Social classes and economic issues aside, a new study by Canadean Research reports that looking beautiful is of utmost importance to young Brazilian women. The findings show that the Brazilian beauty market is growing rapidly – despite Brazil’s shrinking economy. 
 
According to the report, the value of the makeup market in Brazil will increase from BRL 7.1 billion (US$3.2 billion) in 2013 to BRL 13.4 billion (US$5.1 billion) by the end of 2018, despite the downward spiral of the rest of the economy in Brazil, which has been registering negative economic growth in three of the last four quarters. This shows that the Brazilian makeup market is booming—even in times of low consumer confidence and in poorer areas of the country.
 
The Desire to be Beautiful
Canadean says the desire to look beautiful is a strong driver behind the growth in the Brazilian makeup market, motivating 21.4% of makeup consumption. Canadean also found that the average consumer of beauty products in Brazil is young and female: Brazilian women applied a makeup product 24 billion times in 2013, accounting for 85% of all makeup applications. Moreover, women aged between 16 and 34 carry out 40% of makeup applications. 
 
Kirsty Nolan, analyst at Canadean, says: “Young women seek a professional image in the workplace and are more willing to experiment for special occasions. They are also more likely to follow the fashion, regularly changing their makeup look to keep up with the latest trends.” 
 
Key for Success: Direct Sales and Private Label
 Selling products directly to consumers away from a fixed retail location is very popular in the Brazilian makeup market. Direct sales provide an enjoyable experience for consumers, as they can take a little time out to browse the catalogue and build a good relationship with their local sales representative. Catalogue order companies such as Avon, Natura and Sephora are leading in direct sales and have also successfully established their own private label brands. Those companies can not only offer consumers a good range of products straight to their door at affordable prices, but they also have more control over profit margins.
 
Nolan says: “International makeup brands need to adopt some of these principles in order to succeed in the Brazilian makeup market. Products need to be affordable and attainable for young women. Effective channels of distribution, such as agreements with established direct sellers or relationships with local shops and salons, are the key to success.”