Are Bloody Knuckles Better than Sex?

A product by any other name is just as effective

Hello, Gorgeous!

Back in the early aughts I was charged with developing Christina Aguilera’s first line of cosmetics to correspond with her first concert tour (the line never made it to market, but that’s a story for a different time).

This was before she was Xtina or considered herself Dirrty. She’d just won the Grammy for Best New Artist and was about to embark on the aforementioned tour (That’s another story for a different time). Naturally, the tagline I chose for the makeup line was “What a Girl Wants.” Only it wasn’t. Christina nixed the entire thing and eventually partnered with Fetish cosmetics instead on a Sears co-branded launch.

Schadenfreude aside (the line tanked), I frequently use this example when I teach cosmetics marketing classes. Naming cosmetics lines and beauty products can be extremely tricky, and some definitely work better than others.

Here are two I’ve been thinking about.

Bloody Knuckles by Duke Cannon

Duke Cannon is a tongue-in-cheek cheeky brand that celebrates the idea of being a man’s man, albeit one not ashamed to use hand cream or grooming products. Their about us page is an exercise in paying homage to the classic male role model, including this shout out:

We value things like hard work, family, community, and bacon; we champion builders, creators, sledge hammerers, holders of doors, and fixers of toilets; and we have the utmost respect for teachers and farmers and soldiers and first responders—so it’s no wonder good folks feel right at home in Duke Cannon Country.

And while I can just imagine John Wayne —the original Duke— reading this out loud, the idea of calling a hand repair balm Bloody Knuckles still felt a bit over the top to me, though it would be a fabulous Halloween giftie! ($15, dukecannon.com).

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I may earn a small commission from sales made using the links in this post. (Probably not, since I’m kinda lazy about chasing down affiliate programs).

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Better Than Sex Easy Glide Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner

I’ll start off by saying I’m a huge fan (and repeat buyer) of Too Faced Better Than Sex eyeliner (there are also a few other products in the Better Than Sex collection). But I should add that I’m still not sure that I love the product name. Aside from the obvious (why are we always looking for something that’s better than sex?), it’s definitely not a family friendly name. I felt the awkwardness firsthand last year.

My niece-ish begged for a makeover before her engagement party. She’s a sweet and decidedly innocent young woman who barely wears makeup at the best of times. I was about to apply her eyeliner when we both shared an awkward moment as she read the product name. I could see her facial expressions rapidly change as she wondered if she should even ask.

She didn’t.

But I thought about it for a while.

Sex sells. I’m guilty of taking advantage of that fact, because that’s actually the first line in my first book Hello Gorgeous! Beauty Products in America ‘40s-’60s (I swear it will be reissued soon!). And I was very calculating when I chose those two words. But I’ve changed my thought process in many ways since then.

We live in a hypersexualized society where young girls (and boys) are pushed to assume personas they’re not ready for. They may never be ready. And so something as simple as the name of a beauty product could cause a level of awareness they’re not interested in.

I’ll be honest. I love the eyeliner (which retails for about $26), but I don’t love the product name at all.

By all means, give us something that makes us feel sleek and sexy, but I’m not sure that you need to blatantly spell it out for us.

Do you have a favorite (or least favorite) product name? Let’s meet in the comment section to discuss!

Rachel, Your beauty concierge 💋