According to the market analyst, the pressure to be picture-perfect at all times is impacting on beauty trends, with demand for products that can guarantee a selfie-ready look on the rise particularly among younger consumers.
“This is influencing cosmetics trends because consumers are searching for a new level of perfection, one that can be shared in a world which is always on,” explains Symons.
“Prior to smartphones face-to-face interactions would make up the largest proportion of encounters, whereas today many of our encounters are online.”
Maximum efficiency and durable makeup
What this need to be photo-ready translates to for the beauty industry is a rise in demand for products that are durable and have reliable efficiency, Symons suggests.
“Being picture perfect takes a precedence as it is one of the few measurable features in a digital world. What this means is not only do consumers demand maximum efficacy from the products but the brand name itself must be desirable to live-up to online expectations,” she explains.
“In turn this is benefitting the premium sector and high performance makeup with a professional angle, such as Make Up For Ever and Charlotte Tilbury.”
Digital: 360 experience in beauty
Smart mirrors are proving the melting pot where being ready for technology in terms of makeup application meets with using digital to do so.
Smart mirrors can offer users an array of features, including clinical skin analysis, skin visualisation, product recommendation, and, most interactive of all, live makeup simulation, allowing users to virtually ‘try on’ makeup looks.
Charlotte Tilbury, NYX, Sephora and Credo are some of the brands already applying smart technology to the retail store space as the tool’s popularity continues to grow. Brands, including L’Oréal and Shiseido, have also been experimenting with Snapchat filters to offer similar functionality to smartphone users.