NPD Reports Prestige Beauty Sales Soar This Summer

According to beauty market research conducted by The NPD Group, Inc., a leading market research company, year-to-date, January through May 2011, total prestige makeup sales increased by nine percent to $1.4 billion in U.S. department stores. For the month of May alone, makeup posted its strongest dollar performance (+ 11%) in the last three years.Prestige makeup segments (Face, Eye, Lip, Sets, Other Color, and Nail) all posted healthy sales gains in the first five months. The trends in dramatic eyes, soft lip shades, and bold and bright nail colors all contributed to the growth.

The eye segment gained nearly 10% dollar growth during January through May 2011 vs. the same time period in 2010. Sub-segments like eye shadow and mascara both grew 11 percent in dollar sales, while eyebrow products grew 10%. In mascara, all the products with benefits showed growth. The two benefits that experienced the largest growth in mascara were volume and definition, growing 17 and 14%, respectively.

“The trend in makeup today is all about accentuating. The return in popularity of eye products comes with a shift from strong or playful colors, and all-purpose mascaras, to products that subtly punctuate and dramatize features around a flawless and yet natural looking face,” said Karen Grant, vice president and senior global industry analyst, The NPD Group.

“The triple play is in eye shadow, eyebrow, and mascara.Eyes are defined by eye shadows in nude to neutral shades, offset by defined brows, and emphasized with full, striking lashes.This return to drama – sophisticated, subtle drama, which we began to see in the latter half of 2010 plays upon fashion, as well as, perfectly complementing the natural trend in face products,” said Grant.

The lip segment continues to do well, due mostly to the growth in lip color. In the first five months, lip color posted double-digit dollar growth of 13%, compared to the same time last year, while the once very popular lip gloss segment increased only 1% in dollar sales. Pink was the dominant color, garnering most of the lip color growth in the first five months of the year.