Beauty · Strategy · Execution

Where great beauty
brands are built.

From concept to counter. Specialized advisory for beauty brands ready to launch boldly, scale sustainably, and expand globally.

New Product Launch Brand Digitization International Expansion Operations Leadership Brand Scaling Retail Distribution VIPS Planning System Go-to-Market Strategy Supply Chain Optimization AI That Gives Time Back New Product Launch Brand Digitization International Expansion Operations Leadership Brand Scaling Retail Distribution VIPS Planning System Go-to-Market Strategy Supply Chain Optimization AI That Gives Time Back
About Beauty Launch Lab

Deep in beauty. Broad enough to help anywhere.

We fix what's broken and build what's missing in brands that are growing faster than their operations can keep up. Beauty Launch Lab works with prestige and indie brands at their make-or-break moments: the first wholesale expansion, the hero launch that has to land, the vendor breakup, the post-acquisition integration, and the leap from founder-led hustle to institutional-grade operations.

Most operators go deep in one function. Our practice spans supply chain, finance, HR, technology, and legal—because the problems that stall a growing brand rarely stay inside one department. We have spent a career transforming how people actually work—from global restructuring to a brand's first launch process—and that is what lets us step into any room and move it forward.

Our work is not theoretical. We have brought more than 1,000 SKUs to market—roughly a new product every quarter for years, many in dozens of shades, and many of them regulated SPF products requiring testing and registration country by country. We have overseen purchasing and supply for full catalogues generating $125M–$250M a year, and built the systems that let great products reach their audience at scale.

Michael Schiavone, Founder of Beauty Launch Lab
Michael Schiavone
Founder & Principal
Michael began his career at Accenture, then left to join an early AI startup that was later acquired by BCG. From there he moved into beauty at The Estée Lauder Companies, followed by Haus Labs by Lady Gaga, and today advises founder- and celebrity-led brands at the moments that matter most.
Track Record
1,000+
SKUs brought to market
Expertise
Global
US · UK · EU · APAC · China · ME · LATAM
Specialty
Beauty
Prestige · Indie · Mass · Professional
The Path Here
Accenture
Consulting
AI Startup
Acquired by BCG
The Estée Lauder Companies
Too Faced · The Ordinary · Dr. Jart+
Haus Labs by Lady Gaga
Operations
Beauty Launch Lab
Founder & Principal
Proprietary Methodology

The VIPS Planning System™

Our proprietary framework for beauty product launch development and execution—designed for the way beauty brands actually work.

V Vision

Define the brand position, consumer truth, and category whitespace your launch will own. Vision without execution is a mood board.

I Infrastructure

Build the operational backbone—supply chain, ERP, team structure, and vendor ecosystem—before you need it. Most brands build this too late.

P Positioning

Channel strategy, retailer sequencing, pricing architecture, and the launch narrative that earns shelf space and consumer attention simultaneously.

S Scaling

The repeatable systems, international market playbooks, and operational cadences that allow a successful launch to become a sustainable brand.

Phase 01

Discovery & Audit

Deep brand assessment, competitive landscape, white space mapping, team & capability audit

Phase 02

Blueprint Design

Launch plan architecture, channel prioritization, SKU strategy, margin modeling

Phase 03

Infrastructure Build

Operational systems, ERP configuration, vendor onboarding, team build-out

Phase 04

Launch Execution

Retailer sell-in, go-live management, demand planning, crisis protocols

Phase 05

Scale & Optimize

Replenishment cadence, market expansion, brand extension strategy

What We Do

Specialized expertise for every stage of beauty brand growth

✦

New Product Launch Development & Execution

End-to-end launch leadership from brief through first PO—including the shade-heavy, multi-SKU launches and regulated products (SPF) that trip up most brands. We manage the complexity so founders and brand teams can focus on what they do best.

Go-to-market strategy and channel sequencing
Regulated product pathways: SPF testing, registration, and per-country compliance
Retailer sell-in preparation and pitch support
Launch event and activation planning
Demand planning and inventory positioning
Post-launch optimization and velocity analysis
◈

Digitizing Growing Brands

The right systems at the right stage. From a brand's first ERP to MRP and AI-driven automation, we sequence the technology so it scales with the business—not ahead of it or behind it.

Stage-appropriate ERP selection and implementation (NetSuite, SAP, Dynamics)
MRP and supply planning as product complexity grows
Practical AI that automates repetitive operational work and gives teams time back
Retail compliance and EDI integration
Analytics and reporting architecture
◉

International Expansion

Beauty is global. We help brands enter new markets with the rigor of someone who has done it before—regulatory complexity, local retail dynamics, and all.

Market entry strategy and market prioritization
Regulatory and compliance navigation
Distribution partner identification and negotiation
Localization strategy (formulation, packaging, comms)
In-market launch support
◇

Operations Leadership

Fractional COO and VP Operations support for beauty brands that need senior operational leadership without the full-time overhead. We run the machine.

Supply chain design and vendor management
Team structure and hiring roadmaps
P&L ownership and COGS optimization
Retail operations and compliance management
Board reporting and investor communication
Global Expertise

Beauty knows no borders

International expansion is one of the highest-leverage moves a beauty brand can make—and one of the most operationally complex. We have launched beauty products across five continents—including regulated SPF products that must pass testing and registration in every market they enter.

Our approach combines market prioritization rigor with on-the-ground fluency. We help you choose the right markets in the right sequence, build the right partnerships, and launch with the kind of local insight that turns international promise into actual revenue.

🇺🇸 North America
🇬🇧 UK & Ireland
🇪🇺 Europe & Balkans
🇨🇳 China
🇯🇵 Asia Pacific
🇦🇺 Australia & NZ
🇦🇪 Middle East
🇲🇽 Latin America
40+
Countries launched into, from the EU and UK to China, Australia, and LATAM
5
Continents with active brand distribution built
$330M+
In new product revenue brought to market
48hrs
From a defined operational problem to a proposed solution
Digitization & Technology

The right systems at the right stage

Most beauty brands hit the same wall: they outgrow their systems before they outgrow their ambition. The spreadsheets that got you to $5M won't get you to $50M—but the ERP a $200M brand runs on will crush a $10M one. Digitizing a growing brand is a sequence, not a single project.

We meet brands where they are: a first ERP, an MRP layer when product complexity demands it, retail compliance automation, and practical AI that takes the repetitive work off a lean team's plate and gives them their time back.

ERP at Every Stage

Right-sized selection and implementation—NetSuite, SAP B1, Microsoft Dynamics, Brightpearl—from a brand's first ERP to the re-platforming that comes with scale

Retail Compliance & EDI

Sephora, Ulta, Target, and international retailer compliance setup; EDI 850/810/856 configuration

MRP & Supply Planning

Bill-of-materials, component planning, PO automation, and 3PL integration—so a launch never stalls on a missing cap or carton

AI That Gives Time Back

Practical AI and automation deployed against real operational work—from an MRP built in Google Workspace with Apps Script to AI-assisted purchasing and reporting—so lean teams spend their hours on the brand, not the admin

Analytics & Reporting

Real-time sell-through dashboards, margin analysis, and channel performance reporting for leadership teams

The Digitization Roadmap
01
Assess & Sequence

Map current state, find where the spreadsheets are breaking, and decide what to digitize first

02
Foundation: ERP

Select and implement the right ERP for today's stage, configured for beauty: costing, shades, retailer compliance

03
Connect

Clean and migrate historical data; integrate 3PL, retailers, and finance

04
Extend: MRP & Automation

Layer in MRP, PO automation, and vendor portals as product and supply complexity grow

05
Accelerate: AI

Deploy AI on the repetitive work so the team's time goes back to building the brand

Operations Leadership

Fractional expertise. Full-time impact.

⚡

Fractional & Interim COO

Senior operational leadership embedded in your business—without the full-time cost. We have stepped in during a VP vacancy to run 3PLs across the US, UK, and EU, lead peak season, and renegotiate vendor terms while the search ran.

📦

Supply Chain Architecture

Vendor negotiation, 3PL selection, freight strategy, and COGS optimization. We find margin where others find complexity.

📊

Financial Operations

P&L ownership, working capital management, board reporting, and the financial infrastructure your investors expect to see.

🏪

Retail Operations

Chargeback management, routing compliance, sell-through reporting, and retailer relationship management for major accounts.

👥

Org Design & Change Management

Changing how people work is the hard part of any operations fix. Role architecture, hiring roadmaps, onboarding, and the change strategy that makes new processes stick—from a founder's first ops hire to a 1,000-role restructuring.

🔄

Process Design & SOPs

The documented, repeatable processes that prevent knowledge from living in one person's head—critical for scale.

Ready to Launch?

Your brand deserves an expert in its corner

Whether you're launching your first product or entering your fifth market, we bring the operational expertise that turns beauty ambition into beauty results.

mike@beautylaunchlab.com Schedule a Discovery Call