L’Oreal’s personalisation foundation system to hit Europe next spring
The Le Teint Particulier foundation product involves a skin analysis consultation using a specially design algorithm to measure skin tone and develop a closely-matching formula for the consumer’s specific shade, and has so far been available across the US Nordstorm stores.
It will be making its debut in the UK in Harrods department store early next year, a L’Oréal spokesperson confirmed to Cosmetics Design, in a move which suggests personalised makeup is being met with strong consumer enthusiasm.
The rising popularity of personalised makeup and skin care is tipped to continue to strengthen in beauty; indeed, Mintel, global market research firm, has picked it out as one of its top four trends in the decade ahead, driven by what it dubs ‘Gastronomia’.
Personally relevant
According to Mintel, on the back of ‘Gastronomia’, customising beauty will soon be moving out of department stores and into consumers own homes.
“Beauty products are coming out from the shadows of laboratories and into the spotlight of consumers’ kitchen counters,” the firm explains in its Global Beauty Trends 2025 report.
“A new focus on natural ingredients will inspire an increasing number of consumers to roll up their sleeves and create homemade beauty solutions with the help of brands.”
It dubs this consumer appetite for DIY-style product formulation ‘kitchen beauty’ - “products that can be made at the kitchen table (or merely look like they have been), but still reflect the latest cosmetic understanding, and is driven by a desire for consumers to feel in control of their beauty products.”
It’s a trend being led by rising consumer demand for more transparent product formulation, hand in hand with the enthusiasm for naturals, wellbeing and clean beauty.
Taking note: market leaders
Mintel has picked out some leaders at the forefront of the trend - which it reckons will see beauty retailers begin to emulate supermarkets, with aisle of natural ingredients in their raw and freeze-dried states, and brands engaging with consumers through artisanal processes and doing the legwork to facilitate consumer formulation at home.
“Companies like Body Deli and Skin & Tonic are using batch production and minimal processing to ensure maximum freshness,” the firm explains.
“Looking at the years ahead, we’ll see beauty brands partner with homeware brands to create kitchen devices and storage products that have beauty brand approval.”
