Choice is exploding in the beauty category. We can add boosters to existing products to enhance their efficacy, custom mix our own creations at home, fill out questionnaires about lifestyle and needs for tailored recommendations or even give a sample of our DNA in exchange for a one-of-a-kind blend. What’s more, brands are increasingly seeking to furnish us with recommendations of personalised beauty products, steering us towards those that will help us get the best results.
Here are some of my favourite examples in the world of beauty personalisation:
1. HelloAva
HelloAva, launched in beta in May 2017, is a chatbot that provides users with personalised skincare recommendations. AVA asks users a series of 12 questions to determine their skincare needs and places them in one of 30 categories before making tailored suggestions from a selection of safe, dermatologist-approved products.
2. Form beauty
Form is a haircare brand specifically designed for curly hair. Currently in beta, the brand will soon launch its M.A.P. Analysis service, which will analyse samples of users’ hair to assess their specific needs according to their hair texture and curl type.
3. Geneu
And British beauty brand GENEU offers an in-store or at home DNA analysis service U+ to tailor skincare regimes to its customers. The test analyses variations in genes responsible for ageing and is used in combination with a lifestyle assessment to give a tailored skin profile and suggestions from GENEU’s range of products.
Sizing the market
Today, we note serious appeal in personalised cosmetics based on skin type – 61% of women and 32% of men globally claim to be interested in this. We have also predicted future uptake of in-store product customisation. According to Foresight Factory data predictions, one in three global consumers will have ‘personalised’ a product in a store by 2025, with a further 35% interested in doing so.
From product to service
Personalisation is not just about consumers getting exactly what they want and appealing to their desire to have a bespoke product. It can also be an exercise in brand building. Through offering customisation as a service, labels open up opportunities to boost interactions with customers by creating new touch points, both on and offline, which gives people a reason to visit stores. And this is where brands can not only offer advice but showcase their expertise and build personable engagement with their audience. We are mindful that consumers aren’t only seeking products and advice targeted to them but a holistic store experience. And as omni-channel shopping develops, customer data will be used to improve in-store experiences that are catered to the shopper – a theme we will be building on in Part III.
This is Part II of The Future of Beauty series.
