Buyers Reveal Their Wish Lists at Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna
BOLOGNA, Italy — Innovation percolated at Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, the business-to-business beauty trade show that took place from March 16 to 20 here.
It attracted a slew of international buyers sleuthing for game-changing brands and products.
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“We’re here looking for a needle in a haystack,” said Daina Nadler, vice president, sales and marketing at Bigelow Trading, referring to the miles of brands’ booths at the show.
Buyers’ wish lists were multifaceted, encompassing different product categories to meet a wider spectrum of industry trends than ever.
Nadler said she was looking for innovative brands that could check important boxes, such as accessibly-priced fragrances with cleaner formulations; interesting home scents and nail care brands; skin care targeting younger customers, and feminine care — “menopause and things we were too embarrassed to talk about before, but that are now becoming part of the conversation.”
She found joy at the Extraordinary Gallery, where brands Nadler highlighted included: Vahy, an Australian fragrance label with accessible price points and natural formulations with staying power; and U.K.-based Happy Paul brand with its concise assortment of mood-boosting scents winking to aromatherapy.
Also from the U.K. came Glow Hub, an educational skin care brand for children, and hailing from France was Kerzon, with fragrant home care products, such as laundry soaps and room sprays.
K-beauty skin care brands promoting week-long treatments or concentrated freeze-dried formulations were among other highlights.
Melonie Conradie, head of buying, cosmetics at The Foschini Group in South Africa, also noted skin care’s evolution with more hybrid formulations and the rising demand for concepts that can create at-home spa experiences.
“What people tend to forget is that skin care doesn’t stop at the forehead,” she said, underlining the rise of scalp care — both in terms of products and massage devices — as well as of hair care addressing alopecia, other hair loss or stress relief.
“We’re exploring more and going deeper into hair care and skin care because that’s what customers are looking for,” confirmed Krithi Tirumala, assistant vice president, beauty, at Noon.com, based in Saudi Arabia.
Here are some more beauty finds from Cosmoprof:
TRU HYAL 100
Everything skin needs fits in a capsule, according to Eun-Jung, founder of Tru Hyal 100, the South Korea-based brand based that she launched in 2021 after spending 15 years hosting a beauty television show there.
Tru Hyal 100 products were created with patented freeze-dried technology, allowing for formulations with no water, preservatives or additives, which deliver through capsules pure actives deep into the skin. Those are said to stimulate the natural production of hyaluronic acid and collagen.
It works like this: pour a few drops of serum — either the brand’s own or other brands’ water-based serums — on each Tru Hyal 100 capsule, which then melts into the necessary dose of actives to increase skin hydration and elasticity.
Clinically proven by the Korean P&K Skin Research Centre, the technology is the same as that used in medicine to treat internal surgical wounds and burns.
Prices for the Hyaluronic Acid 100% Capsule product range from 14 pounds for six capsules to 99 pounds for 48 capsules. A 50-ml. serum retails at 39.50 pounds.
Tru Hyal 100 was presenting at Cosmoprof its Inner Beauty Stick & Mist Intimate Care for Women, using similar technology and additional ingredients such as vitamin C and polyslysine. The single-use freeze-dried sticks are activated after the mist is sprayed on them before application. The products target sporty people, those in menopause and anyone else seeking personal hygiene.
Tru Hyal 100 was looking to expand in pharmacies, spas, clinics and other high-end retailers, alongside its existing e-commerce channel.
INOCOS
Ever heard of solid nail polish? Portuguese company Inocos has created one, its latest launch called Solid Tricolor Gel. It’s a compact of three solid nail polishes in an ultra-pigmented, creamy texture. This is brushed on, so faster to apply than traditional nail polish, and uses less product.
Available in 10 color palettes, ranging from classic shades of pink and red to metallics and neon hues, each retails for around 9.50 euros. A kit, comprising two compacts, a base gel, top coat, brush and buffer, is priced at approximately 53 euros.
Inocos products are distributed through more than 300 retailers across eight countries, including Portugal, Spain, France and Belgium.
BEAU HEI::T
Beau Hei::t, a Danish organic beauty and hair care brand, was launched at Cosmoprof. It’s built around a personalized three-step routine centered on hyaluronic acid, including a spray, followed by a booster to be applied when skin is damp.
“Then after a second or two, your skin has dried and you seal in the hyaluronic acid with a sealer of your choice,” explained Hanne Vernegreen Rasmussen, managing director of Unique Products, parent company of Beau Hei::t.
There are, for instance, sealers to mattify skin or with a prebiotic protein claim. Altogether, including the Beau Hei::t hair care range, created with skin care-like attributes, there are about 100 stockkeeping units, including salon sizes. Some 60 percent is skin care, with certain products billed as helpful to issues related to menopause.
Vernegreen Rasmussen said the idea for distribution of the gender-neutral line is to try to have its products used and sold in spa centers and specialty shops. They come with price tags ranging from 45 euros for a 30-ml. booster to 49 euros for a 50-ml. sealer.
Beau Hei::t is made in an eco-friendly factory and uses upcycled ingredients, such as plum coming from a cider-production plant’s side stream.
SEOULISTA BEAUTY
Seoulista Beauty, which creates salon-type beauty treatments for at-home use, was showcasing its new Cryo Cool Skin Tool.
“This brings us back to the core of the brand, which is thermal cooling,” explained Seoulista Beauty founder and chief executive officer Una McGurk-Hill, who said she always aims to deliver fast results with her creations and to make people feel good in their skin.
Cryo Cool is a bell-shaped tool made of aluminum into which a container of serum snaps and from which the product is hygienically dispensed onto skin.
“Because it’s made of aluminum, it’s naturally cold,” said Cassie Wilson, head of brand strategy and innovation at London-based Seoulista Beauty, adding that helps minimize skin’s redness, irritation and puffiness, and helps give it a healthy glow.
The Cryo Cool Skin Tool, which retails for 25 pounds, was introduced in September 2022.
Seoulista products are sold in retailers such as Selfridges, Boots and Sephora, mostly in the U.K. and Ireland. The brand was hoping to expand distribution, such as to the U.S.
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