Beauty trends come and go but some things stay with us. In our last newsletter, we sought to examine whether holistic beauty was just the latest fad to encumber the beauty industry or was it merely a return to our more natural roots. Despite good intentions, all marketing strategies come with an intent to sell but does that dampen the positive message the brand may promote?
“We’re slowly moving away from beauty’s quick-fix emergencies and heading towards long-term beauty which betters ourselves”
Holistic – a word which sounds as beautiful as its concept.
As we’re living longer, I guess it only makes sense that we want to live a long life in healthiness, happiness and apparently holisticness. I feel like there is a definite change to the once taboo conversation of approaching an older age – if anything, we’re more keen to talk about how “life begins at 40.” As such, I think this shift has definitely had an effect on beauty brands, who are encouraging men and women to embrace themselves, as time goes on. I remember a few years ago when Andie MacDowell was a brand ambassador for L’Oréal, that was as far as the brand could go, instead of opting for a 20-year-old leggy blonde. But oh how things have changed – Jane Fonda and Helen Mirren are slaying it today.
But let’s move away from Generation X and focus on the term that everyone hates – Millennials. We love to moan about the digital age that we have fuelled. Whilst we piss away our lives by sitting on Facebook and stalking a friend-of-a-friend, we all talk about a digital detox that most of us desire. Brands are definitely telling us to put down our phone and focus on ourselves for a small amount of time each day. Shiseido’s new WASO range is all about holistic beauty, encouraging us to use nature’s finest ingredients alongside moments of well-being. And if it’s not beauty brands telling us to live a holistic lifestyle, it’s chocolate brands such as Galaxy.
So whilst I think the term ‘holistic beauty’ is a little bit of a fad, I do think it is here to stay. We’re slowly moving away from beauty’s quick-fix emergencies and heading towards long-term beauty which betters ourselves. And who follows this approach? None other than Japan and Korea. Their approach to beauty has fascinated the Western world and has, in fact, woken us up a little bit. Today, we question our products’ ingredients and ethics, thinking twice before we buy. And I think that’s here to stay.
“More and more consumers are conscious of which brands they decide to support and their chosen lifestyle can make an impact on the markets, on other people and on the planet.”
Nowadays people have more variety of brands to choose from. On the high street, you can find not just the big brands but also independent and local suppliers.
Also, I believe there is more awareness of where ingredients come from, how the products are made and where are they are manufactured.
More and more consumers are conscious of which brands they decide to support and their chosen lifestyle can make an impact on the markets, on other people and on the planet.
After two years of being vegan, I’ve learned to check before buying to make sure I’m making a conscious decision. I chose brands that support the ethics and values that I believe in.
A recent example of how consumers have a direct effect on brands is that within the EU and several other countries the law forbids animals testing for cosmetic products.
Also recently big corporates have started to adjust their lines and ingredients removing parabens, silicons, and other harsh chemicals to be replaced with natural essential oils and other organic ingredients.
This is progress and not to be dismissed however real holistic beauty begins on the inside with the fuel we put in our bodies and it’s part of an ethical life.