CEW Demo Night: A True Beauty-Fest

It's one of the "hottest" nights in the beauty world in NYC. More than 2200 beauty insiders line up to attend the CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women) Insiders' Choice Beauty Awards Product Demonstration to check out hundreds of products competing for the CEW Seal. The event took place last night at the Metropolitan Pavilion on 18th Street.

It was a true beauty-fest. The 3 hour frenzy is designed to have the press and members of CEW experiment and learn more about products in 37 categories including skin care, cosmetics, hair appliances (new this year), styling products and perfume. Entrants are judged on innovation, delivery system and packaging. Giant goody bags, filled with many of the items shown during the demonstrations, are sent home with voting members for additional testing. The winners will be announced at the Beauty Awards Luncheon May 15 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

“The CEW Beauty Awards are the ultimate consumer guide to the top beauty products and innovations of the year,” said Carlotta Jacobson, president of CEW, shortly before the doors opened. “At this year’s Product Demonstration, more than 630 brands will showcase their groundbreaking products to other beauty industry insiders in a bid to win the prestigious CEW seal. We are delighted to have so many products competing for top honors in 2015.”

This year’s Iconic Beauty Award will recognize two products (one in mass and one in prestige) that are trendsetters in beauty. To be Iconic, the product must have led the way in creating a new category of product, being the first of its kind, and still be successful at retail in the U.S. today.

This year CEW Beauty Insider partnered with global insight agency Mintel to show just how related 2014 beauty trends are with the entrants of the 2015 Insiders’ Choice Beauty Awards. Face makeup proved to be a perfect example of a category that not only saw several trends come into play, but also a breadth of product entries.

Here are four trends in face makeup as identified by Mintel:

Trend #1: Makeup with Anti-Aging Claims

Mintel says makeup launches in the US with the anti-aging claim rose from 17% in 2010 to 21% in 2014. The claim to reduce fine lines and wrinkles rose from 8% to 13% over the same period.

• Dolce & Gabanna Perfect Reveal Lift Foundation: High-performance foundation formula enriched with special skincare moisturizing properties designed to reveal natural, younger-looking skin.
• Jouer Cosmetics Anti-blemish Matte Primer Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment: This silicone-free, oil-free, mattifying primer is formulated with salicylic acid to treat and prevent acne. Salicylic acid helps treat acne and minimizes the appearance of pores. Aloe, vitamin E, ginseng and gingko biloba extract help calm skin.
• Shiseido Future Solution LX Total Radiance Foundation SPF 20: Available in 11 shades, this anti-aging cream foundation utilizes Future Solution LX skincare and light technology to create radiant skin. Future Solution LX Total Radiance uses Shiseido’s exclusive Skingenecell 1P to counteract the visible signs of future aging, and 4MSK, a brightening ingredient for luminous skin tone.
• Cover Girl Ultrasmooth Hair Smoothing Foundation: Makeup meets skincare with an innovative Olay serum and a unique smoothing applicator to deliver flawless looking skin. The Olay smoothing serum softens while optical concealers camouflage imperfections—perfect for eliminating redness and covering unevenness, even fine facial hair.

Trend #2: Blurring Products for the Selfie Generation

Mintel said a flurry of blurring products were prompted by the selfie generation, with 10% of US facial make-up users looking for photo-ready benefits, which includes 22% of 18-24 year olds.

• Loréal Paris Revitalift Miracle Blur Instant Eye Smoother: Miracle Blur Instant Eye Smoother is an innovation that instantly blurs crow’s feet, puffiness and under-eye dark circles. Pro-retinol A, vitamin C and phytokine help reduce lines and wrinkles; caffeine reduces puffiness and haloxyl peptide works on under-eye circles.
• Cargo HD Picture Perfect Liquid Foundation: The oil-free formula contains light diffusing pigments for an optical blurring effect. Provides medium coverage for a natural, picture-perfect look.
• Diorskin Star Studio Makeup Spectacular Brightening Weightless Perfection Long Wear Broad Spectrum SPF 30: Inspired by the professional techniques of makeup artists, the weightless and brightening fluid formula recreates the perfecting light of a studio. Hollow silica beads spread maximal light and blur skin imperfections. Color corrective pigments brighten the skin. Skincare actives reduce dark spots.
• Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint: An ultra-thin tint that redefines “foundation.” Auto-fits to skin, evens, tones and refines. Sheer finish to enhance without masking skin.
• Lancôme Nude Miracle Liquid-to-Powder Makeup: Lancôme’s lightest weight foundation to date—this liquid-to-powder formula foundation provides light to medium coverage and a natural matte finish. With its groundbreaking soft-focus technology, it blurs imperfections, absorbs oil and blends seamlessly for a second-skin, no-makeup look.
• Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow Instant Soft-focus Beauty Flash Primer: A new anti-age hybrid—a cross between an anti-age elixir and a complexion-enhancing light diffuser. A breakthrough Fluorescent Core Light Diffuser steals UV light from its surroundings and re-emits it as skin luminosity to disguise and transform.
• Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Loose Finishing Powder: This silky, weightless formula provides the luminous, demi-matte Naked finish you crave. Sets makeup, cuts shine and blurs flaws.

Trend #3: Contouring Grows Leaps and Bounds

Mintel reports that launches of face makeup positioned as contouring products grew 230% between 2012 and 2014.

• Sonia Kashuk Chic Defining Contour Stick: This easy-to-use contour stick instantly creates defined, flawless facial features. The lightweight formula melts into skin and blends effortlessly. Made with the bare minimum ingredients and formulated without water, oil, silicone, parabens or fragrance.
• Tarte The Sculptor Contouring Face Slenderizer: A slimming face slenderizer in Tarte’s signature Park Ave Princess shade makes it easier than ever to contour like a pro. Infused with exclusive Cocoa Complex, Cocoa Powder Foundation is an antioxidant-rich, oil-absorbing, non-drying powder.
• Anew Clinical Infinite Lift Targeted Contouring Serum: Targets visible signs of sagging and provides a multidimensional-looking lift that tightens, defines, firms, and contours the look of skin.
• IOMA Flash Youth Eye Contour Concentrate: Three percent level of caffeine reduces puffiness and dark circles; 26% cocktail of active ingredients provides a tingling effect for proven results. Infused with the highly active and efficacious black pine extract—part of a proprietary blend containing eight unique active ingredients.
• Becca Cosmetics Lowlight/Highlight Palette: Lowlight Sculpting Perfector & Shimmering Skin Perfector Poured adds depth and dimension for a perfectly contoured look. LSP’s lightweight cream formula builds easily to sculpt the features, while SSP’s rich texture melts into skin creating soft, beautiful light and lift.

Trend #4: New Formats Are Emerging

Cushion compacts started to hit US shelves in late 2014, and will accelerate in 2015, Mintel says. Lancôme is readying Miracle Cushion Liquid Cushion Compact for the US, with the hope that it will do for cushions what stable mate Garnier did for BB creams back in 2011 when it launched Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector.

• IT Cosmetics CC+ Veil Beauty Fluid Foundation SPF 50+: The CC+ Veil is clinically proven to cover, brighten, improve skin tone and texture and minimize pores and fine lines.  Lightweight serum infused with SPF 50+ and anti-aging hydrating benefits, plus coverage—all in a one-step sun care product. The included non-absorbing puff applicator soothes the skin while optically blurring away imperfections and fine lines.

o   Laneige BB Cushion: This BB Cushion compact uses exclusive cushion-form technology and has a unique hydrating application that brightens, covers and soothes skin all day. BB Cushion offers SPF 50 to block UVA/UVB rays and patented skin perfecting Optimal Mineral Water that hydrates while brightening and cooling skin.

Photos by Patricia Willis Photography