A living collection of lessons, sparks of inspiration, and things I’m working through in real time.

Dec 2024

Consumer Insights | Fall 2024

A group of people posing together on a stage in a well-lit auditorium, with some standing and others crouching. The individuals are dressed in business or casual attire, and they are smiling at the camera.
I explored shifting attitudes around graying hair through qualitative research.I uncovered the motivations behind embracing vs. concealing gray hair, along with the cultural nuances and unmet needs in the haircare space.  
Key Insight: A growing community of women sees gray hair not as a sign of aging, but as a symbol of authenticity, freedom, and self-expression.  
Question: Hair is often described as the crown we never take off. For many women, it holds deep emotional and cultural significance. Yet, as they begin to gray, there’s a striking gap in knowledge around how to care for their changing hair, both its biology and its beauty. How might brands step in, not just with products, but with science-backed education, care, and choice, to help women protect and celebrate their crown?

Project: Embracing the Gray - A Shift in Beauty Perception

Jan 2025

Field Studies (Brazil & Mexico City) Winter 2025

Collage of group photos at various corporate locations including Natura, L'Oreal, Estee Lauder, and Google, featuring diverse groups of people posing and smiling.
Building on my previous research, this project explored haircare needs in the Latin American market through field studies and consumer interviews. Instead of focusing on gray hair, the spotlight here was on diversity in hair textures, routines, and cultural perceptions of beauty across countries like Brazil and Mexico.  
Key Insight: Latin America’s haircare landscape is dynamic, with a strong market presence, diverse consumer needs, and a preference for value-driven products, making it a critical region for both local and global brands. However, social perceptions around beauty and hair continue to influence consumer choices, highlighting the need for inclusivity.  
Question: How might global brands unlock true long terms growth by embedding cultural intelligenve and unlocking locality?

Project: Haircare in LATAM – Embracing Diversity in Texture and Routine

May 2025

Product Development: Fragrance Spring 2025

AI Generated (Sora)

Project: Poppi Mist - A Fragrance Innovation for the Next Generation

Rooted in an exploration of Gen Alpha’s evolving relationship with beauty, this project reimagines how a functional beverage brand can translate its identity into fragrance. Inspired by Poppi’s bold, benefit-driven ethos, this concept introduces a trio of hydrating body mists that merge skin-loving ingredients with playful, fizzy scent profiles. Through consumer focus groups and olfactive testing, we identified what the next-gen wants: multifunctional products, ingredient transparency, and joyful sensory rituals. To bring this vision to life, we partnered with a fragrance house to develop scents that embody Poppi’s personality, balancing fun with skin benefits and a modern fragrance experience. The result: vibrant, engaging packaging that captures attention and invites interaction.

Key Insight: Younger consumers are redefining fragrance,  looking beyond scent to how products feel, function, and reflect their personal style. Poppi Mist answers this with skin-beneficial formulations, flavor-inspired notes, and packaging that's not only fun and expressive but designed to sit across vanities, lockers and social feeds.
Question: How might brands continue to innovate in fragrance to align with evolving next-gen values delivering multi-functional benefits in one spritz? How can we create single products that meet a multitude of needs?

May 2025

Product Development: Cosmetics Spring 2025

For my final paper in Cosmetics Product Development, I explored the ingredient innovation behind Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster, a high-tech skincare product that blends science-led formulation with user-friendly design. This was my first deep dive into formulation strategy, with a focus on how ingredient synergy, stability, and delivery systems shape both product performance and consumer trust.

Key Insight:
What makes the C15 Super Booster stand out isn’t just the 15% Vitamin C, it’s how the formula is engineered to be both potent and gentle. Through the combination of stabilizers like Ferulic Acid and Vitamin E, soothing ingredients like Panthenol, and smart additions like Ergothioneine, the product delivers real results while minimizing irritation. This is further supported by technical packaging decisions like nitrogen-blanket filling and UV-protective glass. It’s a strong example of how brands can lead with science while remaining accessible and transparent.

Question:
How might brands continue to innovate and disrupt product development to create skincare that delivers long-term efficacy and consumer trust?

Project: A High-Tech Approach to Skincare