US Prestige Beauty Registers 2% Gain in Q2

In the second quarter of 2019, sales of US prestige beauty products were $4.3 billion, a 2% increase over Q2 2018, according to NPD Group’s latest data.

“Total beauty performance in the second quarter was positive across most categories, with hair and skin care posting the strongest gains. Fragrance, while positive, slowed its growth from earlier this year. Makeup was the only outlier, continuing to post declines that began during the first quarter of 2019,” said Larissa Jensen, beauty industry analyst, The NPD Group. “With this continued decline in makeup, and softening performance in fragrance, it is becoming increasingly important to identify trends leading to areas of growth in the beauty industry.”

As a category, skin care is still experiencing strong growth, up 7%, according to NPD, which noted that the facial masks category is showing signs of maturity with a decline in sales.

Consumer interest in masks may be waning due to the number of skin care brands delivering advanced technology in core products and a potential desire to simplify their routines. NPD did note that targeted treatments comprise many of the fastest growth segments in skin care, with growth in brighteners, acne treatments and exfoliators all up over 15%.

The prestige hair care market continues to post double-digit gains driven by explosive growth happening in specialized treatment and color products, both up double-digits in dollars, noted NPD. It appears that consumers are more interested in the overall care and health of their hair versus spending on style aids. Other prestige hair care products such as bond-builders and leave-in treatments are up 41% year-over-year. 

“We anticipate the second half of 2019 to experience growth across most categories, yet the makeup category will likely continue to struggle through the end of the year. As category performances ebb and flow, brands should consider that reacting to changes quickly will make their path to success easier,” added Jensen.