Sales of eye make-up outstrip those of other color cosmetics: Mintel
According to the company, sales of eye make-up products have increased 38 percent since 2004. In contrast, the overall color cosmetics market has reported a smaller increase in sales of 11 percent.
Senior beauty analyst at Mintel, Kat Fay, told CosmeticsDesign.com USA that eye make-up sales are increasing because of lash-growing and enhancing products that are proving very popular with female consumers.
Mascara fastest growing segment
Mintel surveyed 1,020 women about their beauty product usage, and results revealed that 4 out of 5 women use color cosmetics.
According to the findings, mascara is one of the fastest growing segments in color cosmetics, closely followed by eye shadow and eye liner, with over 60 percent of respondents claiming to use these products. Respondents who reported using mascara did so almost five times a week.
Fay highlighted that mascara products are becoming increasingly more innovative, "offering everything from serums to invigorate your natural lashes to iridescent particles that reflect light to bring out a natural eye color.”
Lipstick and lip glosses most popular
The most popular color cosmetics products are lipstick and lip glosses, Mintel found, with 76 per cent of survey respondents using such products with an average frequency of six times a week.
Lip pencils were used by 7 per cent of the respondents, and 9 per cent claimed to use a lip stain.
According to Fay, incidence of lipstick and lip gloss usage increases with age, which she attributed to their ease of use.
“As women get older, lip color is a relatively easy way to brighten up the face without having to put on a face full of make-up,” she said.
Focus on packaging and ingredients can boost sales
Purchase behavior relating to color cosmetics has changed as a result of the recession, with only 31 percent of respondents saying their buying habits remain the same, Mintel found.
According to Fay, in order for companies to boost sales, innovative ingredients contained within products should be highlighted, as well as the use of environmentally-friendly packaging to attract consumers.
