From makeup influenced by the metaverse to personalised supplements, environmentally conscious ingredients and innovative products that cater for more consumers than ever, the future of beauty is exciting. Let’s take a look at the top trends.
Within a global atmosphere of change and challenge, the beauty world gives many of us a touch of excitement, escapism and hope. However, reflecting those challenges and our desires, beauty brands now need to offer so much more than a shiny new arrival that looks glamorous on a shelf and gives your appearance a boost. As we have previously reported in our Future Beauty forecasts, it is also important for a brand to have a clear stance on social purpose and themes such as diversity and inclusion.
A visible sustainability roadmap – and proof of action following it – also remain crucial to a brand’s success. While it is easier for smaller emerging brands to adopt better processes for sourcing, production and packaging, large multinationals are also making headway.
This year our desire to live a healthy, fulfilled life while embracing the opportunities beauty advancements and technology offers us, push the industry into new and exciting areas.
These are some of the key areas evolving in 2023 and beyond.
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WELLNESS WONDERLAND
The blurring of lines between the beauty and wellness industries is one of the most significant developments to expect over the next year and continuing into the future.
Beauty has always been more than skin deep, but now brands are looking to offer more than just a quick confidence boost from that swipe of red lipstick.
Post pandemic, we are more health conscious, finely attuned to our state of mental health and more aware of the transitory nature of our wellbeing than ever before. Understanding how the choices we make influence how we feel – and products and services that promise to help – is increasingly alluring.
Marita Burke, Chief MECCAMaginations Officer at MECCA, the popular beauty emporiums across Australia and New Zealand, confirms that such concerns will be a key focus. “We can expect to see a greater breadth of brands in the wellness space as more customers adopt this philosophy when shopping beauty,” she says. “There will be a greater demand for products that improve one’s sense of health as well as services to support this, be that acupuncture, nutrition, naturopathy or meditation.”
Beauty products may offer traditional benefits such as colour (cosmetics) or hydration alongside more holistic benefits, like improving sleep or enhancing mood. Issues that sit at the convergence of beauty and health like emotional, hormonal or sexual wellness, inflammatory skin and scalp concerns, hair loss, the skin-gut connection and more, are among the most visible targets for new and established brands alike.
MECCA is embracing the evolution. Among its stable, Moon Juice includes adaptogenic reishi mushroom extract in its AHA exfoliant, while ‘energising’ fragrance brand Vyrao includes a ‘supercharged Herkimer diamond crystal energised by [the brand’s[ healer, Louise Mita’. The brand says that Herkimer diamonds are known to clear, amplify and raise energy.
Elsewhere, The Nue Co’s latest functional scent Water Therapy uses olfactory technology to recreate the feeling of being around water to invoke an overall sense of calm and reduce stress. The fragrance also includes notes of seaweed, salt, cardamom and rose.
Meanwhile, personalised vitamins and supplements that take a targeted ‘inside out’ approach to beauty and improved quality of life continue to grow beyond basic skin and hair offerings to include a wider focus on skin health and resilience, energy, hormones, and cognitive function.
Matcha, a type of powdered, high-quality green tea, is increasingly visible as both a energy-boosting supplement and as an antioxidant-rich skincare ingredient, while melatonin, often found in sleep-regulating ingestibles, is also being used in skincare for its antioxidant properties.
Neutrogena is about to bring the approach to the masses with 3D printed personalised supplements called SkinStacks. The vegan, sugar-free gummies are created by first using Neutrogena’s digital skin assessment that involves taking a 180-degree selfie using the brands’ Skin360 app. The detected results inform a ‘printed’ edible seven-layer supplement ‘stack’, each layer containing a nutrient like that caters to a specific skin concern.
SKIN INGREDIENT EXPERTISE
Knowing what ingredients products have has settled into the beauty consumers’ consciousness as a key purchasing motivator, with renewing retinoids, protective antioxidants and firming and plumping peptides among the heroes to seek.
These products have considerable science behind them, something consumers are continuing to demand. New discoveries, particularly plant-based ones, are also a hot topic, but the proof of respected clinical trials is still key.
Retinoids are still hot property across the skincare industry for stimulating cell renewal and collagen production, smoothing and plumping the skin from within. Advances are still being made in how to best utilise them. “Retinoids including retinol is a champion amongst the ingredients available to treat the signs of ageing and also acne,” explains Emma Hobson, Dermalogica’s Director of Education for Asia Pacific.
Products that strengthen the skin barrier and its natural microbiome are still at the forefront, while newer ingredients, particularly those
trending in skincare incubator Korea, will have an impact. Looking at trends from South Korea’s leading search engine, Naver, a report created by consumer data analyst Spate suggests we can expect to hear more about salmon sperm skincare and EGF.
Brands like KAHI Cosmetics have been using the extract of salmon sperm, which is known as salmon PDRN, in products in recent years. The ingredient is said to improve collagen production.
EGF stands for epidermal growth factor, a type of protein that has been developed for wound healing. When used in skincare it aims to encourage new skin cell growth, boosting collagen and elastin.
NEW GENERATION
As outdated beauty standards continue to crumble, the visibility of women over 50, and beauty products and services designed specifically for them, are on the rise. From luxury skincare to mass market skincare and wellness products, the change may be a ‘what took you so long?’ moment, but it’s certainly a welcome progression for a traditionally underserved demographic.
In particular focus are products addressing the natural skin and appearance changes that come about during and after menopause. With women on average spending one third of their lives post menopause (in New Zealand and Australia the average age of menopause is 51-52), there is considerable opportunity for brands.
The most prominent recent arrival is US-based Stripes, a skincare brand fronted by actress Naomi Watts, and created in partnership with burgeoning clean-beauty biotech company Amyris. The line includes a hydrating and plumping face serum, cooling face mist, thickening hair and scalp serum, hydrating vaginal gel, probiotic supplement, body oil and more. The star ingredient in the line is ectoine, a natural compound found in several species of bacteria and said to protect cellular functioning and combat dehydration.
“Women should feel like the menopause conversation is a normal one to have,” says Watts.
“This should be the end of the shame and secrecy, and the beginning of something new and wonderful.”
WELCOME TO THE METAVERSE
Establishing an exciting presence in the digital world is a top priority for beauty brands, many of whom are early adopters into the possibilities of the metaverse. Translating physical and traditionally sensory products and services via virtual experiences where you can’t feel, touch or smell poses a challenge. Yet the metaverse offers opportunities to engage, entertain, educate and create crucial brand loyalty, particularly with younger customers. It also offers a new way for people to express themselves outwardly via their online personas, something beauty enthusiasts have embraced thanks to spaces where personalisable avatars are used. These spaces, including games, immersive virtual reality worlds and shoppable experiences are in turn influencing the appearance and performance of real-world products like otherworldly chrome-effect makeup and gleaming ‘glazed skin’ serums.
The scope of commitment from brands is huge, and runs from augmented virtual reality makeup ‘try ons’ where you can see if the colour of a lipstick or eyeshadow suits you, like those from Lancôme and M.A.C, to the rise of virtual influencers in beauty. A way for brands to differentiate themselves and control their content, virtual influencers are increasingly popular. Prada created virtual ‘muse’ Candy, a hyper-real presence of a young woman who interacted with the brand’s Candy fragrance bottle in videos and on social media. NARS has just launched three digitally rendered beauty ambassadors, Maxine, Chelsea and Sissi, each with unique looks, personalities, and backstories inspired by three of the brand’s Powermatte lipstick shades.
Interestingly, one study in the journal New Media & Society shows audiences’ parasocial response (the one-sided relationship they form with
celebrities or creators and the like) to virtual influencers doesn’t differ significantly from their response to human influencers.
Virtual figures have further potential in non-consumer-facing roles. Dermalogica created virtual human Natalia to help train thousands of their skincare professionals worldwide with consistent messaging and protocols following its Awaken peptide eye gel launch in early 2022. In the future we may invite virtual experts – or avatars of real-life experts – into our living rooms for advice or consultations.
The impact of these virtual influencers remains to be seen. A recent ‘The Future of Aesthetics’ guide produced by Allergan Aesthetics, a leader in cosmetics injectables and the brand behind Botox, flagged the potential in changing attitudes towards aesthetic treatments and the way consumers see themselves thanks to digital filters and social media.
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UK-based cosmetic doctor Tijion Esho was cited in the report as seeing patients whose perceptions of appearance have been so distorted by filters, they’re unaware of their body’s limits. “A very young patient came to see me not long ago and wanted me to remove her pores,” recalls Esho. “She showed me a picture on Instagram, she said ‘Look, this girl, you can’t see her pores.’ I had to explain that’s a filter with makeup and that pores are natural, they’re normal. We can improve the appearance of them, but we cannot remove them. And that was a shock to her.”
“WOMEN SHOULD FEEL LIKE THE MENOPAUSE CONVERSATION IS A NORMAL ONE TO HAVE.” NAOMI WATTS
EXPERIENTIAL RETAIL REIGNS
Enticing people into physical retail spaces will require increasingly creative and new tactics, so you can expect to see a significant evolution in in-store offerings.
Much has been made of the pivot to ‘phygital’, or integration of physical and digital elements in the shopping experience. Just like smart screens at supermarkets checkouts can decipher your broccoli from bananas, beauty brands and retailers are enhancing the shopping experience with digital solutions as well as new services and treatments. Technology like skin colour and condition scanning and data evaluation is extending the possibilities for quickly receiving customised routines or product suggestions in-store.
Being overwhelming by the number of product choices and wanting to make educated purchases have long been barriers for many customers and while retail assistants are still key, screens now offer separate or additional support.
For example, Lancôme’s Skin Screen is an advanced new imaging device in-store you place your face into. Using a combination of light technology, AI and an algorithm that measures and assesses key skin parameters, a wealth of skin condition information – and product advice – is yours in 20 minutes.
“Customer experience and customer service are more important than ever,’’ confirms MECCA’s Marita Burke. “With a return to physical stores after 2+ years shopping online, customers are looking for edutainment – a blend of education, information and entertainment. We are seeing this first hand in our flagship store in George Street, Sydney with consistent demand for makeup applications, skin consultations, fragrance consultations, jewellery and piercing, hair styling and facials. We have just recently opened our very first MECCA Aesthetica store, [in Highpoint Shopping Centre, Melbourne] which was a new concept in response to a deepening demand for professional skin treatments. We are offering LED, microneedling and more services addressing specific skin concerns.”
Inventive short-lived pop-up retail spaces from the likes of Clarins, YSL, Chanel and La Roche-Posay are also offering new and immersive experiences. These often seasonal spaces are designed to cement brand awareness and remind consumers about the excitement of in-store beauty. Stunning displays, social media opportunities, digital ‘walkthroughs’ of key ingredients and application advice – even games where you can take home generous samples – are all popular inclusions to get feet through the door.
THE SCIENCE OF SCENT
Fragrance is that unique area of the beauty industry where innovation blends technology and science with a little bit of romance and creativity.
With fragrance companies expanding molecular science, the industry no longer relies on the suffering of animals nor endangered natural resources for its key ingredients. Indeed, the world’s
leading fragrance developers are now capturing or conjuring not only the scents of existing plants and flowers, but smells that are totally new and unique. It’s a challenge not unlike creating a completely new colour, and the results are varied.
Once developed, the molecules are placed in the hands of the perfumers who create scents for the name brands you see on department store counters.
In its latest ‘Sharing Innovation’ collection of new notes, global player Firmenich includes a synthetic but close to nature Lily of the Valley note called Muguissimo; Rose Damascena Firad, a natural rose extract made from an exclusive cold concentration technique; and Sylvamber, a modern woody note with ambery undertones made from upcycled ingredients.
Once an artisanal craft, fragrance making is taking innovative and technological leaps and bounds with AI and data-driven development. Data collection can also help detect overall changes in the desires and tastes of the masses based on nationalities, age demographics and personalities.
Fellow industry leader Givaudan has been focusing on its MoodScentz+ innovation, a way of designing fragrance with scientific and consumer-proven mood-boosting benefits that is in part informed by research and data mining. One element is a brain-imaging capability that captures the brain’s responses to scents and flavours, with more than 200 million data points collected so far.
MoodScentz+ will help perfumers create compositions that positively enhance emotions, under labels like ‘Relax & Unwind’, ‘Invigorate & Recharge’ and ‘Happy & Blissful’.
Givaudan is also pairing with NZ-based LanzaTech to develop sustainable fragrance ingredients from renewable carbon.
Frances Shoemack, founder and CEO of fine natural fragrance brand Abel, says currently there is a trend toward individuality in scent.
“No-one wants to smell the same as everyone else, and fragrances that are both outspoken and different are definitely having a moment. We are definitely seeing a trend towards edgy scents that put individuality first.” She says the beauty of natural perfumes is that they develop with your individual body chemistry to something unique. Reflecting the importance of sustainability in the area, Abel is working to include ingredients sourced from industry by-products and renewable resources with a low impact. “We’re currently working on new product development that harnesses ingredients produced by mycelium and yeasts,” she says. “This territory of natural science that is truly about innovation and reducing impact is so exciting, and, I believe, the future of conscious beauty.”
STAR POWER
If it felt like new beauty brands launched by celebrities were inescapable in 2022, you’d be right.
While some made sense, those that were created by stars with seemingly little connection or interest in the field made it hard to see the brands as anything other than a money grab. For instance, Brad Pitt launching a very pricey skincare line while admitting he had not previously had a consistent skincare routine gained a lukewarm reception. Winnie Awa, founder of personalised hair advice platform Carra, joined five other London-based beauty brand founders in issuing an open letter to Pitt.
“Over the past few years, it seems that every celebrity feels like they can waltz into the industry that we have worked in our whole careers and gain the awareness overnight that we are so fighting for,” the letter reads, in part. “If this industry is an industry you truly want to be a part of, then … invest in early-stage founders who are already in the arena, building innovative solutions to make the industry more inclusive, sustainable, and climate-friendly.” In 2023 it looks as if celebrities may just heed the advice or at least pair with brands in a more meaningful way. Singer Dua Lipa recently became a major shareholder in haircare brand Dizziak.
Meanwhile, Selma Blair signed on as chief creative officer of GUIDE Beauty, which makes products accessible to people with varying levels of ability, in particular those with fine motor challenges.
One area that may continue to grow is luxury fashion brands stepping into the beauty arena, something that has been on the rise. Gucci, Valentino, Hermès and more have launched makeup collections in the past 5 years. Balmain has just announced it is set to create its own beauty line with Estée Lauder Companies, while whispers of a Prada arrival are yet to be confirmed.
“NO ONE WANTS TO SMELL THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE.” FRANCES SHOEMACK
NEW NATURAL
Extending our embrace of all things clean and natural – including a simplified makeup look – trend forecaster Trendalytics points to an understated, botanically based ‘skin-first’ trend this year.
“Characterised by hydrating formulas and a fresh colour palette, New Natural finds beauty from within,” says the report. “A focus on inclusivity and enhancing what makes us unique brings this evolved clean look to life.” It points to the growing popularity of products like hydration drops, illuminating foundation, lip glow oils, and ice globes, all of which “focus on enhancing the wearer’s natural beauty”.
ALGAE ON THE RISE
Green sciences are described as the “application of eco-friendly thinking to scientific disciplines”. L’Oréal is expanding its reach into the green sciences by taking a minority stake in Microphyt, a French biotech company investigating and developing uses of microalgae in beauty products and health supplements. The huge variety and many uses of algae and seaweeds continue to be a growing focus of skincare brands globally and a key focus this year, according to trend forecaster WGSN.