This Fall, designers pay homage to progressive moments in American history—from the bohemian hippie to modernists—while stringing together an affection for colors and styling that are innately easy to wear, according to global color authority Pantone.

“Juxtaposition of color from opposite sides of the spectrum emphasizes poise and confidence on the runway,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “The Fall 2015 palette is rooted in multi-faceted, androgynous colors that can be worn to portray effortless sophistication across men’s and women’s fashion; it is the first time we are seeing a truly unisex color palette.” 

Versatility and effortlessness of wear are evident in the numbers too. Classic cosmetics such as lipstick (11.4% increase to $567.4 million) and concealer (10.7% rise to $230.8 million) are seeing new twists in R&D, according to data from Information Resources Inc. (IRI) for total US multi-outlet (supermarkets, drugstores, mass market retailers, military commissaries and select club and dollar retail chains) for the 52 weeks ended May 17, 2015. It is also noteworthy to report that the eyebrow makeup category soared 39.5% to $127.8 million!

Total facial cosmetic sales increased 2.5% to $1.9 billion in mass. Lip cosmetic sales jumped 5.8% to $784.3 million and eye cosmetics rose 3.4% to $2 billion, noted IRI.

In prestige, makeup outperformed the overall marketplace of $2.6 billion with a 9% rise to $1.1 billion, according to a first quarter 2015 report from The NPD Group. Cosmetics experienced double-digit growth across many segments, including lipliner (25%) and eyebrow makeup (22%).

“In beauty, it is becoming increasingly important to dig deeper and see what’s happening underneath. Today, the topline trends reveal but a fraction of the prestige beauty story,” explained Karen Grant, global beauty industry analyst, The NPD Group. “Less traditional and often smaller categories continue to emerge as the big winners of growth. The trends are more diverse and moving faster. Looking closer at these elements driving the market is essential for the industry to respond in step with the quickening pulse of today’s consumer trends.”

Sephora is a major hub for color cosmetics right now, as 90% of US prestige beauty-buying women surveyed say they shop at the LVMH-owned retail stores, Sephora.com or both either occasionally or regularly, according to data from The Benchmarking Company.  Millennials (age 18-34) represent the largest group of dual buyers, with 69% saying they shop in store and online both, compared to 59% of Gen-Xers (age 35-49) and 49% of Boomers (age 50+.) 

“Color cosmetics continue to reign supreme. In our just-released 2015 PinkReport: The Sephora Shopper, the majority of women shared that their first in-store stop at Sephora is color cosmetics with 47% of all women surveyed making a beeline to all that’s new, sparkly and colorful off the bat,” said Denise Herich, co-founder of the Benchmarking Company. “Color is her first stop no matter if she’s an 18 year old or a Baby Boomer.”

Skinnovations in Makeup
Facial cosmetic launches for Fall 2015 are nothing short of illustrious—products span from glow-getters to fine-tuned canvas creators. Ingredients like hyaluronic acid are also paramount for its moisturizing benefits.

“We find that many shoppers like to choose multi-tasking products that provide many benefits with one application,” noted Karla Davis, director of marketing, Ulta Beauty, Bolingbrook, IL. “Water is working its way into all things beauty. A little H20 can help a product pack an even greater punch and electrolytes keep skin hydrated longer.” 

On the topic of hydration, Smashbox’s latest creation, BB Water SPF 30, is available in eight hues. This ultra-hydrating, oil-free facial formulation glides on to blend in a snap and move with your skin. Pigments suspended in water give skin the cocktail it craves for a radiant finish that hydrates all day. Exclusive Photoset Polymers offer longwearing benefits while SPF 30 protects from environmental damage.

Also in the prestige marketplace, La Prairie’s new Skin Caviar Concealer Foundation SPF 15 is touted as a lightweight formula enriched with a new peptide for increased firmness and elasticity, gives the look of a naturally flawless complexion and keeps the skin hydrated with a dewy finish. A perfectly matched concealer in the bottle cap camouflages under-eye darkness and imperfections. Both formulas support firming with legendary caviar extracts and help shield skin from aging factors. 

To provide a flawless canvas, Make Up For Ever just rolled out an amped-up version of its HD Foundation, Ultra HD Liquid, in July, to be followed by Ultra HD Stick Foundation in September. Key ingredients in Ultra HD products include amino acid coated pigments with reflective particles, hyaluronic spheres to plump skin and sericite, a fine-grained mica for radiance. The brand also rolled out a new marketing campaign promoting consumers to “Be Bold” with models Andrea Pejic (pictured on the cover of Happi this month) and Jamie Chung.

“In skin, of course clients want a perfect complexion. Medium to full foundations that feel light on the skin and look natural are very popular,” Michele Pecce, executive director, Make Up For Ever trade and product marketing, Americas, New York, told Happi. “Our new Ultra HD Foundation answers this demand.”

Also already gaining ground in the mass market with specially formulated technology for true high-intensity results and a pearlescent finish, the L’Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Liquid Glow Illuminator brightens the skin instantly from within, according to the company. Light-reflecting liquids glide on to refresh and enhance the complexion for a luminous result. In powder form, it is billed as the first multi-use pressed powder to act as a blush, highlighting and illuminating powder with a luminous velvety glow. It is ideal for every skin tone and can be used all over the face or to accent contours. The formula is based on undertone to enhance and harmonize the tone while adding the accent of light and glow in more of a highlighting and blushing effect.

Gold-spun sculpting powders are also (wo)man’s best friend in a well-groomed collection of new canine-inspired hues from M·A·C. Haute Dogs features buttery fur tones and regal berries for lips along with the cheek-enhancing products.

Vapour Organic Beauty’s multi-dimensional mauve and rich plum shades for the face and lips are said deliver a flawless complexion for Fall 2015. Its new Aura Multi-Use Classic Blush in Virtue is a versatile multi-tasking blush stick in a soft rose that adds a glow to cheeks as it defines and contours. The color compliments all skin tones and is the perfect sophisticated pink hue to transition into the cooler season. Aura nourishes with Vapour’s face-specific infusion of soothing frankincense, antioxidant tulsi and calming lotus.

Delivering natural, undetectable coverage in a creamy, blendable stick formula, Laura Geller’s new Easy Cover Up Hydrating Concealer Crayon delivers a boost of hydration while making imperfections and dark circles disappear. Travel friendly and mess-free, the crayon is said to never needs sharpening—twist the bottom for more product. This SKU is infused with super antioxidant Italian tomato extract to protect and help firm skin while hyaluronic filling spheres hydrate and fill in fine lines for a more youthful look. It is available in three shades (light, medium and medium deep) and will be sold at Ulta stores and online.

Wearable and Noticeable
The buzz in lipcolor for Fall 2015 is all about wearability—textures span from matte to glossy and pigments have staying power. For example, a prominent launch from P&G Beauty this season is CoverGirl Outlast Longwear Lipcolor. Billed as a longwear lipcolor that is actually soft in feel, this product is said to moisturize for eight hours. The waterproof formula includes oils for hydration that mimics the natural oil of skin, said the company. Other big launches at CoverGirl right now include Jumbo Gloss Balm Creams, said to pack a rich color with soft shine; as well as Jumbo Gloss Balm Sheers, which is lighter in pigment.

Another noteworthy rollout is billed as a lip color that does it all. Fronted by celebrity/model Kendall Jenner, Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Liquid Lip Potion is touted as a luxuriously lightweight formula that drenches lips with the rich color intensity of a lipstick, the slip of a gloss and the plush comfort of a lip balm. The product’s moisture-rich formula and satiny texture glides onto lips with one uniform stroke of brilliant liquid color (available in 16 hues) for a smooth, sculpted finish with eight-hour wear, said the company. Estée Lauder’s Advanced True Vision Technology contains “Concentrated Liquid” structural pigments that create rich color, definition and volume. A unique Time Release Encapsulated Moisture Complex with hyaluronic acid boosts lips’ ability to attract, capture and seal-in continuous hydration. This complex also comprises a cocktail of oils: avocado, jojoba and sunflower.

Portability remains a hot trend in lipcolor this season. A leading concept in this asset is crayon or pencil form. Mineral makeup brand Jane Iredale is tapping this trend with a new collection of PlayOn Lip Crayons in seven irresistible shades for Fall 2015.
Infused with a blend of moisturizing oils for a healthy pout, the creamy formula glides onto lips with ease, delivering high-impact color and a velvety-smooth finish that stays put for hours, according to the company. PlayOn Lip Crayons are available in a versatile color palette ranging from Naughty, a brick red, to Charming, a bubblegum pink, and feature a sleek pencil design for on-the-go touch-ups.

Tarte is bulking up its Power Pigments range with a new hue for the season called Glisten. Inspired by its newly designed cheek stain, these punched up lip tints impart bold color and shine for a perfect smile all day long, said the company. A burst of moisture hydrates lips while imparting rich, highly-pigmented color in new, skin brightening, vibrant shades, and the antioxidant formula with just a hint of peppermint nourishes and invigorates lips for a more plumped up appearance. The sleek, “skinny” packaging allows for the most precise application of color while minimizing waste and carbon footprint too. The formulation is fueled by vitamin E, shea butter and carnauba wax.

GloMinerals is also getting creative with its new Cream Glaze Crayons. This chunky pencil provides high gloss pop of color with a built-in sharpener that delivers precision and convenience in one, said the company. Cream Glaze Crayons are enriched with antioxidant vitamins C and E, as well as conditioning mango oil and shea butter.

“As a whole, our beauty society is becoming a lot more heath conscious. Shoppers are doing their own extensive research on trending products and becoming makeup and ingredient savvy. Shoppers want the best of both worlds, products that have amazing color saturation and payoff but at the same time include beneficial ingredients that nourish the skin,” said Janeena Billera, a national makeup artist for GloMinerals based in Denver, CO.

Matte finishes are also prominent in Fall 2015 color collections. Consider the latest news from British makeup entrepreneur Charlotte Tilbury, who recently introduced her Matte Revolution Lipsticks to the US in a designer collaboration with photographer Norman Parkinson. According to the company, this groundbreaking new formula is enriched with new-generation 3D glowing pigments for lips that look lit-from-within and an optical ‘matte-trick’ to create the appearance of wider, fuller lips. Enhanced with seed extracts from “The Lipstick Tree,” a plant extract first brought to market by Tilbury, Matte Revolution has the feel of a balm and the highly-pigmented, high-performance of a stain.

Laura Mercier is bringing matte to meet its mate with Velour Lovers Lip Color that melds mattifying powders with moisturizing mango butter. Hyaluronic acid smoothes and softens in this 12-shade collection of medium to high coverage, matte sateen finish lipsticks.

Mary Kay is going luxe for the season with the new limited edition City Modern Collection. Create a polished look with versatile color options from this modern collection for eyes, lips and nails. Velvet Lip Crème shades in Oh So Currant, Naturally Chic and Berry Stylish glide on smoothly for a sultry pout that’s both moisture-rich and ultra-creamy, said the company. With a velvety pigment, the bold shades require minimal effort to achieve maximum color payoff.

“The hottest trends in makeup are matte eyeshadows and matte lip colors,” observed Los Angeles-based celebrity makeup artist Renee Loiz. “Lipstick colors are bold and matte and are coming in easy to apply pencil sticks. Nars, Lorac and Smashbox are doing some amazing colors. Many brands are coming out with matte shadows and putting them into palette form such as Tarte, TooFaced and Urban Decay.”

All About Drama
As each season passes, eyes have become increasingly graphic, not only with bold pigments, but more specifically with bold placement, noted Craig-Ryan French, global makeup artist, Paul & Joe Beauté, Toronto. He told Happi, “Industry leaders—such as Chanel, Fendi and Dior—have redefined the smoky eye with abstract, geometric structure this season. It appears ‘bold strokes on a bare canvas’ is the theme for AW 15-16!

When it comes to eye makeup right now, undone is the new done, according to sources at Maybelline New York. Unleash “colossally chaotic lashes” with Maybelline Volum’Express Colossal Chaotic Mascara. The teaser brush plus big volume formula deliver instant volume, touts the company. Tease across with the inclined tip to create “lash chaos” as the formula allows for a quick build.

Another mass market competitor, Coty’s Rimmel brand, challenges consumers to create the boldest look ever with 360-degree ScandalEyes XX-Treme Volume and Length Mascara. With a dual-sided wand and a high-performance formulation, this mascara is said to deliver elongated lashes. Then, draw the line with Exaggerate Smoke ‘n’ Shine Liner with a crack-proof, creamy formula that goes on smooth. It’s unique because it imparts the look of a gel liner from an automatic pencil, according to the company.

Bobbi Brown’s new Greige Collection, which will be available from September through November, was inspired by the shade range Brown discovered while mixing paint during a home project. According to the brand, the collection features the ideal blend of gray and beige hues. Leading this launch is Intense Pigment Liners, said to provide rich color that can be applied smoothly and evenly for a precise line or blended and smudged to create an instant smoky eye. Formulated with pure pigments, Intense Pigment Liner delivers a dark, opaque color payoff, said sources at Bobbi Brown. Model Kate Upton is fronting the campaign.

Meanwhile, the Fall 2015 Color Collection at Nars features a lush and lavish mix of shades for eyes, lips and cheeks. Making its official launch is the Velvet Shadow Stick—a silky, velvety shadow in a range of rich shades for layering under and over, blending and setting, creating looks that are modern and sophisticated, said the company.

Lady Burd introduced a cutting edge, cream-to-powder formula, Crushed Metal Shadow. Its high-shine foil finish is also long-wearing and buildable, according to the company. To ensure extra staying power for a look that lasts, mix with the brand’s Long Wear Activator, which is specially formulated to intensify and perfect the finish of the shadow color. 

Brow building products are also on the rise in color cosmetics, as noted by IRI data. Inglot is introducing a solution to unruly brows: 12 shades of waterproof AMC Brow Liner Gel—the ideal product to fill in eyebrows and emphasize a distinct color and contour without looking painted-on or unnatural, said the company. Made with an enriched, hypoallergenic formula full of nourishing ceramides, Inglot AMC Brow Liner Gel smoothes and shapes the eyebrows while ensuring long-lasting fullness. This product is available in 12 different colors.

Urban Decay is also rolling out a brow gel this season. It hails in a mascara-like tube that simultaneously grooms, defines and sets brows for a fuller, more polished look, said the company. The easy-to-use brush gives you total control, and the formula is lightweight for a comfortable, flexible hold that’s never stiff or sticky. Available in four tinted shades and a clear gel, it feels conditioning and dries down quickly.

The Next Level
Strong brows will continue to be a trend into 2016.

“With so much innovation within the brow category almost anyone can achieve a full, textured and natural brow look,” said Davis of Ulta.

A soft, illuminated complexion will also continue to trend into next year. 

“Contouring has evolved into a smooth and polished complexion look and we love flawless, hydrated skin that blurs imperfections and gives a healthy glow,” Davis told Happi. “We are also seeing more graphic and colorful eye looks.”

For 2016, bolder and more unique colors will surface. According to Loiz, “We will see that in eyeshadows and lip products. Foundations are becoming more like skin but with better coverage. Shimmer formulations will become finer in texture to really give a glowing and luminous effect.”

Billera of GloMinerals foresees a breezier face. She told Happi, “Effortless beauty has taken center stage, and it isn’t going anywhere just yet. This trend will be brought to a whole new level in 2016. The fresh faced, ‘no-makeup makeup look’ will continue to draw attention while bold, youthful brows and glowing skin will be all around us.”

French of Paul & Joe summed it up as: “As the experiment with vibrant color continues on the A/W 15-16 runways—as seen at Céline, Christian Siriano, Karen Walker and Rodarte. We see customers becoming curious, and a little more adventurous with their color selections as each season passes. 

“Just as vivid colored lipsticks, were paraded for years on the runways, before a ‘lip-gloss obsessed’ culture, finally accepted and embraced the existing lipstick trend—we are now, currently, seeing a surprising kaleidoscope of colors among the ocean of neutrals on the runways – which means, it’s only a matter of time before we will eventually see those same surprising colors on you!”