The colour cosmetics market is showing off its colour credentials with a wave of new formats, textures and products. The result? Consumers are experimenting with colour as never before.
Encouraging consumers to experiment with colour is a constant challenge for manufacturers. New products and shades can scare rather than inspire the consumer, and education on application, particularly at the mass end of the market, has been lacking. But as fashion and beauty become ever more entwined, both consumer and manufacturer attitudes are changing.
The evolution of the backstage beauty product has led the way for a new generation of colour cosmetics which aim to recreate the professional finishes seen on the catwalk as well as offering the consumer skin care benefits in their make-up bag. Colour it seems has got clever.
The colour cosmetics sector saw growth in both emerging and mature markets in 2006, with particularly high gains in Spain, up 7.5% to $796.9m, Asia Pacific, up 5.6% to $9,221.0 and the UK, which reached $1,961.5m, an increase of 5.8%.
“Increasingly we are seeing cosmetics manufacturers exploring new ways to compete, applying trends from other categories to colour cosmetics. In terms of innovation, there’s no shortage of it in this sector,” says Diana Dodson, senior C&T industry analyst, Euromonitor International. “While the fast growing emerging markets are the key source of dynamism within the global category, this approach is helping to encourage growth, albeit at a modest rate, in the more developed markets.”
Skin care benefits
One of the most innovative ways manufacturers are looking to differentiate their make-up offer is through the use of skin care technology. This trend started with the development of lip plumping products but now the sector has started to offer much more than just colour and coverage in its offering, and a swathe of anti-ageing, moisture boosting treatment cosmetics have entered the fray. This increased product efficacy has hit a cord with consumers, who are looking for ever-more innovative ways to fend off the signs of ageing.
“Added functionality has found its way into colour cosmetics and is offering women a range of added benefits,” continues Dodson. “And with estimated buying power of US$2.1 trillion in the US alone, the baby boomer generation is a particular draw for these types of products.”
“The benefit of skin care ingredients is a growing trend and a good one,” adds make-up artist Daniel Sandler. “These days you are likely to see a foundation that also has an ingredient to either plump up fine lines or have an added SPF, your lip gloss may be menthol flavoured so your breath smells nice and mascaras do more than just coat lashes with black pigment. However some of these are just gimmicks and I believe what women want are simple problem solvers, not an overwhelming choice.”
The development of anti-ageing foundations has found particular prominence with manufacturers, who often trade on their skin care expertise to create these products. Estée Lauder’s Resilience Lift Extreme Ultra Firming Crème Compact Makeup SPF15, for instance, is said to combine the benefits of the brand’s Resilience Lift Extreme skin care line with the portability of a compact foundation, and promises to lift, firm and moisturise skin, to leave it looking radiant and smooth.
At the mass end, Rimmel has also targeted ageing skin with the launch of Renew & Lift, a foundation, concealer and pressed powder claimed to regenerate ageing skin, while boosting radiance. The formula features a Time Renewal complex containing peptides and ceramides as well as optical light-diffusing particles to help minimise imperfections.
Similarly, YSL launched Teint Majeur foundation as an extension to its premium anti-ageing Temps Majeur skin care line, and Smashbox has developed Halo, a skin care powder containing antioxidants, amino acids and peptides.
In addition to ageing, manufacturers have targeted other skin care concerns. Guerlain’s Parure pressed powder foundation promises to boost radiance thanks to a formula containing a mixture of micro-pearls of glass and borosilicate. The result, according to the French brand, includes improved texture and a radiant complexion.
Clinique meanwhile has focused on moisture with the launch of Supermoisture make-up, a creamy yet lightweight foundation that provides intense moisturisation and sheer coverage. The brand has also updated its popular Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss, which contains a triple lipid blend, linoleic acid, cholesterol, vitamin E and aloe vera extract to help soothe and hydrate dry and cracked lips.
Designs on colour
The power of the big designer beauty brands has faced stiff competition in recent years from the swathe of niche make-up brands entering the market, which have been favoured by retailers such as Space.NK and Sephora. Popular niche brand Pout recently bowed out of the scene but another niche player, Jelly Pong Pong, has just opened a first flagship store in London.
It seems there may be more opportunity than first thought for new big name designers. This year will see the launch of two of the most eagerly anticipated make-up brands in recent years - Thierry Mugler Beauty and ck Calvin Klein Beauty. Both brands are trading heavily on the professional make-up card, which has proved so popular with industry heavyweights such as MAC and Bobbi Brown.
Thierry Mugler Beauty comprises 15 products for eyes, lips and face, working with light and shadow to help even out imperfec-tions and draw the eye to the eyes and lips.
“We have taken our time with this collection because we want to provide a solid offering,” explains Thierry Mugler president, Joel Palix. “These are original products in terms of texture and application - we are really going for innovation here.”
The collection is split into two sections - Artful Shadow and Artful Light. Products in the Shadow line contain high technology pigments such as pure titanium mica and intense ultramarine, which give a blue tint to products, helping to enhance skin uniformity and luminosity. They include Teint Glacis Cooling Effect Compact Foundation, Bleu Luminescent Radiant Fluid Make Up Base and Bleu Glacis Cooling Effect Concealer.
Artful Light meanwhile uses unusual textures combined with shimmer, shadow and graduated shading to provide the light to the make-up effect. Products include Cils Vinyle, an eyelash gloss for use on top of mascara, and Plexi Gloss, a lip lacquer containing liquid crystals to create a holographic effect on lips. Face Sculpt Blush & Light and Hyper Tension is a face cream to be used after make-up and is said to provide a tightening effect on skin.
Also hitting shelves this year is the new ck Calvin Klein Beauty range. Produced under license by Markwins Holding Company, the line has been designed as a fashion-forward, multicultural cosmetics line to align with the global positioning of the ck Calvin Klein bridge line of branded apparel and accessories.
The emphasis is firmly placed on fashion with products developed to reflect the fashion heritage of the ck Calvin Klein brand. Kevin Carrigan, creative director, ck Calvin Klein and Mark Carrasquillo, global make-up artist will work closely together to oversee the range.
“Women today are more educated in their make-up choices,” Carrasquillo tells SPC. “They used to use make-up to fix a problem but nowadays it’s not just about enhancing and hiding, it’s about creating a look, whether matt or glossy, and choosing make-up as an accessory just like shoes.”
The collection includes 200 skus with a core line of face, eye, lip and nail colours, in different shades and textures, as well as a comprehensive range of make-up brushes and applicators. Additional seasonal collections and finishing products will also be available.
A problem shared...
In addition to designer brands, manufacturers are focusing on problem solving, a trend that is seeing steady growth in the colour sector.
Urban Retreat’s new colour range, created by beauty expert Daniel Sandler, is a capsule collection that aims to provide solutions to everyday make-up problems. The ten sku line includes Lip Service, a four piece kit containing lip exfoliator, non-bleed lip pencil, lip primer pencil and plumping lipgloss, to help keep lips smooth, defined and plump; Eye Primer, a light cream said to prevent the creasing and fading of eye colour; Waterproof Mascara Top Coat; Smart Base and Blusher, and Brush on Blusher, a portable brush and blush.
Guerlain too has looked to its make-up expert and creative director Oliver Echaudemaison for inspiration. KissKiss Liplift is a lip base said to smooth the lip surface, while helping to keep lip colour in place for longer. Also making its debut this year is Le Deux, a new mascara featuring a regular wand for normal lashes and a shorter brush to capture the smaller, shorter lashes in the corner of the eye and the lower lash.
Clinique meanwhile has looked at the difficulties of taking off long wearing mascara and developed Lash Power Mascara, a long wearing mascara product that can be removed with warm water
As nature intended
As consumer interest in organic and environmentally sustainable beauty continues to grow, it is not surprising that colour cosmetics has come under the eco spotlight.
“We are seeing more and more brands emerge where the emphasis is on being environmentally aware,” says QVC’s associate buyer, cosmetics, Charlotte Smith. “There is a growing consumer interest in health, wellness and environmental responsibility and this is being reflected in numerous brands where the focus is on natural ingredients.”
Smashbox and Cargo are leading the way in this respect with the launch of environmentally friendly make-up collections. Smashbox’s Green Room colour range contains Moringa Seed extract, which contains a high dose of antioxidants, and all packaging is said to be biodegradable and recyclable. In addition, the brand promises to plant a Moringa tree in a developing country for every product purchased.
Similarly, the packaging for Cargo’s Plant Love lipstick is made from recycled materials. The outer carton has been impregnated with seeds and the whole thing can be planted after use.
The Organic Pharmacy has also seen the potential of offering a natural alternative to conventional colour cosmetics, developing Organic Glam, a comprehensive range of organic make-up. The range was created with style in mind, and blows away the theory that organic beauty cannot offer glamour. The range, which includes eye, face, cheek and lip products, is formulated with organic extracts and mineral colours are said to be free of synthetic preservatives and fragrances.
Physicians’ Formula has also entered the organic fray with Organic Wear, its first certified organic make-up line to be sold in the mass market, and Australian brand nvey eco has also introduced certified organic colour.
The natural world has also been the inspiration for Lancôme’s new colour collection L.U.C.I (Luminescent Ultra Colour Intelligence). The limited edition collection is inspired by Photonic technology, the interaction of light with other objects, in this case a butterfly wing, which contains no pigment, to produce iridescent colour. The range includes L.U.C.I Eyes, an eye shadow duo comprising one pure colour shade and one photonic shade which when blended produce a shimmering metallic finish.
Minerals move forward
Another by-product of the natural beauty phenomena is mineral make-up, which has taken a much more prominent role in the colour cosmetics sector over the last year.
“There has been a huge surge towards mineral make-up, with more and more big brands moving into it,” explains Debbie Beaumont-Howell, head of beauty at UK department store chain House of Fraser. “Mineral make-up is very tactile and appealing to the consumer as it creates a very natural look that is easy to apply. It is also a relatively new concept for many consumers, although mineral-based products have been around for some time.”
“The customer is as educated about good cosmetics as it is about good skin care, and this has helped mineral make-up become more mass market,” adds Smith.
At the mass end, new players in this field include L’Oréal Paris, which launched True Match Minerals SPF15, a mineral foundation, and the more niche Australian brand Inika Cosmetics whose products that contain a blend of crushed mineral pigments, while Prestige Cosmetics will launch Skin Loving Minerals, a range of face and eye products this year.
Laura Mercier is heading up the premium sector with the launch of a complete collection of mineral make-up. The eye, cheek and face products are infused with a Gemstone complex containing finely milled diamonds, rubies, emeralds, jade, moonstone and rose quartz, claimed to create a radiant glow on the skin.
Despite the popularity of mineral make-up in recent years, there is still confusion some over this area, particularly over the ‘naturalness’ of the products. Some brands claim their mineral make-up is a natural product, while others do not.
“The key ingredients in mineral make-up are already used widely as pigments by colour cosmetic brands. To succeed in this area brands don’t need the same natural/ethical credentials that say a skin care brand might need, and there is less of a conflict between their natural positioning and their links to a major multinational,” says Dodson. “Mineral make-up is touted as natural but it’s also about providing better, long-lasting coverage, improved colour palettes and skin care benefits.”
Whether this sector has staying power may depend on how the product is marketed and the jury is still out.
Lip service
After years of languishing in the wilderness, the humble lipstick is enjoying renewed popularity, with big players such as Dior and Lauder showcasing sophisticated formulas to entice users back to the lipstick. The look for lips is very much more defined than in recent years, echoing the trend for all things vintage and glamorous.
“Lipgloss is part of every woman’s make-up wardrobe, and it’s here to stay but there is a drive towards a more defined lip, with lipstick making a comeback,” says Beaumont-Howell.
The new generation of lipsticks offer a creamier, sculptured finish, according to Beaumont-Howell, marking a contrast to the shiny lip finishes of recent years.
Estée Lauder’s Signature Lipstick is an homage to the brand’s colour heritage, and features a synthetic wax base, said to offer improved emolliency, a more vibrant colour and greater control in terms of handling. Christian Dior meanwhile has built on the success of its Rouge Dior lipstick with Crème de Gloss, a creamy lipgloss said to offer definition, colour and comfort.
Meanwhile Korres has launched Mango Butter Lipstick SPF 10. Available in 12 shades, the lipsticks are said to offer defined coverage and moisture to leave lips soft and full.
And in a new twist for lipgloss, Too Faced Cosmetics and Fuze Beverage have teamed up to develop Too Face Fuze Slenderize Guilt Free Gloss in the US, claimed to combine beauty and fitness benefits by suppressing the appetite.
With such variety and innovation in abundance, the colour cosmetics market has never looked so good. Consumers have more choice than ever before and improved technology is enabling manufacturers to create ever more sophisticated formulas that sometimes blur the boundaries between skin care and colour cosmetics. But there is still opportunity out there for even greater segmentation. As the population ages and communities become more multicultural, manufacturers need to be address the needs of an ever changing consumer in order to stay ahead of the game.