Anthony Sosnick has been a leader in Men's Grooming for well over a decade, with his namesake, Anthony. We took a moment to talk with this beauty guru and musician as National Men's Grooming Day takes place on August 19th.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When you launched the brand Anthony 16 years ago, you were a pioneer as well as a trendsetter in the industry, now you have the core line as well as sub-brands under it - what was your background in the industry and tell us about each line and how it is differentiated?
ANTHONY SOSNICK: I had zero background in this industry, however I had a strong desire and passion to create super high quality grooming products for men and women. You don't always need to have a background in something as passion can increase the learning curve significantly.
Anthony is our core brand. It is the first line we created and is geared toward men's grooming needs. Having said that, women are also frequent users of the products - hence our tagline, "Developed for Men. Borrowed by Women." Anthony is a premium brand with good-for-you ingredients that is sold in prestige stores and used by anyone from the discerning grooming-conscious person to the everyday man or woman looking for superior skincare.
Shaveworks is our first foray into the women's side of the sink. Each product is considered a "hero" product that is specifically targeted to pre and post-grooming needs for women. It is made with some of the finest ingredients to solve waxing and shaving woes.
Action is our masstige line of grooming products for men. The brand consists of all the daily essentials that a man would use to properly groom himself while keeping his budget in mind.
Finally, Emily & Tony is a collaboration with an old friend who is a renowned sex therapist. The line has three aromatherapy and massage candles that can be used to spice up your home...and your love life.
AM: What sets Anthony apart from other men's skincare and cosmetic brands in the market?
AS: Anthony is one of the only brands that has a founder who leads the creative development and overall brand vision of its products.
AM: What is the primary goal that Anthony looks to accomplish when making its assortment?
AS: What's most important is making sure we develop innovative, high-quality products that meet the needs of our customer. We have been developing products for many years now and have a very good understanding of the market but it is also important for us to listen to our customers, while we take into consideration our own methodical and strategic research to bring to the consumer the best in class grooming products.
AM: Anthony is in a number of locations around the world, will it have its own independent stores in the future?
AS: We have no plans to do this at this time. We feel it is more important to support our retail partners and develop our e-commerce websites.
AM: Are there any launches coming out this fall that we can look forward too?
AS: We recently launched an amazing exfoliating cleansing bar that can be used as a shaving soap, body exfoliator, and facial cleanser. The product is fantastic as it does not leave the skin dry or dehydrated, but well-nourished.
AM: What is your favorite product within your lines?
AS: That's a question I get asked often. I would have to say the ones I use most often are the
Invigorating Rush Hair + Body Wash, Glycolic Facial Cleanser, No Sweat Body Defense, An-
thony Anti-Wrinkle Glycolic Peptide Serum, and, of course, our sunscreen for the face.
AM: What is a core ingredient that you believe is necessary for men to have within this line that is in Anthony products?
AS: We have dozens of key ingredients throughout the line. The one that is used most often may seem boring, but at the right level and in the right formula, is very effective. Aloe Vera is an exceptional ingredient for healing and soothing the skin and is especially good to be used in a wide range of men's skincare products.
AM: Are there ingredients that you would like to use that have yet to be included within Anthony products?
AS: At this time we feel very confident that we are using the right ingredients for the products we make. Having said that, we will start to use more advanced ingredients such as peptides and anti-aging complexes as we begin to develop new products.
AM: When you are not running your grooming business, how do you decompress in terms of fitness, enjoying meals out, etc?
AS: I am an avid runner and enjoy bike riding along the Hudson River in New York City. When time allows, there's nothing I enjoy more than traveling to Malibu and chilling out at the beach or hiking in the mountains.
AM: We know that you are a fan of music and you play the guitar, tell us about Guitar Mash and how this came about?
AS: A very close friend introduced me to Rebecca Weller who had the idea for this amazing concept. The first day we met she explained what she wanted to do and I was in. Guitar Mash is an amazing organization that gets a wide variety of people together for the purpose of jamming, hanging out and sharing musical ideas in a variety of settings.
AM: Tell us more about your involvement in giving back as we know you support a number of causes/charities.
AS: I've always thought it was important to be philanthropic since the inception of the brand. My father passed away from cancer before the products even hit the shelves so it was important for me to give back, not only in his honor, but also to support the fight against prostate cancer as the brand was initially developed for men.