Multifunctional color cosmetics go the next level

This has made the category highly competitive and increasingly difficult to penetrate with the right set of claims, which means being original without being confusing or too far fetched.

Cosmetics Design tapped into the expertise of market researcher Kline Group to find out how companies are navigating the complexities of this highly competitive yet fast-growing category.

What’s hot in the US market?​

The US color cosmetics is one of the fastest moving in the world, and has a product innovation pipeline to match. Hardly a day goes by without a new brand or product line being launched.

Kline’s vice president for its Consumer Products division, Carrie Mellage, tapped into the company’s Digital tracking Service to pinpoint a number of brands in the multi-use contouring/highlighting category that were really gaining traction in the last quarter of 2017. The brands that really shone during that period were Urban Decay’s Naked Flushed Palette (#1), e.l.f.’.s Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter (#15), TheBalm’s Mary-Lou Manizer Highlighter, Shadow and Shimmer (#27), and Nars Blush Bronzer Duo (#27).

What really stands out with these lines is high levels of innovations, standout effects, ease of use and on trend use of color – attributes that may seem obvious, but are harder to combine in a product than meets the eye.

All about the SPF​

Kline’s tracking of the category has also found that combining SPFs into color cosmetic products has also become almost the norm these days, as awareness of sun care protection grows and this type of functionality becomes almost a given.

Low level SPFs were one of the first functions to be included in the early BB creams, but with increased demand, the protection levels and options have grown enormously.

Although dermatologists would rarely recommend solely using makeup with SPF for full sun protection, an increasing number of high end brands are including SPF50+ in product lines, including Clinique, Neutrogena and it.

Lip products morph into cheek products​

Kline’s data also reveals that lip products have seen a huge evolution thanks to the incorporation of multifunctional elements.

Most recently the company has been tracking growth in the number of product lines that are a cross between a lip gloss and a lipstick – a lip paint, while Dior’s new Color Revivor Lip Balm is an example of a lip balm that also incorporates lip gloss.

The data has also identified a trend for products that are targeted for use as both lip and cheek products, an area where the brand Milk has been making some significant impact with a range that comes in four different satin finishes.