7 Best Trends for Beauty Brands in 2016
We work with a wide-range of beauty brands and when I get a chance to step back from the daily work, I love to do a little trend spotting to identify some broader changes in the vertical overall. Here are some of my favorite upcoming trends in beauty and examples some of the lovely brands I have the privilege of working with:
1. Rise of Independents.
Perhaps my most favorite trend in recent years has been the rise of independent brands. After years of celebrity launches, I love the passion and authenticity of this new wave of visionary beauty disruptors who find unique niches and rise to the challenge.
Circ-Cell was founded in the small mountain town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming — inspired by the high mountain climate.
2. Personalization & Customization.
One-size fits all is out as consumers search the crowded beauty marketplace for products tailored specifically to their needs. This customized approach ranges from the counter with cosmetics formulated to customer to technology which can create specific recommendations.
BECCA boasts a wide range of foundations, customized for specific skin tones and types.
3. Professional-Quality Devices at Home.
A category which shows no signs of slowing down are high tech beauty tools. As prices lower and more competitors enter the market, consumers have more choices than ever to get convenient, professional-quality skincare at home for a fraction of the previous cost.
Trophy Skin was founded by a clinical spa owner who was moved by seeing the improvements to his patients' skin to start a product line for in-home use.
4. Connected Customers.
As lines between real life and digital blur, creating unified brand experiences from counter to mobile and computer will become increasingly important. In the best case, they can work together to create a rich and seamless customer experience. (Laura Geller — store finder)
Laura Geller’s store finder goes beyond just finding a store in your zip code and provides users with upcoming events, information on local make-up artists and their Instagram feeds.
5. Ingredients.
The concept of holistic beauty is creating a drive for wholesome, innovative ingredients. Products based on water and superfoods push our concept of nutrition for the skin and the importance of nourishing the internal and external body.
AquaReveal unique exfoliators are all natural and water-based.
6. Building relationships.
Social media and Instagram in particular have certainly been a huge boon to beauty marketers in recent years. I love that these platforms build a bridge to consumers allowing them to interact, give feedback, and post their own images (and many selfies).
AHAVA recently incorporated Instagram throughout their site using Bazaarvoice.
7. Return to Simplicity.
I’m going out on a limb on this one, but I think after years of layering multiple products and increasingly complex beauty routines, there will be the inevitable backlash with consumers looking for simple yet effective multi-purpose products.
Start-up Vertere Skin Care addresses a number of specific skincare issues in one, easy-to-use product.