A new tide of optimism is being announced, unleashing freedom of expression through the uprise of artistic looks. The Beauty landscape broadens to new creative levels, propelled by GenZ brands that theatricalize self-expression and prioritize disruptive color looks. To fight boredom in lockdowns or celebrate restrictions lifting, emotional art remains the best way to reconnect with one's creativity. Artistic makeup makes a comeback with bold styles and colorful products. Moreover, with digital technology fully integrated into everyday life, new dimensions are explored in self-expression territories.

Here is an extract of our latest trend reports revealing the new staging of color and the implication for innovation.

LIMITLESS HUMANOID

Infinity is now the limit of human creativity, as colored liners and ultra-pigmentation redefine makeup art. Fantasy with unique looks and dreamlike experiences prevail on social media – going above and beyond the body territory. During the Byredo makeup collection launch, the brand shared photos where the models have randomly applied different makeup textures all over their faces. Some creative Instagram accounts theatricalize colorful designs on the ears and lips, such as @marthamakeupartist, or showcase tricolor nail cascades at @nailshawty.

Source: Instagram @nailshawty nails art.

For makeup innovations, it creates a multitude of possibilities as consumers focus on self-expression. According to Spate NYC (May 2021), the searches and interest for inner eyeliner have grown +77.4% since last year. It resonates with the growing demand for colored liners: at Haus Laboratories with the Eye-Dentify Gel Pencil Eyeliner; at Freck Beauty with The Alien Eyes Lid Lick, which plays on offbeat semantics; and at Melolops with ultra-pigmented ink. Recently, About Face complemented its Matte Fluide Eye Paint collection with four limited-edition “Daytripper” pastel shades: a gentle lavender, soft aqua, tender green, and a mellow yellow. Inspired by the freedom and artistic expression of the ‘60s and ‘70s, the super-saturated chromatic pastels in the matte powder formula give a significant color impact for limitless looks.

Source: About Face - Daytripper Matte Fluide Eye Paint

MOMA COUTURE

As lockdowns restrictions ease, consumers desire color cosmetics such as lipstick and blush more than ever. According to Spate NYC (May 2021), searches and interest for pink lipsticks have grown +18.9% since last year. Colors remain a vital element to create a self-universe. Suva Beauty Palette with ultra-saturated pigments cultivates this MOMA atmosphere and serves well the colorful ambitions. Suva Beauty re-edits and renames its eyeliner palette Hydra FX Collection of water eyeliner into “We make rainbows jealous” to celebrate Pride Month 2021. Byredo’s Prismic Palette includes a rainbow of 18-eyeshadow shade with high-impact glitter, neon matte, and metallic finish. Ciaté London released the Mascara Smiley in pink, yellow, and green and Lime Crime 51 Volumizing Mascara in green, purple, and blue.

Sources: Model.com and Byredo Prismic Palette // Hilda wearing Suva Beauty Hydra FX Collection

GAMIFIED VICTORY

In the age of tech explosion, some gamers regularly bring out their old consoles and immerse themselves in their childhood adventures. The retro gaming aesthetic has been increasingly present outside gaming platforms with gamified products in the past months. For example, Kaja Beauty released Joystick Brightening Setting Powder, a powder applied with a joystick-shaped brush. Other brands developed experiential products like XX Revolution with Light Up Lip Gloss and Light Up Eyeshadow Palette Light's On that both include light and mirror to be reapplied in the dark.

Other beauty consumers utilize the new gaming world as an area of futuristic and modern makeup. The lavender color emerges from this trend and recalls the transition to the metaverse. In Beauty, GenZ brand Dragun Beauty used Lavender as a core shade for its product and collaborated with Morphe for a collection inspired by the gaming universe. Digital Lavender will be the focal shift to tap into digital escapism with sensoriality and immersive designs, as seen previously with Sinful Color Essenchills Scented Lavender. Brands also explore this new territory with avatars-like looks thanks to products like Nomad - Iceland Fire and Ice Palette or Facelace’s eye stickers that bring in glitter and holographic eye shapes.

Color cosmetics are making a comeback and so are bold looks. As an expression of freedom and optimism, consumers unveil colorful and artistic looks pushing further the creativity boundaries. “Limitless Humanoid” conveys this expression of infinite human possibilities, while “MOMA Couture” emphasizes the central place of colors. “Gamified Victory” brings the omnipresent gaming dimension into makeup. Old gaming nostalgias or futuristic metaverse are sources of creative art inspirations.

This blog post presents some extracts of our previous Beauty reports: What’s Up USA and Revivalism Makeup USA. Contact the agency for more information on full reports.
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