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The Coresight Research team is in Las Vegas attending and presenting at Cosmoprof North America 2018, the leading business-to-business (B2B) beauty trade show in North America. In addition to the beauty trade show, Cosmoprof North America offers a three-day education program during which industry experts share insights and key trends in the beauty industry. The team is attending sessions led by industry experts and meeting brand owners to discover the newest trends and products. Here are our takeaways from day one:
- Functional skincare is the main focus at Cosmoprof 2018; there has been very little buzz about traditional color cosmetic products at the show: There were over 26 new products announced in the Cosmoprof Press Preview: 13 of which focused on skincare (eight on face, five on masks), four haircare products and eight “other” products, including brushes, scissors and tattoos. However, there were no new traditional beauty color cosmetic color cosmetics. There was very little talk around formerly traditional categories of beauty (like lip and eye color and face colors).
- The clean and “free-from” beauty category is trending upward across skincare and haircare products to include: allergy free, sulfate free, paraben free, gluten free, fragrance free, alcohol free, silicone-free and cruelty-free: With consumers’ growing allergies, brands are increasing the list of “free-from” ingredients.
Cosmoprof, Asher Morgan “Be Bountiful” made with acai berry oil, broccoli seed oil, moringa oil; mineral oil free, sulfate free, paraben free, phthalate free, gluten free, cruelty free. Source: Coresight Research
Cosmoprof, Brand “Restore” by Doctor Rogers paraben free, pthalate free, allergen free, BPA free, petroleum free and free from animal testing. Source: Coresight Research
Cosmoprof, Brand “Every Green” Restorative Shampoo; free from SLS and SLES, petroleum jelly, silicones, parabens, artificial colorants. Source: Coresight Research
3. An anti-Amazon sentiment among brands seemed to pervade at the conference due to presence of counterfeits and the lack of brand protection: Brands spoke openly about having problems with counterfeits selling on Amazon and the platform hurting sales. Entrepreneur Alisa Marie Beyer highlighted that “Amazon killed 50% of my boutique sales” when she started her Coastal luxury brand, Coastal Salt & Soul, a luxury bath and body care company dedicated to healthy, hydrated skin 4. Rainbow colors and hues have gone mainstream for hair: Intense color and vibrant colors and hues including blues, greens, greys, pinks, purples, greys and yellows—all colors of the rainbow were seen throughout the exhibitor space and everywhere at the conference. Many attendees had colored hair in every shade and gradient. Product offerings include at-home rinses and sprays.
Cosmoprof, North America Source: Coresight Research
Cosmoprof, Brand “My.” 100% vegan, free from sulphates, silicones, and parabens; color shampoo in ruby, copper, gold, cobalt and platinum. Source: Coresight Research
Cosmoprof, Brand, “Manic Panic” Source: Coresight Research
Cosmoprof, attendees with green and blue hair. Source: Coresight Research
5. Haircare company Living Proof created the campaign, “No preconceived notions,” celebrating individuality, freedom of expression and uniqueness, and performed at the 2018 North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA) on the opening night of Cosmoprof. NAHA is the industry's annual prestigious award ceremony to celebrate leaders and innovators in hair. The 2018 NAHA Beauty Awards were hosted by celebrity hairstylist Tabatha Coffey, and the evening was filled with beauty awards and artistic performances by sponsors Aveda, Ulta and Living Proof. Living Proofs team performed its “No preconceived notions” campaign, and participants wore white shirts with black personalized statements. Examples include: “Bend the boundaries,” “Break the barriers,” “Go get your dreams,” “You’re perfect. So am I,” and “Drop your definitions.” There were over 30 slogans in total. Michael Shaun Corby, Global Creative Director, Living Proof, said that the creative team chose this campaign to celebrate individuality and uniqueness; its founder holds numerous patents, (second only to Albert Einstein) and the brand likes to celebrate innovation, creativity and pushing boundaries.
Cosmoprof, NAHA 2018 Living Proof Source: Coresight Research
Cosmoprof, NAHA 2018 Living Proof Source: Coresight Research
6. Beauty brands are opting for direct-to consumer (DTC) as the sales channel of choice: Many beauty brands said that they are choosing the DTC channel because it allows for better brand control. By having a direct link to consumers, the owners or CEOs are able to understand the data behind who is buying their products and are better able to control and own the content and messaging. Additionally, the barriers to entry are lower than going through distribution channels. 7. Masks continue to trend upward to include an emphasis on newer mask categories, including “lip,” “neck,” and “the behind.” Brand owners said that these areas have previously been neglected. Bawdy Beauty launched a line of masks for the buttocks with the tagline, “give your butt a face lift too.”
Cosmoprof, Brand “Kocostar” Source: Coresight Research
Cosmoprof, Brand “Oh K” Source: Coresight Research
Cosmoprof, Brand “Bawdy Beauty” Mask Source: Coresight Researc
8. Professional brands are creating “sub-product lines” for consumers—moving from B2B to B2C: Consumers will gain access to higher-quality, professionally developed products. 9. “The Look” All Stars Reality Beauty television show, on the CW network is partnering with the producers of NAHA to seek the industry’s next beauty star: The TV reality show was hosting casting auditions at Cosmoprof.
Cosmoprof, NAHA 2018, Style Icons and The Look Judges, Sam Villa and Kim Vo. Source: Coresight Research
10. “Barbering” and deep, shaved hair lines are trending upward for men.