Beautylish builds online boutiques so cosmetics-lovers can powder, pamper, blush, and at last, buy

Online beauty community Beautylish introduced shopping opportunities onto its site today, so registered members can now buy products, not just talk about them.

Beautylish is a social forum where beauty enthusiasts come together to share editorial content about cosmetics. Members contribute photos, videos, product reviews, and articles and can communicate with each other.

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The site’s content primarily relates to specific products and brands. With “purchasing intent” already flourishing within the community, founder Nils Johnson said introducing retail was the natural next step.

Now, the businesses fostering the dialogue will have the opportunity to sell their wares in Beautylish’s Boutiques.

Every few weeks, a new virtual store will open featuring products from the most popular brands. Each boutique will have exclusive items available for a limited time, as well as regularly stocked inventory.

Beautylish is not unlike Pinterest or other style communities where fashionistas merge to find inspiration, exchange ideas, and engage in discussions. However, the specialized topic creates an active, tight-knit community, as well as significant opportunities for brands looking to connect with their most enthusiastic fans (and consumers).

Beautylish has 1 million monthly unique visitors and 100,000 regular contributors. It was started by well-known angel investor Nils Johnson, who has invested in hot fashion companies like Warby Parer, Everlane, and Minted. This endeavor has raised several million dollars from Ron Conway, Steve Chen, and Jeremy Stoppelman.

By putting products directly in front of an active, engaged audience, Beautylish provides beauty brands with strong sales and marketing opportunities, as well as a revenue stream for itself. Johnson has made multiple smart investments in other fashion companies. Now it is time to see if his own will prove as successful.