Watercolour is the new trend for foundation

Could ‘thinner than water’ be the next big thing in make-up?  Popular cosmetic brand The Ordinary has announced that they will be introducing their ‘Watercolours’ foundation range in December 2017. The fact that this product is thinner than water is its big selling point.

The foundation market has seen lots of novelty in recent years as consumers look for the ultimate ‘natural’ look. Just think of cushion foundations and CC creams. There is an endless competition within the cosmetic market for who can offer the lightest formula that allows a ‘no make-up’ experience.

Consumers are now opting for make-up products that can help them achieve a natural look; 53% of consumers worldwide find beauty/grooming products that help to achieve a natural appearance appealing. This is the reason why lightweight formulations that focus on offering natural looks while covering imperfections have been a huge success, such as cushion pads and BB creams.

The concept of ‘watercolour’ in cosmetic is not completely new. Glossier introduced a similar concept in a blusher format called Cloud Paint, where the product was described as being high-pigment acrylic paints and watercolours, and the packaging imitating paint.  Yahoo news claimed they were impressed with the blusher, and that it was “easy to apply” while allowing finger-paint “to a bright and awake complexion with sculpted features.” Instyle magazine stated that the product is “user-friendly…while cream blushes can be difficult to blend and often end up looking streaky”. In both articles, women who tested the products gave positive feedbacks.

So why is the new watercolour foundation causing such hype? First of all, the concept of watercolour is still innovative within foundation segment, and the product contains no oil or silicone, which is appealing for many “natural” seeking consumers.

Second of all, The Ordinary, already has an army of loyal customers, with a reputation of being able to combine adorability and functionality. This new launch is no exception, as the brand promising to stick to its policy of being affordable.

The Ordinary is looking to build on its success from earlier in 2017, when 25,000 people signed up for a waiting list for the US$7 Serum and Coverage foundations. Their success lies in identifying influential consumer trends and develop products tapping into multiple trends, while being functional and affordable. The brand offers a wide range of ingredient-driven products, most of which states the percentage content of the main effective ingredients. This type of granularity is rare for affordable cosmetics.

To excite their loyal followers the Deciem, the owner of The Ordinary, shared a teaser video on Instagram illustrating lightness of the new watercolour foundation

Watercolours foundation will no doubt take the market by the storm, with the ‘no make-up trend’ still being the driving force for naturally flawless appearance. Along with the brand’s ability to build trust, this product will no doubt be the centre of attention this December.

Related links

https://www.globaldata.com/store/search/consumer/?query=&topic=wmi%3Asubject-code%3Dpgue&min_price=0&max_price=30000

https://consumer.globaldata.com/Analysis/details/success-case-study-the-ordinary-skincare-a-brand-offering-reasonably-priced-savvy-skincare