4 INSIGHTS ON HOW THE CRISIS FUELED BEAUTY INNOVATIONS IN KOREA

Source: Cho Gi Seok 조기석 / @chogiseok

Hit by the pandemic at an early stage, it did not take long for South Korea to react with creative resilience. With its legendary spirit of innovation, the Beauty champion emerged stronger, led by savvy new generations and dedicated brands…

The latest What’s Up South Korea report launched by the Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency dives into the transformations of the K-market and its amazing source of inspiration for Beauty. Here is an extract of the 4 insights changing the game. (Contact us to get the full report!)

INSIGHT #1: “BEYOND K-BEAUTY: I WANT K-DEFENSE”

Although being one of the first countries hit by COVID-19, South Korea effectively contained the virus in just one month. Past health crises (SARS in 2002, H1N1 in 2009, and MERS in 2015, etc.) have prepared the country, and the world now considers South Korea to be a shining example of how to handle an outbreak. In Korean, media now proudly use the word “K-defense” to refer to their containment strategy.

In Beauty, this has also led to the rise of a new generation of skincare dedicated to a more modern twist of skin defense, including the rise of claims on building a natural skin barrier for a maximal protection.

INSIGHT #2: “HYGIENE BURST AND PURE SKIN IS MY NEW QUEST”

Product-wise, several brands offered tools to keep on with daily life while staying protected. Too Cool For School and Chicor boosted their hand sanitizer production to meet the growing demand. The brand BoHo offers new alternatives to purifying air with the Puristic Sterilizing Disinfectant - two ampoules broken at the last minute to clean the air. Caolion even created the V-Shield Sterilization Phone Patch, a phone protection that reduces floating bacteria in the air.

In skincare, the cleansing category also saw an upsurge, as well a peeling products, as the quest for pure skin became at the center of preoccupations.

INSIGHT #3: “HOW DO I DEAL WITH MASKING AND UNDERMASKING?”

Even though Koreans are used to protecting themselves with masks, the everyday usage is changing the rules of beauty and creating new needs. Fashion brand, Greedilous even launched a mask with unique designs and prints, inspired by their Spring Summer collection, priced at 59,000 won ($48), with all proceeds from the sales donated to charity. In April, the Korea Herald titled “masks have become Fashion statements“.

Moreover, skin now presents “undermask” issues (redness, breakouts, dryness, etc.) In South Korea, anti-pollution and acne product sales increased by 42% from February 1st to March 4th, compared to the same period last year (source: Naver).

Primera Repair Bean Cica Essence is infused with soybean and the famous tiger grass to improve damaged skin and enhance the skin’s ability to adapt. In makeup, along with the long lasting or waterproff claims, come the “ask-proof” claims and demonstrations. In makeup, Laneige created a video on Instagram showing how their new Neo Cushion Matte “doesn’t leave any marks on your masks!”

INSIGHT #4: “MY ROUTINE IS DIGITALIZED, HENCE MY SHOPPING BEHAVIOR”

With the COVID outbreak, South Koreans have spent more time on social media and apps, trying to connect with others. As their practices have changed, they seek to more meaningful content and a way to connect with those who share their values.

KPop group BTS performed live on YouTube, and various idols Livestreamed daily on Vlive. Beauty influencers joined, sharing their new tips. To fight social distancing blues, online challenges took platforms like Instagram and TikTok, like the most popular #Dalgonacoffe.

South Korea continues to flourish in retail opening with a focus on entertaining yet touchless experiences. The Lotte Duty Free Shop opened its first “Smart Store”, allowing consumers to scan QR codes for information, reviews or check-out using a mobile shopping cart.

More then ever, South Korea brands are champions of innovation and creativity. They actively disrupt the beauty market and are true sources of inspiration.

Hungry for more K-trend? These insights are excerpt from our latest What’s Up Seoul report, a deep dive into 8 prospective trends. Contact us for a quotation.

FEMALE EMPOWERMENT & INCLUSIVITY RISE IN SOUTH KOREA

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.

Credits: Lovbod

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.

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

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

IS STRIPPED PACKAGING THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE BEAUTY?

Source: @packagefreeshop / Instagram

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.

Photo Credits: Courtesy of Merci Handy

“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?

Source: @packagefreeshop / Instagram

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.

Wonderland Forever: how glitter, multi-chrome, & unicorn shades are drumming up some serious buzz

Sies Marjan AW18, Opening Ceremony x Disney - photo: Dean Podmore

Unicorn, mermaids, glitter... are true mega-waves that continue to infuse the fashion weeks, insta-influencers and beauty looks. These new exploratory universes evoking childhood fairies but twisted with techno-futuristic are real inspiration for the beauty industry. They lead to new virtual pigments refecting light, new finishes, new claims that infuse all segments from eye colors up to personal cleansing products. 

This is highly "insta-genic" trend initiated by influencers and indie brands is now cascading to legacy brands as well. And the holographic trend seen in the latest fashion weeks at Sies Marjan, Balmain or Maryam Nassir Zadeh is here to stay as it has become also one of the hottest looks of the most iconic fashion designers.

UNICORN FOIL

Milk Makeup

Highlighters continue to be one of the most innovative segment in Beauty with shades now playing with light in a more futuristic yet regressive way. Strobing is made with ethereal mystical shades that shift in color and offer a mix of iridescent tones and multiple color effects as if coming out of a fairy tale. 

Too Faced launched its Festival collection with "a high-impact, out-of-this-world festival finish" and a unicorn inspiration. The unicorn holographic finish initiated in 2017 is still hot  and I-finish, "foily" way. 

In hair, the Prism Roots is making a buzz on social media (@kristinacheeseman). Fun Sexy Hair offers Mermaid Glow Getter to get glitter root. Even brush shampoo Ely Maya - Unicorn Brush Shampoo & Conditioner goes unicorn with a green and purple pastel marble aspect and glitter.

FAIRY BLUE IS THE NEW PINK

Following the trend of the Millennial Pink, light blue makes a massive come back as the new fairy color, color of serenity, fresh skies and watercolor atmosphere. Seen at the fashion week as one of the key pastel colors for Fall 2018, with a holographic twist - Maryam Nassir Zadeh, Sies Marjan - it is also one of the hit colors for highlighters.

Almay released Make Them Jelly Hi- Lite Mermaid Magic, a jelly highlighter in an iridescent blue shade.

Too Faced - Unicorn Horn

Almay Mermaid Magic

Maryam Nassir Zadeh Fall 2018 Image: Imaxtree

At Too Faced, it is Unicorn Horn - Mystical Effects Highlighting Stick, a creamy pearlescent blue gloss finish to add a magic twist to the look. 

GLITTER STATEMENT

Glitters are not only for Coachella anymore! They continue to be hot and indispensable.  During the NYFW, a lot of sparkle highlighted the models’ eyes or face. At Marc Jacobs, pressed glitter stretched across lids; Swarovski crystals on lids and below the brows at Kate Spade; sequins to decorate the eyes at Lanyu; loose gold glitter on a black smoky eye at Carmen Marc Valvo... 

Lemonhead LA

In beauty, brands enjoy playing with glitter, and it infuses every segment.

New indie brands such as Lemonhead LA have become sought after specialist in glitters and praised on social media.  Lemonhead.LA is a prestige, vegan and cruelty-free product line founded by make-up artist Megan Dugan. 

The glitter trend is also infusing the suncare market  with suncreens infused with sparkles - the Unicorn Snot Glitter Sunscreen.

Wonderland Forever is an extract from the What's Up MakeUp report - 01/2018 from Cosmetics Inspiration & Inspiration. This is only an extract of this trend as the full article is included in the report. Don't hesitate to contact us for information on the tarifs.

#insights. Beauty & Biodiversity: consumer's awareness is on the rise

Source: istock - PeopleImages

On June 19, 2018, the UEBT* (Union for Ethical BioTrade) celebrated the 10th year of annual research dedicated to biodiversity awareness and sourcing with respect. Good news: according to their latest numbers, consumers’ awareness towards sustainability is on the rise.

Led in over 16 different countries since 2009 and commissioned by the UEBT, the results of the Biodiversity Barometer have contribute to have contributed to raise awareness amongst companies and organizations all around the world on the importance of biodiversity in our industries. The results of the latest 2018 Biodiversity Barometer (survey in 5 countries, 5000 consumers) speak for themselves: awareness and understanding of biodiversity are globally growing. An increase in the understanding of biodiversity over the past 10 years has been important in all countries. More significantly, consumers expect transparency, proofs and concrete actions from brands are clearly expected by a consumer that is more conscious than ever. Moreover, a massive 80% of consumers feel that "biodiversity conservation is important for their personal well-being", with a strong notion of transmission for generations to come (85%).

Moreover, respecting biodiversity is now fundamentally connected to personal well-being with a massive 80% of consumers feeling that "biodiversity conservation is important for their personal well-being" , with a strong notion of transmission for generations to come (85%).

When Personal Involvement Is at Stake

Protecting biodiversity has become important  for consumers as 80% of those surveyed say "it is important for them to personally contribute to conserving biodiversity". Protecting biodiversity has thus become a personal quest as the awareness of this mainstream subject has increased since 2009 with the highest increase occurring among youth (+ 19 points) and among lower earners (+ 13 points).

A Key Insight: the "Human Factor"

In 2009, our blog, Cosmeticseeds, (French version) underlined the importance of protecting biodiversity, "a diversity of fauna, flora and overall wild life that makes the rich complexity of our ecosystems". The fragile eco-system that needs to be protected from the excesses of our society. Human activities endanger the complex balance – but not only.

What’s at stake here? On one hand, a respectful sourcing from the industry who needs to access ressources without damaging the environment. On the other hand, a mindful sourcing of human "know-hows", which implies respecting local workers as well as their traditional knowledge and expertise. "Developing countries", rich in biodiversity and traditional knowledge, face this major twofold issue.

"Nature inspires Cosmetics thanks to its hedonism", says Leïla Rochet. "But paradoxically, Nature’s ressources are finite. Protecting nature and respecting communities involved with biodiversity are now more and more at the center of consumers’ preoccupations and brands need to get more ethically involved."

Shuttersock - Niphon Kai

Words Mean Action: The "Walk the Talk" Factor

In our contemporary society, consumers are informed and conscious of the damage done to the environment. Empowered by digital tools and social conversations, consumers show unprecedented expectations towards brands. Educated with tools to detect "green washing" techniques, consumers expect actions that matter more than words. Brands are experiencing a trust crisis, especially in the area of respectful sourcing. The Biodiversity Barometer shows that only 37% of respondents think that companies pay attention to respectful sourcing, dropping to 25% in France.  Today, brands should focus on building trust as consumers expect more transparency and authenticity. 

With internet access at the palm of their hands, consumers can quickly check the brand’s credibility and love to engage with brands that they trust to "do good" . To become a "good" brand, they must behave in such ways that convinces consumers, beyond just words, and through actions.  Meaning ethically, no harm is done to animals (the new "cruelty-free" or "vegan" labels) and respecting the humans involved (fair wages, dignified working conditions, gender equality in the workplace etc.) in a sustainable way and transparent way (origin of ingredients, fair wages, etc.).

A New Collective Humanization: The "Me to We" Factor

This new "me to we", as coined by Anne Bahr Thompson, author of DO GOOD and one of the keynote speaker at the June 19 Conference, is a transition towards an aware consumer, eager to find brands which can improve both the world and global living conditions. " Customers expect brands to truly care about them, their values, and the world at large. People want to see companies engage in fair employment practices, social responsibility, and charitable giving. In addition, they want companies to advocate on their behalf and make them feel that they are part of a larger community or grander mission," explained Anne Bahr Thompson at the UEBT conference. 

The "me to we" doesn’t include sustainability only, but overall wellbeing: 74% of those surveyed say they feel good about buying products that respect people and biodiversity, and 79% feel that companies have a moral obligation to assure that they have a positive impact on people and biodiversity. Finally, a massive 57% say they buy products from companies that respect biodiversity and people.

Presentation of the UEBT Barometer by the Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency

Challenges for Brands, but also Opportunities

Needless to say, the Beauty industry now has to address these upcoming challenges, but this is also the main opportunity for brands to go beyond a natural positioning and become actors of change. Social media provides a unique opportunity for brands to engage with a more involved and conscious consumer and share their progress in an authentic and transparent way. 

The rise of "niche brand" who only 'do good'; as highlighted by the Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency in its new trend book Freedom Beauty – Inspiration From the USA, might also undermine the position of Legacy brands who need to stay up to date by improving their status on sustainability.

Partners of the UEBT since 2009, Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation is proud to have worked with the UEBT on the 2018 Biodiversity Barometer’s website conception, interpretation and creation. 

Want to know more? Contact the agency

Discover their latest trend book Freedom Beauty – Inspiration From the USA

*UEBT (Union For Ethical BioTrade) is a non-profit association that promotes sourcing with respect. They support and verify companies’ commitments to innovation and sourcing that contribute to a world in which people and biodiversity thrive.

Their website: www.uebt.org

#USTRENDS. When spirituality infuses cosmetics

Photo Credits: Free People Movement - Facebook

Wellness is at the very core of skincare trends. Good vibes, stone rollers and crystal-infused formulas are the new anti-age. A trend coming from the wellness temple, California, and slowly cascading on the rest of the US.

A New Way of Life Infuses Beauty

Recently, the power of stones has made a major come back, with an upsurge of appetite for wellness and well-being, as the notion of physical well-being extends now towards mental well-being. 

In an hyperconnected society, the need to disconnect from devices has increased, and the desire to reconnect to oneself has never been so important. The phenomenon of disconnect-reconnect has influenced the travel industry (open air travel), brain-body training,as well as the boom of mindful activities such as yoga or meditation.   

Spirituality & Self-Focus - The New Urban Quest

The concept of spirituality continues to grow, infusing the US from the West Coast in particular, where mindful practices have always been stronger. A wave of millennial-minded meditation venues have spread all over the US, especially in big cities. Stressed-out New Yorkers can become more grounded during their lunch breaks at Be Time, the city’s first meditation bus. Retail wise, mindfulness has gained momentum with virtual reality guided meditation at the new Philosophy's WellBeing store in New Jersey, or meditation during manicure sessions at Sundays. Same goes online with Lululemon's "Mindful Podcast", featuring videos of a seven-day meditation challenge.

Photo: Lululemon New York - Pic by Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation

If mindful meditation has been widely embraced in the workplace, it is because the benefits are also instrumental. Indeed, the Buddhism-inspired technique will boost motivation, concentration, resilience and overall productivity. In California, it is not uncommon to find crystals in meeting rooms for positive energy, or collective yoga sessions on the city’s rooftops.

Photo: Facebook - Glaccebottles

Herbivore - The Rose Quartz Roller - Facebook

In a world centered around work performance, this wave of mindfulness offers other perspectives. It embraces  a new relationship with time, awareness, and self-care to heal both body and mind. Yoga coaches have become today’s new managers, and their work tools include "zen" accessories as well as cosmetics. Facial rollers made of energetic stones are everywhere, like the Facial Roller Jade by Herbivore or the Crystal Facial Workout by Skin Gym. Pure crystals are directly formulated into products such as the Crystal Aura by Hannes Dottir, a face-mask powder that mixes with water, enriched with crystals and marine extracts from Iceland. Pacifica just launched Crystal, a highly gem-infused line of cosmetics and makeup. Moreover, beauty routine turns into a full mystical ritual with the new brand Aquarian Soul that offers jade and amethyst roll ons, body oil enriched with rose quartz or moonstone, and at-home sacred fumigations thanks to herb bouquets.

"Good Vibes" Trend

This "good vibes only" outbreak shows no sign of stopping. Coming soon: the emergence of a new star ingredient, the "CBD" or cannabidiol, extracted cannabis (non-hallucinogenic) promoting wellness, tranquility and healing pain. The agency, Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation, discusses this new vision of makeup and skincare in its latest trend book, Freedom Beauty - US Makeup Trends.

Do you want to know more? Contact us

Discover our trend book Freedom Beauty - Inspiration from the USA