INGLOT
Polish brand with global brand awareness in the world of beauty
Consumer Goods & Retail BrandsOriginally Published in April 2017
INGLOT is a manufacturer and retailer of color cosmetics for the face, eyes, lips, and nails as well as skin care products. Founded in 1983, the company has opened nearly 640 boutique stores, stands and retail locations in 80 countries. INGLOT participates in international cosmetics trade shows and fashion events worldwide. Recently, the brand partnered with designers of six fashion shows during New York Fashion Week in September 2016. Products come in over 1,500 colors; there are 400 shades of nail polish. INGLOT has been the official makeup sponsor of 15 Broadway musicals in New York City, from “The Lion King,” to “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Mamma Mia!” and now “Chicago.”
The company’s founder, Wojciech Inglot, graduated from Jagiellonian University in Kraków and worked for a pharmaceutical company. As communism began to fall, the chemist purchased his own equipment and started a chemical company in 1983 and shortly after this, his sister Elizabeth joined the company.. After a trip to New York, Inglot realized the cosmetics industry was thriving and returned to Poland with the desire to fill a gap in the Polish market. In 1985, he began by selling nail polish. This turned out to be a major hit in a country with a limited number of such products available. He then released basic lipsticks and eyeshadows. In the new market economy, Inglot decided to stop selling products in pharmacies and supermarkets, but instead opened up independent stands in shopping centers. This ensured a full range of products could be displayed. Without paying margins to retailers, Inglot could afford to lower prices while maintaining the highest quality.
INGLOT has been the official makeup sponsor of 15 Broadway musicals in New York City, from “The Lion King,” to “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Mamma Mia!” and now “Chicago.”
Inglot’s younger brother, Zbigniew, took over the company with his sister Elizabeth after the founder’s passing in 2013. Zbigniew was a nuclear physicist who also studied at Jagiellonian University. Once the demanding discipline caused a strain on his family, he decided to return to his hometown and became chairman of the board at INGLOT while teaching at local universities. As CEO, Zbigniew is now responsible for finance and investment while Elizabeth oversees the laboratories and new products.
The first INGLOT kiosk was opened in Wrocław, Poland in 2001. INGLOT began expanding internationally in 2006 after opening its first franchise store in Montreal, Canada. Since then, it has become available around the globe and has entered the department store market. Its products are sold in Macy’s in the U.S., Edgars in South Africa, as well as Falabella in Chile, Peru and Colombia, and Douglas in Europe. This year, stores will open on Oxford Street in London and at Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.
The brand continually works with world-renowned makeup artists and color consultants to develop high-quality products. INGLOT offers the Freedom System, which allows users to mix and match their favorite products on a personalized, reusable, eco-friendly makeup palette. The magnetic palettes can accommodate up to 40 products for the face, eyes and lips, with a huge number of combination possibilities. The palettes can be refilled with new products.
Another popular product is the O2M Breathable Nail Enamel that allows oxygen and water permeability for healthier nails. Normally used for contact lenses, the highly advanced polymer also helps spread the varnish while reducing film tightness.
All INGLOT cosmetics are produced in the European Union and 95 percent are manufactured in the company’s state-of-the-art facilities in the city of Przemyśl. INGLOT is GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certified, to ensure the highest standards in production, control, storage and shipment of products.