Trending now: No-makeup look, bold brows

This year’s hot beauty look is all about balance, with beauty mavens selecting a natural, no-makeup look on the skin, paired with a bold eye — especially a bold brow.

(To read the full Beauty Trends report, click here.)



Put those tweezers away as beauty experts agree that we are in the midst of a big brow trend that isn’t about to fizzle anytime soon, as evidenced by the looks that graced the spring/summer 2015 fashion week shows.



The trend toward statement brows has been in for several years, but as celebrities and models increasingly flaunt the look, consumers are following suit and seeking products and services that will help them get lush brows.



As celebrity eyebrow specialist Elke Von Freudenberg told Drug Store News in a recent interview, she is seeing a change in the look for next spring and summer. There is a move away from the drawn- on look; instead, women are growing the hairs much longer, and growing more hair underneath the brow. The hairs in the front of the brow particularly are much longer, with no trimming. The result: A brow that isn’t as perfect, but yet thicker and sexy.



The brow frenzy is spelling dollars for retailers as consumers are snapping up products that will help them achieve a bold brow look. According to the most recent data from IRI, eyebrow makeup soared a robust 22% for the 52 weeks ended Dec. 28, 2014, at U.S. multi-outlets.



The trend is also playing out in the prestige channel as sales of eyebrow products have increased by double digits over the past three years, and now represent $122 million and 11% of total U.S. prestige eye makeup sales, according to The NPD Group.



The NPD Group also noted that, while the West is the largest region in terms of U.S. prestige eyebrow makeup sales, there is potential for additional growth in the South where just 70% of prestige stores are selling brow makeup products. In addition, the southern region, which accounts for nearly one-third of all U.S. prestige eyebrow makeup sales, is not performing as strongly when compared with the total market