Monday was ‘panel day’ for CEW, an event where we dedicate 90 minutes to a pre-determined topic to address the needs and concerns of CPNA show attendees. This year’s topic was co-creation. To welcome CEW’s panelists and to develop a rapport prior to our 11 a.m. show time, CEW hosted a breakfast at The Verandah at the Four Seasons. Due to slow service, the conversation veered from co-creation into some very funny tangents, including—and you heard it here first—how llamas will be the new unicorns of 2019, and the overwhelming viral success of Drake’s In My Feelings Challenge. (If you don’t know what this is, Google it, it’s a thing.) On a more serious note, following the close of the panel, which wrapped at 1 p.m., the day was filled with meet-and-greets and interviews with brands and retailers who shared some insights on skin care and consumer behavior. It was great to finally hit a show stride and make important connections. Here, a brief on who We Saw, What We Learned and Where We Ate on Monday, July 30, Day Two of CPNA as seen by Andrea Nagel, VP of Content; Landree Bower, Senior Development Manager; Britney Turner, Marketing Assistant; and Jessica Caixiero, Events Assistant.

MONDAY, JULY 30, 2018



Who We Saw

  • It’s important to note that not all brands at CPNA have a booth. The Algenist team, for example, was walking the show floor, and took time to meet with CEW at the Press Booth, where CEO Rose Fernandez chatted about the company’s digital strategy, point of differentiation and upcoming Q1 launches, which includes live probiotics at a lower price point. “I feel like we are in a moment of disruption where there is a desire for sustainable, clean and safe product. But there is a lot of noise. We have to see who the category leaders will be. Also, we are deep into how we service the customer in a meaningful way. What else can we give her while she is on our site to get a full understanding of the brand, that’s not through a sale? We are spending a lot of time understanding her,” she said.
  • Detox Market’s Director of Brand Partnerships, Elena Severin, talked about the importance of consumer engagement in-store, as well as curation for legitimate, natural yet effective brands. She also spilled the big news about Detox’s Market’s new Nolita store, set to open in September. Stay tuned for a video interview featuring Elena in the coming weeks.
  • Vital Proteins is a new kind of company to exhibit at CPNA. A fully ingestibles brand, Vital Proteins makes collagen-infused supplements and powders powered by bovine collagen, along with peptides. Products allow for 20 grams of bovine collagen a day. The bovine collagen is sourced from grass-fed cattle farms in Brazil.
  • Sweat Cosmetics is taking the active trend by storm with a line developed by professional athletes that can be seamlessly applied while walking out of a gym or fitness class, without a mirror. Items include a Mineral Foundation SPF 30 Powder Jar, Mineral Illuminator Twit Brush, Skin Balancing Cleansing Towelettes and Glow Hard Mineral Bronzer. Products sell from $7 for the towelette to $48 for the mineral foundation with SPF.

What We Learned

  • The trend toward products containing collagen is being seen in a very strong way, for beauty formulas to supplements. It’s an ingredient trend retailers see as relevant, especially as beauty and nutrition merge closer together. The only challenge is finding vegan versions, as most suppliers use bovine collagen as an active ingredient.
  • Retailers are seeking out products that consumers can use throughout the day and are transportable, to help refresh makeup or skin every couple of hours. Hot items include patches that don’t disrupt makeup but provide a skin boost, or helps makeup look fresher and just applied.
  • Newer brands are avoiding positioning themselves as clean or vegan, even if they are. Instead, they’re finding that it’s more important to get the storytelling aspect of their brand across to make a consumer connection, which usually incorporates these levers and values, too.
  • One overarching theme at the show was the overwhelming number of indie skin care brands in attendance. Some saw the infiltration as a sign of how easy it is to enter beauty these days, especially with a lower barrier-to-entry due to social media and ecommerce. But some warned that many brands here this year, will be gone in 12 months, especially those who, despite amazing content and consumer engagement, have failed to develop anything innovative.
  • Another area of excitement was the development of various tools for skin tutorials and diagnosis. For example, Dimitri Katsachnias of Air Paris, “saw several mirrors serving up information for skin care that can even integrate information from different brands, making them relevant for brands and retailers.

Where We Ate

Breakfast kicked off at The Veranda at The Four Seasons, where no one (yay!) ordered the same thing. Our table was filled with lemon ricotta pancakes, egg white omelets, eggs over medium and a smoked salmon plate that presented at least 5oz of smoked fish. Delish. There wasn’t really time for lunch, so an early dinner at Libertine Social, a gastropub inside The Mandalay Bay, was perfect for refueling and sustenance. And if was on the menu, it was on our table: oysters, grilled corn, pretzels with dipping sauce, prosciutto with melon, French fries with malted vinegar aioli and crispy chicken fritters. Oh boy. A bonus was that we were already “home”— so no taxi lines or 120-degree temps to deal with, just a crowded elevator bank filled with people on their way out, as we headed in to bed.