Everyone wants Orgasm! 3 product lines that have become staples in the beauty scene
31.3.2025
Translation: Veronica Bielawski
Longstanding bestsellers are hailed as «hero products» – and beauty brands milk them to the max. Here are three examples.
Beauty brands’ staple products are known as hero products – bestsellers in an endless cycle of repackaging in new editions, slight modification and expansion to include new product categories. In a case study, the online magazine The Business of Fashion defines a hero product as «an iconic, easily identifiable item that withstands the test of time and essentially becomes synonymous with the brand itself». In short, a hero product must stand out, have recognition value and be relevant over a long period of time – so much so that it becomes representative of the brand itself.
These products are a safe bet; their popularity boosts sales. Not to mention that it’s more efficient and cost-effective for brands to launch new products as part of an existing, legally protected line. I find myself being surprised again and again at how stubbornly some hero lines persist. Here are three of them.
Orgasm by Nars
When François Nars launched this blush in 1999, he gave it a name that’s hard to forget: Orgasm. It’s a pink-peachy shade with a golden shimmer. To this day, it’s one of the most popular shades in the range of the French brand, which is now part of the Shiseido Group. In 2023, Orgasm alone accounted for 23 per cent of Nars’s sales volume in the USA.
These days, you can not only get variants of the blush with new textures and colour gradations to suit different skin tones, but also Orgasm-branded products from different categories, such as lip products and eyeshadow.
Source: Instagram @narsissist
Source: Instagram @narsissist
Pillow Talk by Charlotte Tilbury
Every ten seconds, a product from Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk line is sold globally, as Forbes reported in 2024. The success story began with a single lipstick. The pink nude shade seemed to suit a particularly large number of people and quickly became a bestseller. Can you guess what happened next? Eyeshadow, gloss, blush and more followed.
Source: Instagram @charlottetilbury
Advanced Night Repair Serum by Estée Lauder
Beauty aficionados know exactly what ANR stands for. It says a lot about a skincare product’s popularity when the acronym is almost more widespread than the name itself, eh? Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Serum was launched in 1982, the first night serum to hit the market. Today, the brown pipette bottle has a cult following. The oil-free texture contains hyaluronic acid (for moisture), antioxidants (to protect against free radicals) and the hailed star of the formula, tripeptide-32, which is supposed to stimulate regeneration of the skin.
Source: Instagram @esteelauderswitzerland
Header image: Instagram @narsissist
Natalie Hemengül
Senior Editor
Natalie.Hemenguel@digitecgalaxus.chAs a massive Disney fan, I see the world through rose-tinted glasses. I worship series from the 90s and consider mermaids a religion. When I’m not dancing in glitter rain, I’m either hanging out at pyjama parties or sitting at my make-up table. P.S. I love you, bacon, garlic and onions.
Beauty
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