Joyful, playful and fun beauty is here

11 May --- In 2021, as spring arrives, brands are making the most out of the rising demand for makeup, skin care, hair care and fragrance brands that offer a welcome glimmer of lightheartedness.

Whether it is through innovative new formats, bold shades, novel ingredients, attractive packaging, or intriguing communication strategies — beauty and personal care (BPC) consumers are seeking adventure, nostalgia, indulgence and impulse from their beauty engagements and collections. 

At the heart of fun beauty is hope, optimism and joy. “Everyone is keen to put 2020 behind them and plan for a more optimistic future,” shares Imogen Matthews, Premium Beauty Insights Consultant. “Makeup brands are banking on pent up consumer demand once society opens up and consumers can shop for makeup in person once more,” adds Matthews.

Makeup gets a fun makeover

Click to EnlargeTinted nail glosses, spring-inspired shades, unique textures such as holographic and jelly finishes, bold colors and glitter are all in. Their presence is helping to soften the blow of the dwindling penetration that makeup has experienced in recent years, the Innova Makeup Trends Analysis Report released in March 2021 reveals. From 2016-2020, Innova data shows a decline in penetration of -5.6%.

Widespread store closures, discretionary spending and work-from-home scenarios due to COVID-19 crisis have contributed to its reduced hold, as well as all-natural looks rising in popularity. However, our appetite for fun beauty choices shows promise for a flourishing makeup landscape to re-emerge. 

The arrival of new product development (NPD) launches focuses on limited editions, unique ranges including hard-to-ignore sour candy nail colors and museum-inspired collections. Eye-catching holiday-inspired designs also help stir nostalgia and adventure in BPC consumers, who, in 2021, want to ramp up the fun and enjoyment of makeup through their beauty buys. 

Eye color is a strong focus, due to the ongoing wearing of face masks, with an emphasis on bold shades and shapes, such as winged liner. “It’s all about having fun, playing with product and self-expression,” highlights Matthews. Look for captivating color pallette and chunky pencils that enable our faces to become creative canvases.

Even lipsticks are expected to come back strongly and should not be written off, Matthews emphasizes: “Makeup artist Lisa Eldridge refutes the notion that masks spell the end of lipstick and says that women send her videos of themselves pulling down face masks to reveal their lipstick.” Sharing the brand’s success in the lipstick space, Matthews notes: “Sales of her True Velvet lipstick line are up 50% on last year.”

Fun launches

Click to EnlargeFun launches to look out for may include glitter.From palette launches to nail polishes and glitter, we take a look at some of the launches that reflect consumers’ need for playful and joyful beauty that are packed full of fun:

• Misslyn Milkshake combines fragrances and nail color in its Perfume Nail Polish that hit the shelves in Germany in September 2020. It is a scented nail polish that strives to give rich color intensity. The nail polish comes with an innovative brush to maximize enjoyment during application.
• Vogue Diamond Glitter Gel Effect Diamond Shine emerged in Mexico in July 2020 as a high coverage flat brush gloss that lasts up to 10 days. 
• Sensationail Silver Glitter Fever Gel Color was released in the US in September 2020 and is advertised as a gel nail polish that gives more shine to nails. 
• Sugar Rush Surf Babe Eye And Cheek Palette displays its color palette in a surfboard style format. Launched in Singapore in September 2020, it contains bright colors that aim to create “super wearable looks.” 
• Fluide strives to marry optimism and joy with doing something good to protect the planet. All via its biodegradable glitter that is made from biodegradable cellulose and described as ocean-friendly. The brand aims to help consumers create a statement and make a statement for the planet. 
• Starface is hard to miss with its bright, smiley, yellow packaging and eye-popping branding. Its Hydro-Stars hydrocolloid spot treatment aims to absorb, heal and protect. The pimple protectors are clinically proven to absorb fluid, reduce inflammation and are shaped to grip the contours of the face. 
• Florence by Mills pairs beauty with fruit to create a fruit-inspired skin care range that reeks of nostalgia and summer-loving picnic fun. Its Feed Your Soul Berry in Love Pore Mask is a brightening pore mask, infused with fruits including blackberry, cranberry, blueberry, pomegranate, black currant, sweet cherry extract and watermelon extract. 
• Depixym is all about makeup without rules. Its cosmetic emulsion products come in bright, bold colors including blue, green, pink and orange. The brand says on its website: “Use as a base, a liner, a lash, a lip... wherever the bloody hell you want!”.
• Funderm unveiled its Was Bad invisible anti-pimples gel treatment. The 4-in-1 treatment is designed to take gentle care of pimple-prone skin. Its bright packaging communicates its playful nature. 
• 3ina released its pigmented lipstick in 40 different shades, including bold colors like Deep Winter Green, Ultra Violet and Sky Blue.
• Squish Beauty has launched its limited edition squish smoosh moisturizer, describing it as “non-irritating & hydrating AF.”

One category of brands keen to make a big fun-based mark on beauty in 2021 is the premium makeup segment. We can expect to see a wave of new entrants in the premium makeup space, with brands eager to progress with delayed formulation and production plans. “Premium brands are keen to move on with launch programs for products which were put on hold due to the coronavirus,” communicates Matthews.

Increasingly, we can expect to see makeup and skin care used as a means of self-expression in a positive, fun and frivolous way. Consumers want to communicate their joy and showcase their playfulness. Consumers and brands alike are recognizing the transformative power of makeup and the effect our BPC routines can have on our wellness. Vibrancy, wash-on, playful beauty that creates added joy and represents fun is here.

By Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe, BPC Insights Senior Journalist