For manufacturers specializing in make-up products, the current situation is particularly challenging. Lockdowns, remote working and masks have transformed beauty routines! Broadly speaking, the no-make-up trend is rising with women giving-up on color cosmetics, a shift that has a strong impact on sales. In France, according to an Ifop study, 44% of women consumers never wear makeup when they are working from home. However, while skin tone products and lipsticks are suffering, eye makeup and skincare are doing better.
Need for innovation
“This coronavirus crisis has raised new expectations among consumers. For us, it was therefore essential to adapt to the market and to think about products adapted to the current health situation,” says Tsuyoshi Hasuo, President of Nippon Shikizai France and Thépenier Pharma & Cosmetics.
Nippon Shikizai France therefore focused on the consequences of wearing a protective mask. “The constant humidity under the mask causes the skin to dry out and cause irritation. As for the breathing that rises to the top of the face, it has the effect of removing what is called the ‘curling’ effect of a mascara and the eyeliners lose their ‘long-lasting’ properties. As for the lipstick, of course, it leaves marks on the inside of the mask,” adds Tsuyoshi Hasuo.
The company therefore worked on several products. In particular on a new liquid foundation (Skin Veil Foundation) which creates a sort of second veil on the face during its application and allows to maintain a healthy complexion despite wearing the mask all day. It is a very comfortable texture that does not give that sticky or sticky feeling. “We recommend to use it with a loose powder from our collection which allows a good fixation of this foundation,” details the manager.
Comfort and naturalness
As far as the lips are concerned, it is now important to meet new needs linked to facial covering, without forgetting underlying trends such as the need for more natural and more comfortable products.
Nippon Shikizai thus created a new paraben-free, silicon-free, preservative-free, surfactant-free and nanomaterial-free lip balm, with a creamy moisturizing texture that glides on the lips without generating a sticky feeling.
As for the lip cream (Cream to Matte Lipstick), it was designed to avoid transferring the red colour to the mask. Its texture may be creamy, but it offers a matte finish on the lips without colour transfer to the mask. And the colour stays on all day. It fixes well on the lips. This product is still free of parabens, mineral oils, nanomaterials and petroleum-derived raw materials.
Mascara Curling Waterproof
For the eyes, Nippon Shikizai has developed a Curling Waterproof mascara that keeps lashes curled all day, despite the moisture escaping from the mask towards the top of the face. “It lengthens lashes separately without lumps or smudging.”
The approach is the same for the new Waterproof Eyeliner, which is both extremely resistant and very easy to remove, thanks to its combination of polymers.
“This pandemic places enormous strain on our daily lives, that of our customers and consumers. It generates both gloom and stress. In the midst of all this, we must not forget that our sector is also an opportunity. We manufacture optimism and pleasure. It is therefore very important that we fulfill this mission as well as possible, especially during this period, by developing new formulas that meet the needs of our customers,” concludes Tsuyoshi Hasuo.
