Sales of U.S. prestige beauty products hit a 15-year high in 2011, said The NPD Group, growth that actually reflects the overall spike realized in the luxury sector. According to the 10th edition of Bain & Company’s Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study, luxury saw a 12 percent uptick for the year in the Americas. “Despite the headwinds of global events and economic uncertainty, luxury is experiencing a sort of ‘anti-crisis,’” said Claudia D’Arpizio, a Bain partner in Milan and lead author of the study. The widening of the wealth gap is a significant contributor to the success of certain luxury categories, including beauty, where the rich have more to spend on items such as $75+ anti-aging creams, and those earning less are spending less, even on mass beauty items. In fact, NPD found that in 2011 all prestige beauty categories surpassed 2008 pre-recession levels, with total prestige beauty sales rising 11%, fragrance up 11%, skin care up 14% and makeup rising 9%. Here are some details of NPD’s 2011 findings on prestige beauty:

Prestige Fragrances
• Prestige scents grew the most in 15 years, with dollar sales up 11% and unit sales up 7%.
• Fragrance juices priced $100 and above helped propel category growth with unit gains of 45% versus a year ago.
• Celebrity brands, specifically women’s, were the winners in 2011 with gains of 57%.

Prestige Skin Care
• The category continued to lead prestige beauty, up 14% in dollar sales and up 9% in units.
• Products that have both anti-aging and brightening benefits almost doubled in share in the past four years.
• Premium face products priced at $75 and above grew 21% in dollar sales and 23% in units for the year.

Prestige Makeup
• Prestige makeup saw its second year of increases in both dollars (9%) and units (6%). It was the first time in 15 years of prestige data reporting that all makeup segments grew in both dollars and units.
• Eye shadow grew 14%, the first increase since 2006; lip color posted 13% growth; nail had the largest performance in both dollars (+67%) and units (+88%).
• Premium price points outpaced overall prestige makeup performance. Premium saw the biggest increases in face (14%), eye (56%), and sets (25%).