Want to land more sales from your email marketing campaigns? Here’s some inspiration: 30 high-converting examples and some handy templates.
30 Powerful Email Marketing Examples For Beauty Brands
1. Tell Them What’s In-store For Them
Brand: Lip Lab
Subject Line: Thanks for subscribing to Lip Lab
🎯 Why we love this:
- The perfect targeted email—note the on-point location-based segmentation
- Helps gather more information about the user
- Features hyper-personalization with their Unique Value Propositions (UVP’s)—the custom color, in-store experience, and the at-home experience
- The CTAs are in-sync with the copy—note how the CTA becomes “Get Inspired” at the footer
📌 What you can learn from it:
- All beauty brands have a common goal: increasing LTV, while reducing CAC
- Thus, it’s important to land the signup, by offering up a range of Unique Value Propositions—note, how these brands do it:
- Ensure your email service provider/tool can handle custom work-flows with real-time personalization
We Suggest Reading: Email Capture: 45 high-converting examples & what makes them great
2. Frame Your Products With A Pun
Brand: Elf Beauty
Subject Line: $8 for 36 acne patches?! We zit you not 😜
🎯 Why we love this:
- The interactive headline that frames the product’s USP and features in a new light
- The subtle gamification on offer—a quiet nod to the user’s accrued loyalty points:
- The creative experimentation with the CTAs—note the “Shop (Don’t Pop)” and “Shop Blemish Breakthrough”
- Features the most trusted source possible—a doctor
- Offers product recommendations by browsing history, along with a quiz
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Send this email as the second email in your product launch flow
- Showcase your sustainability statement, and tune your microcopy to highlight your flexible payment options and other offers— note how e.l.f. does it:
We recommend you to check out: 33 Brilliant Ways To Improve Online Beauty Store Sales
3. Help Them Learn With Your SEO Keywords
Brand: Savor Beauty
Subject Line: Want FRESH skin in 3 minutes? ✨
🎯 Why we love this:
- A newsletter format that makes the customer feel, that it isn’t promotional by announcing the product launch at the top
- The rest of the email is purposed to solve common pain points through FAQ’s
- Every FAQ is sourced from keywords/existing content on site
- Everything is in 3 sections—3 questions, 3 product categories, 3 recommendations
- A product page like product display—note the “Peels” section of this email:
- The “low-stock” urgency push in the “Face Cream” section:
- Offers an element of luxury and exclusivity with a spa experience in their “In NYC?” section:
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Use this newsletter for new subscribers who haven’t made a purchase yet
- Other than Keyword Planner/Ahrefs/any other keyword research tools—use your Google Search Console data to find more such terms to find questions that drive traffic to your store
- Here’s how you do it: Go to GSC > Search Results > Filter > Queries > Custom Regex > Matches Regex > what|how|when|why|where
Do check out: 40 High-Converting Health/Beauty "Product Page" Examples
4. Offer a Free Consultation
Brand: Sally
Subject Line: Thinking about coloring your hair? Chat with a Licensed Colorist for FREE
🎯 Why we love this:
- Uses the PAS framework—note how the pain points get solved with the consultation
- Spells out the steps to book a consultation and establishes authority as an expert
- The images help guide the user visually through the steps—note how the message is delivered even without reading the text
- Users can avail offers if they aren’t interested in the consultation or the best-selling products:
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Use this emailer for repeat customers or active subscribers (people who click through from your emails)
- Make your footer visually attractive and tuned for conversions—note how Sally nudges users with their social links, and app install callouts along with a host of other trust badges:
5. Show Them The Awards
Brand: Shiseido
Subject Line: 2023, A Year Of Beauty Awards
🎯 Why we love this:
- Avoids choice paralysis by pairing only a representative product from a category
- Maintains a visual hierarchy throughout the email
- A newsletter that acts as a promotional email
- Drives curiosity on what the bundle is (instead of just showing it)
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Send this email to all subscribers in your audience
- Experiment with the subject line to drive better CTOR
- Ensure you create a drip with UGC, featuring users/employees showing the effectivity of the products
- Use unique tracking codes on your CTA buttons, to further segment your audience
You must also read: 23 Marketing Ideas For Online Fashion Stores (With Examples & Case Studies)
6. BOGO ❌ Free Gift ✅
Brand: Smashbox
Subject Line: Elevate your makeup routine with a FREE Foundation Brush 💞
🎯 Why we love this:
- The easy formatting helps users scan the text
- Drives greater value by offering up what goes with the product recommendation
- A subsequent free-gift threshold offer that leads users to take note—note the “It’s *Primer* Day” section
- Brilliant gamification that reminds users of when they first became a subscriber:
📌 What you can learn from it:
- This email is perfect for the last email in the new product launch drip campaign
- Also, highlight your BNPL payment along with your terms, more visually, like Smashbox does:
- Highlight the three most powerful conversion magnets: free shipping, free returns, and free samples
- Free samples lead to conversion rates as high as 30%—meanwhile, 87% of shoppers will not make a purchase due to an inconvenient return policy
7. Do a Flash “Free Shipping”
Brand: 100% Pure
Subject Line: 🎁 Sunday Surprise: Enjoy Free Shipping on Us Today!
🎯 Why we love this:
- Text-heavy email, that doesn’t feel text-heavy—note how 100% Pure uses images minimally
- Mobile-friendly design that’s suitable for all types of inboxes
- Highlights a returns policy with clever copy—note the “Happy Promise” section
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Tease this offer in a “pre-order” type email with a subject line like “brace your 💰—something’s coming”
- Begin the flow at least 3 days before the flash-sale—use at least 3 emails
- Personalize the subject line on the second email further by user attributes like “{name}, it’s almost here – say goodbye to $$$”
- Send a reminder email to all users near the end of the promotion—ensure you filter out users who have already made a purchase
8. Do a “Surprise” Back-in-Stock
Brand: Beardbrand
Subject Line: SURPRISE! Bold Fortune Utility Balm is available now
🎯 Why we love this:
- A transactional email that hits home with validation
- What validation, you ask—note how the email features a review and helps establish the product’s goodwill
- Doesn’t feature a strong CTA and a lot of text—yet is readable
- The conversational tonality of the email
📌 What you can learn from it:
- If you run a “Notify Me” button on your out-of-stock product page, send a version of this email to those subscribers first
- Also, even if it’s a transactional email, stay on brand and avoid jarring users
- Make the unsubscribe easy, but also sentimental—note how Beardbrand does it:
9. Ask Them For Their Birthday
Brand: Kerastease
Subject Line: We want to celebrate you, Eva!
🎯 Why we love this:
- Driving incentivization with a loyalty points counter, that teases the reward—note the “$150 away from ULTIME”
- Increasing user data points swiftly, without offering immediate discounts
- Helps with product discovery and convenience (what customers look for)
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Use this email for users with incomplete details
- Also, use this as the last email in your welcome sequence
10. Do a Win-Back
Brand: Avon
Subject Line: Let's Try This Again!
🎯 Why we love this:
- A win-back email, that doesn’t lead with discounts
- Helps bring users back with warmth (and lets them choose what they get)
- Affirms the brand’s support for causes—note the “Avon x Feed the Children” and “See…welfare” parts
- Features a “become a representative” affiliate program link
📌 What you can learn from it:
- In case this email isn’t opened, send another reminder with a subject line like: “We’ll be removing you in X days”
- Consider removing subscribers who haven’t engaged for over a year and made a purchase.
- In case of purchasers, try an extended drip—however, if the flow doesn’t get opens from particular subscribers, remove them
- Doing this will help you keep your list clean and increase your sender score (+ better deliverability)
We Suggest Reading: 13 Solid Ways To Improve Marketing Email Delivery Rate (eCommerce)
11. Do a Comparison Battle
Brand: Dollar Shave Club
Subject Line: Is our latest our greatest?
🎯 Why we love this:
- Doesn’t shy away from taking on competitor products
- Visuals lead the email along with witty (yet simple) copy
- The intelligent product bundling—note how the “Buttery Freestyle Bundle” is just $1 more than the product itself
- Doesn’t overwhelm with product descriptions—instead drives a quiet upsell with “$45 value”
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Run this promotion exclusive to email only—note how DSC does it:
- Make sure your social media followers and website visitors know that subscribing gets them exclusive offers
- Use this email within a product launch sequence—note how Dollar Shave Club does it:
12. Tell Them What Level They Are At
Brand: bare Minerals
Subject Line: Your Good Rewards recap
🎯 Why we love this:
- Follows through on the promise of loyalty points
- A solid customer retention email that helps increase CLV (as well as AOV)
- Note how the “Complete your Collection” drives cross-sells
- Gamifies the rewards tiers—note the “Unlock More Rewards” section
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Recommend products that a user has spent the most time on—check their average session duration
- If your email marketing tool doesn’t allow this level of personalization, we suggest checking out Engage
You'll also like: 30 Best Email Marketing Examples In eCommerce (2024)
13. Get Them To Try On Your AR
Brand: Urban Decay
Subject Line: Discover our Virtual Try-On Tool
🎯 Why we love this:
- Visuals and text are in balance
- Describes the Augmented Reality experience, visually
- Product recommendations are highly personalized and attuned to browsing and purchase history
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Consider featuring a “get X free samples of your choice for every order with your subscription” type promotion, if you don’t have a virtual try-on tool
- Works best for subscribers who’ve added to cart/have made at least one purchase
- Alternatively, you can feature a lookbook featuring customers/employees wearing your products
14. Celebrate Their Birthday With a Discount
Brand: L’Occitane
Subject Line: arthur, Happy Birthday! Time to Treat Yourself 🎂
🎯 Why we love this:
- Evocative product descriptions
- Uses the anchoring effect—(the “FREE” gift and shipping are the focus)
- Upsells in bundles (“full-body pampering” and “mouthwatering treat”)
- The visual trust badges at the footer
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Personalize the discount percentage by purchase history, AOV, and CLV—for example, if it’s a new customer, give 5% off; and in case of a new customer, offer 20% or more
- If you are using their name in the subject line, consider using it with your emails too
- Build a flow during their birthday month—ensure that you remind them a week in advance (to prepare them)
15. Open Up a School With A Routine
Brand: Briogeo Hair
Subject Line: Healthy hair tips 📝
🎯 Why we love this:
- The email isn’t reliant on images to deliver the message
- Rather, the visuals enhance the message
- Excellent use of employee-generated content
- Offers a bundle, with a free gift “while supplies last” to drive the FOMO further:
📌 What you can learn from it:
- This is a typical newsletter format, that drives product discovery, as well as product recommendations
- Send browse abandonment emails to all who clicked (but didn’t purchase) through this email
- Maintain this format in a frequency, (don’t send too much, or too less)
16. Show Them How To Refill
Brand: Peter Thomas Roth Skincare
Subject Line: JUST IN: Peptide Skinjection™ Refill Pods!
🎯 Why we love this:
- Showcases frugality, by offering refillable pods and in turn, drives up CLV
- Repeat purchases form about 35% of revenue for eCommerce businesses
- Showcases its sustainability statement by proclaiming the pod’s material of construction as recycled
- Offers a product up for free to make a stronger value proposition
📌 What you can learn from it:
- If you are sending this to repeat customers, personalize the email further with their names
- Quantify the rewards with your copy (works awesome for all inboxes, including image blockers)—note how it’s done here:
17. Create Grippin’ Visuals
Brand: Milk
Subject Line: 12-hour grip. All-day glow.
🎯 Why we love this:
- The notification bar type section that calls on to shop and increase their loyalty points
- Genius email design—the image itself is the background of this email
- Use of Occam’s Razor—the email describes as much as needed (while skipping a huge scroll depth)
- Yet another email that’s full of text—however, intelligent typography guides the eye
📌 What you can learn from it:
- 91% of marketers trust in visuals—however, almost 43% of your customers will read your email, without downloading the images
- Thus, ensure your images have descriptive alt text (with CSS and HTML formatting) like: “Don’t see the images? ಠ_ಠ Try viewing this email in your browser”
- Additionally, it’s always a good idea to rely on HTML to render colors and typography
18. Be Hilariously Frank With Proof
Brand: Frank Body
Subject Line: 🍑 Her butt left a 5 star review.
🎯 Why we love this:
- The subject line stands out as the “butt” of all jokes (we couldn’t help it)
- A lingo that’s hilariously relatable, yet convincing
- Features reviews that continue the message (yet don’t go borderline)
- The quiet upsell and the hilarious CTA “Butt Dial Me, Shop My Kit”
- Fully goes into the first-person mode—note the use of “my”
📌 What you can learn from it:
- This email works best for helping consideration in particular product segments—note how Frank Body features a single product up on focus
- Target or retarget your emails to subscribers who’ve viewed a particular product/purchased the product
- For those who’ve purchased the product, modify this email’s headline and CTA to ask them for reviews
- For example: “My Butt’s Dialling Up Everyone” or “Leave a Butt-iful Review (and get featured)”
19. Help Them Find a Signature Scent
Brand: Hawthorne
Subject Line: Discover the cologne that's uniquely you
🎯 Why we love this:
- Drives a quiet upsell (with the confidence of a returns policy)
- Perfect for product discovery with a quiz funnel
- Uses typography to lead the eye
- Provides a preview of the steps ahead
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Ensure that your landing page for the quiz has questions set up with visuals and recommendations set up with powerful product display (and a list of ingredients, testimonials)
- Offer free samples up for grabs with your products (to help cross-selling)
- It’s worth remembering—a hassle-free returns policy is critical when it comes to the beauty industry
- Only 21% of consumers in the US are willing to pack up a product to pick-up for returns
20. Run a Quiz Within Your Email
Brand: Frontman
Subject Line: Which patch is right for you? 🤔
🎯 Why we love this:
- Displays choice paralysis (with a dose of fun)
- The quiet nod to the upsell through the bundle (at the end)
- Describes the product, while the user goes through the quiz
- Is convincing without using discounts or a lot of visuals
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Perfect for consideration and browse abandoners (who can’t choose between product variations)
- Tune your subject line to drive curiosity and attention (and open rates)—Frontman’s subject line does just that
21. Help Them Stick To Their Resolutions
Brand: Baxter of California
Subject Line: Save 15% off today!
🎯 Why we love this:
- Tells users that it’s cheaper to save, right at the top section
- Guides them in a linear path on how to sign-up
- Shows a user’s most bought product
- Last, but not least, drives subscriptions
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Give them a “You could be saving $XX” based on their percentage history in the follow-up email
- For successful subscriptions, email them, quantifying their savings and help them with post-purchase anxiety
22. Ask Them If They Want To Pass It Up
Brand: Philosophy
Subject Line: You Sure You Want To Pass This One Up?
🎯 Why we love this:
- A cart-abandonment email that upsells with personalized product recommendations
- An urgency-driven CTA button (“I Want It Now”)
- Mobile-friendly design—that keeps it short and sweet
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Only 18% of brands end up offering discounts within their cart-abandonment emails
- Of the 18%, 80% of brands offer the discount within the first two emails
- Thus, it’s better to offer what customers want: values and convenience(lots of it)
- Note how Philosophy does exactly this with their rewards program and a free shipping threshold:
23. Ask Them If They Were Distracted
Brand: Exoh
Subject Line: Who wouldn't love these bad boys?
͏🎯 Why we love this: ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
- The playful CTA’s—note “I Want It”
- Interactive copy paired with reviews
- Shows on brand values on the footer
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Queue the quiz email from Frontman, if users don’t convert
- Offer discounts only to subscribers with a high purchase frequency/high AOV
24. Feature a Mystery Offer
Brand: Blume
Subject Line: 📣🦋 this weekend only!!
🎯 Why we love this:
- Showcases before/afters from customers instead of a product
- Uses price anchoring to drive the deal
- Lifts off reviews from the product page, right into the email
- Features a good doggo + “good vibes code”
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Change visuals in every email for users who have opened the email
- As a rule of thumb, always segment your subscribers by interaction
- For non-openers, aim for micro-conversions like adding to cart or viewing the product
25. Help Them Share The Love
Brand: Kiehl’s
Subject Line: Refer a friend, earn 25 points
🎯 Why we love this:
- Features an extremely visually rich guide to earning loyalty points
- Quantifies the reward—note “you earn 25 points”
- Offers a “store side pickup”
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Offer more personalized incentives and content to encourage sharing among your most engaged subscribers—note Kiehl’s personalized recommendations
- Try running A/B tests with social proof elements like share counts, no. of reviews, etc.
Also Read: 13 Triggered Email Examples That Actually Drive Conversions
26. Call Your Community For a Casting Call
Brand: Glow Recipe
Subject Line: Dew You Anonymous Casting is now OPEN
🎯 Why we love this:
- Incorporates elements of social commerce into email marketing
- Showcases the brand’s sustainability statement at the footer
- Avoids cognitive load by offering two clear CTA’s above the fold
- The language is direct, yet cheerful and assertive
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Ensure you run this announcement on your socials as well—also, hint at the casting call days in advance through social media stories
- For maximum effectiveness, retarget non-openers on Tiktok/Insta/FB
- Make a separate landing page with clear guidelines, how-to’s, and most importantly: keep the reward above the fold
27. Show Them When To Use It
Brand: Origins
Subject Line: Retinoid Regimen: Gentle Yet Powerful
🎯 Why we love this:
- Showcases the product features in infographic style
- Ingredients information is clearly labeled at the footer
- Offers a subscription, after educating the user
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Create an email series by targeting long-tail keywords like "best [product] for [specific occasion]" to reach users who viewed a certain product
- Try testing outcomes with embedded “how-to” videos within your email—including videos in emails can spike up CTR by 300%
- Follow-up with a timeline of how long it takes for benefits to show through
28. Upsell with a “Wrapped”
Brand: Beauty Bay
Subject Line: Your BEAUTY BAY, wrapped 🔁
🎯 Why we love this:
- Features every type of product including best-sellers, out-of-stock products, and more
- Predicts trends for the year ahead
- Showcases new brands and product discovery, thereof
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Try mixing this format within your promotional emails by offering bundles with custom packaging
- Personalize the package and encourage subscribers to share their wrapped on social media
- Try sending non-engagers and non-openers a variation of this email that showcases their inactivity
- Use a headline like “Here’s what you’ve been missing out on” to drive the FOMO
29. Help Them With Father’s Day
Brand: Reuzel
Subject Line: It's not too late to get him the perfect Father's Day gift
🎯 Why we love this:
- Witty copy that connects with the target audience
- Provides suggestions by matching customer needs to the brand’s products
- Offers only three suggestions (all of which are bundles)
- The CTAs include product names
- Finishes it off with a free gift offer
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Practice inclusivity within your emails—go beyond stereotypes and feature diverse models and families enjoying your products
- Prepare a flow for Father’s Day, well in advance (adjust for delivery as well)
- Include a shipping timer to enhance the urgency
30. Amp Your Audience Up for Cyber Monday
Brand: Reuzel
Subject Line: Log on. Take 20-30% off.
🎯 Why we love this:
- Tiered discount on offer, and a CTA that ties to the email’s theme
- Uses the decoy effect with the gift cards and the bundles, to highlight the discount
- The visuals and the copy (yet again)
📌 What you can learn from it:
- Beat the inbox rush—offer exclusive discounts, 24-48 hours before the official Cyber Monday sale
- Notify repeat purchasers even earlier and ensure that they know; they are getting early access
Also Read: 35 Slightly Different Black Friday Email Examples (That Actually Get Attention)
7 Essential Email Marketing Templates For Beauty Brands
1. New Purchaser Win-Back
Subject Line: Welcome Back [Customer Name] – Discover More Beauty Gems ✨
Body:
Hi [Customer Name],
Yay! You just made a first step towards [include benefit] with [mention product(s)].
But your beauty journey doesn't stop there!
We have a whole world of amazing products waiting to be explored. ✨
Ready to:
- Boost your glow? Try our [product category] featuring [key ingredient/benefit].
- Master that flawless look? Our [product category] is your secret weapon.
- Unlock personalized recommendations? Take our beauty quiz and discover your perfect match.
<Unlock Your Regimen>
2. Browse Abandonment
Subject Line: [Customer Name] Still Thinking About [Benefit of Product]?
Body:
Hi [Customer Name],
Hmm, we noticed you were browsing our [product category] recently.
Is there something specific you're looking for?
We’ve [Live Chat Agent Name] on standby, in case you’ve got any questions.
However, here’s what you will make it easy:
For [Benefit of Product/Use Case], we recommend:
[Product 1] [Product 2] [Product 3]
[Reviews] [Reviews] [Reviews]
<Try It On> <Try It On> <Try In On>
For [Benefit of Product/Use Case], we recommend:
[Product 1] [Product 2] [Product 3]
[Reviews] [Reviews] [Reviews]
<Try It On> <Try It On> <Try In On>
Ready To Shop? (Or Talk)
<Get Shopping> <Chat With [Live Chat Agent Name]>
3. Limited-Time Offer
Subject Line: Last Chance [Customer Name] Limited-Time Offer Just for You
Body:
Hi [Customer Name],
Just a friendly reminder that our [special offer/promotion] ends soon! ⏰
As a valued customer, we're offering you an exclusive [discount/free gift] on your next purchase.
Treat yourself to something special or stock up on your favorites!
This offer is valid until [date], so don't miss out!
<Get Me My Offer>
4. Free Shipping Threshold:
Subject Line: Free Shipping Awaits🚚 Shop Now & Save on Delivery Charges ✨
Body:
Hey [Customer Name],
Exciting news!
You're just a purchase away from unlocking free shipping on your order.
Spend $[threshold amount] or more and ditch the delivery fees.
<Save [Amount Saved] Now>
Treat yourself to your favorite beauty essentials or explore new products – the choice is yours!
[Featured Product 1] [Featured Product 2] [Featured Product 3]
<Save & Buy>
Looking For Better Deals?
<Explore Bundles Just For You>
5. Early Access
Subject Line: Top Secret 🤫You're Invited to Our Exclusive Early Access Sale
Body:
Hey [Customer Name],
It’s Bigger, It’s Better, It’s a Secret
And, it’s coming down in X days!
As a valued customer, you're invited to shop our [new collection/sale] before anyone else with X% off! ️
It’s true: Only you and some [include list size] know about this sale.
<Shop Before It Drops Down To X%>
6. Shipping Confirmation
Subject Line: Your [Brand Name] Order is on its Way🏎
Body:
Hi [Customer Name],
Your order has been shipped! Hooray!
<Include Visual Product Image>
This email confirms your order details:
- Order number: [order number]
- Items ordered: [list of items]
- Estimated delivery date: [estimated date]
You can track your package and view its estimated delivery date anytime by clicking here: [link to tracking]
<Check When Your Package Is Coming Home>
7. Delivery Emails
Subject Line: Ding Dong🔔 Your [Brand Name] Order Has Arrived ✨
Body:
Hi [Customer Name],
Your [Brand Name] order has been delivered!
We are leaving this here, in case you’re wondering how to use it:
[Step 1 of How To]
[Visuals]
[Description of the Step]
[Step 2 of How To]
[Visuals]
[Description of the Step]
[Step 3 of How To]
[Visuals]
[Description of the Step]
<See How [Influencer Name] Does This>
P.S: We’ll be asking how it went in a few days!
Ready To Send?
Most beauty brand owners don’t see email as a serious revenue stream.
Even if they do, most end up sending the same templatized versions of emails from other brands.
Ask them about the importance of email marketing, and you'll hear:
“We don’t really have a major strategy,”
“We mostly use generic templates,” or
“We just send emails to people on our list.”
BUT AT THE SAME TIME:
There are stores out there that drive 30%+ of their revenue from email marketing.
Engage can help you do the same - Book a free demo.
We’ll show you:
- workflows we can create for your store,
- proven ways to drive 30% or more $$ from email alone, and
- successful templates and strategies from the beauty industry (and others).
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