In three weeks, on September 19 and 20, the 7th edition of MakeUp in NewYork will open its doors. A great time for "Beauty" in the broad sense of the word, which will put the spotlights not only on manufacturers designers and producers of make-up formulas, as well as packaging and makeup accessory manufacturers, but also (roughly the same players) manufacturers of skincare and cosmetic formulas.

This is good news at a time when the makeup sector is experiencing, for the first time in five years, moderate growth across the Atlantic. Recent Mintel surveys [1] for the U.S. market show that products with skincare claims are currently the ones the most popular among consumers. Another good reason not to miss on September 20, from 10:45 am to 11:30 am the conference proposed by Sarah Jindal, Mintel Senior Innovation and Insight Beauty + Personal Care Analyst.

According to the Mintel report in this week's newsletter of PremiumBeautynews, the overall US color cosmetics market experienced moderate growth in 2017, increasing two percent to reach $11.0 billion. This report reveals also that consumer desire for more simplified makeup routines has resulted in stalled growth across the individual color cosmetics segments, with lip cosmetics, facial cosmetics and eye cosmetics each growing around two percentage points slower this year compared to 2016.

Despite a drop in sales growth this year, Mintel research indicates skincare-inspired benefits are in high demand among color cosmetics users as the lines between facial makeup and facial skincare continue to blur. Anti-aging and moisturizing claims (44 percent respectively) top the list of benefits female facial cosmetics users are interested in seeing from their facial makeup.

Women of all ages show the same enthusiasm for makeup!

Of course, highlights the report, age plays a significant role in the benefits consumers look for, reflecting the differing skincare needs of a woman's life stage. Not surprising, female consumers aged 55+ are most likely to be interested in products with anti-aging claims (68 percent vs. 18 percent of women aged 18-34), while those aged 18-34 are most likely to seek products that treat acne (24 percent vs. 2 percent of women 55+), are for sensitive skin (23 percent vs. 9 percent) or minimize pores (23 percent vs. 11 percent).

However, it appears that women of all ages show the same enthusiasm for makeup that creates the appearance of flawless skin as more than one quarter (28 percent) of facial cosmetics users say they're interested in facial makeup that evens skin tone, including 28 percent of women 18-34 and 29 percent of women 55+. Interest in products that improve the skin's appearance extends to new product innovation as well, as pore-minimizing products (29 percent) and color-correcting palettes (24 percent) garner the strongest appeal from female color cosmetics users.

A saturated market?

"Overall, the color cosmetics market experienced moderate growth in 2017. However, products which do not align with the current 'natural look' trend, such as lip gloss, bronzer and eye shadow, resulted in slower gains across the category segments. While the market is saturated and some women are turning to value brands to cut costs, facial makeup products that offer relevant skincare benefits present a bright spot that could reinvigorate sales," explain Shannon Romanowski, Director, Mintel Reports, Health, Household, Beauty and Personal Care.

"As consumers increasingly express interest in facial makeup that incorporates skincare-related claims, it's likely these claims will continue expanding into the cosmetics category. Anti-aging and moisturizing claims are appealing to older women, and can be particularly successful in light of an aging population that is typically less engaged in the category."