The make-up market, an unexpected collateral victim of the Covid-19?

Between confinement, teleworking and wearing a mask, the Covid-19 crisis dealt a blow to the makeup, and particularly that of
lipstick, the French preferring to insist on body care and varnish.

“During confinement, I put nothing, only moisturizer. The first few days, I didn’t recognize myself. I was like, “Is that my head for real, without make-up?” On deconfinement, I loved putting on my make-up, but I put on a lot less. A stroke of mascara and I feel neat, ”says Nolwenn.

And this 27-year-old Parisian architect is not the only Frenchwoman to have changed her beauty routine. From the second month of confinement, the “prestige beauty” market, comprising perfumeries and department stores, suffered the blow.

“More care, a little less makeup”

Face creams, body care, lip balms … The big winner in cosmetics against coronavirus is skincare. “Skin and hair care is growing much faster than makeup,” says Sephora. “Basically, it’s more care, a little less makeup,” confirms Hervé Navellou, CEO of L’Oréal Paris.

The nail polish are also on the rise. “They who fell asleep woke up during the period,” notes Hervé Navellou. “The closing of nail bars and beauty salons” has played a role, comments Mathilde Lion, beauty analyst at NPD Group. Women have “a desire for color, for lightness”, judges Hervé Navellou.

“How do you get testers in the middle of a pandemic? “

The makeup market has declined and the reopening of stores is not going to work in its favor. “How do you get testers in the middle of a pandemic? “Wonders Mathilde Lion.

Lipstick is the big loser of the health crisis. “Less 58% on online sales compared to April 2019,” notes the expert.

The mask camouflages the lower face, attention is paid to the eyes. “We hypothesize that the consumption of mascaras and colored pencils will increase sharply if the wearing of the mask continues,” said Hervé Navellou.

“Trend towards the most natural”

In April, eye makeup registered “an increase of 116%, especially the queen category of mascaras which increased by 150%”, explains Mathilde Lion.

Non-transfer products, which hold despite a mask, make a breakthrough.

“The light makeup (blush, bronzing powders, concealer) worked well, as did the tinted creams – combining moisturizing effect and makeup – which takes precedence over the more covering foundations”, decrypts Mathilde Lion.

“Because of the wearing of the mask, long-lasting, transfer-free, water-resistant and sweat-resistant products are of great interest,” confirms Make Up for Ever. The use of these products leads, according to Mathilde Lion, to a “tendency to the most natural, and less contouring”.