It’s been a stellar year so far for Coty. Brands are expanding to include novel marketing outreach via social media; formulators are innovating to create new products to satisfy rising shopping trends and the company even is adding to its retail concepts. Shannon Curtin,SVP North America, Consumer Beauty, Coty, shares insight on new developments at the company by way of cosmetics.
 
Happi What are shoppers looking for in beauty and where do they go to find the latest products?
 
Shannon Curtin: While trends today are fundamentally changing how consumers shop, mass retail continues to be an important channel for all beauty players. We firmly believe in this segment, and feel it’s an incredibly exciting time to be in the mass channel. As a self-service market, the technological evolution is going to allow brands to elevate the consumer experience in this channel more than ever before.
 
Our partnership with concept retail space Story is a great example of how Coty is approaching new consumer experiences that challenge the traditional beauty retail model. Beauty Story served as an experiential playground and living lab, allowing our team to test retail concepts quickly.
 
This included: YouCam Makeup’s augmented reality Makeup Mirrors, Clairol’s interactive touch-screen system from Perch Interactive to showcase Color Crave temporary and semi-permanent hair colors, CoverGirl station where consumers could use the A1-Array 3D Photo Booth to take a selfie in front of a display of the brand’s products and Rimmel offered complimentary product from a digital vending machine to those who pose for a photo against a street art in-store backdrop.
 
When we dial in to the categories that are seeing the most success at mass retail today, we find that our partners are selling through more mascara and lip products than other cosmetics.
 
At Coty, we’re investing heavily in these categories. CoverGirl’s Spring 18 collection,  including Peacock Flare Mascara and the new Melting Pout lip collection, is the first to be released in alignment with the new brand vision, “I am what I make up.” These products were developed to inspire our consumers to embrace their unique identities and unapologetically create any version of themselves with makeup.
 
Also, liquid lip formulas are still as popular as ever. Rimmel London has created an affordable, expansive shade range of liquid lips with Stay Matte Liquid Lip Color by Rimmel London. The formula and shades fit all looks, whether every day understated or an evening bold.
 
In the nail space, we see a lot of our younger consumers turning to social media to discover unique, exciting trends and products. Our teams are incredibly dialed-in to these channels, using them as a source for inspiration in product innovation and development.
 
Last February, our Sally Hansen team started to see the Chrome effect trending heavily among salon professionals and influencers. Before long, mass consumers were hot on the trail. As a brand that prides itself on bringing salon experiences home, our Sally Hansen team got to work and quickly launched Chromes. We delivered the consumer exactly what they wanted, when they wanted it, with simplified application at an affordable price point.
 
While trends help consumers explore new looks, many remain loyal to iconic brands they believe and trust. Sally Hansen, which has been around since the 1940s, is one of those beloved brands that appeals to different generations of shoppers. 
 
Happi: What are the hottest trends right now in color cosmetics and why?
 
SC: Above all, it’s critical to acknowledge that beauty is being redefined on a daily basis - by consumers' age, gender, sexuality, skin/hair/body types and so much more. There is no “one size fits all.” At Coty, we’re inspired and emboldened by this industry shift – we believe that the real power of beauty comes to life when individuality and self-expression are championed.
 
In the U.S., two of our recent relaunches – Sally Hansen and CoverGirl – have shown us that when we reflect our Coty purpose of celebrating and liberating the diversity of beauty, the response from retailers and consumers is overwhelmingly positive
 
Consumers are also looking for products that fit their routines, their unique needs and allow them to customize their looks.
 
Specific products we see gaining traction are face masks, highlighters, and contour kits. Rimmel London is providing consumers with all the tools they need to create everyday “edgy looks” – like the new InstaStrobing Highlighter, which is a 2-in-1 highlighter and illuminator that can be applied on its own or mixed with a foundation. Rimmel London also offers Stay Matte Liquid Lip Color which comes in 14 intense shades, including black, blue, and grey or the new Magnif’Eyes Colour Palette with 12 intense, bold shadows, ranging from bright cream to burn orange to indigo.
 
CoverGirl is sharply focused on listening to what consumers want, creating products that both address these needs and anticipate upcoming trends. The Spring 18 collection is an example of this coming to life. It includes some of this year’s must-have items, from Melting Pout Metallics Lipstick, Glitz Topcoat (a glittering top coat for lips), to the Vitalist Healthy Glow Makeup Collection (including Go Glow Luminizing Lotion, Highlighters, Setting Spray, and more) and the Easy Breezy Brow Micro-Fine Fill + Define Brow Pencil.
 
In the nail category, trends are moving faster than ever before. Sally Hansen is dedicated to finding the most exciting and buzzy salon nail trends and bringing them to the “at home” user - as seen with the recent Salon Chromes launch in 2017, and now Sally Hansen’s latest launch for 2018, Design 3D Knit Appliques.
 
Happi: Are there any ingredients that are big right now in cosmetics and why?
 
SC: Consumers are more educated than ever when it comes to products, ingredients and claims. Many are looking for long-lasting, brightening, illuminating and hydrating products. Rimmel London launched the new Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation that features high-tech film formers, ensuring makeup lasts longer. Also, the CoverGirl Vitalist Healthy Glow Makeup Collection was designed with good-for-your-skin ingredients to help achieve the ultimate healthy glow. For example, the Vitalist Go Glow Luminizing Lotion is a luminous lightweight hydrating formula packed with vitamins, and hydrates all day. We’re seeing a big shift in the industry toward combining beauty and skin care benefits into one product.
 
Happi: What are the future trends in beauty for later on in the season?
 
SC: Customization will be absolutely necessary in future beauty products, whether a simple, fun, DIY kit or a more complex innovation. At Coty, we live and breathe beauty – and we’re committed to building a culture of customization and inclusivity throughout our entire brand portfolio. You’ll see this through our new campaigns for Rimmel London, Sally Hansen, and CoverGirl, which invite all consumers to be part of the conversation.
 
Rimmel London, with the help of new chief artistic officer Indie184, is amplifying its edgy persona by taking inspiration from Street Beauty. The new Art of Beauty Campaign looks to the trends that are emerging from the ground up, through local subcultures of street beauty found across America.
 
CoverGirl is paving the path for one of the 2018 trends I find most compelling: using makeup as a tool for self-expression. As you know, we announced a transformation of the CoverGirl brand in October, which set out a powerful new expression of the brand’s purpose: “I Am What I Make Up.” Our aim is to inspire people to embrace their unique identities and unapologetically create any version of themselves, or who they want to be, with makeup.
 
Today’s consumer is all about trying different looks and wants as many options as possible. We’re all about self-expression, so if self-expression is easy, awesome. If self-expression is a contoured face with 19 products, that’s awesome too!