The year kicked off with the Sephora Exclusive Brands Showcase, one of the beauty media’s favourite events for meeting brand founders, discovering and trialling new beauty products.
Sephora (own brand) showed cult products and trend-inspired products. Kristy Gray – Training Executive says the natural ingredients trend of 2017 is only growing. “Customers are more and more savvy about what they are putting on their bodies and want the farm to table experience with their beauty products.” Masks continue to dominate. “They are so instagrammable,” says Kristy, “and they give instant gratification”. More brands are launching the format pushing masks to a different level with infusions of such trigger ingredients as coconut, and rose gold. “FRESH is launching a mask for every concern. Every texture is different – like the Vitamin Nectar Mask … it looks like jam, feels like jam and is delicious to use.” Kristy says it’s the connectedness masks offer – rituals and pampering.
Sephora’s Skingoals animation in store aims to engage customers in the conversation about how they are trying to achieve their best skin. “Skincare can be scary. But can also be simple if you know your goals and have someone to help you. Listening to your friend or seeing social media where a blogger recommends something can be misleading – it’s not necessarily right for YOU. If they don’t get the right service customers can fall victim to a poor experience with a product that was never meant for their particular needs. Good, educated service really helps customers buy the products suited to their specific concerns and goals, which is what we train at Sephora.”
Devices are growing in popularity. “Foreo and Skin Inc both have innovations launching. Customers are looking for quick fixes and bringing the dermatologist into their home. Devices appeal to the diligent customer seeking real results”, says Kristy.
Another category on Sephora’s radar…and shelves…is ingestibles. It was only a matter of time before people would get seriously into investing in their inner health. Sephora is ranging Kora, WellCo, Beauty Chef and Bodyism beauty foods.
Here’s some of esprit’s highlights from the day.
drybar launches its entire range of 50 products focusing on the blowdry: liquid products and hair tools. Playing off the bar theme, product names are cocktail inspired – fun names but serious haircare.
Peter Thomas Roth – luxury skincare that’s clinically tested, the new Thermal Water Heat Mask and Moisturiser claim ‘Firmer, smoother, younger-looking skin in 7 days’. It’s all about nourishment.
Zoeva is focussing on its blush and eyeshadow palettes and professional brushes. The founder, Zoe, creates all the stories – the new Aristo (meaning perfect in Greek) shade palette is inspired by her mother’s home in Greece. Opulence shades are baroque-inspired, heavy shades.
Beauty Blender – Rachael Brook demonstrates the new ocean-inspired makeup applicator, called Chill. It’s exactly the same as the original – an aqua-activated material that you dampen to get the best makeup application results, but in gorgeous turquoise. Chill also means – it’s only makeup, just chill!
Smith & Cult is the brainchild of Hard Candy founders, Jeanne Chavez and Dineh Mohjer and has been forging a slice of loyalists in Australia for their nail colours. 1972 is their all-time cult shade of metallic champagne. Now the range of cosmetics debuts at Sephora and is described as “the Hard Candy girl, grown up”. Nothing is straight forward about the brand or products – packaging offers surprises and everything has a witty touch: dents in the packaging and off-centre compacts for example.
IGK is a haircare brand created with Sephora in mind. It’s all about the hairdressers’ skill set and their tools – bringing that to a product and tool range that makes it easier for the consumer to get the most professional salon look at home. Beach Club was an instant best seller giving a salty, beachy, textured effect without the salt or drying. Jet Lag is an invisible dry shampoo.