Values in clients’ personal lives have changed and that leads to a change in how they consume. People are spending more time with friends and family, and are focusing on what they consider to be the more important things in life. Consuming for the sake of consumption is no longer a way of life. Cosmetic consumers are demanding more quality products with multiple benefits, and what is inside the package will soon become more important than the package itself. Although packaging and presentation will always be very important, it will not be enough to hold a client, and it will not be the foundation upon which to build a business.
To predict how and where mineral makeup will grow in the future, it is important to revisit its history and evolution. Traditional makeup was initially used to add color accents to the face, and after a while, it was used to cover up imperfections. Mineral makeup brought the evolution to not only color and cover, but also to protect and enhance. Mineral makeup today is almost as much about skin care benefits as it is about the color and coverage.
That is not to say that mineral makeup is intended to replace skin care; it is meant to enhance it. The mineral makeup category must continue to offer innovative and exciting formulations in order to lead the cosmetic industry. Currently, most mineral formulas are cosmetic-grade only, but the future could bring drug formulas right into color formulas. The beauty of this is that the consumer is more likely to use color more consistently than skin care. The more a person uses products with beneficial ingredients, the better the results will be.
Following are the coming trends for mineral makeup.
Face color formulations. Formulations for the face will do more than just correct uneven skin tone; they will address texture issues, such as large pores, scars and pitted skin. The coverage will camouflage without a heavy look or feel. Look for products that will address issues such as discoloration; not just covering it, but also reversing its symptoms, whether red (rosacea and acne), blue (dark circle and bruising), brown (hyperpigmentation) or white (hypopigmentation).
Eye color formulations. Formulations for the eyes will still help make the eyes look larger and brighter, but will also address issues such as wrinkles, dark circles, sagging, and thinning eyelashes and eyebrows. Look for concealers and eye shadows that have powerful ingredients included directly in the color formula.
New pharmaceutical skin care formulations are offering solutions for longer and darker eyelashes. This will create a resurgence in the sale of mascara and eye liner, as well as other eye color products in general. In particular, the category of tubular mascara will skyrocket.
Tubular mascara formulas use a flexible copolymer instead of traditional oils and waxes and can literally be built on top of the lashes to add even more length. Tubular mascara offers a water-resistant formula without compromising the lashes; it is easily removed with just warm water and pressure. Women pay approximately $120 per month for the upkeep of longer, darker lashes, and they will demand a mascara formula that will not break them down. One weakness of the tubular mascara is that it does not offer the thickening power of traditional oil and wax formulas. Look for a product that does both in one application. So far, most options require a two-step process to enjoy both of these benefits.
Lip color formulations. Formulations for the lips have already addressed long-wearing, plumping and moisturizing issues. The one area that needs to be seriously examined is the long-term damage that high-shine lip glosses are doing to the lips. Lip melanomas have increased dramatically during the past few years, and wearing high-shine lip gloss is like wearing a magnifying glass over the lips. To counteract this danger of sun damage, future formulas should include protective ingredients, such as zinc and titanium dioxide. Chemical sunscreens on the lips will raise the heat factor on the lips and exacerbate conditions, such as canker sores.
Sun care formulations. Formulations for sun care will continue to improve, and the category of powder sunscreen has brought sun care formulas to a new level. The heat factor of chemical sunscreens is important because heat can exacerbate skin conditions, especially rosacea, acne and hyperpigmentation.
A major force
Clients are more ingredient-savvy than ever and are aware of which ingredients work. They have raised their standards and now must have real results from their cosmetic products. They expect a product to offer multiple benefits. The consumer is still spending money on cosmetic products, but is looking for value; it is not so much about price as it is about value. If a product delivers real results and can do double-duty, it will be successful. That is why authentic mineral makeup formulas will still lead the cosmetic industry as a major force.
Diane Ranger is the CEO and founder of Colorescience. A 30-year veteran in the cosmetics industry, she is a mineral makeup pioneer and founded Bare Escentuals in 1976. As a specialist in cosmetic chemistry and research, Ranger continues to create in her lab and works to evolutionize the mineral makeup category.
Editor’s note: This article has been reprinted with permission from the Pierce Mattie Trend Report, Volume III.