Korean beauty opened the gates to the trend of beauty destinations. With its sheet masks and 10-step routines, the world was fascinated with the flawless skin of K-beauty users and thus a boom was born. Since then, the likes of Japanese (“J”) beauty and Swiss beauty has each had its country’s beauty brands thrust into the spotlight; and now, Australia is taking its turn as the latest beauty hot spot.
Blockbuster businesses like Sand & Sky and Bali Body, with Instagram-friendly packaging and natural ingredients, are just some of the brands making a major splash overseas. The laid-back vibe Aussie beauty gives off, partnered with the all-natural ingredient agenda most Aussie brands push – perfectly timed with the natural beauty boom – has ensured that a multitude of brands are able to experience rapid expansion overseas all while pushing the ‘Australianness’ of its products.
The benefits of being from a beauty hotspot are innumerable, with one of the largest being discovery and boosted sales if you’re a smaller, niche brand. Speaking with Cosmetics Business, K-beauty consulting company ‘Inside the Raum’ CEO Ju Rhyu explained: “I think ‘beauty hotspots’ is an easy thing for consumers to grasp in a very crowded environment. It’s an easy way for retailers to categorise and market their products. And it’s a great talking piece for influencers and editors.
“For small, niche brands, it can help them attach themselves to a bigger movement and get recognised much more quickly than if they went at it alone. They can get consumers and retailers alike to try their products and put them on-shelf because they are ‘K-beauty’ or ‘J-beauty’, for example.”
Try: A'kin, bhave™, De Lorenzo, GAIA Skin Naturals, INIKA Organic, Kosmea, Natio.
The ‘Australianness’ that is referred to is the association the world makes made with Australian health and wellbeing – à la superfood supermodels Elle MacPherson and Miranda Kerr’ lifestyles. Speaking with The Times, The Future Laboratory’s Victoria Buchanan said: “They’re essentially a picture of health. Their cultural identity is the great outdoors, and they’ve adapted their beauty practices accordingly.” Our affinity with all things natural has a global appeal, and now our home-grown beauty heroes are benefiting.
Major overseas beauty outlets are also reporting on A-beauty, with The Sun, WWD and Harper’s Bazaar US all citing Australian beauty brands as the hot new beauty businesses to know. Brit+Co stated that Australia is “often considered the pioneers of the natural movement” and that our products are making it big (in the US in particular) due to lacking “five potentially irritating ingredients found in many American versions: sulfates, parabens, propylene glycol, methylisothiazolinone (AKA MIT), and triclosan.” Instead, Aussie beauty has made a name for itself substituting nasties for the likes of kakadu plum, clay and lemon myrtle.
Ultimately, the healthy, natural lifestyles that Aussie beauty brands promote has captured global attention. Searches for A-beauty rose 168 per cent YOY on Pinterest in the US; and with people increasingly paying attention to the heritage of brands like Jurlique and Aesop – with a major focus on sustainability – now is the definitely the time to be in Australian beauty.
Try: KEVIN.MURPHY, Nude by Nature, Sukin, WOTNOT, Alya Skin.
