Karen Grant11.05.15
The NPD Group has found that achieving the flawless photo finish is no longer reserved for celebrities. Consumers across the board are jumping on the latest makeup trends including contouring and strobing, which are ramping up sales within the prestige makeup industry.
The author, Karen Grant
Contouring, the technique of using shadow to give the face a slimmer and more carved look, was an $8.5 million industry in 2014, and has already more than tripled in size within the first eight months of 2015, exceeding $29 million.
Whereas contouring focuses on shading and shadows, the strobing technique is all about highlighting and using illuminators and luminizers to achieve a glowing, “lit from within” look.
Thanks in large part to celebrity influences, endorsements, and the Internet, contouring and strobing are redefining the makeup industry.
One doesn’t need to be a professional makeup artist to use “high-definition” or “camera ready” products, and after some searches on YouTube or social media anyone can potentially learn the techniques for themselves.
It is essential for beauty brands, retailers, and manufacturers to further understand the impact of the societal evolutions happening today, because they are transforming not only consumers’ way of shopping and acquiring information, but also how they think, define beauty and perfection, and how they perceive themselves.
Playing into these trends, face makeup products have become the fastest growing area of prestige makeup, growing 15% in retail dollar sales from January through August, while total prestige makeup grew 13%.
Other Face—a category that includes primers and contour, highlighting, and sculpting kits—currently ranks as the second largest face category, preceded only by foundation. Dollar sales grew 46%, versus being up 14% in the same time period last year. In addition, concealer now outranks blush as the third largest face category, surpassing sales of blush products this year. Sales grew 19%, whereas blush sales declined 1% after 6% growth during this time in 2014. The concealers driving the current trend are “buildable” concealers, designed to be layered on, as in contouring, without looking cakey.
The immediate results of slimming, lifting, and radiance achieved by makeup face products is not only affecting how consumers use and choose other makeup products; the growth of contouring and strobing has coincided with softer sales of facial skin care products as well.
While consumers understand the need for both skin care and makeup, the role of the two categories is becoming even more closely linked. The outstanding sales increase and shifts in the face makeup category indicate that many consumers are currently prioritizing makeup as the means to instant results.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
See the Slideshow: The Contouring Trend Expands from Bronzers & Palettes to Skincare
The author, Karen Grant
Whereas contouring focuses on shading and shadows, the strobing technique is all about highlighting and using illuminators and luminizers to achieve a glowing, “lit from within” look.
Thanks in large part to celebrity influences, endorsements, and the Internet, contouring and strobing are redefining the makeup industry.
One doesn’t need to be a professional makeup artist to use “high-definition” or “camera ready” products, and after some searches on YouTube or social media anyone can potentially learn the techniques for themselves.
It is essential for beauty brands, retailers, and manufacturers to further understand the impact of the societal evolutions happening today, because they are transforming not only consumers’ way of shopping and acquiring information, but also how they think, define beauty and perfection, and how they perceive themselves.
Playing into these trends, face makeup products have become the fastest growing area of prestige makeup, growing 15% in retail dollar sales from January through August, while total prestige makeup grew 13%.
Other Face—a category that includes primers and contour, highlighting, and sculpting kits—currently ranks as the second largest face category, preceded only by foundation. Dollar sales grew 46%, versus being up 14% in the same time period last year. In addition, concealer now outranks blush as the third largest face category, surpassing sales of blush products this year. Sales grew 19%, whereas blush sales declined 1% after 6% growth during this time in 2014. The concealers driving the current trend are “buildable” concealers, designed to be layered on, as in contouring, without looking cakey.
The immediate results of slimming, lifting, and radiance achieved by makeup face products is not only affecting how consumers use and choose other makeup products; the growth of contouring and strobing has coincided with softer sales of facial skin care products as well.
While consumers understand the need for both skin care and makeup, the role of the two categories is becoming even more closely linked. The outstanding sales increase and shifts in the face makeup category indicate that many consumers are currently prioritizing makeup as the means to instant results.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Karen Grant is global beauty industry analyst, The NPD Group—and a member of Beauty Packaging’s Board of Advisors.
See the Slideshow: The Contouring Trend Expands from Bronzers & Palettes to Skincare
