Three days, more than 1,400 upcoming beauty brands and one excited editor: the perfect equation for a top-notch trip to the 17th edition of Cosmoprof North America at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.
On Sunday, I descended upon Las Vegas with more than 40,000 of my closest friends — like beauty influencer Manny MUA and Virtue Labs creative director Adir Abergel — to attend Cosmoprof, a leading beauty trade show. With conferences all over the world (think: Hong Kong, Bologna), Las Vegas was a hop, skip and a jump from Houston — and well worth the three-hour flight.
And as a first-time attendee, I can proudly confirm this is where you go to learn about beauty. With leading experts in the field and influencers like Naty Ashba to Andreea Cristina on every corner, you go to see and be seen — well, your brand goes.
But what is a beauty event without the mention of the future, of the trends we just can not wait to get our hands on? Every year, Cosmoprof releases its own trend report (this year, it was by global beauty industry reference Beautystreams), which documents its top forecasts for the beauty industry. And 2019 held no surprises: blue-green algae, smart adaptogens, viva vegan! and going zero waste.
And while I did see many of these trends littered throughout the (giant) 311,150 square foot convention center — walking along the conference floor was overwhelming (but invigorating) as it was impossible to even create a game plan because there was just so much to see — what stood out were the trends that were not called out. The trends flying under the radar of the beauty world.
But if Cosmoprof is proof of anything, these five trends are coming:
Dipped Nails
The sheer number of booths was overwhelming, with every single color of dip powder you can imagine and even nail brushes specifically made for the dip. With booths in the Korea pavilion (side note: it was here that I saw the best packaging), the China pavilion and the America pavilion, it is clear that dip is the new nail frontier.
Hair-loss Hair Care
Nearly 40 percent of women experience hair loss. And as hair supplements are starting an industry-wide discussion, Cosmoprof proved there are other routes you can take to battle the condition. In Korea, WELO (a brand of WONTECH) has hair loss helmets with laser technology aimed at stimulating hair growth. Another convention-approved option? Pick up an airbrush tool, and use the makeup technique on your scalp, covering up any bald spots or thinning throughout the day.
Technology and TCM combine
Traditional Chinese Medicine is making its way into the American market with tools like the gua sha and the jade roller — and now, you can find the tools made from rose quartz. But what if you took this popular stone and combined it with a beauty device? The PMD Clean Pro RQ is not only a winner of the 2019 Cosmoprof Awards for tools and devices, but it does just this. The silicone tool incorporates a rose quartz disc with ActiveWarmth technology to help serums penetrate deeper into the skin. FOREO, who?
Treatment Shields
Sometimes, beauty comes with a cost — whether that be a no-sun policy post-facial treatment or UV exposure for a gel manicure. Luckily, that is about to change. Creators are picking up on the consumer struggle, and new brands are hitting the market to make your beauty appointments carefree. Bluestone Sunshields — essentially a chic sun visor you will not be embarrassed to wear — has 99 percent UVA and UVB protection and can be used post-cosmetic treatment to limit your exposure to the sun. ManiGlovz is in the same vein, made to be worn during a gel manicure to limit UV lamp exposure (they can also be worn outside of the salon to limit sun damage on the hand in general!).
Sustainability is Here to Stay
According to an NPD Group report at Cosmoprof, 75 percent of consumers think sustainability is important. In fact, the consumer is the reason the conversation is even happening — we want more. And brands are listening. One of the most contentious products, glitter, is getting a facelift due to its harming environmental side effects. And Unicorn Snot, a brand founded on glitter, is making a change with the launch of its BIO line, using biodegradable glitter. Expect to see brands fall in line as becoming eco-friendly becomes a top priority.
Check out our favorites from the show below:
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