Goop Beauty VP, Erin Cotter

We don’t buy into the theory of ‘making it’. For one, it’s totally subjective, so your idea of making it, might be someone else’s never-ever-happening-dream-life-scenario or vice versa, and the sentiment isn’t congruent with the action – ambition is about always striving to be better, to learn more, not stopping as soon as your ego takes over. For that very reason, Erin Cotter gets our vote. She’s held high-profile marketing roles at Bumble and Bumble, Korres and Estee Lauder, but the new VP of Beauty at Goop doesn’t rest on her laurels – “I still have so much to do and learn,” she says matter of factly.

Erin credits her mother – “she taught me that looking your best starts with good health” – with kickstarting her obsession with beauty and wellness, something that led her to launch her own makeup brand before getting into business with some of the world’s largest cosmetics companies. Having that entrepreneurial know-how and spirit is what makes her appointment at Goop so natural though – she doesn’t just get it, she has literally lived it. “In a start-up, you wear many hats; processes haven’t been established, you don’t have the same access to data, and budgets are much smaller. You have to learn to be scrappy.”

We talked to the clean beauty pioneer about moving from New York to LA, spending more time with her family, and what to do when you start to doubt yourself. “When you’re knee deep in it, it’s really hard to see how it all fits together, but time and again, eventually I start to see how it all makes sense.” We couldn’t agree more – meet Erin Cotter.


Goop Beauty VP, Erin CotterON HER PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY BEFORE JOINING GOOP: I have loved beauty and fashion for as long as I can remember. It’s always been my creative outlet. If talent weren’t a factor, I would have loved to have been some type of artist.  But alas I am better at business, so marketing in the world of beauty was a way for me to be creative in the business world. Before joining Goop, I held roles at Bumble and Bumble, Korres and Estee Lauder – all brands I love and admire. One thing they have in common is that they have incredibly visionary founders. Michael Gordon at Bumble and bumble, Giorgos Korres at Korres, and of course Mrs. Estee Lauder, who founded her company in 1946 (1946!) at a time when women were supposed to be in the home.  She was a fearless rule breaker. My roles have all involved three things: (1) Being the ‘steward’ of the brand.  What is the equity, what do we uniquely stand for, how does someone experience the brand? It’s so important to make sure everything we do expresses and remains true to our values.  (2) Driving the product innovation strategy: all the way from what products we should create (e.g. we need a product for air-drying?), to the development of the products (working with R&D on the formula, how we package it, what is it called, etc.), to the launch campaigns to support them (what’s the message, what are the assets, and where do we put them—TV commercials, print advertising, sampling, social media, in-store, etc.).  (3) International Marketing. I love learning about how women and their beauty rituals are both different and the same around the world. At Bumble and Bumble, we were launching in new markets, while at Estee Lauder, we were the biggest skincare brand in the world.

THE LESSONS FROM THOSE ROLES THAT SHE STILL IMPLEMENTS TODAY: (1) Make sure your brand has an authentic story, a clear and unique point of view.  This is one of the many things that drew me to Goop. Gwyneth Paltrow’s vision is crystal clear and totally authentic to her; also this is something that we carry through in the Goop Clean Beauty Shop.  It’s essential that the brands that we carry have something unique to say, and that their products are a reflection of their story. (2) Lead by example: it can be incredibly hard (especially when you’re under intense pressure and you have bad days) but it is something I strive for every day. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have had to work with the best and brightest teams who have taught me so much. (3) Hard work and passion are everything.

ON THE ROLE THAT MARKETING PLAYS IN THE BIG PICTURE: There are many different types of marketing roles: brand management, product marketing, digital marketing… I have spent most of my career on the brand and product marketing side. It’s a role that leverages both the creative and analytical sides of the brain. The role of marketing really differs by brand/company, but in many organisations it is the centre of the wheel.  It is a highly collaborative role—working with many functions including creative, R&D, education, packaging, supply chain, legal, merchandising and copy in order to bring a project to life. Ultimately, you’re responsible for driving the brand strategy and leading the projects to ensure everything gets done.


Goop Beauty VP, Erin Cotter
Goop Beauty VP, Erin Cotter


HER ROLE AS VP OF BEAUTY AT GOOP: It is my dream job!  It brings together everything I love.  I have been a reader of Goop practically since the beginning. It’s where beauty and wellness intersect, and I am especially passionate about Goop’s ahead-of-the-curve content in wellness and clean beauty. Since I can remember, my mom has been very into health and wellness and she taught me that looking your best starts with good health (what you eat, exercise, vitamins, etc.).  Going back to my love of entrepreneurship (I started my own makeup brand before I joined the corporate world), I was eager to get back to an entrepreneurial environment, to be a part of building something new (at Goop we are creating a new business model based around contextual commerce). And GP herself.  She is super inspiring—wicked smart, curious, and brave (to name just a few). In a start-up you have small teams, there are no frills (e.g. no assistants, no business class flights), you wear many hats, processes haven’t been established, you don’t have the same access to data, and budgets are much smaller (you have to learn how to be scrappy); but it is exhilarating to be part of something new, where you are pushing boundaries, and changing the game. I believe in taking risks and forging your own path. I have a fairly unconventional career path and there have been so many times when I have been really afraid and unsure of where it was leading and whether I was even on the right road. When you’re knee deep in it, it’s really hard to see how it all fits together, but time and again eventually I start to see how it all makes sense.

THE 411 ON GOOP BEAUTY: The skincare line includes six essential products, designed to protect and promote the health of your skin so it looks radiant and glowing. Two of our hero products are the Luminous Melting Cleanser and the Exfoliating Instant Facial. A good cleanser is really important, and this one is incredible. It’s a decadent mix of almond, olive and coconut oils, shea and cocoa seed butters that melts into your skin. I love that it removes makeup and all the day’s grime in one easy step. And it leaves your skin super soft and glowing, rather than stripping it of its protective moisture barrier. I am obsessed with exfoliating and have tried practically every product on the market. The Exfoliating Instant Facial is quite possibly the best I have ever used. It’s literally like getting a facial at home, but in less than 3 minutes. It has all 5 alpha-hydroxy acids plus salicylic acid so you can definitely feel it working.  It clears out your pores and leaves your skin soft, smooth and glowing. The line was formulated based on three key principles: clean, non-toxic ingredients, high performance and luxury. It only contains healthy, good-for-you ingredients—every product contains at least 70% organic ingredients. The products were designed for the modern woman who expects her products to work.  They were formulated to be “workhorses,” to provide a comprehensive anti-aging solution—brighten skin tone, reduce lines and wrinkles, plump and firm. Lastly, it was important for the products to be both luxurious and experiential. The challenge to the lab was to create exquisite textures that rivalled the best, top of the line conventional skincare products (which is not an easy feat when formulating with organic ingredients). 

ON LAUNCHING IN A COMPETITIVE SECTOR: The greatest challenge is that you need to have a unique point of view—and one of the reasons that I joined Goop is because of its unique approach to beauty. In addition to our weekly newsletter, we just launched a book, Goop Clean Beauty, which outlines our philosophy. We believe beauty starts with health and with feeling good—so first it’s about what you eat, how you exercise, your emotional and spiritual wellbeing, and then comes what you put on your skin.


Goop Beauty VP, Erin CotterTHE DOWNLOW ON THE NEW GOOP SCENT: The fragrance is totally unexpected. It is very artisanal, with unusual notes like frankincense, labdanum and cypress.   One journalist described it as “the boyfriend jeans of fragrance”.  It is also totally clean and non-toxic, composed entirely of real, natural ingredients. Fragrance is basically a Trojan horse when it comes to ingredients.  Since fragrance is a trade secret, companies are not required to disclose the actual ingredients.  So unfortunately, fragrances are often filled with endocrine-disrupting, toxic ingredients that are harmful to our health. We wanted to be totally transparent so we chose to list out all the ingredients used in the fragrance.  And then, because it is a Goop fragrance after all, we celebrate the homeopathic and mystical benefits of each of the ingredients.

ON THE GO BEAUTY TIPS: Take care of your skin (and exfoliate!) so you don’t need to worry about applying as much makeup. Try and eat healthy when you’re on the go.  I always carry nuts or dried fruit with me.  And I take a bag of popcorn on a flight. And moisturize a lot.  A multi-purpose balm is great for when you’re on the go. Streamline your hair and makeup routine, too.  This has probably saved me the most time.  A sleek pony is super chic and super fast.  Add mascara and lipstick and you’re off. I love massages.  I often treat myself to a massage when I arrive at my destination after a long flight or right after I get home from a hectic business trip.  I skip the fancy spas, and stick to the no-frills spots that just give a great massage.

SWITCHING OFF & INVESTING IN RELATIONSHIPS: I have a hard time with this one.  But I’m working on it. One of the reasons I moved to LA from New York was to be closer to my family.  I have young nieces and a nephew that live nearby so it’s easy to make time to see them.  I am also making more time to exercise and spend time outdoors (thanks again to LA).  I have (finally) learned that you have to prioritize taking care of yourself.  If you are burnt out and exhausted it starts to affect your passion and creativity.  I find when I switch off I get a lot more inspiration.

WHAT’S NEXT: I still have so much to do and to learn.  I think we are only at the beginning of the “clean beauty” movement and the integration of beauty with wellness. I would say I am most proud of founding my company, Passport Cosmetics. It was the most incredible learning experience – and probably the most terrifying and stressful. But I loved every minute and the entrepreneurial experience helped me tremendously in my corporate career.