Nails, BB creams among standouts in beauty

So what’s the buzz in beauty? In walking the show floor there is, I’ll admit, more of the same ole stuff we see each year. But there certainly are a few trends that stand out from the crowd.

One category that continues to rise to the top is nail color. Yes, it’s a story you’ve likely heard before, but you’re going to hear it again: Nail polish continues to be the rock star of the beauty world. Nail polish is a simple, cost-effective way for beauty mavens to accessorize their wardrobe and express their individual style. But these days, polish seems to be about that and so much more. It also is about art, creativity and innovation.

Just take a moment to look at the numbers. According to SymphonyIRI Group, sales of nail polish rose nearly 43% to more than $528 million for the 52 weeks ended April 15 at food, drug and mass (excluding Walmart).

This trend undoubtedly is playing out on the Marketplace show floor. Bottles of bold, daring and sexy nail lacquers abound, and several manufacturers also are touting their versions of the latest nail trend to hit mass — at-home gel manicures.

Nail art also is popular, and manufacturers are taking cue, bringing to Marketplace several products, such as magnetic nail polish and stick-on nail art. It’s really all about enabling beauty mavens to get that salon look in minutes.

An emerging trend that still is pretty new to the mass market, but is present here at Marketplace, is BB Creams. They are relatively new, multifunctional products, also referred to as “blemish balms” or “beauty balms,” that combine the functionality of primers, SPF and moisturizers, along with the anti-aging benefits of skin serums.

BB Creams, which are not a foundation or a tinted moisturizer, were invented by German dermatologists in the 1960s as a soothing post-treatment cream. The item then caught on in Korea as movie stars sought a flawless complexion without looking made up.

L’Oréal USA has brought to retail its Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector BB cream and, more recently, has announced the June launch of Dream Fresh BB from Maybelline New York.

Now it seems that Palmer’s also is jumping aboard the bandwagon and is about to launch its new Eventone BB cream in two different shades. The all-in-one beauty balm, which Palmer’s is promoting at Marketplace, is designed to prime, perfect and protect skin.

Time will tell whether it is a trend that sticks, but market research firm the NPD Group is optimistic. NPD recently released a study that found that although the incidence of purchasing BB creams still is small (2% of total beauty shoppers), the majority of purchasers said they’re extremely or very satisfied with their last BB cream purchase, and 77% expressed positive repurchase intent. According to the NPD report, almost 4-in-10 beauty shoppers overall said that they would consider buying a BB cream in the future.

So those trends are some clear standouts on the product front, but what else are people talking about in beauty? Well, one high-level beauty retailer told Drug Store News that, in recent months, more consumers seem to be pulling back, and there’s been a slow down in beauty. As a result, some suppliers are looking to bring products to shelves even earlier. More specifically, some suppliers are looking to launch spring products in the fall in an effort to hit shelves earlier to help get customers excited.

So what beauty trends are you seeing and what’s the beauty buzz that you are hearing? Drop a note to [email protected] or comment below.