Ancient Egyptians formulated red lipstick from mercury sulphide, which is potentially poisonous - this formula later became known as the-kiss-of death. Fast forward a couple of hundred years and things have greatly improved, make-up isn’t toxic anymore, in fact, make-up has become smart.
Today, cosmetics are being replaced with cosmeceuticals, cosmetics that leave you more beautiful when you wash them off. With the industry in a state of constant progression it’s exciting to imagine what the beauty industry will have to offer in the next decade. In 2010, Paris Vogue asked various cosmetic giants, “What is the future of cosmetics?”
Clarins claimed a self-adjusting skin cream that delivered just the right amount of nutrients, hydrations and vitamins for each skin, whilst Yves Saint Laurent envisioned a nail polish that lasted 15 days or more. Lancôme predicted a second skin in the form of stick-on patches that gave the illusion of less-droopy eyelids and Dior claimed, ‘Cosmetics will become as efficient as medicines’.
Pretty exciting, even to the most cynical of us, and whilst long lasting nail polish is always a plus, I’m not sure if all of the predictions will come to fruition.
As a self-confessed beauty addict, I’m constantly searching for innovative cosmetics. These days you don’t have to look too hard to find cutting edge products that are successfully making our lives easier and more exciting. Serums that make our eyelashes grow, light reflective liquid foundations with color matching technology and silicone based moisturizers, which act as wrinkle fillers and pore minimizers.
Some of my favorite recent launches include: Josie Maran foundation, which balances and restores skin with argan oil. It also covers blemishes and fine lines with chameleon pigments, a color-matching technology that goes on white and then adjusts to skin tone.
Kérastase Chroma Sensitive is the first sulfate-, paraben- and silicone-free, low-foam “cleanser” designed to protect hair color.
Ricky’s NYC has created no-frizz hairbrushes that are infused with olive oil and keratin that smooth, defrizz and add shine to the hair.
Almay recently launched a powder foundation that encapsulates coconut water to deliver instant hydration to the skin.
So it seems the most exciting products of the future will create solutions to age old problems or give us something we never even knew we wanted. The make-up bag of the future will contain beauty products that help us defy time and reach our individual beauty potential; foundations that treat skin complaints and revive our skin, plumping out wrinkles and creating the kind of immaculate complexion most of us can only dream of, products that protect during the day and repair at night, we are already experiencing the tip of the iceberg. In the future, our makeup bags will be filled with cosmetics that help us perfect our beauty rather than covering or concealing it.
