NPD: Prestige beauty in China enjoyed double-digit growth in 2011

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.  — Total prestige beauty in China — which is those products sold mainly in department stores and Sephora stores in the top 10 cities in mainland China — rose 21% in 2011 compared with 2010, according to beauty market research by NPD.

The skin care and makeup categories each showed healthy growth of 23% and 17%, respectively. Anti-aging continued to be the driving engine by taking half of the skin care category sales and posting a robust growth of nearly 27% in 2011 compared with 2010. Hydrating (up 19%) and whitening (up 15%) skin care also played a big role in category growth. 

In prestige makeup, the face segment captured 59% of the category’s dollar share and increased 18% in dollar sales from 2010.

Products that make the face look lighter and smoother, such as foundation and makeup base, continued to play a key role in China. Foundation and makeup base led the face category, up 24% and 30%, respectively. 

In addition to face products, lip products helped drive the growth in makeup, up 26.5% in 2011. Lipstick sales grew 31% and lip gloss posted a 22% increase. On the other hand, sales of eye products were soft (up 6%) due to mascara’s sharp decline of 3% in dollars and the slower-paced sales of eye shadow and eye liner.