Hot Beauty Trends of 2015

Buzz Bin 3.12 Photo 1Soy, papaya, greek yogurt and daisies. Sounds representative of a beautiful picnic in Central Park, right?

Think again.

They’re just a sampling of the latest skincare ingredients hitting the market, as I learned at the annual Cosmetic Executive Women Product Demonstration Thursday night and at the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) meeting in February.

CEW members swarmed Thursday’s event, which sells out every year, looking to get their hands on the hottest beauty products from the best personal care companies.

Brands like Burt’s Bees, Dial, and St. Ives explained the need for constant formulaic reinventions with natural ingredients like the ones above. At both events I also heard about the newest trends shaping the beauty market, outside of product claims.

Here are three you should know about:

1.    Online beauty sales outshine traditional stores.

When we were kids, our moms depended on department stores for skincare. Today, if you’re not shopping at MAC or Sephora, you’re buying beauty online. In fact, about 47% of Americans purchased more beauty products online in 2014 vs. 2013.buzz bin 3.12 photo2

Look at digital start-ups like Birchbox, for example. Their success was so undeniable and it informed their brick-and-mortar launch, which media ate right up. They’re not alone. Lucky magazine is challenging traditional retail too, with its new ecommerce playLucky Shops. It’s the first of its kind from a glossy – and a genius approach to capitalizing on the immediacy of beauty.

2.    Trial means purchase.

Birchbox introduced an innovative and viable approach to beauty commerce and now brands and media are following suit. Take for instance, Allure. Two years ago they recommended beauty-sampling services to try. Today, they have their own.

Many of the magazines are creating their own sampling programs, attractive to both brands and consumers, because they encourage trial and subsequent purchase at a low cost-to-entry. This approach to “try before you buy” is only the beginning.

3.    Men’s grooming is on the rise. buzz bin 3.12 photo 5

This category is the next big contender in personal care. It’s expected to increase significantly, due to expanding grooming routines, demand for high-end products and deepening pockets.

We learned from some of the top men’s magazines that their male readers are taking their grooming choices seriously. They’re consuming product news more than ever before. In fact, MensHealth.com’s audience (12+ million) almost rivals its print circulation (13 million) these days.

These are only small indicators of the big changes hitting beauty and grooming. Stay tuned!

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