Believe it or not, most of the big beauty brands are already planning or producing products for Christmas 2013. So how do they know what we’re all going to be loving this time next year? They use trend-forecasting agencies, who sell their ‘findings’ to interested parties and then the beauty brands tend to all work to a similar colour remit – hence the flurry of *that* green appearing for spring/summer.
In my geekier beauty moments I read Cosmetics International (www.cosmeticsinternational.net) that keeps me up to date on new innovations in packaging or highs and lows in foreign market or even who has signed licensing deals with who. It all helps to keep an overview of the beauty industry as a whole and it is a happy read for me. So, I’m going to heavily quote their mini round up of beauty trends for 2013 because it is a reliable and excellent source and they’ve clearly had access to the reports and I haven’t.
So, for next year we’ll see: natural shades of cream, brown and green, straw, string and neutrals. The trend agency has given this look a name; Rural Birds. Forest Birds on the other hand is darker neutrals, while City Birds is deep greys and green and blue irridescents.
There is a bit of gothic black, darker greens, blues and burgundies, and a nod to golden shimmers and pastels, including pinks and violet.
Red lips are a theme.
Well, excuse me, but isn’t this just what we’ve had this year, and last year and oh, the many, many years before that I’ve been writing about beauty? Neutrals, colours and a red lip. Giving the palettes of colours bird names as an umbrella for the same old, same old isn’t even particularly new. I’d want my money back if I’d shelled out a fortune for some expert to tell me that a ‘red lip’ will be trending this time next year. Red lips trend every Christmas. Just so you know.
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8 comments
Thank god you added that last paragraph, you took the words out of my mouth! x
Great post – I always find these little insights of yours so interesting! I have done some research too and I predict that next Christmas everyone will wear glitter. In nail polish. Where’s my money? 😉 xx
OMG I totally agree. Do you think there even are there big trends each season anymore? I feel like there are little micro-trends, but you can buy whatever you like, whenever you like, really.. It’s an interesting topic 🙂
I’ve just added Cosmetics International to my favourites – I’m a geek too!
Thank you for the insight! Your sharp writing really helps open my mind to the nature of beauty industry. We customers tend to *feel* the products rather than really rationalize which ones will be timeless, hence no need for this newest color. Oh well, when it comes to addiction, we know but we can’t resist, I guess.
I wonder if the idea of “trends” really even exists anymore outside of magazines.
I think that forecasting makeup trends is a bit like forecasting paint trends….
Your post made me laugh out loud. “Trend Forecasting” has always struck me as expensive crystal ball gazing.