Mineral Makeup’s Growth is Supernatural

Led by market leader Bare Escentuals, demand for mineral makeup continues to soar. According to Information Resources, Inc., mass market sales of these products jumped from $4.5 million in 2005 to $149 million last year. Of course, that total doesn’t includes sales from department stores, boutiques or non-traditional retail channels like the internet or infomercials.

Leading the way is Bare Escentuals, the San Francisco company that started the mineral makeup category back in 1976. Last year, the company posted sales of $511 million, up from $394.5 million the year before. Bare Escentuals’s success has prompted multinationals such as Revlon and L’Oréal to enter the fast-growing category. These entries  help explain how mineral makeup launches jumped from 132 in 2005 to 451 in 2007.