While fragrance sales remained flat last year, skincare and makeup were the main contributors of the U.S. prestige beauty market growth, revealed The NPD Group. Eye makeup products, in particular, benefited from consumers’ growing interest in less traditional items.

In a dynamic U.S. prestige beauty market [1] that grew by 5 per cent in 2013, makeup experienced healthy gains of 7 per cent, with sales of prestige eye products reaching US$ 1.1 billion (+9% compared to 2012).

Long wear claims drove sales

US consumers are embracing the art of eye makeup with the addition of products that go beyond the usual staples to their beauty tool boxes,” said Karen Grant, vice president and senior global industry analyst, The NPD Group Inc. “Today, less traditional items are emerging in importance. Eye brow products are leading growth and, in the larger segments within eye, enhanced benefits are the aspects fuelling increases."

For instance, multi-benefit (+9%), volumizing (+11%), and long wear (+18%) products helped to drive the 2013 dollar sales growth in prestige mascara. Primarily, eyeliner growth came from pencils (+7%), long wear (+11%), and waterproof options (+10%). “Long wear is a theme that carried throughout eye makeup, showing sales growth in the eye brow products (+21%), and shadow (+9%) as well,” highlighted the market research firm.

Price increases

In general, the average selling price of prestige eye makeup was 3 per cent higher in the 12 months ending December 2013 than it was in the prior year. Eye shadow (+6%), brow (+4%), and liner (+3%) products experienced the largest increases in average selling price. With the exception of mascara, long wear products are garnering higher average selling prices than their counterparts in all segments.

Definition that lasts is important to today’s beauty consumer, looking to enhance their eyes with minimal repeat application, and they are willing to pay more to get it,” added Karen Grant. “It has long been said that ’our eyes have the ability to make a statement without saying a word’ – eye defining makeup just turns up the volume.