Algorithmic Beauty: macro trend set to define beauty in 2019

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beauty
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category - ai
sector - beauty
type - features
Features
Innovation in the beauty industry is happening at breakneck speed, technology and social media have lowered the barrier to entry, and there has never been more diversity in the wants and needs of consumers. 


Being tapped into cultural and consumer trends and having the ability to navigate trends with a shelf-life vs. trends that will redefine the category are requisite for success in the beauty category. The folks at The Future Laboratory have a keen sense for parsing the difference.

The Future Laboratory has released their Beauty Futures 2018 report and their prediction is that beauty in 2019 will be a tale of two halves. On the one hand, the natural and niche will continue to grow, and on the other consumers will further embrace individual expression through make-up and the heavily contoured ideal of Instagram beauty will still reign.

This report explores smaller shifts that are rippling across the category in the form of eight new trends such as Anti-perfumes and Affordable Aromas to how the language of facial skincare is affecting other sectors such as body care. Understanding these small shifts provides brand and retailers a short term competitive edge in merchandising, marketing and content development.

For a longer term view on category shifts The Future Laboratory’s research has surfaced a macro trend called Algorithmic Beauty that questions whether technology is creating a new objective definition of what is considered beautiful.

Published by:

14 August 2018

Author: Kelly Kovack

Image: Nicolas Garnier for The Future Laboratory

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“Despite a growing movement towards body positivity, culturally, there is also more pressure than ever to achieve a certain standard of ‘beautiful’ and we are increasingly turning to technology to help us measure and achieve it. In turn, we’re seeing is that social media, artificial intelligence and algorithms are beginning to shape a new set of beauty expectations and ideals.” said Victoria Buchanan, Strategic Researcher at The Future Laboratory.

Buchanan predicts, “In the future, algorithmic beauty will give rise not only to new technologies that will help the drive for flawless skin, but it will also lead to new conversations about the face as a site for data-gathering and shifts in self-perceived beauty ideals.”

The current beauty zeitgeist is championing inclusivity, celebrating a diversity of features and faces but how will we square this with a rising ideal focused on perfection, flawlessness. and the technology to achieve it?

Download the Beauty Futures 2018 report at here.

Read the original article on BeautyMatter here.

'“Despite a growing movement towards body positivity, culturally, there is also more pressure than ever to achieve a certain standard of ‘beautiful’ and we are increasingly turning to technology to help us measure and achieve it.'
 

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