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TwitterTV celebrity Baxter markets skin-care line at Bealls
Meredith Baxter jokes a lot. In between meeting Bealls' customers Wednesday and talking about her revitalized skin-care line, the TV actress tossed out some great one-liners.
But the Emmy-nominated actress, known for her roles in sitcoms including "Family Ties" and "Bridget Loves Bernie," is serious about helping women find products that help them look and feel better.
Baxter appeared for two demonstrations at Bealls Department Store on West Manatee, answering questions from shoppers while promoting her skin-care line.
"I love watching people put on a product and talk about how much they enjoy it," she said. "It is the ultimate pleasure."
Simple Works includes products like body moisturizers and hand creams as well as eye gels, lip plumpers and a fragrance.
The crowd and hubbub attracted Tracey Popp of Bradenton, who was shopping in the store and stumbled across the actress talking with customers in the cosmetic aisle.
"I'm going to be 40 in March, so I better start now," said Popp, who was clutching a $60 Illuminate Your Life kit of moisturizing face cream, eye gel and complexion enhancer along with a 20 percent-off coupon.
Melanie Johnson came to the store to "pick up a few things" and see the 62-year-old Baxter, who is now a grandmother three times over. As Johnson pondered purchasing a foot treatment cream, she watched the actress and proclaimed, "I like her hair style, she definitely looks good."
In 1997, Baxter went looking for products to help her dry skin.
"The first thing I always ask is, 'What does it smell like and how much does it cost?' before I even try it on my skin," she said.
She couldn't find exactly what she wanted, so she decided to develop her own line using two favorite key ingredients: aloe and glycerine, both products for healing and conditioning.
"I've always had an aloe plant on my window sill, and my grandmother had a hair salon so I knew about glycerin," Baxter said.
She launched her line in 1998 with the Home Shopping Network and worked the industry trade show circuit. At one point, 5,000 stores were carrying her products. But being a TV promoter wasn't her forte.
"I'm not a hard-sell person," she said. "It wasn't a good experience." So she temporarily shut down, retooled her line and did a second launch under Simple Works "because it's simple and it works," she said. Botanical extracts were added, caffeine and green tea as anti-inflammatories and anti-bacterials. A portion of all sales got to the Meredith Baxter Fund for Breast Cancer Research.
Bealls buyer Caroline Fox and Phil Winefordner, division vice president of accessories, watched Wednesday as customers flocked to Baxter and displays of the product line quickly emptied.
"We've only had it on the floor for a week," said Fox, who thought customer response has been outstanding.
"In the 13 years I've been here, we've never done anything like this with beauty products," Winefordner said. "But this is a natural for the Florida customer."
Bealls has used celebrities for other products, including Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin, golfer Boo Weekley and wildlife artist Guy Harvey, to increase sales.
"Celebrity endorsements are certainly a way to build credibility and recognition for the products and we are always happy to have them," said Lana Cain Krauter, president of Bealls Department Stores. "Celebrities can be unpredictable, so we are very selective about who we join up with."
During a break after two hours on her feet, Baxter talked about how the TV movie industry has changed.
"The networks used to make 200 movies a year, but now it's about 40," she said. And more movie and theatrical actors have crossed over to the medium.
"You've got Glenn Close in Damages. Stop it, that's not fair!" she shouts with a laugh.
Baxter's next project is a Web-based series called "We Have To Stop Now" in which she plays a therapist.
"The business is less attractive than it use to be," said Baxter, who is also looking at doing a few radio plays for National Public Radio.
"They just don't write many parts for women," she mused. "I think it is a lack of education and a limited outlook."
But the Emmy-nominated actress, known for her roles in sitcoms including "Family Ties" and "Bridget Loves Bernie," is serious about helping women find products that help them look and feel better.
Baxter appeared for two demonstrations at Bealls Department Store on West Manatee, answering questions from shoppers while promoting her skin-care line.
"I love watching people put on a product and talk about how much they enjoy it," she said. "It is the ultimate pleasure."
Simple Works includes products like body moisturizers and hand creams as well as eye gels, lip plumpers and a fragrance.
The crowd and hubbub attracted Tracey Popp of Bradenton, who was shopping in the store and stumbled across the actress talking with customers in the cosmetic aisle.
"I'm going to be 40 in March, so I better start now," said Popp, who was clutching a $60 Illuminate Your Life kit of moisturizing face cream, eye gel and complexion enhancer along with a 20 percent-off coupon.
Melanie Johnson came to the store to "pick up a few things" and see the 62-year-old Baxter, who is now a grandmother three times over. As Johnson pondered purchasing a foot treatment cream, she watched the actress and proclaimed, "I like her hair style, she definitely looks good."
In 1997, Baxter went looking for products to help her dry skin.
"The first thing I always ask is, 'What does it smell like and how much does it cost?' before I even try it on my skin," she said.
She couldn't find exactly what she wanted, so she decided to develop her own line using two favorite key ingredients: aloe and glycerine, both products for healing and conditioning.
"I've always had an aloe plant on my window sill, and my grandmother had a hair salon so I knew about glycerin," Baxter said.
She launched her line in 1998 with the Home Shopping Network and worked the industry trade show circuit. At one point, 5,000 stores were carrying her products. But being a TV promoter wasn't her forte.
"I'm not a hard-sell person," she said. "It wasn't a good experience." So she temporarily shut down, retooled her line and did a second launch under Simple Works "because it's simple and it works," she said. Botanical extracts were added, caffeine and green tea as anti-inflammatories and anti-bacterials. A portion of all sales got to the Meredith Baxter Fund for Breast Cancer Research.
Bealls buyer Caroline Fox and Phil Winefordner, division vice president of accessories, watched Wednesday as customers flocked to Baxter and displays of the product line quickly emptied.
"We've only had it on the floor for a week," said Fox, who thought customer response has been outstanding.
"In the 13 years I've been here, we've never done anything like this with beauty products," Winefordner said. "But this is a natural for the Florida customer."
Bealls has used celebrities for other products, including Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin, golfer Boo Weekley and wildlife artist Guy Harvey, to increase sales.
"Celebrity endorsements are certainly a way to build credibility and recognition for the products and we are always happy to have them," said Lana Cain Krauter, president of Bealls Department Stores. "Celebrities can be unpredictable, so we are very selective about who we join up with."
During a break after two hours on her feet, Baxter talked about how the TV movie industry has changed.
"The networks used to make 200 movies a year, but now it's about 40," she said. And more movie and theatrical actors have crossed over to the medium.
"You've got Glenn Close in Damages. Stop it, that's not fair!" she shouts with a laugh.
Baxter's next project is a Web-based series called "We Have To Stop Now" in which she plays a therapist.
"The business is less attractive than it use to be," said Baxter, who is also looking at doing a few radio plays for National Public Radio.
"They just don't write many parts for women," she mused. "I think it is a lack of education and a limited outlook."
