Maybelline Paints Its Net Face.

Maybelline, the nation_s No. 1 mascara manufacturer, launched its first attempt at a Web presence, www.maybelline.com. A spokesperson says the cosmetic giant was slow to move to the Web because the site was "a key step in reimaging the brand," and the company "wanted to do it right." Maybelline, which targets 16- to 24-year-olds, says it wanted to create a "community for young women." The company, a brand division of L_Oreal, has spent the last year conceptualizing and developing the site with Interactive8, Maybelline_s online agency of record. The site includes an interactive beauty adviser, a newsletter, a Q&A and numerous polls, as well as chat technology provided by WWWThreads. The site, which now features the familiar faces of supermodel Christy Turlington and Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar, is inviting visitors to enter a contest to become the faces of Maybelline online for one year. Until Oct. 8, young women can vie for the honor of becoming one of the "Maybelline 5." Interactive8 and Maybelline together will then select the winners and integrate site changes featuring these "real" people. Interestingly, the site doesn_t include any e-commerce capabilities. A spokesperson declined to say whether Maybelline had plans to incorporate online merchandise sales in the future. Maybelline, a drugstore brand, may be reluctant to cannibalize its sales in physical stores. Other cosmetic companies, however, have embraced the new sales channel. For example, Cover Girl_s Web site offers online shopping, and Clinique sells its entire product line on its site.