If it wasn’t clear before now, Cosmoprof North America is the destination trade show for beauty companies looking to grow their businesses. Weaving a multitude of business solutions within a three-day beauty fair, from packaging to social media consultations to one-on-ones with retailers, CPNA is the one-stop-shop for building a brand.
With brand-run websites as the chosen distribution model for most indie beauty companies, trade fairs such as CPNA, held July 9 – July 12 in Las Vegas, are becoming as important as ever in exposing them to alternative retail avenues beyond e-commerce. That is, if a brand can sustain its business on sites other than their own, and are primed to navigate the rough and tumble world of brick and mortar.
For brands not financially ready to support displays, warehouse distribution and national marketing campaigns, CPNA offers a multitude of solutions. In addition to dozens and dozens of retail buyers scouring CPNA’s trade show floor, including Amazon, Sephora, Walgreens and Walmart, teams of angel investors and private equity execs were seen scouting out brands with potential to take next steps.
And, for brand founders wanting deeper education on how to grow their business, no fewer than 25 educational sessions were on tap, with one—hosted by CEW—tackling the topic of when to take on an investor, featuring Dermstore, QVC, First Aid Beauty and Jouer Cosmetics.
Discovering brands—both new and old—at the United States’ largest beauty show was aimed to be made easier with special sections designated for specific brand types. Discover Beauty, Discover Beauty Spotlights and Discover Scent housed brands prime for specialty retail. Tones of Beauty captured the best of multi-cultural beauty. Discover Green was the place for organic beauty.
Held annually, this year’s event attracted 36,787 attendees, up 9% from 2016, with 1,278 exhibitors, also up 9% from last year. Square footage dedicated to the show floor increased 4% over the previous year.
And of course, Cosmoprof is never short on delivering trends, as well as a bounty of amazing brands that are looking to set the world on fire. Here, the Top 10 beauty brands Beauty Insider saw in Las Vegas.
Evox
Even though millennials get so much attention by beauty brands these days, professional companies, such as Evox Hair Rejuvenation Therapy, target aging, dry hair with medical grade ingredients to heal and promote cell rejuvenation. The system is so specialized that formulas are stored in an Evox Cryogenic Chamber to maintain the necessary temperature range for the activation process. Two treatments are available, Molecular Treatment and Enzyme Treatment, both of which retail for about $80 in salons, and have retail sku’s available, such as Liquid Plasma Protein Coating, to supplement treatment benefits.
MoodMatcher by Beauty Solutions
Mood Matcher’s color-changing lipsticks were right on trend with cosmetics’ current swoon for shade-shifting formulas. Lipstick colors change as soon as one applies the product, with the new shade adapting and matching to a user’s temperature, “bringing personalized color that works best for one’s skin tone.” MoodMatcher lipsticks re available in 10 different colors and retail for about $4 in indie beauty stores.
DreaMau
Customization goes full-throttle at DreaMau, a Louisiana-based cosmetics manufacturer that offers salons and spas the opportunity to have customers formulate their own nail and lip shades in under five minutes. Formulas are eight-toxin free, and are easily made once a customer chooses a desired base (for lips, that would be either a gloss, lipstick or lip stain), followed by a color, which can be chosen from a booklet of swatches or online. Salons and spas can buy one the machines with a $1,000 down payment, and pay off the machine over the next two years at $80 a month. To see it in action,
Cala
Just about every show attendee was carrying a Cala bag at one time or another during the three-day expo. This Korean beauty manufacturer was presenting masks, such as the Pure Radiance by Cala Premium Honey Bee HydroGel Mask, one its top-tier offerings, which targets anti-aging and moisture needs. Cala makes a mask for everyone, including Charcoal Face Mask Sheets, Collagen Extract Facial Mask Sheet and Charcoal Nose Pore Strips, the next big thing for the U.S. market.
DeepSkin Sheet Mask + Iontheraphy
DeepSkin by Hicare is a DIY device that uses iontophoresis technology to help sheet mask formulas penetrate the dermis. The needle-free ionic injection is activated from a small hand held pod, complete with an on/off switch, LCD screen, mirror panel, play/pause button and intensity/timer button. Masks are also available with the device, which use formulas rich in niacinamide and vitamin C derivatives.
Amiea
Exhibiting for the first time at CPNA, Germany-based Amiea is best known for its devices, needles and pigments for cosmetic tattoos, typically to lips and eyebrows. With materials made in Germany, all of Amiea tools are immersed in safety, hygiene and precision. “We are highly valued compared to our competitors in the Western World,” said Roberto Puente of Amiea. “The quality of the company’s products and training is very important in respect to permanent makeup, as it pertains to sanitation and sterilization, and how skin heals,” Roberto said, adding that micropigmentation tattoo artistry will grow exponentially in the U.S. in the next several years.
SkinIron by Derma Pure Clinic
The name says it all, and really, who hasn’t wished an iron for their skin? This all-in-one beauty device makes sleek contours with a self-ionization current. SkinIron can be used for double chin lifting, nasolabial fold improvement and smoothing out facial contours. The device heats to 107 degrees Fahrenheit and provides a fine sonic vibration, too.
Battington Lashes
Last year Battington won Cosmoprof’s Trendsetting Award and it’s apparent why.Each lash strip is handmade of silk (as opposed to mink, human hair or synthetic materials) to blend in naturally with existing lashes. “The quality is what sells them,” said founder Sirine Swed. Created to fill a void in the marketplace, Battington Lashes are designed to last for up to 25 applications. One of the most popular sku’s, Harlow, retails for $28 and looks to provide a fuller “fluffy” lash look. Battington is currently in talks with Kim Kardashian’s makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic, for him to use Battington Lashes in an upcoming Master Class debuting in NYC in August.
Divaderme
The quest for full, natural looking eyebrows and lashes hasn’t tempered. Enter Divederme, a 30-year-old all-natural lash and brow product with distribution in 54 countries around the world. Currently sold at Kohl’s and Harmon Face Values in the U.S., Divaderme is looking to bring its professional grade, made-in-Italy products to more of the U.S. mass market. The Divaderme Brow Extender, for example, has a semi-permanent formula and contains highly-pigmented natural Italian Sea Mineral Clay and natural fibers for a long-lasting color. The Brow Extender covers gray hairs completely, and is infused with natural moisturizers and herbal extracts that stimulate, strengthen and condition brows.
Supermood
Hands down one of the most beautiful lines to debut at Cosmoprof was Supermood, a collection of holistically-positioned skin care items from Finland. Products target different skin needs, such as Egoboost, which is designed to keep skin healthy using chaga mushroom and the brand’s trademarked Liftonin Xpress compound. Then there’s Beauty Sleep, utilizing sea-fennel placenta extract, formulated to prepare the body to rejuvenate while one sleeps. The Youth Glo line helps skin look radiant utilizing grapefruit and apple extracts, and moth bean extract containing retinol, biotin and glutathione. Supermood has become popular in Finland as its founder, Anne Kukkohovi, is well-known in the Finnish fashion and entertainment industry, most recently appearing on the country’s version of Dancing with the Stars.
