In December 2021, Bazaar's digital beauty director Bridget March took a deep dive into the 2022 beauty trends she's predicting. Our Creative Director Sarah Campbell got way too revved up and started writing in response. Between the two, we ended up with a giant list of topics ranging from diversity in beauty to Holographic Y2K Cyber, the Noughties, shimmer vibes.
So, we wrangled Sarah and put her to work piecing those ideas together into 4 part blog series addressing 2022 beauty trends and how you can capture them in your labels! (These blogs reflect her views and opinions, not necessarily those of Summit Labels.) You've read week one featuring the blurring lines of skincare and cosmetics and the sustainability push (if not, what are you waiting for?!), and now you're here, ready for more. So let's dive in.
The grooming industry will flourish, helping redefine masculinity.
"Male-marketed beauty and grooming is on the rise and is a sector expected to generate global sales of $81.2 billion by 2024. This is partly due to the lockdowns – when men experimented with products comfortably at home. But it's also down to a more gradual evolution of the norms around how masculinity is defined, alongside our collective interest in self-care and the beauty brand boom of recent years offering men more product choice as well as agendas they can align with." - Bridget March, Bazaar.
Okay, for this one, I can't say much other than how supportive I am of playing with societal norms and visual cues! Before, men's products were marketed as hyper-masculine. Race-cars, beards, rocket ships and turbo engines, scents smell, and packaging were typically darker in colour, featuring black, grey, and cooler tones like blue. Here's looking at you, Old Spice.
The question going into 2022? Is that no longer the case? As March pointed out, things are changing. Packaging colours are becoming more subdued, and colours are starting to move out of the gender binary rules of yesteryear.
A big part of this shift is cosmetic and skincare routines shifting into the world of 'self-care.' And, after the last few years, who couldn't use some? I think we will see visual cues moving towards the simplistic, all-gender, inclusive, and approachable. Blocked colours, simple text, and zen-inspired imagery are all things to consider when packaging grooming products.
Take Pharell's celebrity skincare line (Aka one of my favourite recent packaging designs). Launched in November 2021 and packaged in Kelly green. All the products are Japanese-inspired and come in refillable stubby containers. Across social media and beyond, it's marketed as an all-gender product. If that doesn't do enough for inclusive packaging, each piece also includes signage in Braille. As we see more male celebrities, like Harry Styles, launch their own lines of cosmetics and skincare products, I think we'll also get to see a more generally diverse, mould-breaking line-up for everyone.
Scheltens and Abbenes
4) The skincare world will diversify its narrative
"Since the dawn of beauty's uprising against the white-washed beauty industry, the needle has moved significantly. Mainstream retailers and brand owners have responded with action that goes beyond the performative; plus, there's been a significant increase in beauty brands launched by people of colour this year…While this is all positive there's still much work to be done before we can declare the beauty experience an equal playing field for all to participate in." - Bridget March, Bazaar.
I may be repeating myself here, but beauty is for everyone. And if you don't believe me, just check the rise in inclusive products and diverse beauty. Still not convinced? What if I told you that 63% of Americans say they're inspired by beauty brands that show diversity in advertising. Consumers want to see diversity in beauty ads because it "reflects real life" (68%) and because it "shows that there are different ways to be beautiful" (56%).
We can't talk about inclusivity without talking about Rihanna's groundbreaking Fenty line. Launched in 2017 with 40 shades of foundation, which instantly sold out, it expanded to an unprecedented 50 shades in 2019. It also answered that consumer need for reflective advertising, casting for individuals who don't usually see themselves reflected in beauty products or advertising.
Another brand born from frustration with the singular, Eurocentric beauty ideal? Live Tinted, a makeup brand founded by Deepica Mutyala in 2017, champions diverse and inclusive beauty.
"When I hear the word inclusivity, I think of it as almost like a baseline standard of what the world should be. Inclusivity has to be a normal part of each brand, like the same way brands are doing clean, cruelty-free, vegan [products]. Diversity, inclusivity and representation are so deeply connected to what I wish I had seen growing up, and I feel like we're getting there." Says Mutyala.
For her, it's less about the number of shades and more about being seen in the shade range. It's about beauty becoming more than a performance, and more about the representation of everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, sexuality, and other contextual factors.
Live Tinted uses similar visual cues to Pharrell's Human Race line. Again, accessing blocked colours and simple text to make something widely accessible and adaptable.
The Lip Bar another diverse first beauty team of 100% women and 85% people of colour, uses cohesive, neutral colours as a backdrop to pop the products inside. Similarly to Fenty, they take advantage of interesting, artistic shapes in packaging to cue that something fun, new, and different is at play here.
Inclusivity in beauty is about supporting and uplifting marginalized and underrepresented communities. It's about working with those communities to create something representative. It's an iterative, constant process with social responsibility at the forefront. Many brands are now under scrutiny for their lack of genuine support for marginalized communities. Beauty companies must understand that their values are reflected by interpreting and participating in this space.
For many, diversity in beauty is about voice and empowerment; it's about listening to consumers and giving them what they want and need. For the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, Diversity in beauty is about recognizing all ethnicities, races, cultures, skin tones, body types, and backgrounds are beautiful.
No matter what, this 'trend' is about keeping in mind how people will use these items and how the experience can be expanded. It's about moving past the idea of diversity as a trend and focusing on the simple fact that people aren't shopping for products anymore; they're shopping with people and brands they believe in and love. And ask yourself, are you one of those brands?
See you next week:
Tune in again for part 3 of our four-part 2022 Beauty Trends series later this week! We'll be exploring the blurring of beauty health and oral care, beauty tech growth, and of course, how to capture these trends in your labelling and branding decisions this year.
Questions or comments? Did we miss something here that you think is important? Just want to give her a much-needed compliment? Reach out to Sarah directly via email: sarah@summitlabels.ca or through Linkedin @sarahjfcampbell.
See you next time!
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