I was in Bologna, Italy, for four days last week, discovering the beauty brands showcasing their products at Cosmoprof Worldwide.
Of all the lotions, potions, and concepts on display at beauty's largest trade show, I have found this collection of products to be exemplary.
These brands are eye-catching, they are novel, or they may highlight a wider trend shaping the industry.
They may exhibit beautiful packaging or unique storytelling, or the product's creator may have simply seen an everyday problem and was able to solve it with a product that helps relax, protect or boost.
This is the best of Cosmoprof Worldwide 2024.
- The standout beauty trends from Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna 2023
- Best of Cosmoprof Bologna 2022: The trends and brands to know from beauty’s biggest show
Brand: Mistine
Popular Thai cosmetics brand Mistine is hoping to break into Europe.
Founded in 1988, Mistine is part of the country's largest consumer goods group Saha. The brand specialises in long-wearing foundation, perfect for humid climates, but it's the lip range that will capture your attention.
The Milk Tea Lip Glaze has already repeatedly gone viral in East Asia thanks to its packaging. Inspired by 'Cha Yen', or Thai iced tea, the lip gloss is housed in an ice cube-shaped bottle with what looks like swirls of condensed milk and black tea throughout.
It's tactile and playful with a fidget spinner quality as the ice cubes twist in your hand. The formula, meanwhile, is available in pigmented gloss and velvet formats.
Brand: Muzigae Mansion
If you had told me that Muzigae Mansion was a high fashion Korean brand that launched a beauty line, I would have believed you.
Impossibly cool, it has a tone of Balenciga, and could easily sit alongside Byredo.
Its Objet Liquid lip stain line is housed in mock 'pre-squeezed' solid tubes and its Sleek Matt Cushion compact is playfully designed as a cushion wrapped with a string tie.
According to a spokesperson for the brand, Muzigae Mansion was developed to be Korea's next heritage brand as most make-up brands have a shelf life of three years before closing in the country.
Well, Muzigae Mansion is approaching its third anniversary in November, so it's on course to outstay many rivals, and time will tell whether it'll become the next global icon.
Brand: Skin Plan
Founded by banker-turned-beauty entrepreneur Martina Richter, Swedish sun care line Skin Plan aims to reimagine how consumers engage with SPF.
Frustrated by the outdated system that is used to market sunscreen – that SPF10 still blocks out 90% of UV rays and consumers don't get much more despite tripling the SPF protection – and confusion over lack of education on reapplying the vital product, Skin Plan was born.
The brand's Sun Control line features a patented UV sensor on the lid that is designed to enable consumers to measure UV rays in real time.
When exposed to the sun, it will react in seconds by turning to a tone of purple depending on the current UV strength. The deeper the purple, the more frequently they have to apply the sunscreen.
To make it easy for users the times are written on the bottle and different skin tones are even taken into consideration.
So, for example, the lid turns the deepest shade of purple yet I have the lightest skin tone, so I'm advised to reapply every 45 minutes to keep my skin protected.
Brand: Sennok Beauty
Inspired by Korea's bathing culture, known as Jjimjilbang, Sennok aims to take the tradition to modern audiences.
Undeniably Gen Z, the new brand has a super slick branding and product portfolio.
Highlights include the After Bath perfume – a powdery, cosy scent that leaves you smelling like you've stepped out of a relaxing bath – and the wooden body gua sha, to massage tight muscles, ease sore feet and improve overall circulation.
Brand: Miracletox
Did someone say vegan beauty? Not at Miracletox. When most beauty brands are trying to remove as many animal products as possible, this Czech Republic brand is embracing them.
The Light Angelto cream contains an insect oil made of mealworm and grasshopper oil, which is said to be rich in fatty acids and essential amino acids to nourish the skin.
While Miracletox is controversial by pushing the boundaries of beauty by using the creepy-crawlies, that doesn't stop it caring about its supply chain.
Sourced from Korea's Jirisan mountain region, the edible insects are fed only pesticide-free vegetables which, according to Miracletox, means the oil they produce is even better for treating topical skin conditions.
Trend: Mediterranean-inspired beauty
Greek beauty was in the sun at Cosmoprof with trend forecasters at the trade show tipping that the country was about to have its moment in the cosmetics industry. And the brands attending didn't disappoint.
Korres' perfume Lefko won a prize at the Cosmoprof Awards for its fragrant interpretation of the Cycladic islands, the Aegean sea and the Greek sun.
Other highlights from Korres include its Probiotic range with a moisturiser, serum and eye cream that contains actual Greek yoghurt.
Harites is a newcomer to the beauty industry. The name is derived from the ancient Greek word for the Graces, the goddess of charm, beauty and nature.
Despite its ancient reference, the brand is undeniably modern yet aims to help encourage consumers to embrace Greece's slow living philosophy by simplifying skin care routines.
Ex-Coty and L'Oréal veteran Friedemann Schmid turned to the Mediterranean for ingredient inspiration for the launch of his venture Less Is More.
He opted to use botanicals sourced from drier climates for his waterless brand. Each hair and body care product is sold in powder form for the user to decant and activate with tap water in a bottle at home.
Schmid worked with Givaudan to develop the products' scents and while there are already similar concepts on the market, Less Is More was surprisingly moisturising, yet still having that satisfying lather consumers want.
Trend: Menopause
At Cosmetics Business, for more than half a decade we've regularly run articles about the arrival of menopause – and brands were finally waving the flag for this life stage at Cosmoprof.
SkinChemists was showcasing its Menopause Experts line to win over international buyers to this category opportunity, as was body care brand Bloom & Blossom and collagen specialists Solv.
Trend: DIY beauty
Brave and price-savvy consumers are increasingly turning their hand to DIY beauty treatments.
Brands like German brand Fleeky have created lash and brow lamination kits to do at home rather than costly salon visits, while South Korea's Bionner Corp is trying to help people treat hair loss in private.
Its new COSMERNA RNA Based Anti Hair Loss Tonic is formulated to target androgenic alopecia in the hair follicle.
The serum is said to target the androgen receptors with a new type of siRNA nanoparticle called SAMiRNA.
Used every two weeks for six months, it is developed to prevent over-stimulation of androgen receptors and reduce hair loss.
