Save or Spend? YSL Forever Youth Liberator vs. Vichy LiftActiv Serum 10

Vichy Lift Activ Serum 10 (30 ml), £29.50 vs. YSL Forever Youth Liberator Serum (30 ml), £60

L’Oreal is the parent company of both YSL and Vichy and has launched the new YSL skincare line to repeat the commercial success of  their make-up and fragrance products, eg. Touche Eclat.

Claims Comparison:

YSL – anti-wrinkle lift/plump/radiance vs.

Vichy – velvety texture/advance anti-wrinkle efficacy/long-lasting lifting effect.

FaceWorkshops Recommendation: SAVE £30!

• Similar products in terms of the main ingredients, rhamnose and glycerol that benefit the skin by increased hydration.  Both products contain a small amount of hyaluronic acid (long-term hydration).
• The Vichy serum contains a ceramide derivative, salicyloyl phytosphingosine, with a potential anti-wrinkle benefit.
• The Vichy serum also contains less alcohol that can be detrimental to the healthy barrier function of facial skin.

I would expect the efficacy of the Vichy serum to be slightly superior – given the higher content of rhamnose, the additional ceramide derivative and less alcohol in the formulation. We are awaiting the clinical studies.

Authentic Skincare? Buying On Emotion..

“Cheating generates anxiety. People buy on emotion…” by Van Cleef & Arpels. “We want to show the emotion beyond the product.” by Gucci.

Authenticity is of the essence in premium skincare… Understanding a brand and traslating it into a product… A brand that is unique, conveying timelessness and elitism..  by Coty

Mintel market research shows that a premium skincare consumer increasingly demands trust, reliability and protection, looking for nostalgia and quality ingredients to shield them from the cold outside world.

An on-going challenge for the skincare industry:

To produce products with meaningful, visible benefits whilst navigating the demands of the regulatory authorities, the  hype of marketing and the quest for profitability. Only a few brands have been able to do that so far.

Independent Review of the Best Products on the Market – FaceWorkshops Product Review blog coming soon…

Source: http://www.cosmeticsbusiness.com/news/article_page/Luxury_heavyweights_agree_value_of_authenticity_and_emotion_in_recession/57919?dm_i=8EU,BA1H,XKU64,VLPS,1

Facial Skincare @ CEW Beauty Awards 2011

CEW Beauty Awards 2011 was the 6th awards show judging both mass and prestige products in 24 categories . The CEW  stands for “Cosmetic Executive Women” , a group of 4,000 professionals and executives in the beauty world who live, love, and breathe beauty.

Which facial skincare brands had won the Lalique ‘Beauty Oscar’ in 2011?

British Brands

These are the great British brands that got awards for facial skincare; Oxford-based facialist Emma Hardie won Best New Brand for her Amazing Face line and Liz Earle’s Naturally Active Skincare won the Best British Brand – both are available from the Leeds Victoria Quarter.

Lip Care

Lanolips capsule range restored consumer confidence in lanolin harvested from the wool of sheep reared in Australia. Medical grade lanolin is an ingredient with excellent moisturising properties. For extremely dry and chapped lip skin, this is a great and effective solution that relieves quickly the symptoms of scaling, discomfort and redness.

Organic Facial Oil

Best New Everyday Facial Skincare Product was awarded to Dr Organic Organic Rose Otto Facial Serum. It containing extracts of rosa Damascena, known as the Queen of flowers for its skin rejuvenating properties. £12.29, hollandandbarrett.com.

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2011 CEW BEAUTY AWARD WINNERS - FACIAL SKINCARE

Mass Market Skincare: Best New Brand – Dr Organic/Lanolips

• Best New Everyday Facial Skincare Product – Dr Organic Organic Rose Otto Facial Serum
• Best New Skincare Treatment Product – Lanolips 101 Ointment
• Best Classic Beauty Product – Bio-Oil

Premium Market Skincare:

• Best New Everyday Facial Skincare Product – Clarins Multi-Active Day Early Wrinkle Correction Cream
• Best New Skincare Treatment Product – Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Synchronized Complex
• Best Classic Beauty Product – Eve Lom Cleanser

• Best New Self Tan or Sun Care Product – Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Sun Defense for Face SPF 50

Source: http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/beauty/news-features/TMG8527007/CEW-Beauty-Awards-2011-highlights-from-the-beauty-Oscars.html

Skincare Shopping Diaries: May 2011

Mass Market Skincare:

• Boots skincare counters look uneventful. I wanted to book a skin analysis session for a friend to compare the interpretation of  the measurements and look at how well it is explained to the customer. It was apparent that the skin analysis service is not performed on a regular basis. I struggled to find anyone trained to book with and was told it only takes 5 minutes! and cannot be booked between 12noon – 2pm. I will go ahead to book this next month and report back on my experience.

Niche Brands:

• New Kiehl’s shop opened in the Leeds Victoria Quarter, the first boutique outside London that makes this L’Oreal brand available to the customers.
• The French L’Occitane shop is due to open later in May.

Space NK are hosting their founder, Nicki Kinnaird, that will “uncover the perfect products for your skin and style” on 26th May. I believe she has expertise, afterall Space NK stock some very good skincare brands, but 15 minutes (cost £60,  redeamable against purchases on the day) is really short to establish much more than the apparent skin type and concerns. I need an hour long and detailed consultation as well as a preparation prior to the meeting to be able to recommend skincare that works!

Skincare Shopping Diaries: March 2011

8th March 2011
Mass-Market: Browsing the large Boots skincare counters near Leeds station, the skincare market is definitely changing. Promotion of the dry skin/eczema brands goes out – it is about the mass-market block busters (Boots, Olay, L’Oreal, Neutrogena) and the Boots 3-for-2 Mix & Match Offer (until 22nd March!). UV fact sheets are on display.

Selective Skincare: Harvey Nichols very quiet, promoting among other skincare brands (Dr Hauschka, Aveda, Elemis, ESPA, Creme de la Mer, Sisley, etc.) a niacin-based Strivectin-SD.

Niche: SpaceNK was not not well stocked on this occasion, the Elemental Herbology Biodynamic Facial Souffle I wanted to buy for a client – highlighted in the SpaceNK N.Vision Spring 2011 beauty magazine as one of the best hydrating overnight treatments – was not available. Their Motto for this spring is “hit the reset button on your complexion” and we would love to!

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Irvine, S. Skin Deep. Vogue Jan 2008

http://www.cosmeticsdesign.com/Market-Trends/Consumers-can-add-Boosters-to-personalize-creams-claims-manufacturer

East Yorkshire Skincare Survey

FaceWorkshops Skincare Surveys

 We carried a skincare survey on Beverley highstreet (2/3 of the group were women aged 40 – 70 years) to investigate the skincare choices of the local population. The results are worth publishing:

• 70 % said they were quite happy with their facial skin
• 60 % had dry skin type
• 80 % of participants were concerned about lines and wrinkles, followed by sagging (40 %), dry skin (25 %) and lack of radiance (20 %).
• 58 % used a single skincare brand; L’Oreal and Nivea were mentioned by 62 % of participants, followed by Boots and Olay (12 % each).
• 29 % were confused by the vast skincare choice on the market.
• magazine editorials and in-store promotions were the main factors persuading them to buy skincare (75 %)

Comparing these results to a shorter survey among the staff of a local blue chip company (2/3 of the group were women aged 40 – 60 years) shows interesting trends:

• only 30 % said they were quite happy with their facial skin – 70 % were not really happy!
• 60 % of participants were concerned with uneven or oily T-zone and enlarged pores.
• 40 % used a mass-market skincare brand (Nivea, Simple, Boots, Olay); 60 % used a premium brands (Clinique, Elemis, Estee Lauder, Clarins, etc.)
• magazine editorials and price were also the main factors persuading them to buy skincare (40 %)

1. These surveys indicate that women in the commercial environment are more concerned about - and less happy with – their skin simply because they are more in a spotlight. Appearance matters at work.
2. They are using more premium brands – and spending more money on skincare – but their purchasing decisions are also influenced by editorials and price.
3. The second group participants were slightly younger but also work-related stress might explain the T-zone related concerns as opposed to wrinkles and sagging mentioned in the highstreet survey.

Please comment on how these trends compare to your own approach to skincare.

Source: FaceWorkshops, MR 4/07 and MR 10/04.

More On Future Trends in Skincare 2011

VISUAL CULTURE

• ‘Visual Culture’ and an associated pre-occupation with appearance is the defining trend in the personal care in 2011. Image is important to us even if we do not significantly feel pressure to look good – at least consciously. There is scope for us to feel happier about our appearance – given the pressure to conform to demanding beauty ideals associated with contemporary society. Visual Culture is the core macro-trend influencing personal care habits. We generally feel it is important to look our best, which is fueling skincare product usage!

 Naomi Wolf, comments on this in The Beauty Myth..

 CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN SKINCARE

• Countries with long traditions of ‘skincare management’ have the largest, most established skincare markets.
• France has a reputation as a skincare knowledge center and consumers there have regular skincare routines.
• The US is the second largest skincare market in the world and the Japanese purchase high amounts of skincare products as caring for skin forms a key element of their beauty routines.
• Most consumers are spending longer on their skincare regimes than in the past but Value-for-money is the main skincare product attribute desired by customers!
• While private labels (e.g. Tesco, M&S) still struggle behind branded skincare products, the recession and a propensity to seek value-for-money are fuelling demand.

 Source: Research and Markets, 2011

Beauty Across Cultures & Continents

Marketing agency, Sturm und Drang, were interviewed by Cossma Magazine recently and revealed the cultural codes of beauty across continents. Europe, US and Japan are distinctly different in the perception and meaning of beauty.

In Europe, particularly in Germany, true beauty is not visible on the surface. It comes from your personality; it is all about charisma and individuality. German beauty routines are fairly uncomplicated and take about 20 minutes a day. The focus is on the eyes and how we express our personality through our eyes. It is all about how we feel, what we eat and how we look after our soul. It is not about applying a product onto the surface. To respond to advertising, the Germans need “a reason to believe”; they are always asking questions and looking for “the truth”.

In the US, beauty is all about shine – glossy hair and “whiter than white” teeth. Beauty comes from the outside and American women put lots of effort into making themselves look attractive. Their routine is about an hour a day and a lot stricter than in Europe. However, it is limited to their professional life and happily abandoned at weekends. It says, “I am in control”. Advertising in the US focuses on the benefit, on the “object of desire”, on visual attributes. “This is it. Do you want it? What you see is what you get”.

Beauty in Japan is all about purity “down to the pore”. It is all about looking young! Japanese women spend 2 hours a day on their beauty routines, particularly cleansing, detoxing and UV protection – applying as many as 5 layers of skincare. Being cute equals being sexy. Advertising is about the context of the product usage. “How do I feel afterwards?”

Richard Lewis, the crosscultural guru, suggests that Britain’s cultural position mirrors the geographical – it is between the US and continental Europe. Do you feel that may be true for how we perceive beauty too?

Source: http://www.cossma.com/news/detailansicht/artikel/europa-bendig-on-beauty-routines-in-different-cultures-in-web-tv.html?tx_ttnews[backPid]=7067&cHash=6df7565254

New FaceWorkshops Interview on BBC Radio Humberside

 

New Interview on Lara King Morning Show – About Winter Skincare
  

You can listen to it on the BBC IPlayer link.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p005vkgl/Lara_Kings_Morning_Show_11_01_2010/

 

The interview starts at 1 hour 12 minutes into the show. Available for 7 days only.

 

Happy Listening!

Longer Lashes – The Scientific Breakthrough of 2009!

Women may soon be able to stop relying on mascara. Biologists at L’Oreal’s research laboratories in Paris have spent the last three years studying eyelashes and have now developed a gel that they claim extends the length of time individual eyelashes grow for before they fall out. This apparently leads to longer, thicker eyelashes. L’Oreal plans to market the gel as an over-the-counter cosmetic.

Source: http://uk.yearinreview.yahoo.com/2009/blog/7