It’s a new year, a fresh start and set to be an exciting year ahead! So, what does 2017 hold? This report will take a look at the 3 top trends that you’ll see this year… so get started early on your next developments with these trends in mind!
Top Trend 2017 #1: Customisation
Consumers want product to suit them. Their lifestyle, their skin, their tone, their look. When it comes to developments in 2017, think about how you can customise, or provide a customisation option, for your consumer. Some customisation ideas you may want to use or expand on include:
• Customisable bases with optional actives: provide a base serum, cream or crème-gel to suit your target market needs in a pack with concentrated ‘active’ serums to add to the base to suite their skin needs at any given moment. For example, skin a bit congested today? Add drops of the ‘clearing serum’ to the base. Skin feeling dry? Add drops of the ‘hydrating serum’ to the base. Make sure you base addresses key concerns in general such as anti-pollution but provide active concentrates with easy dispensing units and clear instructions for true customisation and a happy consumer.
• Colour: always exciting to play with, colour cosmetics should also be customisable. Provide a multi-colour palette with instructional on-line videos on how to make their lipstick pinks and reds ‘hotter’ or more ‘muted’; or foundations (liquid and/or powder) that can be adjusted to be slightly lighter or darker depending on their skin tone depending on the season.
• Scent: you’ll see some exciting customisation ideas in this area this year – scents that can be modified by the consumer with small additions of concentrates to adapt a base to their daily moods. Nothing conveys a mood or personality quite as well as fragrance so watch this space!
• Apps: this year will see an explosion of apps that will enable customers to ‘try before they buy’ in a virtual reality space, and will be tailored to help self-selection of the best actives, colour and scent. If you want your brand to be noticed this year, get an app!
Top Trend 2017 #2: Sustainability
This trend has been growing in recent years and will become a mainstay this year – so you need to start incorporating your sustainability message into your general marketing and company philosophies. Using sustainably sourced materials is a must moving forward; but adding to this message are other environmentally and/or community focussed messages. From greening up your carbon footprint, using materials that ‘give back’ and even making a point of your recycled packaging, make sure your marketing provides the sustainability message of your brand as a mainstay from 2017 on.
Top Trend 2017 #3: Sweat/Wear Proof make-up
The use of film formers to enable make-up to withstand exercise and be selfie-ready at a moments’ notice is really taking off. This trend is especially prevalent in the major growth area of colour cosmetics – Asian trend setting women from 20 right through to 35, a big market to cover so plenty of opportunity for brands with various philosophies and users! They also have the highest social media use and exploration of colour cosmetics so provide fantastic sweat/wear proof make-up to take them from the gym through the day and into the night with interesting YouTube footage (and even an app!) to really capture their attention.
Belinda Carli is in-cosmetics’ Official Technical Advisor and the Director of the Institute of Personal Care Science (www.personalcarescience.com.au)
At our shows, Belinda can be found managing the Formulation Lab (www.in-cosmetics.com/en/education/formulation-lab-programme/) and presenting on various trends and formulation solutions throughout the year. Here’s to an exciting and fabulous 2017!