cousin of the Factors and also a great grandson of Max was subsequently (although not related to the said PR) found guilty of 89 counts of sexual assault, all of them involved him using the drug GHB on his victims.
However co-incidental the Factors claimed at the time it was, the fact that their PR was working for two great grandsons of Max Factor when she alleges (and I have to use that word because in fact, the ‘friend’ was never charged; no DNA) she was raped by one of their friends using GHB and two minutes later (metaphorically speaking) their cousin, goes down on 89 counts, there will always be the obvious air of uncomfortable suspicion. At the time – I’m quoting here from an Evening Standard newspaper article, Davis Factor, who won’t ever get a gentleman of the year award said, ‘I feel sorry for X (the PR that I can’t name); I hear she had a boyfriend at the time and he dumped her because of this. Maybe she used the excuse of being drugged.’ Whoops. You see, it just keeps on tasting nasty.
So, can Lauder re-write history on Smashbox and does Lauder ownership erase the past wrongs of the previous owners? I’d love to know if this sours the brand for you, or if you think it isn’t relevant to where the brand is today. I for one see it as an uphill climb, at least in the UK, because these aren’t memories one easily erases, unless of course, we just choose to forget all about it?
In case you wonder what happened to the PR, she is now married with children and is still a beauty PR wonder-worker, who, in horribly misplaced thoughtlessness has since been asked by (pre-sale to Lauder) Smashbox to represent the brand in the UK – not once but three times!
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43 comments
Woah what a nasty sordid tale.
It certainly has put me off the brand, not that I own any, however I’m not sure I see the logic in avoiding the products, especially since ownership has now changed.
Despite the lack of logic in my mind, I can’t see me happily buying smashbox products in the near future.
Look up the urban meaning of the word smashbox. Just gross
I almost daren’t – but I will….eek..
Also out of interest, was there suspicion that the brothers protected the assailant? Because that makes a difference to me and I think it’s relevent.
How awful 🙁
I did always wonder why it was so hard to find. And how absolutely thoughtless to ask her to represent the brand after what happened.
I first heard about this a few years ago, when the cousin Andrew Luster fled to Mexico to escape his jail sentance.
Whilst the Factor brothers may not have been directly responsible for the assault, the fact that Davis showed no remorse and treated the PR so terribly and insensitively is disgusting and shameful.
For me the Smashbox brand is tainted. I could never use a product from a brand which clearly shows such loose ethics.
I don’t think an alleged rape by a friend of the founders of a brand 12 years ago should make a difference now. It should be judged on its beauty merits alone.
This makes me feel sick to my stomach. I remember reading about the cousin, and I remember a PR girl being assaulted, but I didn’t make the Smashbox connection.
It completely turns me off the brand and the sale to Lauder doesn’t change that.
My god i had no idea about this. I’ve never owned any Smashbox before and now i don’t really know if i ever want to. It’s hard because if they’ve sold the company it doesn’t really have anything to do with the Factor’s anymore but… i don’t know, better safe than sorry.
I can’t believe Davis Factor said that. While it may truly just be a huge coincidence that the PR got raped using the same drug that their cousin used, claiming that she might have been lying about being raped to try and make her ‘indiscretion’ better in her boyfriends eyes is just disgusting.
God I didn’t know any of that until now.
How terribly awful.
I had no idea of such happenings. I always used to read great reviews about the smashbox primer, but always struggled to find it. I did wonder if it’s sooo good, how comes I cannot find it it shops?
Such behavior is hard to forgive and horrid headlines can taint a brand forever. I believe the acquisition by Lauder will means a “new leaf” for the brand. Who’s quality product deserves some ‘good” recognition in the mainstream.
Nonetheless the behavior of the past was clearly wrong and hence the industry was right to be in disgust. The dichotomy comes when the brand cannot be distinguished from its owners and they could have done a better job of doing so at the time. Its the age old question of, does everybody deserve a 2nd chance? In this case I think so…
I am eager to see how this all turns out !
http://stylebyqueens.wordpress.com/
This indeed sounds horrible 🙁 And this is the 1st time I’ve heard about this story (for one thing, I was too young then, and on the other hand, I’m not from UK nor I had too much contact with Smashbox).
Anyway, what Davis Factor said was really nasty and inappropriate. Disgusting.
Wow, I had no idea about any of this. It’s really terrible!
Horrible at the time and not nice to read even now. I was working on Max Factor’s PR at the time and remember the Andrew Luster coverage well…
However, think the brand should be judged on its beauty merits and not shaded with the terrible actions of people in the past.
@veritycash
i have to agree with the anonymous above. taking this horrible event aside, the brand should be judged on its own beauty merits. IMHO the reason smashbox doesn’t look attractive is because of the packaging, the fact that there no clear idea of what it stands for…it doesn’t tick the boxes there of a product that is sexy, appealing etc…
Yuck, how gruesome. So do the Factor brothers still have a connection to Smashbox or not? If they don’t then I think let’s give Smashbox a clean slate.
I am shocked – who knew that a hard-to-find product had such a murky reason why? I really don’t know if this will stop me supporting the brand. I suppose if I didn’t purchase or feature any of the products, then I’d have to look long and hard at every other corporation I do feature, and make sure their ethics and history are watertight. The fact that Smashbox are now with Lauder at the very least disassociates it from Factor. If anything, I feel Max Factor is the brand I should be boycotting, not Smashbox.
http://www.productpixie.com
Actually, having seen your follow up about the Factor brothers still being involved, no, I will not be supporting Smashbox in any way.
I knew about the cousin but i never knew about the PR girl. Shocked is an understatement! I would have been very young when that happened but to not even hear about it until now has really bothered me. Thank you as ever for highlighting this. I love smashbox products and its such a shame to hear about the people associated with the brand.
Raking over all this when the alleged victim has moved on, seems a bit unnecessary? I am certain many sordid tales go on behind the scenes of many a given industry that go unreported or get covered up, but unless it directly relates to the manufacture of the product itself, it proably wouldn’t affect my purchasing habits. Afterall, I wouldn’t stop admiring Modigliani or Picasso’s artworks because I felt they were ungallant and I disapproved of their behaviour.
Having said that, obviously if I knew the person involved, I would be baying for blood. But as it stands, no, it won’t stop me ambling along to the counter.
Hi Gail: the feature was written with the absolute consent and encouragement of the PR involved. She had copy approval before it went to post. Yes, I do know her – anyone in the beauty industry does – and as for moving on…could you ever?
Wow, i am speechless. I never knew any of this before. My mouth is literally wide open.
You raise a good point (as always): No, I couldn’t move on and forget it. Hmmm the truth is, this piece has inevitably tainted my understanding of Smashbox. But I just can’t help wondering how virtuous any given brand is; I dread to think. It’s where to draw the line between the brand and the people behind the brand, are they inextricable, as you imply? …And if so, does a takeover absolve them, or will nothing but the eliminaion of the brand name complete the vindication?
Probably the fact that the victim could reject Smashbox as a PR maestro, should be seen as sweet revenge. It’s lamentable that a conviction wasn’t possible, that area of law is rather notorious. I would hate to be in her shoes, but I applaud her resilience. Let’s hope this proves a salutary tale.
Had no idea!!!Poor thing 🙁
xxx
Great post. If the Factor brothers were still receiving money from their involvement in Smashbox, it would absolutely deter me from purchasing any items from them, but if all proceeds are now going to Lauder then I would be happy to buy Smashbox.
Like Gail said, given the chance to delve behind any brand we would no doubt uncover things we didn’t approve of, but as an individual I couldn’t bring myself to line to pockets of these men knowing this story.
However on a lighter note, its nice to know the victim (can’t bring myself to write alleged) has a lovely family now.
Gemma x
I had no idea about any of this. That’s absolutely awful and even though I’m a MUA I’ll make sure I never touch their products again, at least until the Factor lot are booted out for good. What a vile bunch of people, oh and that comment he made in The Standard makes my blood boil! Good on her for getting though it though.
I had no idea! I have purchased Smashbox in the past for several reasons… They make a good product, it is cruelty free (a big must for me), and although I love bold colors – my job doesn’t appreciate them. The Smashbox website shows you how to create different looks using their products, which is good for when I’m lacking inspiration.
However, now that I know the history behind the brand, every time I look at my products I’m going to think about what happened. I’m glad the company no longer belongs to the Factors. For those who plan on boycotting Smashbox, I wonder if you will also shun all other Max Factor products.
Gosh- I didn’t know this story- how awful and very sad for the poor woman. I do not think that this is relevent to the beauty product per se. However I think that it was mad of Lauder to take it on- and (if no-one in the UK will write about it) – more fool them. I wouldn’t take on a brand with this history- I would take the good qulity formulas and re-brand under new directorship.
I would have been living abroad when this happened, and don’t remember reading about it. I have never used any Smashbox products because none of the places I shop seem to stock them – now I know why… However, whilst the the story per se would not have prevented me from buying the products (eventually – it may taken awhile!) as the Factor brothers were only guilty by association, the comment by Davis has put me off permanently. Makes my skin crawl….
Clearly this was a terrible thing to happen and nobody could read about it and not feel sympathy for the woman involved.
However, it is clearly ridiculous to blame a brand for the actions of one individual. How many other brands could stand up to such scrutiny? So Chanel… Coco collaborated with a Nazi officer, then fled to Switzerland to escape post-war persecution. Hugo Boss manufactured uniforms for the Nazi party. Shall we go on…?
I didn’t know any of the background of the brand’s owners, but I’ve got some Smashbox makeup and frankly, I’m not impressed. I didn’t plan to buy any more products anyway, but I must say that this tale makes that certain.
I didnt know about this story and feel for the girl involved.
The above said i use their products in my kit and will continue too because the products are great.
I am in no way sticking up for Davis but do we know his comments are verbatum? Newspapers print false quotes and stories all the time!
A product that does what it says on the tin is hard to find.
Wow. I didn’t know any of this. Interesting and terrible :-
So that’s why it was all over eBay at tiny prices!
I think the point made earlier about Giacometti and Modigliani is a good one. However, those guys are dead, so they don’t directly benefit from us enjoying their work now.
Davis Factor sounds like a real shit in that quote, and the whole thing does throw a very ugly light on Smashbox.
I have a few things from them, none of which have set my world alight, and I’m unlikely to repurchase. So for me it’s a moot point really. But I don’t see myself boycotting because of this. We just don’t know enough about it to be up in arms, and even the facts we know don’t directly connect to the Factors themselves.
I am glad you pointed this out BBB, as I would otherwise have had no idea.
I’ve heard loads of stories about the Factor brothers. I didn’t know this story or that Smashbox was owned by them either. I’ve never been that interested in the brand. I’d hear loads ofhype about it but it didn’t inspire me enough to try it. I definitely won’t be now! I’m not sure Lauder have made the wisest decision taking it on. With a history like this why would you? I’m guessing it’s all men that did the due dilligence on this deal! Surely a woman would never sign it off!
@Marianne, the cruelty-free thing is a major issue for me too hence I have a pre-existing boycott of Max Factor. With Smashbox, I was tempted by some of their products last time I looked in a Debenhams, but tbh this really puts me off.
Rebecca – come on! That’s not fair on the great majority of guys. It’s likely that whoever made the decision was in a pretty emotionless “business is business” frame of mind, but I don’t see where sex/gender comes into it. It could just as easily have been a woman.
What a horrible story! I had no idea about all this happening in the past.
I’m now torn between not wanting to use any of the products again, and feeling that the products should be judged on their merit alone.
Having read your postscript message containing the quote, I think I know which way I’ll eventually go.
Thanks for the enlightening blog posts.
I had no idea that the brand had such a murky past. ‘Lo Bosworth in the reality show ‘The Hills’ works at Smashbox in LA so I had the impression it was a fun young company. Although no one was charged and the Factor brothers weren’t involved directly, their callous remarks makes you wonder if Smashbox really is all image and no substance.
I have to admit. This does put me off the brand purely because of the lack of support the factors
I have to admit this does put me off the brand specially due to the lack of support the factors gave the pr girl.
It gives them as people such a bad image. Doesn’t make me want to buy their products at all, regardless of who owns the company.
I had absolutely no idea about the history behind Smashbox…I actually had to reread to make sure I had got it right and then I felt quite sick.
For me it tarnishes the brand…it’s a brand I sort of like but with this kind of back story I’d definitely avoid it in the future.
This is horrible. Surely Max Factor should be boycotted as well, if not more?