Beauty and cosmetic operators proving to be the best retail performers

Applying make-up is sometimes referred to as putting on war paint.
Given the way beauty and cosmetic operators have taken over as the best-performer in retail, they have not only won the battle but are declaring victory in the war. It is a category killer that will survive.

And it's big business. According to IBISWorld, the cosmetic and toiletry retailing industry is worth about $5 billion a year. For department store landlords, the average moving annual turnover is about $60,000 a year for their cosmetic sellers.

A 400 square metre stand-alone store in a prime CBD location, on average, turns over about $16 million a year, generating about $40,000 a year in sales - and growing.
These are figures that traditional apparel retailers dream of and reflect the changing mood of consumers.

Shoppers want an experience when they shop and beauty products offer just that. Instant gratification, a feel-good factor and getting a range of products that can be used longer than a pair of shoes that are usually worn once and retired to the back of the cupboard.
Sephora and Mecca have led the charge, with the South Korean Innisfree the new entrant.

Adding to sales, men are embracing grooming and manscaping with gusto.

Matt Hudson, the national director and head of retail leasing at Cushman & Wakefield said cosmetics and beauty are some of the fastest growing tenants in the city and suburban malls.
''Cosmetics allow the consumer access to luxury brands and experience at an affordable price,'' Mr Hudson said.

''Beauty retailing is the backbone of department stores and offer some of the strongest sales per square metre for landlords. From a yield perspective, the returns are some of the best margins for the operator and landlord.''
In Melbourne, Mecca Maxima opened its latest flagship store at GPT's Melbourne Central mall on Friday. It will be a new-look 395 square metre site. MECCA was founded by Jo Horgan back in 1997 and started with just one Mecca Cosmetica store on Toorak Road in South Yarra.

Fast forward 20 years, Jo and her husband Pete now run a business with 90 stores across Australia and New Zealand, comprising of four store concepts, Mecca Cosmetica, Mecca Maxima and MECCA. There are plans to open a further 10 by Christmas.

Makeup Artist Violette Creates Flower Inspired YouTube Beauty Tutorial

Regardless of what your weather app says, we're officially three days into spring, which means that it's time to hit refresh on our makeup routines. And when it comes to inspirational, creative beauty looks, no one does it better than Violette, who took springtime makeup to a whole new level in her latest tutorial.
                                                 

The self-taught makeup artist says her source of inspo came from a bouquet of vibrant, pink blooms including anemones, garden roses, and tulips she spotted while on a visit to New York City's flower district with florist Nicolas Cogrel. "I want something that is between strong and soft, exactly like the beautiful flowers we picked today," she says in the video.

After applying concealer in key areas, Violette began the springtime color theme of rosy pinks and fuchsias with a swipe of pink blush, followed by face gloss as a highlighter. Then, she defined her eyes with a black eye pencil along the upper and lower lash lines, creating a subtle cat-eye shape before going in with eyeshadow. Ready for the fun part? She used Colourpop's She Pressed Powder Shadow Palette to apply a brick red shade over the smudged liner as a base color before layering a metallic bronze shade for a multi-dimensional look. Lastly, she added a petal-pink shimmer in the inner corner adds a "50 shades of pink" effect that perfectly echoes the vase of fresh flowers.

After swiping on a few coats of black mascara, Violette then revealed her secret tip for a natural glow: Apply an imperceptible line of gold glitter eyeliner on the cupid's bow and inner corners to create a subtle, is-it-really-there sparkle that evokes "the morning dew of flowers." Pink nude lipstick completes her look — and voilà.

Floral-inspired makeup can be tricky to get right — we're still not quite sure how we feel about the "terrarium eyes" beauty trend from last year. Needless to say, Violette's artistic reimagination is something we feel Miranda Priestly would most certainly deem as "groundbreaking."

How To Ensure Your Makeup Lasts All Day

Disappearing makeup is one of life’s little injustices. After exercising an almost inhuman amount of self-control by dutifully getting up early rather than hitting snooze, only for your painstakingly applied makeup to slide off by the time you grab your 4 PM snack, renders it something of a Sisyphean task. I don’t know anyone who’s not experienced this at some point – myself included. On the whole, my face can hold onto eyeliner (specifically Charlotte Tilbury Liquid Eye Pencil), mascara (Max Factor 2000 Calorie Curl Addict doesn’t crumble), and brow gel (Glossier Boy Brow can survive even the sweatiest of sauna sessions). Everything else? It’s a veritable Slip 'N Slide.
                                                 

Then, there’s the matter of setting sprays, which are pretty Marmite in the beauty community. Some people love them; others think they don’t really do anything. But Shareen says, "I’m a big fan of setting sprays – the Chantecaille Rosewater is great for setting makeup, or Cover FX Mattifying Setting Spray if you really need to lock in makeup. If you want your highlight to pop, spritz your face then apply powder highlighter while it’s still wet. It’s not a subtle look!"

Most of my makeup education came from my days working on the shop floor of a high-end beauty store. Being of a drier skin type, I used to avoid powder like the plague, but my colleagues showed me that a light dusting was the difference between your makeup looking like a Raphael or a Picasso after lunch. (I love By Terry Hyaluronic Powder, which has hydrating hyaluronic acid for ultimate smoothness).
"Powder is really key," says Shareen. "It’s the one thing most women don’t do enough of when it comes to applying makeup. It really doesn’t have to be cakey, just a light dusting of Chantecaille HD Powder over your face right at the end is all you need. I do my lipstick first, then once I’m done perfecting that a little, the makeup will have settled into my skin somewhat and I can concentrate the powder where it’s needed," she added.

This Is the Highlighter Lupita Nyong'o's Makeup Artist Uses on Hers

Since breaking onto the scene in 2013, Lupita Nyong'o is an actor we always look forward to seeing on the red carpet. The star of the upcoming movie, Black Panther, loves to have fun with her beauty and fashion choices, playing with vibrant colors on her eyes and lips (and sometimes both), experimenting with a variety of hairstyles and accessories, and often going with dresses from designers we don't usually see on the red carpet. And the man behind many of those bold makeup looks is Nick Barose, a long-time Allure friend, and contributor. And for the 2018 SAG Awards, Barose graciously gave us an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the getting ready process. "I wanted to play off the iridescent sheen in her dress, which reminded me of a sleek serpent," says Barose. So I did that by adding shine on her lids and a winged liner with a serpent-like quality to it." See how the makeup look came together — as well as what it's like getting an A-lister ready before a big event (hint, chocolate is involved) — below.
                                                     

Prep Work
"I always do a bit of a sketch beforehand, so I have an idea of what I want the makeup to look like," says Barose. "And I always have a few options ready so that I can evolve the look as I'm applying it. You can’t always be 100-percent married to one idea because so much can change during the prep process. You have to play as you go along, I find it always works out best that way."

Glow Up
Barose used the brand new Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Custom Drops in Bronze Glow (Nyong'o's exact shade), tapping it along her cheekbones. Above, Barose holds the new product featuring the actress's autograph.

Pro Tip
To create the silvery shadow look on Nyong'o, Barose used Lancôme Color Design Sensational Effects Eye Shadows in All that Shimmers and It List, applying the pressed powders with a dampened brush. "When playing with metallic shadows, a formula that can be used wet is key," says Barose. "When you use them wet, the shine looks even shinier."

Nearly Done
"Adding some last minute touch ups before she heads out. She's absolutely glowing!"

Exploring the Future of Makeup with the Highly-Contoured Teens of Beautycon

She’s here, she’s actually here, oh my God I can’t believe she’s here!”
                                           

Three young girls are chasing after makeup vlogger Olivia Grace. The 16-year-old social media influencer might look like she’s still at school, but YouTube videos where she reveals the contents of her handbag or what she got for Christmas regularly receive tens of thousands of views. At Beautycon—the annual beauty convention beloved by YouTubers and teenage girls—screaming kids, selfies, and expensive luxury highlighter are the norm.

Thousands of mostly teenage, female makeup addicts have travelled from all over the UK—and even further afield (I meet one person from LA)—to the Olympia Trade Centre in west London. Most have paid $40 for entry-level access to the convention, but others have shelled out $160 for premium packages, including “access to all brands, main stage panels, and activations,” extra makeup shopping opportunities, and the opportunity to take selfies with their favorite influencers. They’re here to meet YouTubers, Instagram makeup icons, and reality TV stars—as well as to spend their pocket money at one of the dozens of teen-favored brands that have retail stands at the event.

Makeup here is not about appearing pretty or enhancing how you look. Gone are the days of buffing in pink blusher to create a natural flush. These girls and women want to look hyper-real—so perfect they resemble alien princesses.

At the stand for the glitter makeup brand Sparkles London, I meet three 15 year-olds who look like lost members of Little Mix. Natalia has eyebrows so angular that I wouldn’t be surprised if she drew them with a compass. (We have withheld the surnames of all the girls interviewed due to their age.) “Today I spent an hour on them,” she says, although normally she only spends around 15 minutes on her brows. “I brush pomade underneath, then I line on top and blend out, and I put concealer around to sharpen everything up and highlight.”

How Atomic Makeup Founder Navil Rico Is Making Beauty More Inclusive

If you’ve been keeping up with the latest beauty trends, you know that liquid matte lipsticks are some of the biggest products on the market right now. While there are many options to choose from, not all are created equal — some can be too drying, too expensive, or too limited in shade range. Luckily, there’s an indie brand out there with lipsticks that include a creamy formula, wide spectrum of colors, affordable prices, and a socially conscious attitude. Meet Atomic Makeup NYC.
                                                 

On an ordinary day, the cosmetics line sells thousands of lipsticks, and recently, Atomic sold out its entire inventory during a sale on Labor Day weekend. While this seems like an easy enough feat for a thriving indie brand, Atomic’s ability to achieve this is especially impressive given that her team includes only five people, including Navil herself.

It’s typical for sellers on Etsy and other online platforms to sell handmade products at a higher cost due to the time-consuming and laborious nature of creating them, but Navil keeps her prices low in order to be more accessible. She says, “It’s not so much about profit per lipsticks, it’s about how many lipsticks can someone enjoy within their budget?”

Creating such shades is essential to the brand, and Navil's personal experience as a woman of color made her hyper-aware of a beauty standard that favors light complexions. Of this standard, she says, “I think that the only way to get rid of it is working harder and bringing knowledge to everyone that it’s not just about what we grew up knowing as beauty."

Her upbringing made her conscious of the restrictive beauty culture which was everywhere she looked, from magazines to television shows and more. The Atomic founder says that in the predominantly Latino city of Santa Ana, California, many girls she knew tried hard to fit into that standard.

How to Apply Makeup That Will Still Look Amazing at the End of a Race

When I ran my first obstacle course race, I envisioned crossing the finish line triumphantly, a big smile on my face, glowing with the joy of achievement. In reality, it was a sweaty and humid unseasonably warm day, but in my race photos I look great. My secret? I ran in a full face of makeup.
                                         

As I turn 30, most of my big life moments are behind me. I’ve already done the graduation, wedding and new baby photos, so now the big moments and photo ops in my life are ones I create for myself. I’ve run several distance races in full makeup, and the photos above are from my first obstacle course race. It might be vain, but after months of training for the Spartan Sprint and a hefty entry fee, I’m willing to put in a little extra effort to go home with a few great pictures to go with my medal.

Race photos and action shots won’t be close ups. Your race day makeup serves a different purpose than everyday makeup. The goal is to look great from ten feet away, so focus on making your features pop and complexion look even. Make sure your eyebrows don’t disappear on camera and your lips stand out. More product means more things that can slide around, so keep your race day look stripped down and minimize any contouring or highlighting. You will have plenty of glow from the exercise, so you don’t need an artificial one.

Race preparation for something like a Spartan or a marathon takes months of training. After putting in all that effort, I don’t want to take any chances with my race day look. Most of what I wear are prestige cosmetics with formulas engineered to withstand a long day. The bigger price tag really does get you more technology and better ingredients.

My race day face starts with Clinique Fit foundation. It’s got SPF 40, so there’s no need to put on any additional moisturizer. I like this foundation because it’s long wear and full coverage without feeling heavy. Any longwear foundation you like will get the job done as long as it’s a matte finish formula.