Makeup, Fragrance Drive Q1 Beauty Sales

In the first quarter of 2015, sales of US prestige beauty products were $2.6 billion, a 5% increase from Q1 2014, driven by makeup and fragrance, according to The NPD Group. Skin care sales remained flat after experiencing growth for the past three consecutive quarters, according to the Port Washington, NY-based market analysis firm. 

Makeup outperformed the overall prestige market and experienced double-digit growth across many segments, including lip liner, eye brow makeup, and face applicators. Within skin care, although the market overall appeared to remain stagnant, there was notable movement happening on a segment-level. As with makeup, lip and facial products were bright spots for the category, particularly skin care masks, face supplements and lip treatment, which all grew double-digits. Within fragrance, juices saw healthy growth, and candles, fresheners, and other home fragrance ancillaries were key drivers in Q1.

“In beauty it is becoming increasingly important to dig deeper and see what’s happening underneath. Today, the topline trends reveal but a fraction of the prestige beauty story,” explained Karen Grant, global beauty industry analyst, The NPD Group, Inc. “Less traditional and often smaller categories continue to emerge as the big winners of growth. The trends are more diverse and moving faster. Looking closer at these elements driving the market are essential for the industry to respond in step with the quickening pulse of today’s consumer trends.”