At 300,000 ft², 1,278 exhibitors and more than 36,000 attendees, Cosmoprof North America continues its reign as the world’s leading beauty industry symposium and market-place. Every facet of the beauty industry was gorgeously represented at the plush and cool Mandalay Bay Convention Center, making attendees almost forget the unrelenting Las Vegas heat. It was a must-attend event for everybody who was anybody in beauty, from the Amazon and Sephora reps on the prowl for the next big brand, to QVC’s live auditions for upstart brands to gain an “as seen on TV” status to the said upstarts betting on their wow factors to gain that coveted audience.
A full week of workshops and seminars covered every topic imaginable, from digital marketing to manufacturing to eco-beauty trends, culminating in a capstone speech and appearance by basketball legend Ervin ‘Magic’ Johnson. The Beauty ID Awards and National Hairstyling Awards topped off the busy week to crown the industry’s best, from creative packaging design to cutting-edge colour and hair design.
The show floor itself was a labyrinth of vendors from every corner of the globe, including a robust presence of K-Beauty brands in addition to French, Brazilian, Italian, Australian, and even the first Armenian skin care line. Specialty curated sub-sections were dedicated to a variety of industry trends. If this all sounds a bit overwhelming—well, it was. After two days at the event, I think I made through only half the exhibition. Luckily, I moved fast, with determination to get a good look at the items that will surely be on your beauty wish list, as well as some great gift ideas for the upcoming holiday season.
Discover scent
I am starting with scent because it is so rare for fragrances other than aromatherapy oils to be exhibited at beauty trade shows.
The Sage Lifestyle artisan fragrance collection by Sage Machado is inspired by the former jewellery designer’s fascination with gemstones interpreted with a relaxed coastal sensibility.
Stirred by primæval and awe-inspiring natural landscapes like the Australian desert and the mountains of Haïti, Raw Spirit is a collection of luxury fragrances curated in conjunction with indigenous and tribal communities for an olfactory sensation that is uniquely raw and genuine.
Taking their cue from the fragrance world’s current obsession with oud, Habibi deconstructs the Middle Eastern perfume tradition to a refined and elevated interpretation for the modern man or woman.
Gift idea alert: check out the aromatherapy oil scarves from Petalwell.
Beauty spotlights
Ingeniously presented like a department store (as consumers would see) rather than parallel rows of exhibitors, this area featured masstige brands big on creativity, packaging sex appeal that merchants crave. I predict the following will be finding their way to a fine retailer near you.
TruHair by Chelsea Scott adds va-va-voom to even the finest hair, and promises you will never have a bad hair day again. The Volcanic Volume paste gives remarkable lift and texture, while the Color and Lift Thickening Fibers allows one to instantly brush on hair over those pesky bald spots.
Powered by an exclusive blend of phytoestrogens, Veneffect (veneffect.com) reverses the signs of hormonal skin ageing.
Get your retro curls on with Spoolies Hair Curlers and the Original ClassiCurl Roller.
Painful shoe blisters are a thing of the past with Preheels and you can toss out your crummy old hair brush. Raincry (raincry.com) is a premium brand of hair brushes handmade by French and Italian artisans. And let’s ditch the chemical laden hair care for the good stuff like Generation Klean and Hot Tresses.
Discover beauty
This enclave uncovered beauty treasures from around the globe, aimed at the adventurous and discerning consumer.
Make-up was in abundance here. There was the minimalist purity of Clé Cosmetics and urban chic from top salon Ecru New York. Loved the Parisian-themed all-in-one palettes from international make-up guru Manna Kadar.
Will facelifts become obsolete? Fillerina is a breakthrough alternative to injectable fillers with a dermo-cosmetic system that promises medical-grade results in 14 days. Treat those droopy jowls and that double chin at-home with the ChinUp mask by UpYours.
Vegan and chemical-free nail colour is definitely a thing. Londontown and Ella + Mila (ellamila.com) were among the many.
LQD is the latest in high-performance skin care for men, while Korean brands prove they are ahead of the competition with dermatologist formulations from Goodal (goodal.com) and DRGL.
If you prefer skin care with a French accent, the Sorbet Serum from Votre Vu is your skin’s best friend. Odacite Skincare is California-crafted with French savoir-faire.
Korea isn’t the only Asian country with innovative skin care; Pili Ani is densely packed with skin-nourishing nutrients from the Bikol region of the Philippines.
Merging beauty and well-being is the catalyst behind Finnish brand Supermood whose product range includes an anti-wrinkle, sleep-enhancing pillow.
From Kuwait, Prismologie is a first-of-its-kind body care line connecting the transformative powers of colour, fragrance and precious gemstones.
Hair ages like the rest of the body, so give it the love it deserves with Obliphica and Tela Beauty Organics.
Discover green
These brands are committed to eco-conscious products of the highest calibre in addition to presenting novel ideas.
If any product range fit that description, it was Good Clean Love, revolutionizing the world of sexual health with a line of organic intimate products and solutions, everything from personal care to intimacy enhancement with an emphasis on educating the consumer for better health and happiness.
Skin care with roots in ancient rituals is an emerging niche genre. From Hawaii there was Honua Hawaiian Skincare, packed with tropical emollients. Omofee invites consumers to “be exotic” with a range of luxury face and body care from India that are certified organic, vegan and halal. By contrast, Sonage Skincare stays true to its gold-standard European heritage while remaining non-toxic and nature based.
Anti-ageing line Schique is the first to discover the regenerative power of the daisy. There was more organic nail care in runway-ready colours from LVX and Oak Natural Beard Care for the environmentally conscious man.
Discover green leaf
This area continued the theme, showcasing natural or organic products intended for upscale green spas.
Glycelene Luxury Vegan Skincare is simultaneously organic and decadent, while Little Barn Apothecary produces wild-harvested unisex products for the modern salon. Making their US début was Nairian, a line of indulgent skin care from Armenia with ingredients sourced from the region’s rich natural resources.
Tones of beauty
Devoted to the growing trends and needs of the multicultural consumer. There were loads of fun here with multitasking tools from NuDred and Texturepro by Wet Brush. Then there were the advanced Phyto-Dermo skin solutions from Morganna’s Alchemy.
Keep reading, there’s more! These trend-setting products were hand-picked by Cosmoprof experts:
• gift alert! B-Livinn: vegan nail polish in personalized boxes;
• True Moringa Universal Cure Balm: first-aid kit in a jar;
• Beauty Tribe Hot Rollers introduces the Jetsetter, a revolutionary mechanism which took years to develop in their top-secret lab;
• Himirror: finally, a mirror that never lies.
• Feather & Bone Face Gems: a tablet facial cleanser that dissolves into a silky paste. Your perfect travel companion;
• Organic to Green coconut oil: a proprietary infusion of liquid coconut that never turns solid;
• Dermovia Lace: a Black Bamboo Charcoal peel-off mask. Get spa-like extractions in a mask;
• Skinn Fill Me In: a line-filling and skin-plumping mask that blurs the look of uneven tone and delivers deep hydration;
• Christian Breton Lifetox: mini-facelift in a bottle with a snake venom-like peptide;
• Hair Flash Color: spray-on make-up and fashion accessory for your hair;
• Blossom cuticle oil: flower-infused oils in six tantalizing aromas;
• Sphynx Portable Razor: hair-free on the go. Water, balm and razor in one handy device.
Back in Los Angeles, South Korean luxury skin care label Sulwhasoo selected West Hollywood restaurant the Eveleigh as the perfect spot for a garden party. The rustic, indoor-outdoor chic eatery and bar was precisely chosen as a backdrop for the brand’s 20th anniversary of the best-selling First Care Activating Serum (now available in special packaging) as well as unveil its new First Care Activating Mask, soaked with the coveted beauty serum. In a time where Korean face masks at every price are conquering the world by bringing a little bit of luxury spas into homes beyond Asia, Sulwhasoo has upped the ante on that proposition. Experts on hand at the Eveleigh highlighted a special Jaum Balancing Complex, the brand’s proprietary herbal complex and unique micro net composition of the mask fabric allowing for effective absorption of the formula.
To underscore Sulwhasoo’s adherence to the painstaking practice of selecting the right balance of herbal elements, online influencers and beauty writers were invited to create crowns using hand-selected flowers representing their individual goals and ambitions such as love, friendship, and prosperity. Even if the hand-crafted accessory popularized by Coachella and other music festivals is not a good look for everyone, women of all ages will like the look imparted by Sulwhasoo’s classic and new offerings.—Jody Miller, Correspondent
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