The market is due to reach £306 million this year, according to the latest figures, with as many as 40% of all UK women having purchased lipstick in the past year.
Speaking of the data, Charlotte Libby, Senior Beauty Analyst at Mintel, stated: “Sales of lip make-up are expected to grow significantly this year, thanks to a high number of new product launches in the category.”
Celeb and blogger power
The analyst pins the rise on the dominance of beauty bloggers in the UK colour cosmetics scene and the popularity of makeup-endorsing celebs, such as Kyle Jenner.
"While matte lipsticks have been a popular trend, the fuller lip too has been made fashionable again by celebrities such as Kylie Jenner,” Libby notes. “As beauty blogger tutorials continue to focus on recreating the full lip look, sales of lip products are expected to increase.”
According to Mintel’s Global New Products Database (GNPD), one in four (25%) colour cosmetic products launched in the UK has been a lip colour product so far in 2016, compared to 11% that have been liquid foundations and 10% that have been eye shadows.
Shadowy outlook
Lip products are very much leading the colour cosmetics segment, and other products within the category are seeing a slightly less positive outlook for the coming months.
“Growth is also expected to fade in the face colour cosmetic market in 2016, with an estimated sales increase of just 8%,” cautions Mintel.
Overall though, cosmetics are seeing a healthy rise, with British consumers expected to splash out £1.8 billion on products in 2016, with product innovation and the prestige market the key factors behind the driving sales.
“The strength in colour cosmetics sales growth lies in prestige products, which are growing at nearly twice the pace of the mass market. Innovation is a key driver of sales in colour cosmetics, and prestige brands are identified as being at the forefront of innovation,” confirms Libby.