Lip glosses, lipsticks, and other beauty products for the lips have suffered the brunt of the shock of the pandemic. In most countries, the mandatory wearing of a face cover has led women to give up with the deep anchored habits of colouring their lips. This switch had a direct impact on sales lipstick sales, as well as on other several makeup products. However, as many countries are now lifting most health restrictions the situation is changing. In France, sales of prestige lip products surged immediately after the end of restrictions, on March 14, according to The NPD Group.
The end of the obligation to wear a mask in all public venues - with the exception of indoor transport and health facilities - led to an immediate surge in sales of prestige lipsticks in France, found The NPD Group.
Ten times faster than the overall market
According to the market research firm, sales of prestige makeup products for the lips increased by 30% during the week starting March 14, 2022, the day the restrictions were lifted. Such a significant increase is to be compared with sales beauty products in the selective channel, which rose by about 3% at the same moment. Such a surge illustrate clearly the renewed interest in a part of the face that had been concealed for more than two years.
“The lifting of face cover rules has literally boosted lip makeup sales. Indeed, many consumers have celebrated this newfound freedom by buying a new lipstick. This is excellent news for make-up brands that were dramatically challenged by the pandemic,” said Mathilde Lion, Europe beauty expert at The NPD Group.
Sales in the prestige make-up category increased 8%
In the selective channel, overall makeup sales were up 8% in just one week, driven by the lips segment, which was the main contributor to the category sales growth during this period. As far as lipsticks are concerned, sales surged by +35% compared to the previous week.
Beyond figures, the growing interest in lip glosses and lipsticks is clearly visible on online platforms, and even more on social networks. It is likely that new trends will emerge from this renewed enthusiasm, which expected to strengthen as summer approaches. In any case, the #lipstick hashtag has accumulated more than 11 billion views on TikTok, demonstrating that lip makeup has - probably - still a bright future ahead of it.
