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

1 – Making a comeback: Crabtree and Evelyn plans Asian expansion after brand relaunch​

Bath and body care brand Crabtree & Evelyn has relaunched​ in Singapore after closing all its stores in January, and now plans to expand across Asia.

The brand unveiled a new e-commerce website as well as two new bath and beauty collections: Evelyn Rose, a rose-scented collection, and Crabtree, its first genderless range.

The brand is also sporting a new identity and ethos – ‘Born Curious. Grown Wild’, which was inspired by its founder, Cyrus Harvey.

“We knew we had to reconstruct everything – our brand, our products, our business model – to be welcomed into that community, and to be authentic there could be no half-measures,” ​said David Stern, CEO of Crabtree & Evelyn.

“So, we made the daring decision to discontinue all of our existing products, close all of our existing stores, and reintroduce the brand behind a dynamically different product range and a social and digitally-driven business model.”​

2 – Digital innovations and consumer relationships: Henkel lays down plans to advance business in ‘crucial’ SEA market

Hair care company Henkel is stepping up efforts to connect with consumers in South East Asia, which it regards as a vital market for the company’s growth​.

But the region is not without its challenges, including a diverse set of markets, increasingly demanding consumers and a rapidly evolving and fragmented retail landscape.

However, Davin Leong, Head of Expansion and Regional Sales, Asia-Pacific, Henkel Beauty Care Retail, told CosmeticsDesign-Asia ​the firm saw these as massive opportunities for the company.

“Our ambition remains consistent that we want to be the fastest-growing hair care company in the region,” ​said Leong. “We want to firmly establish our footprint in the premium segment of the mass retail environment by providing innovative and trendy products that are able to meet consumer demands across the region.”​

With the emergence of new brands and the development of e-commerce, Leong emphasised that developing a rapport with its consumers was becoming increasingly important.

3 – New beauty X-periences: Singapore start-up launches online platform for cult Asian brands

Newly launched online beauty retailer, Asian Beauty X, is aspiring to become a leading authority in cult Asian beauty​ and cosmetic products in South East Asia.

The Singapore-based e-commerce beauty platform curates cosmetics products from around Asia. Asian Beauty X currently carries four cult Korean beauty brands including Lagom and Thank You Farmer.

CEO and co-founder Justin Lee told CosmeticsDesign-Asia that the company was very selective about the brands they were considering on representing.

“We are not looking for brands that push products out too quickly. Those that are more measured in their approach and don't just jump on the bandwagon give you the best results at the end of the day. We expect to see these brands around for the long-term.”​

Lee said the company was also on a lookout for Halal K-beauty brands to offer the large Muslim population in SEA.

4 – Powder power: Singaporean custom blend firm eyes global expansion via DIY kit

Singapore-based customised beauty brand Individual Collective is aiming to expand its business internationally with the help of its newly developed DIY custom powder kit​.

Currently, the Face Custom Beauté Discovery Kit is only available via Kickstarter, where the company is aiming to reach a goal of $20,000.

However, the true intention behind the Kickstarter campaign is to help the company build awareness internationally and among consumers.

“What we want to do is reach out globally first with our strong message of mindful beauty. Additionally, we also want to catch the attention of those who like trends. That’s why we started the Kickstarter,”​ said founder Marilyn Ng, who has over two decades of experience in beauty working with MNCs such as the Estée Lauder Companies, L’Oréal Group and L’Occtiane Group.

Offline to online​

Unlike most independent beauty brands, Individual Collective started out with a brick-and-mortar presence in downtown Singapore, where consumers can get their customised loose powder blended on the spot.

5 – South Korean hair care: Natural ingredients and innovation driving sector growth

The South Korean haircare market is continuing to see dynamic growth underpinned​ by the natural trend and the South Korean consumer’s willingness to experiment with new innovations.

According to GlobalData research, the South Korean hair care market, not including the professional sector, is expected to grow at a rate of 2.3% from 2017 to 2022.

Like in other sectors, the natural and organic trend continues to remain an overarching trend, said Sumit Chopra, director of research and analysis.

Speaking at in-cosmetics Korea this year, he added that the trend continued to persist because of the focus on healthcare and the perception that natural and organic products have health benefits.

“Our consumer survey showed that slightly more than 50% reported that health is a key issue when it comes to purchasing for cosmetics and toiletries. So natural and organic products will continue to be something consumers feel connected to.”​