With e-commerce successfully gaining a foothold in the beauty industry, the market research firm has developped new tools to monitor sales of beauty and personnal care items online. Based on the continuous collection, aggregation, and blending of data from approximately 20 leading retailer websites, Kline’s Amalgam uses a proprietary algorithm to score beauty products, taking into account their ranking among best-selling product listings, customer ratings, prevalence, and duration on the charts.

Things change fast

Kline points out that things can change quickly in the digital world. Some items reside at the top for months while others come and go quickly. “Five of the top 10 beauty and personal care products jumped more than 200 spots to become one of the top 10 best-performing items in online sales in February 2018, with Ulta’s Eyeshadow Single jumping more than 2,000 spots,” said the company.

Top 10 Beauty and Personal Care Items, February 2018

1. Garnier Sleek & Shine Intensely Smooth Leave-In Conditioning Cream, 10.2 oz
2. Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm 4-Pack
3. Ulta Eyeshadow Single
4. Redken Color Extend Conditioner, 8.5 oz
5. Philosophy Amazing Grace Perfumed Shampoo, Bath & Shower Gel, 16 oz
6. It’s a 10 Miracle Leave In Plus Keratin, 4 oz
7. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Single
8. IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream, 2 oz
9. AmazingCosmetics AmazingConcealer
10. Urban Decay Anti-Aging Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Along with items from major brands that are present at the top of the charts across all categories, many indie brands, such as Anastasia Beverly Hills, or lesser-known brands, including AmazingCosmetics, which landed in the top 10 in February, appear at the top.

Makeup innovation

When focusing on the makeup category, changes appear to occur even faster. For instance, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil dropped from a #1 rank in makeup in January to #257 in February. Meanwhile, its Eyeshadow Single and Anti-Aging Eyeshadow Primer Potion jumped from the positions of #293 and #78 in makeup in January to #3 and #5, respectively, in February.

Top 10 Lip Makeup Items, February 2018

1. Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm 4-Pack
2. Ulta Butter Balm Lip Gloss
3. Maybelline New York Baby Lips Moisturizing Lip Balm
4. L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Matte Lipstick
5. Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer
6. NYX Cosmetics Soft Matte Lip Cream
7. Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm Natural Mint & Shea Butter SPF 25, 0.25 oz
8. FRESH Sugar Lip Treatment Sunscreen SPF 15
9. J.Cat Beauty Roll It Up Auto Lip Liner, All 12 Colors
10. Kat Von D Everlasting Lip Liner

Emerging trends

According to Kline, Amalgam is also instrumental in observing product trends as they emerge, especially in skin care where ingredient stories and new formats continually change the product landscape. For instance, gel formats increased in popularity, as seen with the success of Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel, Toyo Natural Aqua Gel Cure, Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel, and Hada Labo Tokyo Skin Plumping Gel Cream. Micellar water and cleansing wipes also remain prevalent.

Top 10 Facial Skin Care Items, February 2018

1. IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream, 2 oz
2. Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1, 13.5 oz
3. Ole Henriksen Transforming Walnut Scrub, 3 oz
4. Simple Facial Wipes Micellar, 25 count
5. Differin Gel, 0.5 oz
6. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel, 1.7 oz
7. St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub, 6 oz
8. NeedCrystals Microdermabrasion Crystals, 8 oz
9. Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover, 4.2 oz
10. Burt’s Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes, Cucumber and Sage, 30 count

All brands now have the potential to directly reach their target customers without the restraints of brick-and-mortar stores and quickly climb to the top, as evidenced by the meteoric rise of brands like Huda Beauty, Kylie Cosmetics, and KKW Beauty, which reached the sales volume of leading industry stalwarts in a matter of months,” concludes the company.