Influencers And Brand Founders Hop On Indoor Cycles For BeautyxBikes Spin-And-Selfie Sessions

Corey Weiss, head of business development and sales at Ipsy, has combined his twin passions for beauty and spinning in BeautyxBikes, a program that brings together digital influencers and brands for peddling sessions monthly.

“I call it sweatworking. Normally, people go to parties, eat hors d’oeuvre and drink cocktails. This is a new way for likeminded individuals to network or sweatwork,” says Weiss, who’s been an indoor cycling instructor for a decade. “The great thing about it is that, when you are exercising together in a room, there’s a sense of community. People leave their egos at the door. They’re sweaty, and they’re not being divas. They embrace the fact that it’s a group activity.”

The concept for BeautyxBikes dates back to a spin class Weiss led two years ago during which digital personalities boarded bikes to put Too Faced’s Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara to the test. In October, he started regularly incorporating brands and retailers into evening classes attended by social media mavens spanning the beauty, wellness and health segments.

The brands or retailers introduce themselves to the bikers before riding begins and mingling occurs after over healthy snacks. The influencers are sent home with merchandise to sample. Participating companies have included Lumion, Pūrlisse, The Detox Market and m/f people. Weiss reports BeautyxBikes sessions in Santa Monica, Calif., have been booked by brands through the rest of the year.

“There is a lot of reasons why this is a great platform for brands. One is to get their products in the hands of influencers. Two, it’s a very unique event. Everyone does launch parties and, quite frankly, they can get a bit stale. The brands can associate with something that’s fresh and fun,” says Weiss. “Third, a tremendous amount of social media is generated by these events. You have 50 influencers on bikes taking selfies. A lot of EMV [earned media value] is generated.”

As wellness, health and beauty collide, BeautyxBikes underscores the positioning of a growing number of brands. Jennifer Yen, founder of Pūrlisse, says, “My philosophy on skincare is all about beauty from within, so BeautyxBikes made sense because we were working out, keeping our bodies healthy from the inside as well as putting Pūrlisse on our skin.” She adds, “It’s a really different way to get in front of influencers, and it’s always great to get in a workout.”

BeautyxBikes
Corey Weiss

Weiss was initially drawn to spinning because he could squeeze it into his busy schedule. “Indoor cycling is a very efficient use of an hour. It’s not a huge time commitment,” says Weiss. “I teach three times a week: Tuesday evening, Saturday morning and Sunday morning. Even if I wasn’t instructing, I would try to work out three times a week. And, thanks to Los Angeles commutes of 40 minutes each way, I listen to music and curate playlists while I’m in the car.”

The playlists set intentions for Weiss’ classes. For The Detox Market ride, he put together a playlist entitled Detox U. “It was about using the bike to release any negative energy from one’s life, and the U also referred to university and learning new ways to detoxify our lives,” says Weiss. The m/f people class was synced with a playlist called Be A People Person. Weiss’ idea was to encourage riders to think about and invest in other people.

“My motto as an instructor is inspiration, motivation, perspiration. I see myself as a life coach on a bike,” he says. “I use spinning as a way to help people achieve their personal, professional and business goals.”

Weiss wants to take BeautyxBikes to cities across the country, and mentions there’s been requests to replicate it in Washington, D.C., Chicago and New York. The model can expand beyond spinning to a range of exercise formats. BeautyxBikes is picking up steam as interest in health and wellness is spreading, including into workplaces.

“The workplace has changed. People are more mobile than ever. We no longer work nine-to-five days, and we no longer work in offices or cubicles. The way we do things is different,” says Weiss. “So, I think that people are looking for ways to innovate how they do business and communicate messages, and how they engage with people both on trade and consumer fronts.”