It all started with a desire to create one product that worked. Australian Rebecca Morrice Williams was seeking the ideal concealer; American Cristina Bartolucci wanted to create a lip gloss that gave that just-kissed look.
It led both women to set up cosmetics companies - Bartolucci created DuWop Cosmetics and Morrice Williams, Becca - that have since branched into other products. But their focus - and success - is still on formulas that give them an edge in the highly competitive and ever-changing beauty business.
Bartolucci says her products have to keep evolving to satisfy today's more demanding clientele. This means creating newer versions of her best-selling Lip Venom (a lip-plumping paste), and developing foundations and a 'venom' blush that stimulates circulation to give a real glow.
'Women are more make-up savvy now,' she says. 'So they are not brand loyal. They are looking for the next big thing and they cherry-pick items that are designed to do better.'
At Becca, chief executive Steven Schapera says the focus will be on making its foundation more specific to different skin tones, and bringing in anti-ageing and even tinted primers, which takes the work out of application for those who like a light coverage.
'The future is that make-up brands won't just focus on one ethnicity,' Schapera says. 'You just can't take a colour and make it darker ... the undertone has to be taken into consideration. Foundation will be more specialised.'