FEMALE EMPOWERMENT & INCLUSIVITY RISE IN SOUTH KOREA

Leila Rochet January 21, 2020

Credits: Harper’s Bazaar Korea, April 2019

2020 will mark a continued disruption for Korea. Korean women are pushing back against beauty standards and disrupting the traditional model of femininity. An unprecedented movement of feminism and body positivity in the country with the highest number of cosmetic procedures per capita worldwide…

If Korea is one of the most innovative hub of the beauty market, it’s no secret that the K-society is still highly conservative. But this paradox is less and less accurate in 2020. For the past few month, liberating movements are rising, fueled by a quest for freedom that has shaken up the representation of beauty and liberated the routines.

“ESCAPE THE CORSET”, “SKIP CARE” : A CALL FOR FREEDOM

As seen in our previous What’s Up Korea 2019, the "Escape the Corset" movement blown up on social and traditional media. Former beauty blogger, Cha Ji-won, decided to throw away her makeup and start a feminist YouTube channel (375k followers). On TV, the famous female news presenter Lim Hyeon-ju, sparked sensation by wearing glasses on air, and the cosmetic brand Missha featured a model with a glamour short hair. Korean women want to break free from the high Korean beauty standard, which used to be one of the a guarantee of success in the Korean society.

Needless to say that in the new social context, a 10-step beauty regimen is perceived as a form of labor. One that only women are expected to perform, and for which they are in no way compensated - apart from finding a "good husband". According to The Guardian, a third of young women in Korea have undergone plastic surgery. To that purpose, the "skipcare" movement aims to reduce the number of steps of K-Beauty routines. The movement is mainly led by Jullai, with hybrid products like the Bounce Essence Oil Toner which both cleanses and hydrates. "The focus was on reducing the number of steps, liberating women and their skin from timely skincare routines" says CK, Jullai’s founder.

LOV YOU BOD! BODY POSITIVITY IS KOREAN

Moreover, body-positivity coming from the US went strong for the very first time in Korea. Beauty activist, Jiwon Park (@3xl_joy), started an Instagram account dedicated to her plus-size body. With over 7.3M views, the "I am not pretty" YouTube video by Beauty blogger, Lina Bae, was one of the hottest trends. In the video, she shows herself putting on makeup then removing it, while sharing some hateful comments she received like "You are a pig" or "You should get eye surgery". She concludes: "I am not pretty but that’s okay. Don’t compare yourself to social media. You are special the way you are." "Your body is full of wonderful things" , "love your body" claims the very first Korean body positive makeup brand, LovBod, with products like the Bum Bum Mask for buttock definition.

KOREAN INCLUSIVITY : IS THIS THE END OF THE FAIR WHITE SKIN?

More and more voices are finding expression through the Korean beauty industry. In our previous article, we deciphered the boom of a more fluid male Beauty. Inclusivity-wise, a few black Korean models make an entrance, like influencer Han Hyun-min, or Joel Roberts, the first African American model to join top Korean modeling agency YG KPlus. As darker skin tones are part of neo-archetypes we observes on the media, beauty brands now dive into the trend with new products targeted for inclusive tones.

Credits: influencer & model Han Hyun-min

This year, two campaigns played the inclusivity game: Espoir, for their new silk-fit foundation Colorful Nude (the campaign includes dark-toned models, as well as male and bi-racial models), and Pony Effect with the new Effect Stay Matte Lip Color.

Espoir / Courtesy of the brand

And today? After this first disruption, Korean beauty market is merging to more innovative fem-powered action, and inclusive trends are blooming. Want to find out more about thoses codes? The Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency just created a new What’s Up report book dedicated to the Seoul Hub. Contact us for more information.

OUR 3 FAVORITE BRANDS FROM THE INDIE BEAUTY EXPO IN LONDON

Leila Rochet November 28, 2019

When it comes to innovations, the Indie Beauty Expo is always an inspiration. Indie Brands have been shaking the beauty markets during the last decade, and 2020 will certainly see new interesting brands blooming. We spotted 3 brands, at the latest IBE London event, that embody tomorrow’s trends.

For its second edition, the London Indie Beauty Expo made quite the buzz. According to the organization, the event saw a 20% increase in exhibiting brands, confirming that the indie movement is still roaring.

From a rising Male Beauty to the celebration of Sexual Wellness, we had the pleasure to harness the next Beauty trends and meet the most exciting entrepreneurs of 2019. In this sea of innovations, three brands stood out, as they truly capture where the market is heading. Read more- and get inspired!

•Baûbo - French, sex-positive Vulva Care, what else ?

“I put The Balm right after sex, and it immediately soothed me” comments Carlotta, 28, on the brand’s website. Is this the future of skincare reviews? Taboo-free, open-minded conversations celebrating the female form in all its glory. Exit puritanism! Paris-based Baûbo leads the way, with 3 organic, Made in France and B-corp certified balms. One is a tonifying formula for post-partum bodies, another for universal care (including babies), and the third to “daily hydrate, soothe and soften the vulva, at the slightest discomfort.”

❤️: the taboo-free feminist tone, in line with a new sex-positive culture of consent coming from the US. Special mention to the “eco-aware” packaging, the first 90% recycled glass cosmetic container in the world, with Braille stickers.

Credits: courtesy of the brand

🏠 : Baûbo (📸insta : @bauboparis)

•Skin Sapiens - When “skincare” rhymes with “activism“

As its name suggests, Skin Sapiens is for skin that knows what’s right. Crowdfunded and launched in December, the UK brand aims for total transparency, in line with the Clean Beauty wave. The 6 products (3 for babies and 3 for grown-ups) are made from ingredients exclusively purchased from audited farms, in packs created from the “highest possible recycled content”.

❤️: the very inspiring strong, activist semantics, that embody 2019’s new narratives. “Let’s do it”, “welcome to a new age in skincare”, “we’re on a mission”, “let’s cut out nonsense”, “nothing hidden / nothing wasteful / nothing oversold”. Also, the brand alerts that “the bottles and tubes may be slightly imperfect, as they are made using repurposed plastic bottles sourced in the UK.” The beauty of imperfection.

🏠 : Skin Sapiens (📸insta : @skinsapiens)

Credits: courtesy of the brand

•Maiiro: a sustainable La Mer

Can an anti-plastic brand be hyper-glamorous? With Maiiro, it could very much be the case. The Guernsey-based brand beautifully mixes locally-sourced marine botanicals with sustainable packs. At the core of all products, the “Kelpogen5”, a signature complex made in-house of five seaweed extracts (astaxanthin, oarweed, bladderwrack, wakame and thongweed) for their powerful antioxidant properties. All organic, and vegan, of course.

❤️: an indie sustainable version of La Mer, in sophisticated 100% recyclable and 41% biodegradable packs.

🏠 : Maiiro

Credits: courtesy of the brand

Did you like this article ? Contact us to know more about the current Indie Beauty !

Previous articles on Indie Brands in the blog: here

THE RISE OF THE INDIE FRENCH TOUCH - OUR 3 FAVORITES FROM THE MADE IN FRANCE EXHIBITION

Leila Rochet November 18, 2019

Who said “Indie” only came from the US? French Beauty brands are blooming with a renewed creativity, disrupting the indie game with the French savoir-faire. Vive la Révolution!

American indie brands have deeply changed the beauty game. Viral, small, quick, disruptive, they constantly challenge us and keep us on our toes. But this indie wave goes way beyond the US frontiers, sparking a global trend that is now cascading on Europe.

In France, new small artisan brands are bubbling, disrupting the indie game through the lenses of French codes. A fascinating wave that we call Indie French Touch, where Beauty rhymes with artisan, sustainability and, of course, effortless chic.

During the 8th edition of the Made in France Exhibition, we had to pleasure to meet with the most inspiring entrepreneurs, and discovered 3 French brands that perfectly embody the trend.

•L’Accent - Chestnuts from the French Cévennes and “dermo-maquilage”

As if transforming chestnuts into foundation wasn’t enough of a miracle, new indie brand L’Accent goes one step further and invents the French word “dermo-maquilage” to express the perfect mix between skincare and makeup. Founded by two cosmetics experts, L’Accent hand picks chestnuts and grind them into a super-fine, tinted, moisturizing powder, naturally enriched with antioxidants and polyphenols. The very first Beauty chestnut spread.

❤️: "from tree to skin" : a beautiful idea that celebrates the French notion of “terroir”, with a strong innovative process (chestnut powder).

🏠 L’Accent (📸insta : @laccentcosmetics)

Photo credits: Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation

•Les Simples de Charlotte (“Charlotte’s Simples”) - When Witchy French Apothecary meets Luxury

We love the quote “simplicity is complexity resolved” - and this beautiful brand might just perfectly embodies it. Master herbalist Charlotte chose the word “simple” for its philosophy, deeply rooted in nature and authenticity (“simples” were also the name to call medicinal herbs back in the Middle Ages). Everyday, this modern druid hand-picks herbs and transform them into “simple” potions (hydrolats, essential oils, macerated extracts slowly heated by the sun…) to create “minimalistic and organic” cosmetics.

❤️: The very notion of artisan skincare. We get back to an antique knowledge of French apothecary in a preserved Nature, and enjoy a land where time stand still.

🏠Les Simples de Charlotte (📸insta : @lessimplesdecharlotte)

•Môme care - (Finally) Kids friendly skincare

Môme (in French,“offspring”) first started off in the US, the very land of Clean Beauty, and is just starting to take off in France. The brand is 100% Made in France and 100% safe, with skincare specially targeted for the little ones. After a first refillable deodorant, Môme launched its first everything skincare product, “Crème Indispensable”, that comes in 3 different sizes : “S” (5 to 10 year old) to “L” (15 and +). And - of course - it’s all blue, white and red.

❤️: the cutest version of Clean Beauty à la Française, very 2019.

🏠Momecare (📸insta : @momecareinc)

Did you like this article ? The Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency created a trend-report dedicated to the Indie French Touch. Contact us for more information.

HOW EUPHORIA IS REVEALING THE NEXT STEPS IN MAKEUP…AND GEN Z’S CORE INSIGHTS

Leila Rochet October 21, 2019

Since its release in June, the HBO series is the biggest phenomenon in Beauty, cascading from Instagram to the Fashion Week. What key learnings do we draw from the teen fiction?

With over 30 000 mentions, the hashtag #euphoriamakeup is one of the hottest trend on the Gram in 2019. Though it’s not the first time makeup looks are inspired from a work of fiction, Euphoria is undeniably changing the game.

A 360° BEAUTY PHENOMENON

In only eight episodes, the HBO teen series has sparked a worldwide trend, inspiring millions of Gen Zers, and cascading on the Fashion Week in the blink of an eye. From Helmut Lang’s strokes of neon to Eckhaus Latta’s fantasy lids, we dare say designers were (unconsciously?) inspired by Euphoria.

Igor Saringer, a 22-year-old from Brazil, went one step further and created a special Euphoria Instagram filter, with 10 iconic looks from the show, such as the “white clouds”, the neon green or the yellow eye shadow with white eyeliner accent. Most of these looks are deeply rooted in current trends: unconventional and edgy lids, with bright neons or geometrical drawings, paired with glowy, “no makeup makeup” complexions.

The name behind this artwork: Doniella Davy, who also worked on Oscar-winning Moonlight, a beautiful movie depicting the journey of a young gay black little boy in Atlanta. Needless to say the makeup artist (@donni.davy) knows a thing or two about teenagers. And it might just be why Euphoria is touching the world of Beauty on so many levels.

The best Euphoria looks recreated by makeup artists and influencers (extract from our Instabook. Credits: @jazzmynejay @celine_bernaerts @olgadann)

EMOTIONS IN MOTION: WHAT MAKEUP REALLY MEANS TO GEN Z

Is reality inspiring Euphoria, or is it the other way around?

“Most of my inspiration came from what kids are doing right now” explains Doniella Davy. " These young people are pushing the boundaries and not living by mainstream archetypes or stereotype” Indeed, Euphoria tries to depict a generation, riding the wave of inclusivity by showing teens of all races and gender, including marginalized populations such as Rue, the main character who is also battling with depression and drug addiction.

Furthermore, it’s Doniella Davy’s special use of makeup that highlights the most important insight of Gen Z right now.

“I believe these Gen Z kids and artists are coming up with a new language of self-expression through makeup. It’s so brave and bold to me that I really fell in love with what I was seeing on Instagram (…) There's subliminal emotional messages always in all the makeup."

A phenomenon that we see all through Euphoria: Rue’s glitter tears to express the complexity of her temper, witty yet melancholic by “catching light in different angles using the reflective texture of glitter” so that the tears appear and disappear, or the multi-neon look of Jules to express her “optimistic and playful” side, but paired with a bare face to give it a “less-femme vibes”, expressing her innocence. Makeup here is thus used to signal emotions and paint character’s personalities and development throughout the series.

“It’s one of the most important trend that we have seen these past few months” explains Leïla Rochet, founder of the Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency. “For young generations, makeup has become a whole new language, a way to send messages, to let creativity flow, to feel fierce and proud, to celebrate body-positivity.”

An art of painting the surface…That may actually goes skin-deep. Who said Gen Z was shallow?

Did you like this article? The Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency created “Emotions in Motion”, an exclusive US trend-report centered around emotions, along with an “Insta-book”, a digest of the hottest trends on Instagram. Contact us for more information.

MEET THE MAKER: A COFFEE WITH SOOHYANG, THE HOTTEST K-ENTREPRENEUR OF 2019

Leila Rochet September 23, 2019

During our trend-hunting sessions in Seoul, we had the opportunity to meet with the amazing Soohyang Kim, founder of one of the most exciting K-fragrance brand, who is spreading its scented creations all over the world…

It’s hard to miss Soohyang Kim- if not impossible. Apart from being gorgeous, glamorous and sophisticated, the Korean entrepreneur is also highly best-friend material. With the power to draw inspiration from simple pleasures (fashion, iced coffee, vintage music or Netflix), she created Soohyang in 2015, an all-natural scented brand with a signature millennial pink. Because “life is better when you smell nice”. So simple – yet, so relatable. Fun fact: “Soohyang”, in Korean, means “excellent fragrance”. And the brand is excellent indeed: with stores all over the world (Germany, USA, UK, France, Taiwan, Ukraine…), 33 original fragrances and prestigious collaborations (Lululemon, CGV, Barneys New York…), Soohyang has been getting serious heat. Her secret? Being herself. And loving her fans. Meet an inspirational maker.

Leila (our founder) and Soohyang met a few years ago and know enjoy spending time together around a coffee in Seoul, Paris and New York.

Credits: courtesy of the brand

(Leila) : What would be your definition of luxury ?

(Soohyang) : For me, luxury means time. People think it’s all about money, but people want to buy time. And not only time for themselves, but time as a concept: they buy very nice things that never grow old, many years from now.

(L) : Could you tell us more about your brand Soohyang? How do you see it in the Korean landscape ?

(S) : My line is more than Asian, it’s a lot of my own character. It’s my personality: simple but stylish! Pure, graphic…It represents my everything: my mother, this country, the women…I just want to prove that Asian can be connected to the world. I was a music promoter before, I worked 8 years for a record company. I love music, all music, old and new, it’s something that makes me very happy. I never grow old if I can listen to music! And the company was so small, I did a lot of things, from 9 to 3 every day! I was working so hard. And then after 8 years, I realized music and perfume were connected. The composer and perfumer both use codes and notes, they create from there. And the result represents who you are: the taste, the smell…So I created my brand in 2013, seven years ago, from this feeling. At that moment in Korea, there wasn’t much indie fragrances, my approach was quite new at the time. People liked that, and the fact that the place was really small and hidden. Now, we are getting bigger, as we are in New York, Hong Kong, London, L.A. in a really cute yellow location, or Paris in a green one.

(L) : What are the future steps for your brand?

(S) : When I started in Korea, it was very new, so I have a responsibility for the future followers to keep doing good things, and doing things my own way. That’s why it needs to be a slow progression. All I want is to make customers happy, make them proud of me, proud of our products…I think I finally found my way with this brand!

(L): Your brand was selected to be featured in the KBeauty Event at the Carousel at Bloomingdales. You attended few VIP events in New York last week. How did it go?

Yes it is exciting to be in New York and to discuss with people in the city. This is an important step in the brand’s international development. We had the privilege to get an outstanding press and welcome here in the USA: articles in Vogue, Forbes, etc. The perspectives for us are huge and I have tons of ideas to move the brand to the next level.

Did you like this article? The Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency publishes a Korean trend-report twice a year. Contact the agency for more information.

TREND ALERT! TORTOISE SHELL MAKEUP IS IN

Leila Rochet August 29, 2019

By makeup artist @artistrywithsarika, via Instagram

The nail art sensation is now cascading on makeup, taking Instagram by storm.

Have you heard of tortoise shell makeup? The blooming trend just made an entrance on Instagram (#tortoisemakeup) and is here to stay, according to Allure magazine .

It all started with nails last year , in a voluminous gel version, after Rodarte created the trend on the catwalk in September 2013.

Nails by Betina Goldstein, via Instagram

SOPHISTICATION, INCLUSIVITY AND EIGHTIES VIBE

This new look is actually everything but new. Fashion yet edgy, it is directly inspired by 70’s and 80’ nostalgia, when tortoise shell eyewear was hot (remember the iconic frames by Diane Von Furstenberg). Just this summer, plastic or resin-based tortoise effects were hard to miss in jewelry, and “tortoise shell earrings” have exploded in popularity on Pinterest, with searches up over 679 % reports Instyle.

Needless to say the burgeoning trend enters the “makeup art” category, and is embraced by both makeup artists and aficionados. It requires, if not technique, a great sense of patience. First, a layer of white, then yellow, then a warm-caramel topped with strokes of black, before lightly blending it out. This kind of subtle work highlights the wave of sophistication that has been infusing makeup since 2018, especially on eyes.

INSTA INSTANT

It’s not the first time a time-consuming eye makeup takes social media by storm: last year, Cloud Eye Makeup created cloud-like shapes along the creases on thousands of accounts.

So, what is all the fuss about? The key point is tortoise shell reflects how big Instagram’s influence is on the Beauty market, and how inspired is this new generation of consumers, always seeking freedom of expression through makeup…

By makeup artist Marija Mišković, via Instagram.

Every month, the Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency publishes an Insta Book, a digest of the hottest trends on Instagram. Contact the agency for more information.

THE RISE OF THE INDIE FRENCH TOUCH - 3 GREEN SPOTS IN PARIS

Leila Rochet August 23, 2019

Photo: Peter Bucks in Paris via Unsplash

Did you forget about French Touch? After a few explosive years driven by American indie brands, French Indies are on the rise…

A wave of optimism is arriving in Paris, with new indie beauty brands created by founders that propose creative and disruptive stories. More specifically, new French brands are opening the chapter of green beauty, with a contemporary French signature i.e. infused with sophistication, high refinement and sensoriality.

Here is a selection of new addresses in Paris we are happy to share. Crafted by young entrepreneurs who believe that the future is in experiential retail, the power of shareable spaces and green alternatives, these boutiques are truly innovative. These brands or retailers are also raising the bar in sustainability innovation, most of them proposing refillable products as a natural continuity of their concept. In France, more and more consumers favor more sustainable practices. In fact, 47% consumers have already bought products in bulk in 2017 (vs 38% en 1998 according to Credoc - one of the highest figures in Europe!). No wonder these new places expand the idea to beauty and personal care.

Have a look at the three "must visit" hot green spots in Paris.

Amalthea - Photo Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation

Amalthea - The Lab-Boutique

This young, organic, sustainable and 100% made in France organic skincare brand just opened a lab-boutique in the Marais. Simple formulation and a line organized by moments.

❤️: we love the design-minded, peaceful space, sustainable & refillable packs.

🏠 Amalthea (📸insta: @amalthea.bio)

39 Rue des Gravilliers, 75003 Paris

Kerzon - Photo Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation

Kerzon - “Madeleine de Proust”

Founded by two brothers, Kerzon is a home fragrance and personal care brand that draws inspiration in travels and childhood. The store is “a paradise for flaneurs from the world” as expressed by the brand.

❤️ : Parisian graphic design (chic and fun), refreshing fragrances and ethical values (local, fair price, transparency).

🏠 Kerzon (📸insta: @kerzon_maison)

68, rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris

The Naked Shop - photo: Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation

The Naked Shop - Zero Waste / 100% Style

The Naked Shop is one of the first zero-waste Beauty store in Paris, made with style and energy. Oils and cosmetics can be refilled directly with the beautiful taps.

❤️ : special mention to the "self-service" system to freely refill products.

🏠 The Naked Shop ( 📸insta: @the.naked.shop)

75, rue Oberkampf 75011 Paris

Thank you 🙏🏻 to the owners of these new spaces for sharing their stories and allowing us to take pics.

Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation will be issuing a French Touch Trend Report. For more information or to book a Paris Beauty Tour - Contact us !

MEET THE MAKER : FOUNDER OF DAMDAM GISELLE AND PHILIPPE ON JAPANESE CLEAN BEAUTY

Leila Rochet July 25, 2019

Capture d’écran 2019-07-19 à 18.00.10.png

Japan is harnessing the Clean Beauty trend. During our last visit in Tokyo, we had the pleasure to meet with Giselle Go and Philippe Terrien, the refined aesthetes and bold entrepreneurs behind the brand DamDam. Meet the power couple.

What is Japan’s take on Clean Beauty? While the country is known for its cutting-edge ingredients and beautiful formulas, the toxic-free skincare trend is still at its early stage, unlike western markets. The reason? “Natural” beauty is seen as ineffective while Japanese consumers raise the bar quite high when it comes to performance. However, tides are changing. Consumers’s new quest for transparency is helping brands harness the clean trend. And with its thousand-year old natural medicine paired with precious, potent resources, the land of the rising sun already has the best assets. Launched in 2017 by former magazine editor Giselle Go and entrepreneur Philippe Terrien, Dam Dam perfectly embodies the Japanese take on Clean Beauty. With a tightly edited line of five products, all free of parabens, synthetics and petrochemicals, the brand simplified the J-beauty routine with extremely potent ingredients. An aesthetic sense of minimalism paired with a thoughtful attention to craftsmanship and a reverential culture, creating a unique signature - “Dam dam”, a poetic name that also means “conscious awareness” in Filipino. During one of our trip to Japan, we had the opportunity to meet Giselle and Philippe, and dive with us in the slower-paced world of their brand.

Leïla: How did you come up with the idea for Dam Dam?

Giselle & Philippe: “Philippe has a long history in luxury food. Before Dam Dam, he had a restaurant, Hugo Desnoyer, with meat that assured perfect traceability, with cows raised sustainably and consciously. Philippe also makes his own toothpaste and deodorant. We wanted a project where we could apply a lot of these values, and skincare was an area where we wanted to start with. Japan has a lot of know-how and hundred years of experience in formulating. It's just about creating something in a cleaner way. We have been applying questionable ingredients on our skin for years now, which get absorbed in the blood. And we wanted to change that.”

Photo credits: courtesy of the brand

L: What is “Clean beauty” by Dam Dam?

Philippe & Giselle: “We created a simple routine, compared to Asia where people go towards 12 steps or so. We came up with a simple line of 5 products- cleanser, lotion, mask, serum, balm - all efficient and plant based. We cut nasty ingredients: no sulfates, no fillers, no petrochemicals. For example, our cleanser is non-lathering, made from konjac, it washes off without foam because it contains no harsh bubble agents. None of the fragrances are synthetic. In Asia, the importance of layering hydration is key. So it was important to make sure that each product had a purpose. The formulas are very hydrating, but more importantly they don’t strip away skin’s natural moisture. It’s about preserving and respecting skin. Also, packaging is so important. There is not a lot of awareness towards plastic waste in Japan. So we made our packaging simple - we didn’t want to contribute to the land-field.”

Photo credits: courtesy of the brand

L: What makes this brand so unique?

Philippe & Giselle: “This is a no fuss collection, perfect for city dwellers, with formulas that have been developed to reduce environmental stresses on the skin, thanks to pollution-fighting ingredients sourced in Asia and finished in Japan. Highlights include the Magic Drops, a lightweight, silky serum that is charged with avocado oil, jasmine and bitter orange leaf oil, to form a protective barrier on the skin.”

Dive into the world of Dam Dam.

Did you like this article? The Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency created a book dedicated to Clean Beauty. Contact us for more information.

Sourcing With Respect for People and Biodiversity - Consumer Insights & Company practices

Leila Rochet June 11, 2019

Photo Credit - Unsplash - Nordwood Themes

On May 20, 2019 the UEBT held a conference in Paris that gathered more than 300 people from the industry, Ngo’s and brands. The “Beauty of Sourcing with Respect” is an amazing event held every year to learn more about the advances made in terms of consumer knowledge, industry practices and regulations concerning the ethical sourcing of natural ingredients (and the impact on biodiversity and people).

Since its creation in 2009 this organization has been growing in importance and has become a reference in the field of Biodiversity sourcing and Access and Benefit sharing. During the conference, small and major companies were together to share experience and discuss the new axis around the topic of sourcing.

Why is Biodiversity an important topic in the Beauty Industry?

Today, the beauty industry is increasingly using natural ingredients, from organic companies to traditional companies, the sourcing of natural ingredients means collecting ingredients from biodiversity. These ingredients are usually collected in countries where biodiversity is rich but communities living from this biodiversity are not, but the knowledge of these collectivities, transmitted from generation to generation, is huge.

We see more and more Cosmetic Companies participating in the event, and this is encouraging for the future of our industry.

What are consumers thinking? What did we learn this year

Since 2009, the UEBT has been running a Biodiversity Barometer every year, measuring the consumers’ awareness and insights on the subject. One part of the barometer is a quantitative survey among thousands of consumers around the world. In 2019, the survey was run in Japan, China, Vietnam and South Korea. The other part of the research involves street interviews, allowing to collect valuable insights.

This year’s results show that the awareness of Biodiversity is quite high, as a growing 83% of Asian consumers interviewed know what is Biodiversity (compared to the 72% in Western Countries average of France, USA, UK, Germany, and Brazil). This year survey confirmed the consumer preference for products coming from companies respecting people and biodiversity. Why? Because this has a positive impact of society (81% in Asia) and it makes the feel good (78%).

UEBT- Biodiversity Barometer - Results among total base (1000 people per country), Asia results in 2019, 78% refers to the Asian results. France, Germany, UK and USA - results from 2018 survey.

This research confirms that consumers are more and more demanding and are increasingly looking for more transparency. Trust among companies is low and they want to be better informed on the list of ingredients, the sourcing and the ethical practices that companies and brands conduct when sourcing an ingredient.

Download the results of the UEBT 2019 Barometer here.

Sourcing Natural Ingredients - Ethics and Respecting Local Communities

Sourcing ethically means respecting the planet, making sure we stop the exhaustion of plant species, but also making sure the social aspect is respected.

Biodiversity is a major source of ingredients for cosmetics. For L’Oreal, one of the sponsor of the event and speaker, more than 59% of the raw materials used for cosmetics are renewable, representing 1,600 ingredients from 340 plant species sourced in over 100 countries.

According to Nisrine Zaaraoui, Responsible Sourcing Manager at l’Oréal: “biodiversity is decreasing, this is an environmental issue but also social issue”. Traceability is key, including the origin, method of cultivation, etc. but this is only the first step of a 4 step program from the the L’Oréal Solidarity Sourcing. This project initiated in 2010 has initiated more than 40 projects, helping more than 47 000 people from communities in 13 countries.

ABS - Access and Benefit sharing - What it is and why is this key?

When sourcing an ingredient from biodiversity, there are certain rules to follow concerning the access to the ingredients and the sharing of the benefits with local communities that hold most of the knowledge and live from this natural richness.

‘Cosmetics companies are very involved as these companies are exposed, with strong story telling, and need to comply with the rules of Access and Benefit Sharing’ says Maria Julia Oliva, Deputy Director of the UEBT.

This year, one of the key subject discussed and sharing of practices were around ABS. Following the adoption of the Nagoya Protocol and related EU rules, ABS is an issue receiving increasing attention in corporate reporting, especially in the beauty sector. In 2019, 17% of beauty companies made reference to ABS (up from 2% in 2009).

If you want to learn more, this video is a great summary of what ABS is all about and why this is an important subject for the Beauty Industry.

Our agency is proud to be a long time partner of the UEBT for more than 10 years and has worked on tracing the amazing evolution of the respect of people and biodiversity in consumers and company minds.

The UEBT offers amazing material for the public and companies who wish to learn more about this important topic. Don’t hesitate to visit their website: www.uebt.org

How South Korea is challenging male beauty norms

Leila Rochet May 6, 2019

It’s raining men’s products in Korea, as the country keeps its rank of the #1 male skincare market in the world, with a +80% increase since 2010. K-men are ambitious, sophisticated connoisseurs of Beauty, moving to high end skincare and surgery to look just as beautiful as women.

DRIVERS DEFYING SOCIAL NORMS

Inspired by K-pop and social medias, men in South Korea are reportedly spending more on skincare per person than men anywhere else in the world - defying heteronormative expectations in a society rather socially conservative. Millennial males drive Beauty sales, and South Korea accounts for about one-fifth of the global market for male cosmetics. According to Euromonitor, the market for men’s skincare increased in South Korea by 80% between 2010 and 2016, and men spend $26.90 per person per year on skincare products. In the Hyundai Department Store’s, male cosmetics purchases (per capita) rose from 68,000 won in 2015 to 85,000 won last year (source: DongA.com).

The Beauty influencer Joon-Peanut / courtesy of Joon-Peanut

Online, vloggers such as Kim Seoung-Hwan (@whanonline - 125K YouTube followers), Joon-Peanut (294K YouTube followers), LeoJ - @ LeoJ Makeup (250K YouTube followers), and- K-pop stars cover makeup and have become very first Korean beauty YouTubers to try genderless makeups.

”75% of South Korean males claim to do a beauty/grooming treatment at home once a week or more, compared with just 38% in France.” - explains Lia Neophytou (Consumer Analyst at GlobalData) adds that in a Forbes article.

FROM PROMOTING WOMEN TO SELLING TO MEN

Until now, men were used as models (especially K-Pop models) to promote women’s line. Now things are shifting as brands are launching male-targeted products specifically addressed to millennial men or genderfluid individuals.

”While in Japan, brands play on a certain neutrality, now there is a competition going on which is to be as beautiful as women. So men are moving to surgery. Men want to be beautiful to achieve good positions and to be as beautiful as the k-drama stars”, explained Florence Bernardin at the MakeUp in New York event. Famous brand, Tonymoly, even launched the Camo Cream, a 4 color camouflage compact marketed to military servicemen in South Korea.

The Camo Cream by Tonymoly / courtesy of the brand

PRETTY BOY

The new man openly grooms himself and doesn’t hesitate to share on social media. In skincare, Su:m 37 added a new line, Dear Homme, targeting a higher end consumer. The group LG, who also owns Belif, relaunched its men’s line, Manology, and reduced the number of all in one products from five to two to meet more sophisticated demands of consumers. Missha launched an all-in-one Essence Skin Care, which consists of four types of ampoules, water, cream, and toning to help men manage their skin according to their specific skin troubles.

Credits : courtesy of the brand

In makeup, LAKA became the first Gender Neutral Makeup line in Korea, that released 12 shades of sheer lipstick lines with videos to ease application. The colors are for both men and women, emphasizing that one can create their own image.

Launched last summer in Korea, Boy de Chanel, represents the first international premium line to target male cosmetics. The line includes a matte moisturizing lip balm, a tinted fluid, and an eyebrow pencil, all in four different shades. Driven by Korea, men in China have also increased their beauty consumption. According to the China Industrial Information Network, 60% of Chinese urban men use cosmetics every day. The proportion of men buying cosmetics increased by 36% from the previous year and the ratio of men and women increased from 6 to 4 (Source CosKorea.com).

Twice a year, the Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency edits its What’s Up Seoul, a condensed trend report dedicated to the hottest trend in K-Beauty. For more information, contact us.

IS STRIPPED PACKAGING THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE BEAUTY?

Leila Rochet April 25, 2019

Plastics have become our Planet’s n°1 enemy. Yet, when it comes to pack, inspiring initiatives coming from brands are shaking things up…And giving us hope.

Inside-out zero waste was one of our top trends for 2019: “zero pack” or “smart packaging” initiatives are rolling out at a rapid rate. Accounting for over 40% of total plastic usage, but with only 14% of it being recycled, packaging has become a burning issue, especially for the Beauty market. According to the Zero Waste association, more than 120 billion units of packaging are produced every year by the global cosmetics industry, much of which un-recyclable (a regular plastic container takes about 1,000 years to decompose.)

THE PACK CHALLENGE: A NEW SENSE OF PURPOSE

Facing these catastrophic numbers, will packaging soon become extinct?

Probably not, according to Beauty experts. On last January, “How to keep packaging relevant with consumers of all generations” was one of the key conference during the French PCD event dedicated to packs.

“Packaging is not dead! It is just a question of meaning” explained Maud Cariddi, Chief Marketing Officer at Merci Handy. Packaging needs to make sense again. Whether it’s by being smarter in its form with stripped down material, thanks to eco-redesigning, or in its purpose by displaying only essential informations and taking less space.

For Merci Handy, this resulted in the creation of eco-friendly packs (100% recyclable, with 30% recycled material for hand gels), as well as smarter packaging, like the collab Merci Handy x Duralex that created scented candles in re-usable Duralex glasses.

“This new packaging paradigm started in the food segment, and is now naturally cascading on Beauty, as most trends are. We are currently observing two new ways of addressing packs” says Leïla Rochet, founder of the Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency. “One that we call beautiful waste, which is essentially eco-friendly packs, where packaging are made from sustainable forests for example, or when the pack already comes from recycled material. And a second one, harder to achieve in cosmetics, that we call naked, which is a 100% plastic-free or even pack-free product.”

ECO-CONCEPTION: “BEAUTIFUL WASTE”

Fortunately in 2019, a various range of products are now offering eco-friendly options. Legacy brand Guerlain entirely re-designed the Orchidée Impériale Moisturizer, now 60% lighter, and is currently working on La Petite Robe Noire’s bottle for 2020. Eminence Organics’ skincare uses boxes made from post-consumer recycled material, which can be later recycled. The organic skincare brand Meow Meow Tweet aims for Zero Waste with recyclable and biodegradable packaging (each product is either hand wrapped in PCW paper or housed in glass containers). The men skincare brand Bulldog Skincare has replaced its usual plastics with packaging derived from sugarcane, significantly reducing its environmental impact and carbon dioxide emissions. Even the giant Garnier launched a new version of the Garnier Fructis Pure Clean shampoo and conditioner in a bottle containing 50% recycled plastic.

ZERO WASTE: THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE?

The 100% pack-free initiative is a different kettle of fish. If solid cosmetics have been around for decades, making them high-end, sensorial and hygienic is a new challenge. It also implies new rituals and gestures, among which installing refillable habits, and therefore, whole new processes for brands. “ Our planet deserves clean, too,” decorates the refillable stations at Follain in New York, a nice demonstration on how zero waste can also be super hype.

Source: Cosmeticseeds - Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation blog at Follain NYC

Of course, Lush is (and has been) the uncontested leader in this area. After its pack-free foundations and highlighters last summer, the brand released the Naked line, a collection of 10 new vegan, self-preserving, zero waste skincare products, with solid face oils, under-eye masks and face cleansers. The brand also just announced the opening of a third “naked store” in Manchester, following the packaging-free shops in Berlin and Milan.

Will the future be naked? One thing is sure: Beauty brands are trying to reconcile luxury and sustainability, and they aren’t done being creative.

Zero waste and the new challenges for packs are part of the latest trend report Inspiration From the US - Skincare Edition, created by the Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency. For more informations, feel free to contact the team.

Meet the maker: Valérie Grandury, the vibrant soul behind Odacité Skincare

Leila Rochet March 15, 2019

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Blending California’s signature eco-chic cool with a healthy dose of French savoir-faire, Odacité serves up a more luxurious natural skincare experience. Odacité, is a brand that had the audacity to be one of the pioneer of Clean Beauty. And with one foot firmly planted in France, the home of beauty, and the other in California’s revolutionary wellness scene, it’s no wonder that this unique brand has become one of the most successful clean beauty brand in the US and abroad.

Launched by Valérie Grandury, inspiration for Odacité’s natural, potent and toxic-free promise came off the back of her own life journey. A journey that took her from being diagnosed with breast cancer to becoming a wellness coach and ultimately a skincare innovator championing new product safety standards.

Since then, Odacité has won acclaim for its 18-strong range of Pure Elements serums, a line of concentrated oils individually designed with biological active ingredients to target a spectrum of complexion dilemmas. With a handy size that has won them legions of fans, their blends continue to garner praise among beauty mavens. Look no further than their luscious carrot oil formula for glowing proof.

But beyond its ever-popular oil concentrates, Odacité has also forged a pioneering attitude towards crystals. Boasting a line-up of must-have crystal Gua Sha facial tools, touted to promote skin contour and glow, the brand continues to prove it can marry tradition with innovation.

An early fan of the brand, Leila Rochet sat down with Valérie to discuss the Franco-Californian magic at the heart of Odacité, how wellness vibes have infiltrated the beauty world and the unique beauty expertise her brand has to offer.

L: California feels like ground zero for indie brands like Odacité. How has the Californian narrative been key to Odacité’s development?

V: France boasts a tremendously high level of beauty expertise and artisanal know-how. Not to mention an art for cultivating beauty that is envied across the world. But with this love of tradition also comes a fear of change. When I began discussing my plan to create a potent natural skincare range combining California’s green-living ethos with the French art of skincare, the feedback I got from either side of the Atlantic was very telling. Many of the French voices I heard chimed in with all the reasons my plan would fail, while in California all I heard was why my idea was awesome.

It’s this positive outlook that really drives California. The Californian vibe, its enthusiastic attitude, its green perspective and its “think different” mindset gives me wings. It has become an essential part of my creative energy and the entire reason I decided to move away from my home country. Of course, I’ve always kept challenges, dangers and obstacles in mind, but I’m motivated by California’s enthusiastic outlook. It’s where I feel safe to create, where I am inspired to rethink conventional practices and where I am empowered to disrupt the status quo. There’s just a different level of enthusiasm here. Here in California we believe in change whereas in France we often don’t. That being said, Odacité just wouldn’t exist without the extraordinary inspiration and know-how France provides me. It’s just as fundamental to Odacité as my Californian influences. Odacité’s heart beats to a Californian-French rhythm.

“Odacité’s heart beats to a Californian-French rhythm.”

L: In recent years Odacité has been singled out as one of the best-known clean beauty brands in the industry, which product do you think has been key to your France-meets-Los-Angeles success story?

V: The 2013 launch of our Serum Concentrates was really important for us, mainly because it piqued a lot of interest from the press and exclusive retailers. We launched in Nordstrom in the US and in Colette in Paris with these 18 issue-focused serums. Made from a concentrated lipidic formula, they’re designed to address the complex biology of different skin types and the many daily factors that affect them. Just by adding one to two drops they give a boost to any regular AM or PM beauty routine.

I think our success comes from this, the fact that our innovative oil-based formula is customized and can be added to any existing routine. Plus, we target specific issues for effective results. Today, many women want to use natural ingredients, but aren’t necessarily ready to go all-in on a fully natural routine. So, for them our Serum Concentrates offer a great alternative.

L: As you go international what are the main challenges your brand faces? Is being independent a strength?

V: Having an indie status is a strength, but maintaining it is a constant challenge. Some days it’s wonderful and some days, not so much. Even more so for a brand like ours which has been growing exponentially and has had large financial costs to reconcile. For example, in 2018 we grew by 75%. When it comes to logistics that meant that we had to double the size of our workspace, double our lab space, double the capacity of our shipping warehouse and hire 15 people. In short, a lot of work.

“On the other hand, we have managed to adapt to this growth in a really organic way, only launching products we really wanted to and not rushing into offering discounts. And all with the luxury of also being able to pick our retailers and select amazing product ingredients that didn’t sacrifice our integrity, quality or vision.”

On the other hand, we have managed to adapt to this growth in a really organic way, only launching products we really wanted to and not rushing into offering discounts. And all with the luxury of also being able to pick our retailers and select amazing product ingredients that didn’t sacrifice our integrity, quality or vision. If I had had an investor telling me I needed to hit 75% growth I would have been stressed out and much less focused on my job of creating the best possible product I could without compromise.

For now, I’m enjoying our independent status and I’m safe-guarding it knowing full well that the time will come that we will eventually need a partner. Just one who understands how to protect our uniqueness and what differentiates us.

To dive into Odacité’s world of beauty, visit www.odacite.com

Want more of the scoop on the clean beauty scene? Take a look at Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation’s special dossier on clean beauty within its latest USA makeup inspiration report and contact the agency for more information.

Meet the maker: Alexis Robillard, the Jungle King behind brand ALL TIGERS

Leila Rochet March 12, 2019

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Meet Alexis Robillard, the Jungle King behind ALL TIGERS, the new ferociously French (and vegan!) brand that has taken Instagram by storm and federated a women-powered community. A beautiful match between transparency, ethics and sensoriality, as Clean Beauty is on the rise…

What’s not to love about ALL TIGERS? It’s vegan, it’s natural, it’s glamorous…and it’s French. A Paris-powered indie brand, that says a lot on how French creativity is doing these days in the Beauty world. Moreover, it’s ALL TIGERS’ digital strategic model that caught the attention. The Insta-brand has mainly focused on its community, making women part of the brand-making process. « It’s what we call a DNVB Brand », explains Leïla Rochet, founder of the Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency, “or digitally native vertical brand. A new business model suppressing traditional intermediaries at the begining and end of the value chain. How it works: the brand includes clients right at the beginning of product development, immediately listens to their insights as they go, federates them through social media, and controls its own distribution. As a result, success came fast, and growth was exponential. Let’s here about Alexis’s insights.

S : What’s the idea behind All Tigers ?

A : While searching for a lipstick for my teenage girl, I was chocked to see how limited the choices were. A woman wanting to concile a clean and ethic formulation with a beautiful yet effective product, the options were quite small. I realized that makeup had been completly forgotten by green cosmetic. The idea became an obsession, and I started it.

Shortly after, I called out women on Instagram to ask them to co-create the perfect lipstick with me. 300 women subscribed from the first day, and, as the community became much more larger, we started to talk everyday about each step of the creation of All Tigers’ lipsticks.

« The All Tigers woman is a queen of the modern jungle :a value-driven woman, strong, determinated, engaged, in a complex word, sometimes hostile. She’s like a tiger ; powerful but threatened »

S: From vegan to organic initiatives, the Beauty Industry is repositioning itself, especially the Clean Beauty segment. How is ALL TIGERS following that trend?

A : It’s all about the formula. We switch every ingredient with one that is aligned with our convictions. For instance, I refuse to use carmine pigments from cochineal, so we can’t technically make a lipstick that would be both organic and vegan-friendly. It is the reason why we do not have those labels. But the organic norms and standards inspire us for the formulations, the packaging, and we strive to deliver the best product possible. Efficiency is also a key: our lipsticks are meant to be very long-wearing, which means they do not dry out lips. We obtained that thanks to a precise dosage of plant oils in the formula, which was a very technical yet fascinating process to invent.

Soutenez ALL TIGERS : PRE-COMMANDES SUR https://www.tudigo.co/don/all-tigers jusqu'au 2 décembre !!! Rencontre avec le fondateur de ALL TIGERS, marque de maquillage nouvelle génération qui imagine avec ses utilisatrices des rouges à lèvres "parfait", naturels, vegan et stylés. Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/alltigers_organics Site web : https://www.all-tigers.com Pourquoi le rouge à lèvres parfait est-il parfait ?

S : Where do you think your love for Clean Beauty comes from?

A : I am very sensitive to everything that is consumers’ care, natural products, ethics etc. I was often frustrated to not be able to do anything about this during my past professional life. I remember being a young product manager, asking questions about parabens as the controversy was just starting, at a meeting in front of senior managers, and being laughed at: it was not a good moment for me! (laughs)

10 years ago, I remember succeeded in launching an organic range in a brand that was not. A huge amount of work where I really got to understand how challenging working with clean ingredients was. We did not succeed, but I learned a lot from this : the clean argument was not enough. Consumers expected more in terms of efficiency and dream-selling ideas. I tried to drive these convictions to several projects, but it often ended in global strategies and did not take. It’s really only by starting from scratch that you can fully take into account environmental and social factors. For example, ALL TIGERS is a proud member of 1% FOR THE PLANET by giving 1% of its sales to the association fighting for the protection of tigers in Asia. This is a very large project, englobing large ecosystems, which is why it would have been hard to implement it in a big group.

S : Indeed, new generations are now fully aware of how « greenwashing » is affecting marketing. They can just scan a product on their smartphones to check the composition. Would you dare say Clean Beauty is the future of the Beauty sector ?

A : A growing number of educated consumers are rejecting specific ingredients and striving for more transparency : formulations are of course going to have to evolve. Even if Beauty players are harder to convince because this forces them to question their whole system of production and rethink their brands, they will eventually become actors of this change too. I’m convinced this a new norm that we are facing.

S : Women’s representation is key for brands in 2019. Who is the Tiger woman according to you ?

A : She is a queen of the modern jungle : a value-driven woman, strong, determinated, in a complex world that can sometimes be hostile. Just like a tiger: powerful but threatened. The Tiger woman is couscious about what’s imposed to her, she wants the best for herself, for her beauty and her health. She wants to feel and be in charge, speak her mind about products, take part of a community where she will be listened to. I’ve noticed that she has no specific age or social class, she’s really all about the confidence and attitude.

S : Indeed, beyond ethical makeup, women thrive to be empowered by their products. What would you like to bring them through All Tigers ?

A : Makeup is often wrongly assimilated as something superficial. I like to say that ads let us believe for a long time that lipstick was only for smiling or seducing. With All Tigers, I would like to raise women’s voices to give them to space to be heard. For example, on our blog all-tigers.com we interview inspiring women, which is not that common in makeup.

“Makeup is often wrongly assimilated as something superficial. I like to say that ads let us believe for a long time that lipstick was only for smiling or seducing. With All Tigers, I would like to raise women’s voices to give them to space to be heard.”

S : A man creating lipsticks for women…A little unusual, don’t you think?

A : I’ve asked myself that very question since the beginning: this lipstick of a new generation, more respectful for women, needs to exist, but is it really my fight? But if we stop at this, nobody is going to do it! Now we’re two years after, and I noticed nobody else is carrying a project as like that. However, I am not a product user, which makes my point of view completely neutral! Well, I do still have my believes of course. But every client is better educated than myself in wearing lipsticks, which always puts me in a position where I need to listen.

S : Would you say ALL TIGERS has a French Touch?

This brand is a melting pot : an English name, an Asian totem animal, an Italian expert laboratory…But the creative touch and the quest for excellence, which guided every step of the making process, are definitely french. It’s a radical brand, without compromises, and that is very Frenchie indeed!

A : Do you have a favourite product or shade ?

I love working with colors. Selecting our 12 first shades came from a long talk with our Instagram community to fit every style and skin tone. I personally love the metallic turquoise, the turquoise métal 989. It’s so radical, it’s a 2 in 1, it can be worn on its own or as a top coat. Even if it is not a best-seller, it’s the shade that best suits our message : even green cosmetics can create unexpected effects, fashion statement, bold styles.

S: What’s next for All Tigers ?

A : ALL TIGERS has still a lot to say! We’re not done roarrring. We are developping a range of nailpolish that fits our values, with a French partner : Tigers will now be able to take their claws out with style !

Want to know more about ALL TIGERS ? Become a part of the jungle queen tribe.

You liked this article ? The agency Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation, expert in the Beauty industry, has devoted an entire file to Clean Beauty in its last USA makeup Inspiration. Contact the agency to get more info.

RAISING THE BAR OF CLEAN BEAUTY

Leila Rochet February 19, 2019

Much like clean eating, clean beauty has recently taken the industry by storm. Yet, as the wellness movement continues to influence industry, more and more clean beauty products are being dropped into a market where there are no recognized clean-certified labels.

Initially driven by safety concerns, the clean beauty movement originally focused on what was NOT in a product, rather than what was. Today, as consumers want more, clean beauty is taking a new turn. From niche to mainstream, new clean products are not just “safe”; they are becoming increasingly sensorial and luxurious.

WHEN FEAR TURNS TO LOVE

Like many beauty trends, it all started with food. The #cleaneating hashtag has garnered over 42 million mentions on Instagram, to the point where it has its very own eating disorder, orthorexia.

Like many wellness trends (from organic to cruelty-free and green), a blend of fear and love has driven this new clean beauty movement, as much like food, cosmetics are meant to be both indulgent, but safe for consumers. Worn close to the body and against the skin, beauty products have always symbolized a soulful sense of love, self-care and intimacy.

In contrast, fear has been fueled by the opaque nature of beauty industry messaging, especially when it comes to ingredients, how products are made and the fear consumers have that they are simply being marketed to. . Knowing what’s in their product and learning how to read a label has become a top priority for consumers who are now buying with a digital driven mindset. According to a survey by Label Insight, 46% of consumers admit to using a smartphone to research product information in-store, with as many as 56% of Millennials admitting to doing so. With the arrival of Gen Z in the marketplace, future waves of consumers are more likely to be receptive to a clean approach to Beauty.

They are also less likely to respond to greenwashing, thanks to self-empowering digital tools and a new access to information. Especially given the rise in availability of label deciphering apps for smartphones such as Clean Beauty, Yuka, 화해(Hwahae), Inci Beauty, Pharmapocket, CosmEthics, Healthy Living or Beat the Microbead, all designed to break down what products actually contain.

So, according to the apps what are the clean rules?

Here is the thing: “clean” is more about what isn’t in the product rather than what is. Think: a policy of including “no nasties”, or in other words, beauty enemies including chemicals and artificial ingredients. Just like new French Beauty brand Seasonly puts it in its motto “the skin you want, minus the ingredients you might not.”

THE BEAUTY BRANDS DEFINING CLEAN BEAUTY

While some ingredients are banned for use in beauty products (more so in Europe than in the US), the legal definition of clean is still very much up for debate. All the same, clean usually means that a product is made in a safe lab using non-toxic ingredients, is made mindfully, free from synthetic materials and has been enriched with specially sourced ingredients. This is where indie brands thrive, as by virtue of having a small staff who can produce small batches, they are more likely to be perceived as clean beauty labels.

For clean brands, giving their own precise definition of what they consider to be “Clean Beauty” is key in their manifesto. Goop, one of the leaders in the clean movement writes:

“At Goop, we are creating a new standard of beauty. Clean, for us, is quite intense: It means a non-toxic product that is made without a long, ever-evolving list of ingredients linked to harmful health effects from hormone disruption, to cancer, to plain-old skin irritation. To name just a few: parabens, phthalates, PEGs, ethanolamines, chemical sunscreens, synthetic fragrance, BHT, BHA. “

Tata Harper, one of the founding mother of the trend back in 2010, takes non-toxicity and traçeability to heart. “Every single product we make is a Complex Formula. We pack the most ingredients at the highest levels of concentration to deliver maximum results—without a single drop of artificial chemicals.” As such, the brand declares all of its products to be free from GMO, toxins, fillers, artificial colors, artificial fragrances and synthetic chemicals. Today, the Tata Harper brand is recognized as one of the most successful premium clean brands, boasting sales approaching $68 million dollars (source: WWD).

FROM CLEAN RETAILERS TO MAINSTREAM RETAILERS’ SHIFT TO CLEAN

In the US, The Detox Market is a pioneer within the clean movement and a major actor in all things green beauty. Its focus has always been discovering and incubating new brands, and in showcasing brand founders’ stories that reflect a passion for non-toxic beauty choices. The retailer took a “safety pledge” promising to only sell products that are free from the banned ingredients featured on a comprehensive, continuously updated list that includes most parabens, synthetic fragrances, PEGS and petrochemicals -- among others.

Credo, the other big player in the Clean Beauty game, first started in 2015 in San Francisco and now boasts more than 8 shops and shops/spa across the US. The retailer displays a “dirty list” of toxic ingredients on its website, including aluminium powder, EDTA, petrolatum, paraffin, phthalates, colorants, glycols, lanolin, keratin etc.

Another shining example, the new kid on the Manhattan block, is Follain, a company which cultivates deep relationships with women, offers customers package-free options (such as refillable soaps) and a slew of clean alternatives via niche brands including French Girl, Osea, Rahua, Pai and Tata Harper. The retailer even goes as far as to claim that “less than 20% of cosmetics ingredients have been tested for safety”, with an impressive list of restricted ingredients.

Mainstream retailers in the US have also joined the clean beauty movement via initiatives such as the “Clean at Sephora” label. With this label, the retail giant promises to curate “clean stuff only”, under the motto “the beauty you want, minus the ingredients you might not.” This applies to products free from sulfates, SLS and SLES, parabens, formaldehyde, mineral oils, retinyl palmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, and triclocarban. They also pledge that products will contain less than one percent synthetic fragrance.

While Clean beauty is becoming mainstream in the USA, Europe and Asia trends are more towards “natural beauty” and “green beauty”.

In France, le Printemps Department store just opened a « Green Market », a beauty corner dedicated to natural and sustainable beauty. In Japan, Cosme-Kitchen has become the "Natural & Organic” retailer with several point of sales featuring Japanese and international beauty brands.

In a nutshell, the emergence of Green Beauty is worldwide, becoming more premiumized, and is the beginning of a mainstream movement that will impact the future of beauty: a safe, reassuring yet highly sensorial new chapter of Clean Beauty is underway.

Want to know more about clean beauty? Not only has The Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency just released a new Skincare Edition of its US trend report, but it will be hosting the "Rise of the Natural & Clean Movement" roundtable discussion at the upcoming Makeup In L.A. conference. For a copy of Beauty Focus on Clean Beauty, prices and conditions, feel free to contact the agency.

TOP 5 BEAUTY TRENDS for 2019 (and beyond)

Leila Rochet January 21, 2019

What newness is thriving in the Beauty industry? Get ahead of the game with these 5 hot prospective Beauty trends.

AUGMENTED INCLUSIVENESS

Greater diversity in the form of “all inclusive” products has been one of the biggest movements in the industry, especially in 2018, at the same time the hashtag #blacklivesmatter boomed on social media. The success story of Fenty by Rihanna has opened the eyes of the industry of a change in society, and the tremendous success of the line revealed the business potential of extended color shades.

This “Fentyfication” of the Beauty world took the Beauty world by storm and the body positive lingerie line, Savage x Fenty, might do the same for the body-diversity cause. Now the heritage brands are moving to 40, 50 or 60 shades, with a growing interest for undertones to achieve the best match of tone(cold with blue, pink and red, warm with yellow and gold or neutral, with a mix of both).

What’s next in 2019 (and beyond)?:

So, what’s the next move for inclusiveness? More sophistication is on the horizon thanks to new products: inclusive lipsticks (Mented), inclusive concealers (the Power Play Full Coverage Concealer par Cover FX, available in 30 shades with 4 undertone options, and the 50 shades of Concealers at Fenty) or inclusive blushes like Glossier’s variety of Cloud Paint.

Beyond skin color, brands are expected to address a greater variety of inclusivity - genderless, ageless, sizeless - the “traditional” norms have gone out the window and singularity becomes the standard. A small indie revolution that has now affected legacy brands and caused a real disruption in luxury beauty as seen in Givenchy’s first genderless makeup line launched in January 2019.

2. SPIRITUAL WELLNESS

After years of active wear and sports-friends cosmetics, now is the time for a gentler take on healthiness. Consumers aspire to wellness, bliss, as the new face of the wellness trend. Beauty seeks balance and self-awareness, with the rise of new centers of self-care like meditation, sound yoga, Ayurveda, crystal healing and ASMR (hello beauty brands Odacité and Rollonjade). Wellness is no longer a segment but a 4.2 billion industry with a +12,8% growth in 2 years according to the Global Wellness Institute. A shining example: star ingredient CBD that improves skin through relaxation properties, and regenerating natural practices to optimize night time and sleep (Have you heard of Moon Dinners or Nap Spaces).

“What’s interesting is that the very true vision of Beauty has changed: it is no longer just a topical. It is something that comes from within…an inner glow obtained through a holistic routine including healthy food, relaxation, new forms of meditation or yoga, sleep etc. This means that brands need to think beyond the jar, and propose a more lifestyle approach.” deciphers Leïla Rochet, founder of the Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency.

What’s next in 2019 (and beyond)?:

The market will evolve towards a new augmented wellness. The semantics of efficiency will be replaced by claims expressing gentleness, softness, with terms like “relax” to translate a strong action on the skin (ex: Murad - Revitalixir Recovery Line). Night care will get livelier than ever with the renewed importance of sleep, and makeup will carry “Zen” properties (ex: Milk Kush line).

3. ENHANCED SKIN

“Nourish rather than decorate”: we deciphered the “skin up” trend in one of our top 2018 articles. This trend is still vibrant in 2019, with bolder moves. Think enhanced skin rather than photoshopped skin. Overdone looks, heavy contouring and lavish self-portraits are no longer trendy and have been replaced by flattering natural looks with creative touches like glitter strokes of foil-like finishes. Skin up is an art, mixing makeup and skincare, stroke by stroke, to reveal naturalness.

In the US, the number one Beauty market in the world, the dynamics of the market is no longer makeup, but skincare, revealing a new era of beauty focused on skin quality.

What’s next in 2019 (and beyond)?:

“Healthy” looks will continue to trend, with new generation of skincare products infused with makeup properties like smoothing, perfecting, plumping. Keep an eye on: nomad multi-use or perfecting sticks (like Glossier’s hit Zit Stick) and a new generation of hybrids - skin tints, moisturizing highlighters or perfecting mists.

4. INSIDE OUT ZERO WASTE

Brands continue to increase their efforts to reduce non-recyclable waste and create glamorous biodegradable alternatives for packs, ingredients or components like glitters or scrubs particles. According to Zero Waste’s study, the Beauty market generates more than 120 billions of single packs, most of them being non reusable. Plastics are at the core of these preoccupations as the European Parliament recently approved a ban on single-use plastics such as straws, plates or cutlery. The US also made a great move with Hawaii banning harmful solar filters in 2018 to protect marine biodiversity.

What’s next in 2019 (and beyond)?:

Additional efforts of preserving the environment will continue as consumers look for more sustainable alternatives, and even more for the GenZ. A recent international study by Unilever showed that a third of consumers (33%) choose brands that are good for both society and the environment. Zero waste initiatives will continue to grow as several YouTubers have participated in zero-waste challenges, and new retailers move to package free products (ex New York first Package Free Shop). One of the key beauty pioneers of this movement is Lush, launching mineral-based glitter and pack-free shops in Berlin and Milan.

5. FAKE’UP IS THE NEW MAKE’UP

Fake accessories are no longer a synonym of tackiness in 2019. Fake lashes, fake nails and other bold accessories have literally exploded on the Beauty market, with a +30% growth of fake lashes in the US (Source: NPD).

No longer reserved for nights out, fake accessories are on the contrary a way of giving an edgy touch to a natural look.

What’s next in 2019 (and beyond)?:

New fake accessories will be part of the innovative options for brands, especially indie brands. Lash-friendly and extension-friendly treatments will certainly grow as well (Lash+Brow Shampoo by BeautyGarde) and, just like in Asia, mascara made for fake lashes for an even more creative look.

The Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation Agency, specialist of the Beauty world, just launched its latest Inspiration Makeup USA trend book. Interested? Feel free to contact the agency.

WHO IS THE NEW KOREAN GEN Z?

Leila Rochet January 20, 2019

K-Gen Zers are more than just a young extension of K-Millennials. This new generation is now entering the market with its own codes and habits, setting new trends and reshaping the Beauty world.

THE BEAUTY FACTORY OF NEW TEEN IDOLS

If we’ve learnt something in 20 years of K-pop, it’s that Korea is a pro when it comes to creating teen idols. A generation born (more or less) after 1995, inventing whole new codes.

Shining example: back in 2016, the survival musical Survival Produce 101 had launched two major bands, a girls band, I.O.I (which no longer exists) and the still trending boys band Wanna One. Two world famous bands where Beauty brands freely picked up their K-muses.

Singer Kim Do Yeon, 20 years old, thus became the new face of Maybelline Korea and one of the biggest teen influencers on social media.

Same for Park Jihoon who, at only 19, became the male face of Etude House and Innisfree.

Park Jihoon for the lipbalm Innisfree x Wanna One

The famous girl band Twice (1.2 billions for their first EP), is taking Asia by storm and is featured in fashion brands and magazines like Cosmo Korea. They have collaborated with numerous cosmetics and fashion brands, and called their latest album Twicetagram.

New phenomenon: inclusivity had made an appearance in the Land of Morning Calm. Mixed race teen influencers are joining the game, led by Nigerian-Korean model Han Hyun Min, 17 years old, very first afro model who ever walked Korean runways. He was nominated as one of the Time’s 30 most influential teens. He has appeared in many TV programs talking about empowerment for multiracial kids growing up in Korea. A tiny revolution in a country where fair skin was still the norm until today.

Han Hyun Min / Credits: AfroNews Germany

THE GEN ZERS BRANDS

Influenced by K-pop idols and beauty vloggers, Gen Z tends to go for more affordable beauty products. They will choose easy and fast beauty brands such as Peripera, AprilSkin or A’pieu. Drugstore retailers seem to understand these new aspects.

New kid on the block PRPL Pretty Please is all pop and pink, definitely targeting the youth with their liquid glosses, powders, customizable packs with heart-shaped stickers, and bento-shaped cushions.

In 2017, Daiso and 7eleven started to sell the beauty collection named 0720. This brand was created in collaboration with the beauty guru, Jiwan Go, and 1,000 teenagers. The brand minimized harmful ingredients and lowered the average price. With student friendly retailers and affordable prices, 0720 wants to make itself accessible to teen students.

Passionate by the world of Beauty, the Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency publishes a What’s Up Seoul Report twice a year, deciphering Korean trends. Want to know more? Contact the agency.

SKIN UP IS THE NEW MAKEUP

Leila Rochet December 4, 2018

“Nourish rather than decorate” could be the motto of this new trend celebrating perfect complexion through skincare - replacing covering makeup routines.

With her pledge to #NoMakeup, Alicia Keys was one of the very early adopters in 2016 when she boldly appeared barefaced on the cover of Here. Legend says that her photographer Paola Kudacki saw her getting off the gym with her post-workout glow, and convinced her not to wear makeup.

AN ART AS SOPHISTICATED AS MAKEUP

A bareface revolution? Not quite. Because just like the Nude trend back in the 2000’s, “SkinUp” relies on a strict routine and a massive work on complexion. Dotti, the “no makeup” makeup artist behind Key’s looks deciphered the process back in this WMagazine article.

According to her, this global lifestyle includes clean nutrition, lots of sleep, lots of working out, no alcohol, heaps and heaps of moisturizing masks (and grated raw cucumber), cold roll-on treatments and pure face oils (especially Jojoba).

And, just like the Nude look, a lot of makeup, applied with precision, with subtle tints, fake lashes added in brows and faux freckles.

A QUEST FOR SINGULARITY

Since 2016, the art of “SkinUp” has become a hot subject, becoming the main look for Gen Z and Indie Brands, mostly famous with the brand Glossier and its “skin that looks like skin” motto.

The new quest for inclusiveness made room for more mixity in skin and hair, a celebration of skin disparities (freckles, lines, vitiligo) and singularities. Insta brand Freck even launched the very first faux-freckle ink.

Faces are bare, highly dewy, with rosy glossy cheeks and full brows (#glowyskin = 271 000 publications on Instagram).

“The recent boom of tints and concealers is very revealing on what “SkinUp” is” deciphered Leïla Rochet, founder of Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation. “Young generations build up their complexion with little strokes, on face’s strategic points, letting their disparities and freckles shine rather than covering them with foundation. New concealers are generally enriched with perfecting and hydrating agents, and help build this very natural finish.”

Just like star brand Glossier puts is “Skin first. Makeup second”, or “skin that looks like skin.”

“Skin Up” is visible in market’s latest numbers as shown by NPD. The skincare category grew its sales by 15 percent in Q3 to reach to $1.3 billion , though makeup’s growth rate was at +1 percent.

New hybrid makeup products are also deeply infused with skincare to achieve dewy skin, like Flesh’s Fleshpot Eye & Cheek Gloss. A face gloss inspired by Fashion shows to let the light hit eyelids, cheekbones and brows. Same approach for Josh Rosebrook’s Hydrating Accelerator, a mist that enhances the hydrating powers of any moisturiser.

Kiwie brand Skin by Ecostore went one step further with the #ThisisMe campaign, showing their founders and fans barefaced on Instagram, wearing only their skincare products.

Is Skin Up the end of makeup? Probably not- however, it shows consumers increasingly chose naturalness, singularity, as well as a growing fusion between skincare and makeup. It is also the reflexion of a society driven by Wellness. But the final quest still remain: showing perfect skin.

Skin Up is part of the Skincare Innovation trend-report by the Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency. Interested? Contact the agency.

TOP TRENDS FROM THE LONDON INDIE BEAUTY EXPO

Leila Rochet November 13, 2018

Credits: @Cosmetics Inspiration Creation

From mindful skincare to male grooming, the Indie Beauty Expo and its 80 exhibitors shook the habits of the London Old Truman Brewery on October 24 & 25.

Cashing in on its success overseas, the American Indie Beauty Expo made its European debut with a hot London edition next to street art neighbourhood, Brick Lane, on October 24 and 25. This was the 10th edition for the exhibition born in 2015, before its next stop in Berlin in March.

The event highlighted “indie brands”, the little bombs of creativity that disrupted the market in a record time, invaded Instagram, and became a real economy for shows and investors. In the USA, non-traditional brands have robbed 55% of the prestige market growth and earned (so easily) the trust of Millennial consumers.

“We never had a grand vision to change the industry,” commented Nader Naeymi-Rad, cofounder of Indie Beauty Media Group. “We started with a need and that helped open our eyes to this incredible market that’s been booming.”

Professionals, brand creators, influencers, journalists, retailers and other beauty aficionados had 48h to get to know the new paradigms of this niche market. Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation was invited at the event where we had the pleasure of speaking with the “indie” founders.

A very indie aspirational quote.Photo Credits: @Cosmetics Inspiration Creation — A very indie aspirational quote.
Photo Credits: @Cosmetics Inspiration Creation

During the two day event, 4 major trends emerged, structuring the indie brands London Collection.

BEAUTY MINDFULNESS

A wellness wind is blowing on indie brands, with new whole steps, good for both body and soul. The "crystal-infused” trend is still raging, with brands such as Balipura, available in wellness & yoga centers, and its energy harmonising auric sprays, encompassing the ancient and magical healing spirit of Bali.

Balipura auric sprays. Credits: @Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation

Baljinder Kaur, creator of Adarci, was inspired by her grandmother’s values: the great importance of inner-connectedness. She explained that “The word "adarci" or in punjabi "ardas", means the yearning for a deeper, more harmonious connection”.

Because your soul is beautiful - let it shine through.. #organicbeauty #ecobeauty #holisticbeauty #healthybeauty #ingredientsmatter #selfcare #allnaturalskincare #crueltyfreebeauty #greenbeauty #cleanbeauty #greenskincare #perfectskin #mondaymotivation #beautyjunkie #nontoxicbeauty #veganlife #naturalbeauty #bbloggers #cleancosmetics #organicskincare #adarci #adarcilondon #healthyskin #mindfullness #indiebeautyexpo #luxurylife #veganbeauty #camerondiaz #freshface #befreebeyou

131 Likes, 7 Comments - Adarci (@adarcilondon) on Instagram: "Because your soul is beautiful - let it shine through.. #organicbeauty #ecobeauty #holisticbeauty..."

Herbal Dynamics takes the same “mindful'“ approach by harnessing the power of plant-based ingredients, while the lunar Kiss The Moon specializes in night products based on aromatherapy blends to restaure a beautiful sleep.

Kiss the Moon - Credits: @Cosmetics Inpirations Creation

2. ARTY ETHICS

With an increasing 43% of consumers saying they would consider a brand’s ethical stance before purchasing it (Source: Mintel Natural, Organic and Ethical Toiletries), good behaviour has become a crucial KPI on the market.

The London event gathered a lot of indies mixing aesthetics and ethics, a perfect combination for beauty aficionados. Shining example: the Kiwi Girls Undiscovered, one of our indie crushes, a"100% wild &naturally sourced" brand built on an exquisite packaging and a strong communication take on realness.

Our Pink Skies balm is a perfect salve for dry sea-skin or wind-chapped lips and designed for sharing. x #pinkskiesbalm #100percentWILD @alanacloudrobinson @queenofchi

134 Likes, 6 Comments - Girl Undiscovered (@girlundiscovered) on Instagram: "Our Pink Skies balm is a perfect salve for dry sea-skin or wind-chapped lips and designed for..."

The same goes for the very woody palette and kabukis packs by Antonym, and the organic, crystal-infused nail polishes by the Madrid-based Handmade Beauty.

The roaming Kabuki. #london🇬🇧 #kabuki #theroamingkabuki #antonymcosmetics #kabukibrush #makeuplondon #londonmakeupartist #londonmakeup #beautyuk #ukbeauty #ukbeautyblogger #londonmakeup #crueltyfreebeauty #crueltyfreemakeup #greenbeauty

210 Likes, 4 Comments - Antonym Cosmetics (@antonymcosmetics) on Instagram: "The roaming Kabuki. #london🇬🇧 #kabuki #theroamingkabuki #antonymcosmetics #kabukibrush..."

In a more naïve and colourful universe, The Kind Planet Company offers organic power-balms with beautiful Basquiat-like patterns.

3. CLEAN MAKEUP

Transparent and respectful formulations are at the core of indie values. The 360° clean beauty concept helps indies stand out from the industry without forgetting a glamorous touch. Clean lipsticks were one of the highlights of the Expo, like the ultra-pigmented couture organic lipsticks by Sarya, or the very lustrous vegan Axiology’s goodies made of mango and many oils: coconut, ricin, avocado, grapefruit seeds and Candalila wax (an alternative to beeswax.)

Addicted to natural ingredients 🌱 Check out our vegetarian lipsticks, made of selected natural ingredients. Model is wearing LOVECRAFT a warm red demi matte shade perfect for daywear or wild nights. ............ #makeupwithnocompromises 📷 @alexgalmeanu

49 Likes, 1 Comments - SARYA COUTURE MAKE UP (@saryacouturemakeup) on Instagram: "Addicted to natural ingredients 🌱 Check out our vegetarian lipsticks, made of selected natural..."

Complexion wise, the French inclusive Belle Radiance presented its AquaMat foundation (15 shades) formulated with 60% water and 85% natural ingredients. Created by Aimara Coupet, an expert in inclusive beauty and one of the Agency’s co-speaker in various events, the line allows a great finish without any silicone! We wish her the best!

Silicone and paraben-free, AquaMat is 85% natural gentle on the most sensitive skin. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Discover the new clean beauty foundation for all skin tones. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ www.belleradiance.com ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #BelleRadiance #AquaMat #paris #makeup #madeinfrance #instamakeup #cosmetics #beautyproducts #makeupartist #makeuplove #allshades #foundation #inclusivebeauty #belle #radiant #naturalmakeup #indiebeauty #natural #cleanbeauty #cleanmakeup #siliconefree #complexion #inclusivity #fresh #mat #skintone #weareindiebeauty #ibelondon2018 #indiebeautyexpo2018 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

74 Likes, 4 Comments - BelleRadiance Makeup (@belleradiance) on Instagram: "Silicone and paraben-free, AquaMat is 85% natural gentle on the most sensitive skin. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀..."

Created by Canadian MakeUp artist Jo-Ann Fowler, Sappho went ahead and announced “a new paradigm” with certified organic collections, infused with phytonutrients.

4. MIX IN, STAND OUT

The art of layering is back thanks to indies eager to break down formulas for more transparency and create new step-by-step rituals. This more participative vision of Beauty assures sourcing and gives consumers full control over skincare.

The two new fragrances by British Awake Organics can be worn together or separately, depending on one’s mood as they are enriched with "mood-enhancing herbs". With a "mix in, stand out" philosophy, Emulsion offers to build one’s truly personal blend in 4 steps: a base, an exfoliant, a fragrance and a drop of illuminating essential blend, to mix and match according to one’s needs.

Not only do our add ons work wonders for your hair, they also smell AMAZING. For a truly delicious and citrusy scent, blend our Grapefruit & Bergamout add on with a base of your choice. #emulsion #naturalskincare

34 Likes, 1 Comments - EMULSION (@emulsioncosmetics) on Instagram: "Not only do our add ons work wonders for your hair, they also smell AMAZING. For a truly delicious..."

Finally, the natural and minimalistic capsule collection of Alex Carro counts 5 different products that can be mixed for a tailor-made cosmetic ritual.

The Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency, specialized in the Beauty world, attended the Indie Beauty Expo October 24 and 25.

For a full report on the Exhibition or for the latest Indie Beauty Report feel free to contact the agency.

THE RISE OF J-BEAUTY - FROM JAPAN TO THE WORLD

Leila Rochet November 6, 2018

Once overshadowed by Korea, its disruptive nemesis, Japan rises again as a center of attention. Sensoriality, high quality and technological all capture the essence of the J-Beauty renaissance.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST BEAUTY MARKETS IN THE WORLD

In France, 2018 stands for “Japonism”. The two countries officially celebrate their diplomatic relations as well as a the commemoration of the Meiji era’s 150th birthday, an era often perceived in Japan’s history as the opening towards the West.

Beauty-wise, one of the big event in Paris was the Cosmetic 360° on October 17 & 18, with an entire corner dedicated to J-Beauty. Visitors could interact with brands such as Shiseido and agencies such as Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation.

Enjoying its rank as the world’s second beauty market (Source: Euromonitor), Japan firmly emerges as one of tomorrow’s most promising luxury markets, with annual Beauty expenditures estimated at 22M$.

THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN RISES WITH RESILIENCE

"With brands like Sony, Panasonic or Toyota, Japan has always been a leader in innovation", deciphers Leïla Rochet, founder of the Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency.

"Designers like Kenzo Takada, Issey Miyake, Kansai Yamamoto or Comme des Garçons literally built style in the 80’s. During a flourishing economical period called the Bubble Economy, all luxury brands were investigating Japan as a source of innovation. The culture there was also perceived as atypical and fascinating - which made it even more attractive.

Today, we are witnessing a J-Style renaissance, especially in design, fashion and beauty. Japan’s DNA echoes with today’s consumers quest for purpose, naturalness, sophistication and modernity. Propelled by a strong creativity of Japanese designers and beauty brands, the J-Style is truly contemporary ”.

J-BEAUTY, A LABEL FOR EXCELLENCE

Now called "J-Beauty", 3.0 Japanese cosmetics have made their way in the market. Whether it’s native Japanese brands, Japanese-influenced brands or “Made in Japan” brands, the “J-label’, just like the French touch, is a highly attractive one - certifying both quality and technology.

American brand Tatcha, for instance, an indie skincare brand inspired by the Geisha of Japan, is one of the fastest growing skincare brands in the US. According to Tribedynamics, the brand is one of the most visible skincare brands on social media. In September 2018, Tatcha was at the top spot in EMV (Earned Media Value) in the US skincare category, +79 percent growth compared to 2017).

After having introduced its innovative skincare products to Millennials in 2017 with the Waso line, legacy J-brand Shiseido presented its new makeup line during the Cosmetic 360° event. Minimalistic and visionary, this new collection with a strong edge perfectly encapsulates J-Beauty’s new rise.

"I want to represent Japan and show the world that its culture is infused into everything, including food, art, and makeup." -actress, ballerina, and model @sonoya, the new face of the Powders collection. ⠀ ⠀ #beautyreimagined #visiblefeelsinisible

2,022 Likes, 24 Comments - SHISEIDO (@shiseido) on Instagram: ""I want to represent Japan and show the world that its culture is infused into everything,..."

Lindsay Azpitarte, EMEA Regional Brand Vice President, deciphered the “J-Beauty signature” strategy by Shiseido, drawn for the brand’s very core, with 3 founding concepts:
-The “Wa”, harmony expressed through minimalistic boldness.

- The “Ma”, which means intuition - where what’s visible is as important as what’s invisible, explaining the high-tech ergonomics of the packs.

- The “Kensei”, or sensitivity, expressed through the extreme sensoriality of formulas and textures, and the highly artistic touch in the line’s communication.

Shiseido’s business is expanding. Japan’s largest cosmetic company announced their nine-month net sales were up by 10.2 percent to 805.76 billion yen (Source WWD).

PURE TECHNOLOGY x SENSORIALITY

The highly innovative and disruptive textures, as found in the sliding VisionAiry Gel Lipstick or the cloudy-like Minimalist Whipped Powder Blush, come in pared-down black packs with a simple red line. Claiming themselves as “the thinnest in the world”, this new Shiseido line definitely show J-Beauty’s pure technology mixed with sensoriality.

The technology of precision lies at the heart of Japanese skincare culture, as mentioned during the event’s roundtable.

“I was very moved by Jean Claude Le Joliff’s [founder of Inn2c] intervention” says Aida Lisea, technical expert at Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation. “Modern J-Beauty truly puts high technology and high quality above everything else. The frame of work is to extract millennial, traditional ingredients and infuse them with innovation. There’s this idea of continuously creating the same things, but in such a more modern and advanced way.”

When facing a “fun and disruptive” Korea, is J-Beauty choosing the high-end path? If things aren’t that simple, one can’t ignore the renewed excellence found in J-brands ingredients and textures.

WELLNESS, SHITTORI AND SUPERFOOD

Worldwide, consumers are currently on a quest for alternative lifestyles, centered around wellness and healthy living, two concepts where Japan can easily claim to be expert.

【予約受付中/AW 2018 MAKEUP COLLECTION】目元をおしゃれに引き締めるジェルアイライナーが新登場。シアアイシャドウや、シアチークバターなどのポイントメイクアップアイテムも、新たな質感やカラーにリニューアル。 shiroメイクアップコレクションの印象的なカラーメイクアップをご体感ください。 2018/9/6(木)発売予約受付中 ■がごめ昆布アイライナー(全4色) 3g 3,800円＋税待望のアイライナーが新登場。ジェルタイプで思い通りのラインが描け、つけたての美しさを長時間キープ。がごめ昆布配合で目元もケアします。 ■シアアイシャドウ(全4色) 1.7g 3,400円＋税するりと肌に伸び、さらっとまぶたにフィット。シアバターとゴマ油が目元をしっとりと保湿します。発色とパール感がアップし、華やかに目元を彩ります。 ■シアチークバター(全5色) 5g 4,200円＋税カラーバリエーションを一新し、よりなめらかな質感とやさしいツヤへグレードアップ。高配合のシアバターで肌にうるおいを与えます。 ■ジンジャーリップバター(新色2色) 5g 3,800円＋税発色、色もちがよくなった新色2色。ジンジャーの効果でふっくら魅力的な唇を実現します。 ■亜麻ネイル(新色5色) 10mL 2,400円＋税爪先をあたたかみのある大人の色に彩る新色5色が登場。爪を健やかに保ちながら、表情豊かなアレンジをお楽しみいただけます。 ※がごめ昆布アイライナー（全4色）は、伊勢丹新宿店本館地下2階ビューティーアポセカリーにて、9/1(土)より先行発売 #shiro #shirocosmetics

425 Likes, 0 Comments - shiro (@shiro_japan) on Instagram: "【予約受付中/AW 2018 MAKEUP COLLECTION】目元をおしゃれに引き締めるジェルアイライナーが新登場。..."

After the wave of the Danish hygge, wabi-sabi or the art of "imperfection-perfection" aims for a simpler sophistication, where humility and contemplation are invitations to introspection. In Beauty, Wabi-sabi translates into minimalistic aesthetics, a search for singularity, and a certain “less is more” philosophy.

Obsessed with its Nature, Japan has become famous for its raw and powerful ingredients, used in day-to-day food and overall care. Authentic and rare, these ingredients target the young perfectly. The invasion of matcha tea and its Insta-worthy bright green is a good example.

Whether raw or fermented, J-brands extract or reinvent other noble items such as saké, miso, ginger, cotton silk or kombu leaves to create a fresh, indie, and superfood-infused skincare like Shiro, Three Cosmetics, Sekkisei or Tatcha.

【ミントとジンジャーが香る/ミントジンジャーリップバター】 shiro ミントジンジャーリップバターは、唇を整えるジンジャー根エキス*1とトウガラシ果実エキス*2、スッとさわやかで心地よい香りのミント*3を配合。こだわりの素材でふっくらと魅力的な唇を演出します。 . *1ジンジャー根エキス：整肌成分 *2トウガラシ果実エキス：整肌成分 *3ハッカ油：芳香成分 . ミントジンジャーリップバター(ニュアンス4色/マット4色) 3,800円＋税 #shiro #shirocosmetics #ミントジンジャーリップバター

482 Likes, 0 Comments - shiro (@shiro_japan) on Instagram: "【ミントとジンジャーが香る/ミントジンジャーリップバター】 shiro ミントジンジャーリップバターは、唇を整えるジンジャー根エキス*1とトウガラシ果実エキス*2、..."

SHITTORI IS THE NEW CHOK CHOK

Just like the Korean chok chok skin, the famous glass-like translucent complexion, the Japanese shittori skin has made its way on Millennials #skingoals. As complex as the word umami, shittori describes a light yet "sappari" texture, which means luscious and hydrated, as well as highly "uruoi", glowy and glossy.

The shittori aspect is mainly used in fooding, best describes the texture of the famous mochi cakes, for instance.
Japanese Supplier, Daito Kasei, explained during the conference on the future of J-Beauty, how they mainly work on formulations and concepts translating the sensorial and complex shittori effect.

For beautifully bright and refreshed skin. Bring out your best with our Purifying Peel Off Mask, crafted with red shiso leaves. #shiseido #shiseidoginzatokyo #japanesebeauty #jbeauty #waso #peeloffmask #資生堂 #资生堂

255 Likes, 3 Comments - waso (@waso_official) on Instagram: "For beautifully bright and refreshed skin. Bring out your best with our Purifying Peel Off Mask,..."

The Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency, specializing in Beauty, the curator and animator of the J-Beauty corner during the Cosmetic 360 event. The agency created many trend-books and reports on J-Beauty, and has visited Japan twice in 2018 to go trend hunting. For more informations, feel free to contact the agency.

HOW "INDIE BRANDS" ARE DISRUPTING THE BEAUTY LANDSCAPE

Leila Rochet October 5, 2018

Credits: @cosmeticseeds - at Riley Rose LA

Combine beauty hackers with bombs of creativity, and you get “indie brands”. Find out how these disruptors drive the beauty market today, seriously challenging the future of legacy brands.

How does one spot an indie brand? “They are hard to miss” says Leïla Rochet, founder of trends agency Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation. “Indie brands, or independent brands, are reinventing the rules of traditional cosmetics with new textures, gestures, products, as well as brand new ways of communicating.”

AN “INDIE MOVEMENT” LED BY A SOCIETY SHIFT

Beauty and society have always worked hand in hand. “Our contemporary era has led to the upsurge of the Indies. ” explains Leïla Rochet. Looking back to history, beauty has experienced three important stages throughout the last century. Back in the 20th century, consumers sought inclusion among the elites which led to the upsurge of emblematic luxury brands such as Chanel, Dior or Estée Lauder. In the 80s, the influence fashion and supermodels caused the rise of makeup artists brands (Mac in 1984 or Bobbi Brown in the 90’s), and backstage became the epicenter of style. Today, we live in a fragmented society widely shaped by social media, the explosion of indie brands is driven by a quest for disruption (Milk Makeup, Glossier, Kate Von D or the K-star Pony Effect). “These influences have built an incredible market, more segmented, where each brand now has its legitimacy but where the rules are modified”.

“In small we trust” is the new sign of the times: consumers will more likely trust smaller brands, and have become “explorer-consumers”, eager to discover and share new talents.

👁👁 Unlimited styles on your eyes #LIMITLESSMASTEREYEPALETTE ㅡ 눈 위에서 펼쳐지는 무한한 컬러 크러시 #리미트리스마스터아이팔레트 💋 Go mad over matte without drying out! #STAYFITMATTELIPCOLOUR #EXQUISITE ㅡ 묻어남 없는 선명한 리얼 매트 립 #스테이핏매트립컬러 #익스퀴지트 ㅡ #PONYEFFECT #포니이펙트

7,673 Likes, 9 Comments - PONY EFF⚡️CT (@ponyeffect_seoul) on Instagram: "👁👁 Unlimited styles on your eyes #LIMITLESSMASTEREYEPALETTE ㅡ 눈 위에서 펼쳐지는 무한한 컬러 크러시 #리미트리스마스터아이팔레트..."

THE 3 COMMANDMENTS OF INDIE BRANDS

1. DIGITAL INVADERS, THOU SHALT BE

In the US, 20 cosmetic brands capture 90% of the dollars going to brick-and-mortar retailers, and those same companies capture just 14% share online (Source Nielsen). This number that speaks volumes on how indie brands manage to shine online thanks to massive sales and branding strategies."A good example: the brand Glossier. Born from an online media, Into the Gloss, became immediately successful because it match with consumers’insights at at the right moment" deciphers Leïla Rochet.

Scenario: You're getting a matcha latte at that cafe with the cute barista.. - What shade of #lipvinyl are you going to wear? 👇🏽 👸🏽QUEEN 👄FLOSSY 💄FACTS ❄️CHILLIN' 🎈POPPIN' 💪🏽FLEXIN'

36.8k Likes, 1,003 Comments - Milk Makeup (@milkmakeup) on Instagram: "Scenario: You're getting a matcha latte at that cafe with the cute barista.. - What shade of..."

Indie brands have found the perfect combination to target “Beauty Natives”. Indeed, 74% of Millennials and 80% of Instagram Gen Zers say social media impact their shopping habits (source: Yes Lifestyle Marketing Report). This generation uses Beauty as an empowerment tool for their personal branding.

2. BEAUTY HACKING, THOU SHALT DO

The big difference with institutional brands? Indie brands dare, and they dare to create fast, especially in niche segments without interest for legacy brands. The new rules? “There are no rules, as indie brands reinvent them” explained Jennifer Ritter*. With new gestures (the wave of stone-roll-ons or Gua Sha tools), disruptive textures, avant-garde packaging (cf flower inside), they truly innovate on the market. Their small structure also allows them to grow and innovate even faster.

Moreover, their inspiration draws directly from consumers thanks to social media, like the last collab Asos X Crayola inspired by the (unsafe) beauty hacking trend of Crayola makeup. Indeed, indie brands’ innovation power is twofold: they are trend creators when they take the Web by storm with their new products. They are also trend hunters when they transform online trends into concrete products.

As a kid you craved a multitude of every shade of one color just to show how 🎨🖌cr8tive you could be. The makers of the @crayola brand licensed has collaborated with @asos_us to debut their line of beauty which launches on the ASOS site today. There's an assortment of colors 95 hues to be exact and you can flirt with the best of them! There's Highlighter's, a makeup brush set and lippies all ready for the creatives you all wake up and crrrave to be daily! The #Thirst 😋😍right?! No deets on the price points yet but ASOS has been reasonable 😉 Photo Cred's: #Allure #alluremagazine #crayola #crayolaxasos #asoscrayola #crayolabeauty #thereveal #beautylaunch #summermakeup #newbeauty #passport2hautebeauty #ASOS

16 Likes, 2 Comments - NYC 🔛MD🔛DC (@passport2hautebeauty) on Instagram: "As a kid you craved a multitude of every shade of one color just to show how 🎨🖌cr8tive you could..."

Just like in fooding, Indies have taken the “mono-product” trendy path. They can create their whole brand around one concept and one product only (hello faux-freckles ink by the Insta brand Freck), hacking the traditional “complete beauty line” process (100% lipstick brand like Lipstick Lobby or 100% glitters by Lemonhead).

Hey babes! We're currently seeking a bomb ass London Based publicist who knows beauty like the back of their hand. Hit the comments if you or someone you know fits the bill! ✨Freck on the beautiful @hancross MUA @vivis_makeup Photographer @zuziazawada nails @emilyrosespauk ✨ #fauxfreckles #freckfam

2,432 Likes, 22 Comments - FRECK (@freck) on Instagram: "Hey babes! We're currently seeking a bomb ass London Based publicist who knows beauty like the back..."

3. AN AUTHENTIC CONNECTION, THOU SHALT CREATE

Whether they are LGBTQ-friendly, feminist, organic or cruelty-free, indie brands are tribe creators, with either a political claim or simply overindulging in a hedonist lifestyle. Their small size allows for more intimacy and to stand out from the big players in the industry. Transparency and authenticity are at their very core, which contributes to them creating a relationship of trust and an authentic connection with consumers, a connection amplified by the realness of their influencers-ambassadors and their hyperactive social medias.

Stack'em high and enjoy your beauty bars. Which one is your bestie? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * * #adultacne #naturalskincare #kindtoskin #greenbeauty #skincare #lifestyle #greenbeautyproducts #glowingskin #greenskincare #beauty #beautycare #naturalproducts #indiebeauty #rochester #nontoxicbeauty #foodforskin #ecoskincare #skincarejunkie #beautycommunity #goatmilksoap #blemishes #skincareroutine #soaps #acne #bblogger #skintips #ibeny2018 #weareindiebeauty #nyc

74 Likes, 2 Comments - ɪɴᴅɪᴇ ɢᴏᴀᴛ (@indiegoatsoap) on Instagram: "Stack'em high and enjoy your beauty bars. Which one is your bestie? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ * * #adultacne..."

In the “natural tribe”, it’s raining brands: the Aussie botanic Black Chicken Remedies, the pack free milk goat soap raw bars by Indie Goat Soap, or the CBD infused balms by Cannabliss Organic.

We can't speak for ourselves #crueltyfree #noanimaltesting #noanimalsharmed #vegan #crueltyfreeliving #helpanimals #helpothers #leapingbunnycertified #greenbeauty #giveback #skincare #animalsarefriends #ecofriendly #cannablissorganic #organicskincare #helpthehelpless #turquoiseeverything #liveblissfully

106 Likes, 2 Comments - CannablissOrganic (@cannablissorganic) on Instagram: "We can't speak for ourselves #crueltyfree #noanimaltesting #noanimalsharmed #vegan..."

“In a nutshell, the key to the success of Indie brands truly lies in their capacity to generate much more than products. They embody, true lifestyles, and authentic connections carried by strong personalities. Friendly brands, intimate brands, with desirable products that are an invitation to sharing,” concludes Leïla Rochet.

The Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency, beauty trends hunter, presented Indie Beauty: Between Fascination and Disruption during the last Makeup In Paris event ( this article is a lighter version). The team has developed several studies for clients in this field. More about this trend? Or about the agency’s quotations and latest projects? Contact us.

www.inspiration-creation.com

* Special thanks to our US partner, Jennifer Ritter who co-hosted a session with our team on Indies in the MakeUp in Los Angeles and New York and inspired our work on Indies