When the Bloomingdale’s “Beauty Benefits” catalog arrived in mid-April, it came as no surprise that seven out of the 10 products featured on the cover were cosmetics-oriented.

Color innovation and makeup product news continues to be a primary retail beauty driver in today’s economic climate. Cosmetics is valued as a star performer in the personal care product sector today. The magic of packaged-to-go glamour, foundation and powders, eye makeup and lip and nail color products, continues to generate excitement as a category thanks to favorable fashion trends and new product innovations.

Bobbi Brown introduces the Shimmerbrick Compact.

Follow the Numbers
Technological breakthroughs and stylish fashion trends have proven successful in drawing consumer interest to a category dominated by innovation. Euromonitor International, the worldwide market research company based in Chicago, reported that global color cosmetics (facial makeup, eye makeup and lip products) reached a weighty volume of $22.6 billion in global retail value sales in 2002, reflecting a healthy 17% growth trend over the five year period 1997 through 2002.

For the same three main categories of cosmetics, the U.S. market tallied $7.07 billion in 2002 in retail value sales, a 39% increase for the same period.

The eye makeup sub sector led growth with a 26.4% global increase from 1997 through 2002—increasing 42.6% in the U.S. alone. Lip color products also performed well with results up 16.2% globally and increasing 46.2% in the U.S. Facial makeup grew at a slower pace of 11.9% globally and 31.9% in the U.S. Growth of this category has slowed in recent years, barely budging in 2002, as consumers are migrating away from foundations to tinted moisturizers and self-tanners.

Gaze into a Crystal Ball
Overall, the outlook for the color market remains positive. While Euromonitor statistics show color category growth in the U.S. slowed to a 3.4% sales increase in 2002 (compared to 5.2% in 2001), it forecast a healthy increase of 8% from 2002 to 2007.

Euromonitor expects the focus to be on eye and lip color news as products that address the consumer’s desire for longer wear, easier application and treatment-oriented formulations are delivered with renewed manufacturer zeal.

Delivering on these multi-faceted demands is forecast to drive global sales of the eye color category up 19.8% by 2007. According to Euromonitor’s future outlook, lip color products will almost match this performance for the period with sales projected to rise 19.2%. Global sales of facial makeup is expected to increase by 12.5% by 2007.

Projections for the U.S. market are not as optimistic, although Euromonitor’s forecast is that eye makeup and lip color product categories will lead U.S. cosmetic sector growth, with increases of 11.6% and 11%, respectively. Less impressive, yet still positive, sales of facial makeup in the U.S. are expected to rise slightly by 3.2%.

Facial/Treatment Products
To attract baby boomers looking for makeup that minimizes the effects of aging, manufacturers continue to roll-out new facial products with wrinkle-minimizing light reflective technology, firming, anti-aging and SPF 15 benefit claims.

Watch for new developments, including Clinique’s Dewy Smooth Anti-Aging makeup SPF 15, Almay’s SPF 15 Skin Smoothing foundation with Kinetin and Neutrogena’s Visibly Firm Moisture makeup. Introductions like these are designed to bolster facial makeup product sales as they tempt consumers with promises of obscuring lines and wrinkles.

Biotherm’s Play On eye shadow features the collection’s silver compact.

New Brands to Watch
New innovative prestige lines are changing the U.S. retail scene. Biotherm, a L’Oréal division, entered the arena with the Spring 2003 introduction of Skin Loving Colors, comprised of 137 SKUs. Targeting the brand’s youthful core customer, Chris Harrison, general manager of Biotherm USA, has set a goal to reach out to teens and twenty-sometings shopping in U.S. department stores.

Harrison stated, “We intend to double our business in the next year, and of that, 35-40% will be in color.”

The visionary behind Biotherm’s Skin Loving Colors playful palette of products is Dutch makeup artist Ellias Faas, who follows her own sense of beauty. “Biotherm wanted to create a range of totally different makeup which would go beyond predisposed style codes and rules. I had to create new, timeless colors; colors that were both bright and wearable that women could use without having to change their personalty.”

“Skin Loving Colors confirms Biotherm is an extraordinarily cool, youthful brand that brings together all the elements of beauty that a woman needs,” stated Luc Nadeau, president, Luxury Products Division, L’Oréal USA.

Other newer names like Tony&Tina, a designer brand of prestige cosmetic brands acquired by Wella AG in 2002, aims to extend its color product line up to attract consumers beyond its initial youthful target.

YSL introduces six shades of Teint Parfait to add radiance and enhance the complexion. Such simplicity and transparency in packaging are key to showcase product for Summer 2003.

Calling itself “cosmetics committed to the power of color, aroma and positive thought,” Tony&Tina is “designed to help evoke the next evolutionary step where the physical and spiritual world merge.” Cofounders Christina (Tina) Bornstein and Tony Gill say the line reaches out to “mothers and daughters with magnetic energy colors corresponding to the human Chakra system.”

New product introductions include Charcoal eye pencils and Stick foundations that promise “good for your skin” color with therapeutic benefits.

The brand’s contemporary packaging features a wide variety of metallic silver and translucent stock packaging. Cost-consciousness and resourcefulness are reflected throughout the brand.

LOLA Cosmetics, founded by Hollywood’s Victoria Jackson, has recently made its debut in specialty stores including Henri Bendel, Nordstrom’s as well as the new LOLA Boutique in Los Angeles. The collection, packaged in glamorous, matte red cases and compacts, embraces the playful nature and distinctive personality of the upscale, hip color line-up.

Estée Lauder offers Amber Bronze with products for face and lips. Packaging has translucent amber accents.

Seasonal Cosmetic Colors
Traditional prestige brands including Estée Lauder, Lancôme, Chanel, YSL, Christian Dior, Clarins and Guerlain continue to center attention on seasonal introductions with color, formula and packaging news all wrapped-up in one.

Witness the width and breath of the range of 16 products (in a total of 33 shades) included in Lancôme’s Supernature Spring 2003 Color Collection as one example. Fashion’s current emphasis on feminine, yet sporty looks plays into this picture beautifully, romancing the consumer to create a luminous face with a strong focus on eye features.

Bobbi Brown’s look for Summer 2003 remains true to the brand’s image of natural beauty subtly enhanced with products that add a sun-kissed glow with a touch of shimmer.

All Over Bronzing gel SPF 15, Sandstone blush and the Shimmer Brick compact are among introductions for Summer 2003. The Shimmer Brick Compact, a sleek square, features five shades with pearl pigments.

Bobbi’s popular SPF 15 Lip Shine, presented in slim black and gold tubes, offers five new summer shades with lip-pampering/protecting ingredients—Shea Butter, antioxidant Vitamins C and E and SPF 15 keeps lips protected.

Chanel Double Contraste Palm Beach compact (above left) is a limited edition holding two shades of blush, two shades of lip gloss and a miniature lip pencil. Chanel’s Glossimer Extreme Star Sprinkled lip color (above right) is available in six shades showcased in transparent packaging.

Shimmer is in Vogue
Translucent coverage and shimmer highlights are highly sought after benefits in color today. Sophisticated iridescent shades of gold, silver or copper offer a bewitching glow as demonstrated with Chanel’s new Glossimer Extreme/Star-Sprinkled lip color, available in six shades. The minimalist translucent packaging features the color formula itself as the main focal element. Chanel’s Soleil Silky Bronzing powder is a quilted blanket of iridescent light and medium shades of bronzing pigments pressed into a chic black signature Chanel compact.

Cover Girl’s Fall 2003 color introductions include the unveiling of a new EyeShimmer pen, to be introduced in six shades and featured throughout the romantic look of the Love Sonnet Collection. One click of the EyeShimmer pen delivers a single-even coat of shimmery-satin color that promises not crease.

Origins focuses their attention on lid-loving eye delicacies with the introduction of Underwear for Lids Delicate Color for Eyes (available in five cool shades). Simple silver metallic packaging is the consistent component utilized across the brand, delivering an identifiable signature look for standout in-store merchandising.

As the Pro’s See It
Professional makeup artists Vincent Longo, Paula Dorf, Laura Mercier and Linda Cantello are all building loyal color consumer followings with product lines that bear their names. Innovative color introductions—season after season—is their signature. These designer lines also share a simplistic approach to packaging.

Vincent Longo offers “dare to bare” color confidence with products like Lip/Cheek Gel Stain (in five shades) and felt-tip Gloss and Highlight Shadow Afresco-Matic.

Paula Dorf’s Jet Set Glo and Just Glo face tint’s are shining favorites as are her face, eye and lip color kits presented in sleek black compacts that invite customizing shade selection.

Celebrity makeup artist Laura Mercier infuses Laura Mercier Cosmetics with exciting seasonal color product introductions such as Film Noir. New additions are often incorporated into the total color product line-up, which has grown from 150 SKUs at the initial 1996 launch to 307 today. Simplicity is the Laura Mercier signature with matte brown packaging consistent for compacts, cases and closures. With decorative stamping in metallic silver and cartons in matte silver, the image adds up to a statement of achievable glamour, made up of “as much or as little drama as one would like,” according to Mercier.

Packed with Added Value Punch
The kaleidoscope of color products and shades that Clinique is currently introducing are packed with new ideas that deliver added value. The brand is out to tempt fashion-conscious consumers with choices that simplify color coordination with paired shades packaged-to-go. Clinique’s Pair of Shades eye shadow duos (available in 16 combinations) provides a wide range of go-together eye colors for tone-on-tone highlighter and shading variation.

Rich Texture blush is another Clinique introduction that delivers extras with a speckling of three blush shades in one powder compact. Available in four shade palettes, it incorporates the newest powder pressing technique to impart natural, multi-layered color.

Lancôme’s new Collection of Color Focus Duo eyecolor features two complementary shades in one spherical pan with a transparent window lid to showcase the shades. Utilizing its exclusive Jetfine technology, exceptionally fine shadow particles are compacted side-by-side to provide outstanding blendability, superior comfort and long-lasting wear—all under one lid.

Kits Provide Added Value
Multi-product cosmetic kits have proven to be star performers on the current retail mass merchandising scene. According to ACNielsen’s 52-week review of mass market outlets (excluding Wal-Mart), sales of cosmetics increased a significant 19.3% for the for the period ending Feb. 22, 2003.

ACNielsen tracks eye makeup, facial makeup, lip products, nail care, talc and dusting powder, as well as cosmetic kits sold through the mass market.

Cosmetic kit sales at mass increased 12% to $49.2 million over the same period a year ago fueled by consumers’ demand for value-added products. The category has not however rebounded to the record level of $51.2 million established in 2001.

Lancome’s Colour Focus Duo Exceptional Wear EyeColour Duo features two shades in one windowed compact.

Suppliers Meet the Challenge
Cost has become the over-riding constraint in new color cosmetic packaging developments as manufacturers strive to be innovative on a budget. Packaging suppliers have responded with more stock case and compact options available in a wider variety of sizes, shapes and finishes.

Techpack America, New York, NY, features translucent round- and concave-shaped compacts with decorating options including holographic foil. Square acrylic containers (for lipstick, blush and loose powders) come easy from World Wide Packaging, Livingston, NJ. Look to source aluminum tins with screw-on caps from O. Berk Company, Union, NJ. Call upon Cosmopak, New York, NY, for stock/color matched eye and lip pencils with pointed, chiseled or soft-touch tips. Pencils are the specialty of Schwan-Stabilo Cosmetics, Heroldsberg, Germany, which offers over 10,000 colors, numerous textures and virtually any décor desired to dress liners for eyes and lips.

DieterBakic Enterprises, Munich, Germany, demonstrates sophisticated special effect finishing methods for a variety of packaging including lipstick cases and compacts.

Niob of Berlin, CT introduces packaging innovations like press-in button eye shadow compacts.

Risdon-AMS, Watertown, CT, offers innovation for caps, closures and primary packaging for lips, eyes and face products.

Locating the packaging solution to match your needs is the tough part and this too is being addressed as suppliers like Rexam Beauty & Closures (Purchase, NY) and HCT Packaging (Bedminster, NJ) ease the process with a CD catalog of their cosmetic collections. Design experts like Marc Rosen, Gregg Lukasiewicz, Michelle Nahum-Albright and Lynn Ruvino further aim to simplify packaging selections with a familiarity in sourcing components and decorating abilities.