CEW’s Product Demonstration, an annual event where beauty’s best showcase their finest creations, took place last week at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York. Over 800 exciting new products were presented across several product categories, ranging from skin care to hair appliances, which appeared for the first time ever at the event.
Kline was excited to see that many of the products profiled in its latest edition of Beauty Devices: U.S. Market Analysis and Opportunities were showcased at this year’s event. Age-defying, innovative devices, such as JeNu’s Ultrasonic Infuser System, Tria’s new Age Defying Eye Wrinkle Correcting Laser, and Clarisonic’s Alpha Fit made their mark again, following the success of Ilumask at last year’s event.
Some of the most notable trends and brands observed by Kline in skin care and makeup are noted below.
Cleansing oils, in different textures like foam, balms, and gels, were well represented with new entrants in the mass and luxury space. Some of our favorites were the Shu Uemera Blanc Chroma Brightening & Polishing Gentle Cleansing Oil and Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Cleansing Oil Face.
The convergence of skin care and cosmetics, with SPF as a key factor, were featured with product demo booths by IT Cosmetics’ Your Skin but Better CC+ Illumination Cream SPF 50+ and Amorepacific’s Color Control Cushion Compact SPF 50+.
Palettes’, which are extremely popular in the eye makeup category, have crossed over to the face makeup category for contouring defined cheekbones. NYX showcased its Highlight & Contour Pro Palette while Eve Pearl showcased its HD 40:60 Dual Foundation.
Matte lipstick, a trend popular a few years ago, has made a big comeback. Product demo booths that captivated us were Revlon’s Ultra HD Matte Lipcolor on display with the rest of its “Love is On” campaign, L’Oreal Paris Colour Riche Le Matte Lip Pen, and Julep’s Whipped Matte Lip Mousse, a lip product launched through crowdfunding with users even voting on applicators, shades, and shade names.
In hair care, the theme of time being precious and convenience key could not have been more evident. We took note of all-in-one dry shampoos going above and beyond to absorb oil, cleanse, deodorize, texturize, and volumize. Two of our favorite dry shampoos were the Elizabeth and James Nirvana White Dry Shampoo and the Drybar Detox Dry Shampoo. Quick and easy fixes for covering up roots was another key trend in hair care. Among the products we loved were the Rita Hazan Root Concealer and the Oribe Airbrush Root Touch-up Spray, each unique in their own ways. Beachwaver Pro S1, a hair appliance entrant, gave a demo of its rotating curl iron, which creates curls in minutes, and Shu Uemura introduced its Straightforward Time-saving Blow Dry Oil.
The beauty goes digital trend was highlighted at the booth hosted by YouCam Makeup, a beauty application profiled by Kline in its latest report Going Digital: Who’s Who in the World of Beauty Apps. The company allowed visitors to try out the virtual makeover technology with an iPad that also displayed on a large TV screen. This year, executives will also get to vote on the Best in Beauty App and the Most Buzzed About Award (products that drove positive online buzz), with both categories highlighting the importance of successful digital marketing strategies in 2015.
Several ancillary booths, such as Blushington’s Makeup and Beauty Lounge and Tonnie’s Minis cupcake booth, complete with edible frosting cosmetics, added a special touch to the event. Of course, the event would not be complete without the highly coveted goody bag full of products that were presented at the demo booths. Amid the luxury and mass products were full-size versions of GlamGlow’s brightening mask and pout mud lip treatment and Thymes’ Goldleaf Gardenia Eau de Parfum.
CEW members may now vote for their own favorite products, and the winners will be announced on May 13, 2016, at the Beauty Insider Awards. To learn more about the ever-changing beauty and personal care market, please refer to our annual Cosmetics & Toiletries USA report. This outstanding analysis and interactive database provides first-hand insights and solid data on the performance of 25 product categories and 10 key players. The 2015 Highlights in Review presentation is now available, while the written report and database will come out this spring. In addition, the recently published Going Digital: Who’s Who in the World of Beauty Apps and Beauty Retailing through the Internet: U.S. Channel Analysis and Opportunities reports can provide you with a detailed view of the world of beauty apps and online retailing.
Written by Naira Aslanian, Project Manager Consumer Products, and Kelly Alexandre, Analyst Consumer Products
