Kao is investing $136m on its digital transformation to enhance the competitiveness of its cosmetics division, which has experienced a sales slump during the pandemic.
Sephora’s partnership with e-commerce fashion major Zalando will capitalise on the online momentum built up by the German player over the past 18 months and may inspire other cross-sector collaborations, but is there a risk it could compromise the beauty...
Fragrance major Firmenich has developed an AI-powered, digital tool to speed up and simplify the scent creation process for independent beauty brands and entrepreneurs, though the platform is also generating interest amongst big beauty players too, a...
Beauty players across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) should look to China for post-pandemic learnings given the rapid rebound seen in the territory, says Euromonitor International.
The unfathomable rise of TikTok can no longer be ignored by beauty brands, as swathes of users engage with the social media platform daily; appreciated for its openness and sense of community, say experts.
Millennial beauty consumers are adopting buy now, pay later (BNPL) services because they remove the ‘emotional friction’ of purchases by helping to spread the cost, according to Singapore-headquartered platform hoolah.
L’Oréal has partnered with TikTok on its pilot commerce feature, enabling consumers in the UK to purchase Garnier and NYX Professional Make-Up products directly via the app – a partnership the beauty major plans to expand over time.
Skin care brand SK-II has tapped into social retail to engage with beauty consumers who have increased their time spent online in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Special Edition: Beauty Tech - Advances in biotech, personalisation and usability
Personal care major Unilever has developed a whitening kit for teeth that combines a film containing a photosensitiser and an actinic light source for simple and efficient use at home.
Special Edition: Beauty Tech - Advances in Biotech, Personalisation and Usability
International skin care major Beiersdorf and independent venture capital fund 9.5 Ventures have co-invested in Dutch beauty startup Routinely that launched its app and range of serums today.
Listen to Beauty 4.0 - A podcast by CosmeticsDesign-Europe
Advancing digital tools that help men and women select suitable skin care products is a huge opportunity and brands should be doing everything to be as transparent and informative as possible, says Estella Benz, founder of Skin Match Technology.
Today the Estée Lauder Companies’ brand announced the new makeup try-on and product recommendation service as a next-gen version of in-store makeup artist services.
Health and beauty retailer Watsons will be launching a virtual foundation try-on tool in the second quarter this year beginning with Malaysia and Hong Kong to solve what it believes is a huge consumer ‘pain point’.
The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has accelerated many pre-existing trends in beauty, most notably taking the rise of e-commerce to astonishing new heights with a particularly impressive transformation in Europe, says an expert consultant
Berlin studio Look Labs has collaborated with Canadian artist Sean Caruso to launch a digital fragrance encoded into non-fungible token (NFT) artwork to accompany a limited rollout of its unisex perfume, a move it says is a nod to the future of prestige...
Spanish tech startup Lesielle has created an at-home skin care device that it says takes personalisation one step further, empowering consumers to select bases and actives themselves that are blended and dispensed in single doses according to real-time...
In this round-up of the top five stories on the digital developments in beauty, we highlight A.S. Watson insights on the future of it omnichannel retail business, SK-II’s strategy to forging closer connections online and how P&G narrows the online...
Shiseido is adamant that human contact is still essential to drive beauty sales but believes it can be enhanced greatly by tools such as Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality, according to its chief digital officer.
International beauty major L’Oréal has made a minority investment in Swiss environmental tech startup Gjosa – a move set to advance its ongoing partnership and development of a smart, sustainable hair care system for salons and the home.
Listen to Beauty 4.0 - A podcast by CosmeticsDesign-Europe
Technology is required to provide beauty consumers true personalised offerings at scale, and brands and retailers need to be smart about tailoring the shopper experience because consumer demands are certainly there, says Nidhima Kohli, founder of Beauty...
On Monday, trinamiX (a BASF brand) and VIAVI announced partnering on a tech development project that will put near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy into consumer hands.
TikTok has expanded its partnership with Shopify across Europe, giving beauty brands direct access to run and manage social media ad campaigns via the e-commerce platform – a move that will create buzz amongst a highly engaged and diverse mass of beauty...
Personal care major Beiersdorf has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) powered personalised vegan face care range that blends formulas based on individual skin needs using a proprietary algorithm and scientific questionnaire.
Listen to Beauty 4.0 - A Podcast by CosmeticsDesign-Europe
High-resolution 2D facial imaging is a powerful tool when integrated into clinical trials or product development projects, particularly when working to cater to diverse skin types and tones, says Lisa DiNatale, senior manager for clinical efficacy and...
International beauty major L’Oréal has developed a motorised skin treatment device that offers a range of cleansing and massaging options in response to vocal cues from users; it then provides smart audio feedback and guidance via an integrated speaker...
Procter & Gamble-owned skin care brand SK-II is reinforcing its e-commerce business with personalised beauty initiatives to deepen its bond with consumers in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Personal care major Beiersdorf is building a multidisciplinary technology centre at its headquarters site that will merge research, development and production in a move set to drive competition and future-proof innovation, its senior VP of supply chain...
Listen to Beauty 4.0 - A podcast by CosmeticsDesign-Europe
Beauty apps have fast become the go-to tool for mass consumers looking to better understand products and routines, but industry has made some obvious design mistakes and needs to re-shift thinking to grow long-term engagement, says Maria Semykoz, co-founder...
Total wellness is now integral to beauty routines and COVID-19 has driven many consumers to prioritise more ethical brands, add in rising expectations around digital experiences and product quality and 2021 has plenty of important movements to watch,...
Fragrance-flavour major Givaudan will acquire French artificial intelligence (AI) firm Myrissi to take on its cutting-edge sensory translating tech that connects smell, colour and emotions, enabling innovative storytelling and fresh consumer engagement...
Health and beauty retailer A.S. Watson has identified a set of trends that it believes will influence the future of the retail industry and its business.
International beauty major Revlon has partnered with MDR Brand Management to create a global brand extension strategy that takes it into new spaces and drives deeper consumer engagement across the EMEA, APAC and Americas.
Personal care giant Procter & Gamble (P&G) has shed light on how it is striving to bridge the divide between offline and online retail to help smooth the consumers’ shopping journey.
Listen to Beauty 4.0 – A podcast by CosmeticsDesign-Europe
Beauty 4.0 will see smart, sustainable and ultra-personalised devices and formulations come to the fore, as industry shifts thinking and priorities towards improved user experience and planetary good, says Mike Webster, director of 3D structure and experience...
Convenience has surged to the forefront of shopping priorities in health and beauty as lockdown measures and social distancing continue during COVID-19, but opportunities remain to offer something beyond the traditional product assortment, says a senior...
The French Federation for Beauty Companies (FEBEA) says its recently developed digital app Claire will help industry professionals provide consumers with clear and concise ingredient information – ever more important given digital and social trends.
L’Oréal has officially launched the beta version of its AI at-home personalised cosmetics device as a lipstick variant under its prestige Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) brand.
British pharma company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) are to pair up with Eligo Bioscience in a deal potentially worth €185m ($224m) that sees the firms target the microbiome to reduce the risk of developing acne.
STATE OF THE INDUSTRY PART II: REFLECTING ON WHAT’S TO COME IN 2021
The European Green Deal will be the biggest policy challenge for the cosmetics and personal care industry in 2021, but industry must also focus on upcoming change around microplastics and digital services, says the director-general of Cosmetics Europe.
International beauty major L’Oréal has co-developed a smart hair care system with Swiss environmental innovation company Gjosa that blends and distributes product in a way that ensures water savings of up to 80%.
A research team from India has developed SkinBug, an artificial intelligence tool which can predict how specific molecules in cosmetics will react to skin microbes and potentially harm the user.
UK e-commerce major The Hut Group has aggressively expanded in recent months, propelling it way ahead of competitors in health and beauty, but it must now deepen its customer base to continue leading in such a crowded market, says GlobalData.
Listen to Beauty 4.0 – A podcast by CosmeticsDesign-Europe
The future of beauty retail will see a unified commerce approach connecting online and offline that relies on data to provide highly tailored shopper journeys, experiences and products, says Simon Hathaway, EMEA MD of retail strategy agency Outform.
Special edition: Holistic Health & Wellness – Formulating for wellbeing and anti-ageing
System Akvile has developed a set of face care products and app for daily use on acne-prone skin – a system its founder says is a preventative and holistic alternative to ‘miracle’ claiming products.
The humble lipstick has hardly changed in decades, but one design agency believes there is great scope to transform it into a digital 3D colour-printing machine for sustainable, statement beauty.
L’Oréal’s D2C personalised hair colour company Color & Co took years to develop and plans are now in place to drive it further into the digital beauty world, says the head of L’Oréal’s Tech Incubator.
There was a raft of patent filings this year from industry’s biggest beauty companies, including Unilever, L’Oréal, Beiersdorf and Colgate-Palmolive. Here, CosmeticsDesign-Europe rounds up our coverage of this year’s patent-worthy innovations.
Curiosity for digital, a need for inclusivity and heightened demand for green beauty are just some of the key trends set to shape the European, Middle East & African beauty market next year – here are our Top 5 EMEA trends to watch.
The ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has mightily impacted consumer behaviour, with many upcoming beauty trends fast-forwarded and new purchase and usage patterns appearing. Here, CosmeticsDesign-Europe brings you the nine ways beauty consumption...
Listen to Beauty 4.0 – A Podcast by CosmeticsDesign-Europe
The beauty industry has faced a challenging year, shaped by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, regulatory changes under Brexit and incoming sustainability legislation at EU level. But industry has learned so much and remains innovative and driven in its approach...
![Kao is in its digital transformation to enhance the competitiveness of its cosmetics division. [Kao Corp]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/business-financial/kao-corp-pumps-136m-into-digital-as-it-seeks-to-offset-cosmetics-sales-slump/12636224-1-eng-GB/Kao-Corp-pumps-136m-into-digital-as-it-seeks-to-offset-cosmetics-sales-slump.jpg)
![The two companies have partnered in a deal that will see Sephora's high-end beauty products sold across Zalando's retail platform, significantly increasing outreach in Germany and wider Europe [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/07/01/sephora-zalando-partnership-could-inspire-more-beauty-fashion-tie-ups-say-experts/12613706-1-eng-GB/Sephora-Zalando-partnership-could-inspire-more-beauty-fashion-tie-ups-say-experts.jpg)
![The Scentmate platform simplifies fragrance creation for a range of beauty products, including body care and air care, providing access to expert perfumers along the development phase [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/07/01/firmenich-scentmate-ai-fragrance-tool-aims-to-empower-indie-beauty-brands/12612473-1-eng-GB/Firmenich-Scentmate-AI-fragrance-tool-aims-to-empower-Indie-beauty-brands.jpg)
![China's beauty and personal care market will represent 70% of APAC growth over the next five years, fuelled by success in online and digital strategies [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/06/29/beauty-industry-can-learn-from-china-s-digital-e-commerce-rebound-post-covid-19-says-euromonitor-international/12603481-1-eng-GB/Beauty-industry-can-learn-from-China-s-digital-e-commerce-rebound-post-COVID-19-says-Euromonitor-International.jpg)
![TikTok offers users a space to be creative and have fun, which holds plenty of opportunity for beauty brands to get involved [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/06/25/tiktok-beauty-surge-due-to-high-user-engagement-creativity-and-joy-say-marketing-experts-the-pull-agency/12595596-1-eng-GB/TikTok-beauty-surge-due-to-high-user-engagement-creativity-and-joy-say-marketing-experts-The-Pull-Agency.jpg)
![Why are millennial beauty consumers are adopting buy now, pay later services? [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/market-trends/how-buy-now-pay-later-plays-to-the-millennial-beauty-consumer-psyche-hoolah-ceo/12560123-1-eng-GB/How-buy-now-pay-later-plays-to-the-millennial-beauty-consumer-psyche-hoolah-CEO.jpg)
![L'Oréal's Garnier and NYX Professional Make-Up products were now available for purchase in the UK directly via the TikTok app [Image: L'Oréal UK & Ireland]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/06/17/l-oreal-uk-ireland-partners-with-tiktok-on-pilot-commerce-feature-with-garnier-and-nyx-professional-make-up/12574082-1-eng-GB/L-Oreal-UK-Ireland-partners-with-TikTok-on-pilot-commerce-feature-with-Garnier-and-NYX-Professional-Make-Up.jpg)
![SK-II has tapped into social retail to engage with beauty consumers. [SK-II]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/brand-innovation/p-g-s-sk-ii-turns-to-social-retail-to-create-contactless-engagement-with-shoppers/12545979-1-eng-GB/P-G-s-SK-II-turns-to-social-retail-to-create-contactless-engagement-with-shoppers.jpg)
![The at-home kit builds on existing inventions by Unilever and uses a film and light source for simpler and efficient teeth whitening [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/05/26/unilever-patents-teeth-whitening-kit-with-photosensitiser-film-and-actinic-light-source/12512185-1-eng-GB/Unilever-patents-teeth-whitening-kit-with-photosensitiser-film-and-actinic-light-source.jpg)
![A round-up of the top five stories on the digital developments in the APAC beauty market. [GettyImages]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/market-trends/digital-dive-top-stories-on-digital-developments-making-waves-in-the-beauty-industry/12310768-1-eng-GB/Digital-Dive-Top-stories-on-digital-developments-making-waves-in-the-beauty-industry.jpg)
![Shiseido said human contact is still essential to drive beauty sales but believes it can be enhanced greatly by AI and AR. [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/article/2021/03/30/shiseido-is-using-tech-to-make-2021-the-year-of-the-empowered-beauty-consultant/12310916-1-eng-GB/Shiseido-is-using-tech-to-make-2021-the-year-of-the-empowered-beauty-consultant.jpg)
![SK-II is reinforcing its e-commerce business with personalised beauty initiatives. [P&G / SK-II]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/market-trends/sk-ii-turns-to-personalisation-to-forge-closer-consumer-connections-via-e-commerce/12161195-1-eng-GB/SK-II-turns-to-personalisation-to-forge-closer-consumer-connections-via-e-commerce.png)
![A.S. Watson has identified a set of trends that it believes will influence the future of the retail industry and its business. [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/market-trends/a.s-watson-highlights-the-five-trends-that-are-shaping-the-future-of-its-retail-business/12167860-1-eng-GB/A.S-Watson-highlights-the-five-trends-that-are-shaping-the-future-of-its-retail-business.jpg)
![P&G shares how it is striving to bridge the divide between offline and online retail. [P&G / Olay]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/article/2021/02/08/how-p-g-is-trying-to-close-the-physical-and-e-commerce-shopping-divide/12149175-1-eng-GB/How-P-G-is-trying-to-close-the-physical-and-e-commerce-shopping-divide.jpg)
![SkinBug is an artificial intelligence tool which can predict how molecules will react to the skin. [GettyImages]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/formulation-science/ai-predicts-how-molecules-will-react-with-skin-microbes-to-ensure-product-safety/12082924-1-eng-GB/AI-predicts-how-molecules-will-react-with-skin-microbes-to-ensure-product-safety.jpg)
