The beauty tradeshow market is nearly saturated; which makes it all the more refreshing when an established event showcases real innovation. And based on what Cosmetics Design saw at this year’s MakeUp In New York event as well as on conversations this publication had with an array of industry stakeholder attendees during the course of the show, MakeUp In New York was a significant event this year.
Here are a handful of trends seen at MakeUp In New York 2019:
Eco everything
At booth after booth at MakeUp In New York, suppliers were showcasing more sustainable solutions. APR Packaging Inc., a global industry supplier specializing in packaging and formulations had, perhaps, the largest selection of eco-friendly packaging options. Tom Lee, senior vice president of APR Packaging Group, showed Cosmetics Design packaging designs made from biodegradable resin, black-tone PCR packaging, a collection of packaging made from bamboo, a line made from paperboard, and perhaps most notably, a patented live-hinge wood compact. The makeup container Lee showed was made entirely of wood (no glue), was printed with water-based ink, and featured a unique flexible hinge design.
Other exhibitors at this year’s MakeUp In New York showing eco options include Sea Cliff Beauty. That company’s vice president of sales and marketing Rod Vilencia showed Cosmetics Design a line of packaging made of a sugarcane-based material by Braskem (of Brazil). And he told us that “at this show, people are looking at green…and at post-consumer packaging.”
And that sentiment was shared by exhibitors across the show floor. Brush maker Pennelli Faro was again showing its Ecosophy line at MakeUp In this year. The line made its debut in 2017 but at the time got “got very little response,” according to Maurizio Arletti, the company sales director. While this year people were very interested. That particular line of Pennelli Faro brushes features aluminum ferrules, handles made from recycled food containers, and vegan bristles.
Advanced applicators
Kindu Packing, a company based in China, was showing an innovative alternative to the doe-foot applicator design commonly used with lip color, lip care, and concealer products. Carina Li of Kindu showed Cosmetics Design the company’s new wand tip, which is similar in form and function to the flocked doe-foot, but is instead a single textured material created with a one-time injection process (no glue is required).
In collaboration with Pylote, Asquan Group was showing mascara applicator brushes infused with bacteria-killing ceramic microspheres at MakeUp In New York. The new technology is on track to revolutionize material production across industries. And Pylote’s managing director of business tells Cosmetics Design that the company’s microspheres have already been successfully used in the pharma space to eliminate the need for preservative ingredients in certain ophthalmic treatment products.
Jespon was showing an interesting hydrophilic applicator sponge at this year’s show. And Olivia Oh of HNB Corporation showed Cosmetics Design a stylish new two-brush applicator called the And Or Brush for use with complexion products like bronzer, highlighter, and blush.
Stackable color cosmetics
Stackable products continue to gain momentum. And the 2019 MakeUp In New York was a good place to see the latest and most promising stackable styles.
Cosmei was showing a modular, multi-product pencil design called Un-Deux-Trois. Shya Hsin Group had a very cute stackable container for 4 color complexion or contour products. And Roberts Beauty was showing an array of connected stackable color products in round, square, and septagonal designs.
And as if confirming the prevalence of the stackable trend, some beauty makers at MakeUp In were showing false stackable designs—packaging that looks like a series of stacked products but that, for instance, only contained a single lip color.
Side-stream ingredients
While numerous full-service and turn-key suppliers were exhibition at MakeUp In New York this year, the bio-fermentation and clean beauty offering from Cosmetics Technics Korea stood out. The company was showing a colorful collection of products packaged in conical bottles that are, according to the display, made from “the by-products and wastes of natural resources….The Bio-Conservation process transforms waste into usable products that provide super charged ingredients to help deliver powerful benefits.
Innovative dispensers
Refillable airless packaging from Yonwoo Pkg and Cosmei’s Starscraper caught the attention of Cosmetics Design at this year’s MakeUp In New York show.
Consumer interest in both refillable packaging and formulations with few or no preservatives had packaging makers at an impasse. But Yonwoo hopes to have found the solution with its selection of airless refills. With this solution, some packaging does go to waste or require separation and cleaning, but much less so than with a conventional airless product pump.
The Starscraper from Cosmei is more about limiting product waste than packaging waste. The design incorporates a solid eyeshadow extrusion that is dialed up through a metal mesh and turned into a powder for application by brush or fingertip.
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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.
