The holiday season is upon us, and that means one thing: False eyelashes.

Stay with me here.

The holidays often mean more parties, yes? And so as to not let the trees and decorations outshine us, we tend to get a little more gussied up than we would for, say, a Fourth of July barbeque, yes? So perhaps when styling yourself for your neighbor’s holiday open house, or getting ready to ring in the New Year, you add a bolder lip, a smokier eye, a colored mascara, a glittery blush. Because why not? If the lights can twinkle so brightly, so can we.

Looking at some statistics, though, it’s not only during the holidays people (ladies, mostly) are spritzing on the perfume or dabbing a bit of gloss on their lips. A 2013 report states that women spend $426 billion on beauty products each year.1https://www.reference.com/business-finance/much-women-spend-beauty-products-a8af960949dbbb5c (All together, that is, not individually!) That’s a lot of dollars spent, to say the least, and in the past year, health and beauty products have seen an uptick in grocery store sales,2http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160217006269/en/Acosta-Finds-Health-Health-Beauty-Care-Grocery with new products and new opportunities for suppliers to make an impact on consumers. On average, health and beauty products overall are growing around 3.4 percent each year.

Beauty products as a CPG category may have been around a long time, but the category is anything but mature. As the seasons change, so do the trends, and what is hot this Christmas will be passé by Spring. But there are some trends that have staying power, and ultimately turn into guidelines for successful products. Here are a few for today’s beauty landscape:

Millennial Momentum
Millennials are a lot of things, but as a consumer group, they are growing more powerful by the day. Understand what the demographic values, how they do—or want to—spend their money, and always be on the lookout for ways you can engage them. Ask yourself which qualities your product embodies that match up with the ideals Millennials stand for. As the years go on, they have more disposable income available, and new trends pop on the scene, Millennials’ influence will be even stronger than it is now.

Going Natural
No, not in the “natural look” sense, but rather in the product ingredients sense. A quick look around the CPG industry shows an explosion of natural and organic products, including in the beauty sector. Writes a January 2016 article on cosmeticsbusiness.com, “Key to this latest surge in popularity has been the growth in the wellness sector with consumers taking a more holistic approach to their health combining food, exercise, fashion and beauty, all with a green, clean leaning. Interestingly marketing is also focusing on the environmental and social benefits of organic, with more emphasis being placed on the sourcing of ingredients.”3http://www.cosmeticsbusiness.com/technical/article_page/Organic_beauty_evolution_in_2016/114941 Do your beauty products hit on the trend toward natural or organic? If so, don’t let that message get lost! Your packaging should reflect your certifications, all the better to grab the consumer’s eye.

Speaking of Packaging…
People like shiny things. (See the aforementioned twinkle lights.) While specific to the holiday season, something I’ve seen suppliers do year after year is repackage their products in A) eye-catching boxes or bags that sparkle and glitter like the brightest star atop a tree, and B) combo packages that easily let people (ahem, last-minute shoppers, ahem) grab a gift for their loved one that mixes and matches their favorite products (lotions and body wash, or nail polish and top coats, for example). It might be too late to change up your packaging for this holiday season, but keep it in mind for next year, especially if you’re new to beauty, or have a new product you want people to check out. What better way to trial than to package the new product with an old favorite, all wrapped up in a shiny box with a glittery bow to entice buyers?

As the holiday season ramps up, beauty is in a prime position to make the most of being merry and bright, for consumers and suppliers alike.

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