Eight out of ten British women feel more confident when wearing make-up. In such a context, no surprise that sales of colour cosmetics are, once again, proved recession-proof. “Sales in the market have continued to grow and will continue to do so for as long as the market delivers the feel-good factor even if the economy cannot,” says Vivenne Rudd, Head of Beauty and Personal Care Insight at Mintel.].
Indeed, according to latest research from the firm, UK retail sales of colour cosmetics put on a good performance in 2011, with market value up by over 8% from 2010 (when the market was valued at £1.28 billion) shoring up sales of £1.38 billion. Growth is expected to continue - albeit at a slower pace - into 2012 and beyond, to achieve an estimated market worth £1.44 billion (1.80 euros) in 2012.
Nails stole the limelight
Face colour cosmetics remains the largest of the four makeup sectors (face, eyes, lips and nails), accounting for 38% of total market value at £526 million. The remainder of the sales are made up of “eyes” valued at £410 million (accounting for 30% of total sales), “lips” valued at £224 million (accounting for 16% of sector sales) and “nails” worth £221 million - accounting for 15% of the market.
Although accounting for the smallest number of sales, nail make-up was the real star performer of the UK colour cosmetics market in 2011, posting double-digit growth to reach a value of £221 million compared to £179m in 2010. Indeed, Mintel’s research shows users of nail varnish have risen from 52% of women in 2007 to an impressive 61% in 2011.
And it is not just Britain which has seen a rise in interest in nail colour cosmetics. Indeed, this has been the case across Europe as a whole. In 2008, nail colour cosmetics accounted for 10% of all colour cosmetic launches, by 2012, this had risen to 26% of all new launches in the sector. In terms of launch activity by region, the UK was the most active region, accounting for 29% of all new product activity in the colour cosmetics market during 2012, this was followed by Germany accounting for 22% of all activity and France which accounted for 20% of activity.
“In terms of colour, nails have stolen the limelight from eyes and lips, and have become an arena for self-expression in the form of nail art. While the prim, ladylike look of French manicured nails is unlikely to ever go out of style, recent trends have covered less subtle, even outrageous looks ranging from two-tone manicures and classic red polish to ombre and metallic shades. Nail make-up has also witnessed one of the biggest increases of all core beauty sectors in its consumer base in recent years,” comments Vivienne Rudd.
