09.01.17
Prestige skincare versus makeup: The fluctuations in market growth continue as skincare growth (+6%) outpaced makeup growth (+4%) in the second quarter of 2017. Dollar-wise, makeup still led with $2 billion in sales versus $1.4 billion for skincare. Fragrance came in at $868.5 million, up +1% over the same period last year. These figures, reported by The NPD Group, brought total sales of U.S. prestige beauty products to $4.2 billion, a 4% increase over Q2 2016.
Every major segment in skincare grew, according to NPD, and at a higher rate than last year, while makeup’s growth has slowed. The market researcher also found “a hint of a comeback starting to be seen in the nail market,” reversing the trend that has been evident for the last couple of years.
As far as fragrance, Men’s sales (+4%) grew faster than Women’s (+1) in the quarter.
“Skincare’s accelerated growth is being driven by newer brands and products that are capturing greater market share. This is a continued trend as we have seen a lot of excitement and innovation in skincare coming from smaller, more limited distributed players, which resonate with the consumer desire for discovery and uniqueness,” said Larissa Jensen, executive director and beauty industry analyst, The NPD Group. “Makeup’s slowdown in performance has been observed since 2016, and amplified in 2017 by fewer launches, a struggling lip segment, and softening average prices. Despite this, there are areas of growth in the category, like palettes and sets, which may help fuel greater gains for the remainder of the year, as cost-conscious consumers continue to seek out value.”
Every major segment in skincare grew, according to NPD, and at a higher rate than last year, while makeup’s growth has slowed. The market researcher also found “a hint of a comeback starting to be seen in the nail market,” reversing the trend that has been evident for the last couple of years.
As far as fragrance, Men’s sales (+4%) grew faster than Women’s (+1) in the quarter.
“Skincare’s accelerated growth is being driven by newer brands and products that are capturing greater market share. This is a continued trend as we have seen a lot of excitement and innovation in skincare coming from smaller, more limited distributed players, which resonate with the consumer desire for discovery and uniqueness,” said Larissa Jensen, executive director and beauty industry analyst, The NPD Group. “Makeup’s slowdown in performance has been observed since 2016, and amplified in 2017 by fewer launches, a struggling lip segment, and softening average prices. Despite this, there are areas of growth in the category, like palettes and sets, which may help fuel greater gains for the remainder of the year, as cost-conscious consumers continue to seek out value.”
