The one-day program will feature speakers from Birchbox, Shiseido Europe, and more, and will include sessions dedicated to the global market, current consumer behavior, trends that matter most for 2017, and innovative brand case studies well worth learning from.
Natural and wellbeing
Spirituality, wellbeing, and naturals are, together, developing as a movement that matters greatly in the personal care and beauty business.
“Green beauty is increasingly booming,” Buchanan tells Cosmetics Design, pointing to market research data from Kline that shows the category growing by 10% a year. Savvy brands are responding: “To make products good for the planet as well as ourselves, brands are making the gradual shift towards ecologically conscious sourcing and production, “ explains Buchanan.
“In 2016, we anticipate and welcome the rise of Fresh Batch Beauty, a movement and philosophy that aims to deliver highly active, fresh ingredients to consumers,” says Buchanan. And, she points to brands like Denmark’s Nuori as well as to the Romy device, which, “enables customers to create personalised serums and creams on demand and in the comfort of their own home.”
At The Future Laboratory, Buchanan and her team are also noticing a distinct rise in skin care rituals that connect to mystical spiritualism. As examples of brands on the leading edge of this trend, she mentions Trimaran Botanicals and Prismologue.
Beauty without gender
Just as gender neutral fashion and fragrance are on the rise and resonating with consumers, so is genderless skin care. Buchanan notes that “In 2015, LS:N Global reported on Neutral Culture, a macrotrend that acknowledges the desire to live outside traditional, binary demographics.” LS:N is the trends and insight network of The Future Laboratory.
Context and Naxos by Make Beauty, she says, are both brands that “understand that all human skin is the same, regardless of gender and therefore the focus is on creating a timeless product.”
Us against the world
Environmental dynamics are having an influence on the personal care market too. Last year, Buchanan notes, pollution and extreme weather led to treatment trends. “But 2016,” she explains, “will see our digital habits posing a new set of problems when it comes to looking after our skin.”
Emerging research on the high-energy visible (HEV) light from computer and device screens has sparked an new category of sin care. Buchanan tells Cosmetics Design that “Make is one beauty brand already hoping to address this issue with its new moonlight primer that promises to combat the malevolent rays of blue-violet and invisible light emitted from electronic devices such as tablets, smart phones and computers.”
Everyone counts
Color cosmetics, skin care, hair care companies are tailoring their products (and their marketing) to an ever larger scope of consumers. “As the beauty market becomes increasingly inclusive, curls are coming into their own and haircare brands are capitalising on this shift with empowering messages around the styling of black hair,” notes Buchanan. “Last year, Carol’s Daughter ran a print and online campaign that featured women celebrating the heritage of their curls and 2016 will see more brands capitalising on this trend.”
To learn more about the Beauty Futures Forum, click here.