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During the lockdown, consumers became comfortable in their skin and are now looking for products that won't compromise the health and vitality of their skin. As a result, the line between makeup and skincare categories has blurred lately.
Now that masks are coming off and we're all re-emerging from COVID-19 restrictions, brands and retailers have new opportunities to tap into.
The pandemic has made consumers more conscious of their choices, and they now look for skincare and makeup products that can help achieve maximum results with minimal effort. Hence, beauty consumers have changed their consumption habits and gravitated towards products with multiple benefits and uses.
During the lockdown, consumers became comfortable in their skin and are now looking for products that won't compromise the health and vitality of their skin. As a result, the line between makeup and skincare categories has blurred lately – with plenty of retailers and brands incorporating skincare ingredients into their makeup products – brands and retailers must deliver experiences and solutions that marry the two categories to fulfill consumer needs.
Delivering Hybrid Experiences: How Skincare and Makeup Blend Together
Today, consumers are looking for a more holistic approach to their lifestyle, diets, skin, and health. Therefore, they have become keener to care for themselves first and move in a direction where they feel more connected to themselves.
Now that we’re venturing out unmasked, we notice that consumers are looking for ways to treat their skin better. According to Revieve’s Health and Beauty Index, skin concerns that showed the most growth in January include redness (up 38 percent), hyperpigmentation (up 37 percent) and dullness (up 34 percent). Revieve also saw a 54 percent increase in purchase actions taken from its digital offerings due to the pandemic and whether people are going to stores.
Based on the Women’s Health Magazine findings, consumers have pared down their routines, and one category has emerged—skin-care/makeup hybrids. What makes this new wave of cosmetics unique is that in addition to offering coverage or color, they also “act as a skin moisturizer or protectant,” says Ginger King, a cosmetic chemist of 26 years.
The Current Landscape: Brands with Masterful Hybrid Collections and Products
Beauty brands have started offering hybrid and skincare products as consumers gravitate towards products that provide multiple benefits and uses. The fact that body positivity and skin acceptance has been a growing movement recently, combined with the shift to a more natural, 'imperfect' beauty ideal, clarifies that hybrid beauty is here to stay. The following is a list of makeup and skincare hybrid collections by some of the world's leading brands and retailers:
1. YSL Beauty, for instance, has just released a sneak peek of their new NU Skincare-Makeup Hybrid Collection. The "NU" collection consists of five items created with Gen Z for Gen Z. "NU”,which translates to 'naked' in French, embodies perfectly the freedom and authenticity rooted in the Yves Saint Laurent values," Laetitia Raoust, GM of YSL Beauty U.S., told HYPEBAE. "Our next-generation makeup-skincare hybrid collection invites everyone to be true to themselves, to embrace their imperfections and to bare it proudly. A simple, inclusive, and unapologetic statement aligned with our vision of beauty."
2. Guerlain also relies on hybrid cosmetics and combines innovative technologies in unique formulations. The Advanced Youth Watery Oil from the Abeille Royale range, for instance, combines the high-quality effect of a serum with the rich ingredients of oil while feeling as light as water.
3. La Mer's Soft Moisture Powder Foundation SPF 30 is another excellent example of a makeup-skincare hybrid product - a liquid foundation in powder form that also contains nourishing active ingredients and sun protection. The ultra-light hybrid formula gives the skin a flawless appearance and creates a fresh and healthy complexion for makeup purposes.
4. Erborian also offers a wide range of innovative products that serve both skincare and makeup needs. The collection consists of various options, from cleansing oil and gentle peel in one product to effective BB and CC creams that nourish, protect, and improve the skin while illuminating it with light-reflecting pigments.
The Future of the Hybrid Beauty Landscape: Technology and Its Role Augmenting Beauty Experiences
As the beauty landscape transformed with the growth of a decade packed into the span of a year, consumers’ needs and expectations went along that line. Consumers today are looking for easy discovery from brands, are willing to analyze and study products deeply, and understand their skin better before making a purchase decision.
In response, some beauty brands and retailers have doubled down on their need to display greater authenticity, extreme transparency, and digital-first everything. For instance, skincare experts started offering digital skincare consultations and advisor experiences, while makeup stylists have begun doing complete tutorials and makeovers online. Some of the world’s leading brands and retailers have chosen hybrid makeup and skincare experiences powered by AI and CV technology.
To provide a broad spectrum of personalized customer experiences described above, we have listed some criteria for beauty brands and retailers that will be critical for years to come.
- Mapping The Customer Journey - Taking A Walk In Their Shoes: Beauty brands and retailers have to provide their customers with a holistic experience around makeup and skincare: engaging, educating, and guiding them through their skin/makeup journey. Despite consumers proactively getting educated about skincare and different products and treatments, it doesn't remove the challenge of finding tailored products that fit their personal needs. For instance, Revieve's market-leading AI Skin Diagnostics detects the broadest range of skin conditions from a mobile-quality selfie image in real-time, which helps brands and retailers educate their customers about their skin concerns.
- Delivering Personalized Brand Experiences: Brands and retailers have to offer experiences that are in line with consumer expectations, and that can live anywhere where their brand is, whether that's in the shape of minimal skincare, at-home devices, or even AI and AR advisors, the opportunity here is to have a deep understanding of consumer needs.
- Selecting The Right Beauty Technology Partner That Offers Holistic Experiences: Brands and retailers must find the beauty technology partner that can fully help tailor brand experiences to the feel and philosophy unique to each brand so that it feels genuine, inclusive, and safe for the end consumer. It is also imperative for both retailers and brands to look for partners that can deliver an array of benefits, such as offering hybrid experiences that suit all brands' needs and that can accompany the brand or retailer through the implementation, deployment, and continuous improvement of the solution with data. Moreover, selecting a partner that can help achieve these experiences with the highest degree of privacy measures for the user.
- Incorporating AI/AR Technologies That Are Inclusive For Everyone: Today, it's imperative for brands to turn to AR and AI-based technologies, providing consumers better-tailored makeup products and skincare treatments. For instance, Revieve's proprietary Digital Health-Beauty-Wellness Platform features easy-to-use self-diagnostic modules that personalize search and shopping experiences by delivering consumers targeted products, services, and treatments tailored to all ages, ethnicities, and personal needs.
In Conclusion
Assistants such as the AI Skincare Advisor and AR Makeup Advisor by Revieve have become irreplaceable tools that help beauty brands deliver a more personalized one-on-one experience, marrying skincare and makeup categories. For instance, AR Makeup Advisor, powered by Revieve, enables customers to experiment with virtual try-on and informs and guides customers in recommending best-suited cosmetic products based on consumer input and online skincare diagnosis. Similar to in-store consultation, brands and retailers can now recommend products based on what they were initially looking for and provide the continuous purchase experience that results in increased conversation rate and basket size.
As the new guard of skincare-infused makeup will become a must, brands and retailers must rely on innovative tactics and technologies to connect with and build trust and community with shoppers online. As more and more customers look for authenticity and personalized touch, offering advisor experiences will continue to set some beauty brands apart from the rest.
