Brand story: The recent APAC developments from the biggest names in beauty

By Amanda Lim

- Last updated on GMT

Our most-read stories on the big-name beauty brands of the region. [SK-II]
Our most-read stories on the big-name beauty brands of the region. [SK-II]

Related tags L'oréal Shiseido Amorepacific P&g Kao

We round-up of our most-read stories on the big-name beauty brands of the region, featuring news updates from L’Oréal, Shiseido, Amorepacific and more.

1 – Custom craze: Amorepacific introduces four more bespoke services as it banks on personalised beauty demand

From cushion foundations to bath bombs, K-beauty giant Amorepacific has launched a slew of bespoke beauty initiatives​ in the past few months as it expects demand for personalised cosmetics to rise.

Within the past couple of months, the South Korean cosmetics conglomerate has launched four new personalised beauty services.

In March, the firm extended IOPE’s Lab Tailored 3D Mask and Serum service online and added virtual one-on-one skin consultations. This service was previously only available at the brand’s Myeongdong store.

The following month, it launched Base Picker, a customised foundation service available in-store and online.

2 – ‘Beauty for all travellers’: Valentino Beauty among new brands L’Oréal will be launching in Hainan to drive growth

Valentino Beauty will be among the new brands​ that L’Oréal’s will debut in Hainan, China, as it continues to invest into the lucrative holiday destination.

Despite global tourism woes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the growth of L’Oréal’s travel retail division has been positive, largely due to its performance in APAC – especially in Hainan.

“The foundation for beauty consumption is solid in Travel Retail China, and we are experiencing strong dynamic in all three categories – skin care, makeup, and fragrances,” ​said Emmanuel Goulin, Managing Director at L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific.

Among the three categories, the firm said the demand for skin care continues to be a driving force in terms of growth.

3 – ‘Ultimate consumer experience’: How P&G’s SK-II turned to social retail to create contactless engagement with shoppers

Skin care brand SK-II has tapped into social retail​ to engage with beauty consumers who have increased their time spent online in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Procter & Gamble (P&G) -owned brand recently hosted its first-ever social retail pop-up in Hainan, China. It ran for the whole month of May at the Haitang Bay Duty Free Shopping Centre in partnership with the China Duty Free Group

Social retail is a concept that integrates physical retail with online and social media interaction and sharing for a truly omnichannel experience.

“Our consumers are expecting so much more from brands and businesses. There is so much more on their minds than just skin and beauty,”​ said Elizabeth Caton, global vice president of SK-II Travel Retail.

4 – Hybrid sun care: Anessa to launch multifunctional skin brightening sunscreen in response to changing pandemic needs

Japanese cosmetics giant Shiseido is set to launch a new multifunctional sunscreen​ under the Anessa brand that has skin brightening properties as a response to the changing consumer needs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anessa’s Brightening UV Sunscreen Gel is described as a ‘medicated’ brightening sun protection product that can be used for brightening and moisturising care.

The new launch is set to debut in Japan under a limited release from June 21 onwards.

Anessa is Shiseido’s dedicated mass market sun care brand that is primarily available in pharmacies and drugstores.

5 – New life for old plastics: Kao furthers circular beauty goals with plans to use chemically recycled plastics for cosmetics

Japanese personal care major Kao Corporation has piloted a new initiative to use chemically recycled plastic​ for its cosmetics packaging in an effort to further its efforts to improve its circularity.

The company has partnered with PET Refine Technology Co, a subsidiary of JEPLAN Inc., to utilise its BRING Technology. This technology enables the recycling of containers made from PET into material with purity equivalent to virgin PET.

Chemical recycling is the process of chemically breaking down used PET bottles to completely remove impurities and re-solidify them into PET resin.

On the other hand, mechanical recycling is a method of material recycling in which discarded plastic is melted down and re-solidified.

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