01.22.23
Consumers are keen on mascara as a quick approach to touch up their roots, the power of lactic acid serum to improve skin texture, and water-based foundation for those with sensitive and oily skin. New York City-based market research firm Spate gives Happi all the details on the latest in beauty trends.
Hair Mascara
Beauty trends come and go, and right now we are in the midst of an early aughts renaissance. The latest product to experience a rebirth? Hair mascara, of course. For the newly initiated, hair mascara is a temporary hair color that can be used to cover gray hairs, add highlights, and tame flyaways and frizz. Piqued interest is evident in the search results, as searches for gray reveal consumers are seeking ways to cover up gray hair. Searches for neon showcase an opportunity for consumers to add fun colors to their tresses.
On average, there are 5.5K searches every month in the US for hair mascara, which is low volume relative to other hair makeup products. It’s grown +18.6% in searches since last year. Though L’Oreal is a top market leader, branded searches overall remain low making this trend low competition.
Searches for “how to use” and “what is” reveal that consumers are unsure how to use hair mascara. This presents a lot of opportunity for brands to work with UGC to make educational content around hair mascara products. There is also space for makeup brands to highlight the multifunctionality of a classic product.
Lactic Acid Serum
Lactic acid is what Spate calls “the grand master of the alpha hydroxy acids,” or AHAs. It can help to improve the texture and tone of the skin, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and promote a more even skin color. The search for resurfacing, hydrating, peel and exfoliating reveal the kinds of claims consumers are searching for when it comes to this type of skincare product. Brands should emphasize the benefits and effects of lactic acid in their marketing materials.
There are 2.8K searches on average every month in the US for lactic acid serum, a very low volume relative to other face serums. It’s grown +45.9% in searches since last year with very low competition and three market leaders: Biossance, The Inkey List, and Sunday Riley.
Searches for squalane and glycolic acid reveal that some consumers are interested in combining other ingredients with lactic acid when it comes to this skincare serum. There is a lot of opportunity for brands to bundle their products together and sell it at a discounted rate. Sunday Riley, a market leader in the space, is a good example of a brand bundling their bestsellers together and excelling.
Water-Based Foundation
Water-based formulas are ideal for people with sensitive or oily skin. With so many options on the market, consumers are looking to understand the difference between foundation products with different formulations and their benefits evident in searches for silicone and oil. Brands offering silicone, water, or oil-based foundations have the opportunity to educate consumers on which primers, moisturizers and more work best with each formula to avoid separation or pilling.
On average, there are 15.2K searches every month in the US for water-based foundation, which is medium volume relative to other searches for foundation products. It’s grown +43.9% in searches since last year with high competition and six market leaders: Tarte, Maybelline, and L’Oreal. Tarte is being searched for a specific product. Consumers are searching Maybelline and L’Oréal to see if their popular foundations are in fact water-based.
Searches for “coverage” alongside “water-based foundation” indicate that consumers are concerned about the coverage of these lightweight formulas. Brands should be clear about the coverage their foundation provides when working on the product copy and marketing materials, Spate said.