Beauty online: Our most-read stories on the online beauty market

1 – A.S. Watson and L’Oréal launch virtual makeup testing service to enhance shopping experience

A.S. Watson Group has partnered with L’Oréal-backed ModiFace to launch a virtual makeup testing service in order to keep up with consumer demand for new shopping experiences.​

#ColourMe, the virtual make-up testing service, will be exclusively available in Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia this month via the Watsons’ mobile e-commerce application.

With the service consumers can create their own looks and try on recommended make-up styles. #ColourMe also allows consumers to capture photos and videos of their creations.

Once satisfied, consumers can have products delivered or opt to collect it from their nearest Watsons store in as quickly as four hours.

Alexis Perakis-Valat, president of L’Oréal’s consumer products division, said: “This technology offers consumers a unique way to discover and enjoy make-up and will allow us to further reinvent the beauty experience in the future.”

2 – Beauty games: M.A.C. lipstick collaboration with Tencent mobile game sells out in 24 hours

M.A.C. Cosmetics has launched a collection inspired by Chinese firm Tencent’s popular mobile game “Honor of Kings”, which secured 14,000 pre-orders and sold out across all channels​ within 24 hours of the launch.

The collection comprised of five lipsticks based on five heroines from the game and was available on Tmall, M.A.C.’s online store, and a WeChat mini program.

In an interview with Chinese website LadyMax, M.A.C China noted that the game’s 200 million monthly players inspired the idea for the collaboration.

M.A.C. China marketing director Weng Yanling mentioned that players would associate the characters with some of M.A.C.’s iconic lipstick shades.

3 – Amazon launches skin care range: can data insights create ideal beauty products?

Belei is the new - and first-ever - skin care brand from global internet retailer Amazon. Based on consumer data insights, is this the future of brand development​ in beauty and personal care? We take a look in this Editor’s Spotlight.

The Belei brand is a line of 12 products that are designed to meet the most common consumer demands searched for and mentioned in reviews by shoppers on the website, meaning Amazon has been able to tap into the data behind consumer habits and create products that perhaps can meet these perfectly.

“Our goal is to help customers spend less time and money searching for the right skincare solutions,” Kara Trousdale, head of beauty for private brands on Amazon.com, has said.

“We took a simple, no-nonsense approach when creating Belei, developing products with ingredients that are both proven to deliver results and also offer customers great value for the quality.”

4 – Model behaviour: A.S. Watson credits product launch successes to predictive modelling

International health and beauty giant A.S. Watson Group says its use of predictive modelling​ technology has been instrumental to boosting the success of its product launches.

Coupled with the company’s extensive knowledge of the beauty industry, the customer data is able to help niched and major brands launch products into the market, said COO Malina Ngai.

She added: “Using our integrated online and offline model, this allows us to create these types of brand partnerships to specifically target and engage the right customers.”

Most recently, the Group helped to launch Jeffree Star Cosmetics in Europe through beauty chain ICI PARIS XL in The Netherlands and Belgium.

With help from predictive modelling, the company profiled consumers under 35 and targeted those that were most likely to have interest in Jeffree Star Cosmetics.

5 – Amazon continues to attract indie beauty brands

This month, Pour Moi Skincare announced plans to start selling on the multinational ecommerce​ platform—a move that more and more cosmetics and personal care startups are making since Amazon launched its dedicated indie beauty shop last summer.

Pour Moi Skincare has partnered up with Stella Rising, a marketing and media agency focused on moving clients upward in the consumer-first economy, for its Amazon launch. The agency previously did business as Women’s Marketing Inc. and recently rebranded to broaden its reach:

“Understanding the personal needs and passions of smart, sophisticated women has always been a core component of our DNA. Regardless of a brand's target audience, we are focused on delivering results that drive ROI and elevate a brand's performance in today's highly diverse and demanding consumer driven marketplace”​ CEO Andrea Van Dam told the press late last year when Stella Rising was announced.

The agency’s new raison d'être very much explains why Pour Moi is working with Stella Rising as the skin care brand adds Amazon to its retail strategy. Digital-first and direct-to-consumer beauty brands often talk about meeting the consumer where she is; and there a lot of consumers on Amazon.