Overall Prestige Beauty sales look promising for the holidays.
 
The U.S. Prestige beauty sector continues on a positive trend in the third quarter of 2015, reaching $3.2 billion in retail sales, up 7% increase over the same period last year. The findings were reported by The NPD Group. 
 
Makeup
Makeup continued to lead the offerings, with $1.5 billion in sales, a double-digit increase of 13%. All product categories were up double digits, with products for the face accounting for the most purchases (+14%), lip (+13%), and eye (+12%).
 
Largely driven by specific trends including contouring and strobing, the All Other Face segment grew by 49%. Eye brow makeup continues to experience double-digit sales increases; sales grew by 29% during these three months. Lip color and liner drove gains for the lip makeup segment, offsetting declines in lip gloss and other lip products.
 
Skin Care
Skin Care sales, which reached $1 billion (+2%) for the quarter, were in line with the boost in the summer season of sales of hair and sun products, by 20% and 9% respectively.
 
Facial skin care sales were nearly flat, but growth in products including skin care masks (+23%), facial cleansers (+6%), and acne treatment (+3%) helped keep the segment afloat.
 
Fragrance
While fragrance sales were up 2% in Q3, to $683 million, overall fragrance category growth was dampened due to an 11% decline in gift sets.
 
“The U.S. prestige beauty market is in a state of renewal and flux,” said Karen Grant, global beauty industry analyst, The NPD Group—and a member of Beauty Packaging’s Board of Advisors. “What this performance means heading into Q4 and the holidays is that while high-end skin care and gift sets have been the drivers of performance in the past, what’s driving the industry today has changed.  Fragrance sales are dynamic in core components like juices, while gift sets are becoming less prominent. The lines continue to blur between makeup and skin care as consumers look for immediate results through makeup and rediscover smaller primary care categories in skin care. Coming off the robust growth we’ve had throughout the year, all indications are that we can be optimistic in expecting a positive quarter and holiday season.”