From hybrid makeup infused with skin care ingredients to bio-based pigments, adaptive beauty and cutting-edge technology, we take a closer look at the biggest advancements driving innovation in the colour cosmetics category.
Makeup as skin care
Consumers continue to seek products that double up as makeup and skin care. Ingredients we typically associate with skin care such as niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and peptides are now being integrated into makeup products, enabling the user to receive additional benefits rendering the products cost-effective and extra appealing.
For example, Lady Gaga’s brand Haus Labs recently launched a new product called Bio-Radiant Glassy Highlighter Balm, which is a hybrid highlighter with an impressive 64% skin care ingredients.
Florence Roghe, NPD expert, and founder of Collateral Projects, says, “The hybrid formulation approach of blending makeup and skin care to simplify routines with active ingredients, is going to keep growing.”
“We’re going to see more ‘skinification’, and SPF integration of products for your everyday use, for instance, lipsticks or SPF veil setting sprays,” she said.
Sustainable packaging
Sustainability has been a huge talking point for some time now, and the beauty industry is now adhering to the call to action to shift to greener packaging.
Some makeup brands have been making the shift, utilising eco-friendly materials in packaging, and brands like Lush have been opting for ‘naked packaging’, which refers to the omission of conventional plastic product packaging to reduce the environmental impact.
The Japanese cosmetics brand Fancl is one example of a brand that has produced reusable packaging and refillable cartridges for their products. While other brands showing a true commitment to sustainability include Elate Beauty, ILIA, and RMS Beauty.
Bio-based pigments
The colour cosmetics industry is heavily reliant on the use of pigments and dyes to infuse products with colours.
However, the industry has been seeking alternatives due to the polluting nature of commercialised colourants like dyes, pigments and ink. Recently makeup brands and ingredients companies have been developing bio-based pigments as an eco-friendly alternative to conventional colourants.
Common sources for bio-based pigments include beetroot extract for red, plant extracts found in red, blue and purple vegetables and flowers and iron oxides used in mineral-based makeup.
Adaptive makeup
Diversity and inclusion has been a hot topic in the beauty industry over the past few years. While this has often focused on racial inequality and ageism, one issue that has been overlooked is how the disabled community has been underserved in terms of the limitations they face when accessing makeup products.
Thankfully we are witnessing a shift with innovative brands like Kohl Kreatives, which features brushes with non-rolling handles for those with visual impairments.
Also steadily gaining recognition is the brand Tilt Beauty, which was founded by 21-year-old Aerin Glazer, who has first-hand experience of navigating beauty products as a person with chronic arthritis. Due to personal experience, Glazer was inspired to create a brand featuring products that are ergonomically packaged and designed for ease of use.
In terms of major brands, L’Oréal has developed the world’s first handheld computerised makeup applicator called HAPTA. The device was formulated to address those whose motor skills are limited.
Where beauty meets tech
Beauty and technology continue to merge, offering the consumer a more personalised approach to beauty. Augmented reality (AR) provides the consumer with the ability to try on colour cosmetics like lipstick and eyeshadows to find complementary shades.
Meanwhile, AI is ideal for helping the customer identify the perfect shades for their individual needs, which is particularly useful for items like foundations which is heavily reliant on personalisation.
Recently Shu Uemura released a revolutionary item called 3D Shu:Brow, which allows the customer to apply a customised eyebrow in an instant, using a handheld smart device.
Smart ingredients
With customisation being a key beauty trend, we will be seeing the emergence of more adaptive and smart ingredients in colour cosmetics that work in tandem with the unique needs of our skin. Think lipsticks that adapt according to the user’s unique natural lip colour and alkaline levels.
Another example is the recent TikTok viral foundation by TLM that is a pasty white when applied, before settling to match the individual’s skin tone, removing the struggle to find the correct foundation shade.
Several mainstream brands are adding customised products to their collections, such as Prada Beauty with its viral colour-changing Blushing Care lip that transforms from a sky-blue colour into customised shade of pink based on the pH of your lips.
Fenty Beauty has also been an early-adopter of smart ingredients. Its Match Stix Colour Adaptive Cheek + Lip Stick uses colour shift technology that formulates a unique shade of rosy pink based on your skin’s natural chemistry.
