Hold the phone because it's time to talk about my experience at in-cosmetics, Paris.
The show was three days, 3.5 football fields in size, 12,000 people, with over 800 cosmetic
companies to check out.
Two months later, I'm still trying to reach out to everyone I met.
It's really hard to condense three really great days into a short 10 minutes, but I'm
going to try.
Here we go.
Meet Vivek.
He invented this artificial skin called the Strat-M membrane.
Strat-M is made of multiple layers of polyethersulfone with a single layer of polyolefin, creating
a structure that looks a lot like human skin.
See how the layers increase in thickness just like the different layers of the human epidermis,
dermis and subcutaneous tissue.
It also contains a combination of synthetic lipids that mimic the specific ratio of naturally
occurring ceramides, cholesterols and fatty acids found in our skin.
For my bunny loving friends, this artificial skin can be used as an alternative to animal
testing in diffusion studies, which is how well an ingredient penetrates the skin.
Let's take an example everyone is concerned about right now, sunscreen.
Are sunscreen ingredients like avobenzone or octocrylene penetrating your skin in your
sunscreen formulation?
Strat-M can help cosmetic formulators test for that, which in my book is incredibly helpful.
Now, this is Cyril Messaraa, and he's every aging woman's worst nightmare.
We started to chat and he bet he could guess my age.
Ooh, cheeky.
Turns out, that's his actual job, understanding how people perceive age and health.
As humans, we look at each other's skin to find clues about where a person is at in their
life, if they would make a good mate, and how healthy a lifestyle they lead.
But we don't all age at the same pace, which is why sometimes you hear things like, "Damn,
you look old for your age."
When we perceive someone as older or younger than their actual age, what exactly are we
seeing?
It turns out the answer is different for people from different cultures.
In Russia, wrinkles around the eye are one of the most prominent cues indicating age.
But in a country like India, it's the lightness of the skin that often defines youth and health
instead.
Head east to China and you'll find that youth and attractiveness are frequently associated
with a defined jaw line, a.k.a, the v-shape face.
Cyril assesses this data and uses it to help companies develop products that focus on minimizing
these telltale signs of aging.
You can rest assured Cyril is using his powers for good instead of evil.
If you want to see the video where Cyril guesses my age, it's right here.
Then I sort of got distracted by some sparkly makeup and bumped into Kerstin Dornhoefer,
a color expert with Merck Color Pigments.
She wowed me with how their eye-catching pigments like RonaFlair and Timiron are used in makeup
to achieve popular looks.
She had some models on hand, conveniently, to show me the latest cosmetic trends.
All the color effects you see here are influenced by a number of properties like the material,
thickness, number of coatings, and the material size and structure.
The first look we saw was called the Committed Visionary, and it was these candy colored
pastels that looked like they were inspired by ice cream, milkshakes and those pink, white
and green mints you used to get at '80s weddings.
Kerstin explained that synthetic mica and the small particle size give a high coverage
to the skin creating this frosted look.
Something called a functional filler, which is used in cosmetics to improve look and texture,
are also key to creating these pastels.
When combined into an emulsion, like in the lipstick, you get the same creamy texture
you find in milk or lotion.
Then there was the Spiritual Muse, a more minimalist look that makes the skin feel natural
and healthy.
This subtle look is created by using natural mica with the same small pigment size as the
previous look, but with lower concentrations of pigment to create this radiant dewy complexion
without excessive shine.
Then, there was my favorite look, the Shining Queen.
The colors were like jewels producing an intense sparkle that gave this really stunning metallic
effect.
The secret to this look is special effects pigments that use a material called calcium
aluminum borosilicate.
It's highly transparent and coated with metal oxides creating a striking color and a shiny
effect that caught my attention and my heart.
Would you love to know more about how the science behind these color pigments work their
magic?
Let me know by telling me in this poll.
There were also awards for new and exciting cosmetic ingredients.
The first to catch my eye was Givaudan's Active Beauty Darkenyl.
Now get this, it repigments gray or white hair without the use of hair dye.
Gray hair sort of reminds me of an inkjet printer.
Every once in a while, the black runs out and you have to insert a new ink cartridge
to keep going.
Imagine if we could do that with hair.
That's sort of what Darkenyl does.
Our hair goes gray or white because our body produces less of the melanin pigment.
Darkenyl contains N-acetyl tyrosine, which re-initiates melanin creation in your hair.
N-acetyl tyrosine is known as a synthetic precursor and its effect means you start growing
hair with your natural hair color again.
At least that's what they say.
I'm seriously excited to try it out for myself in a future video.
I couldn't find it in any product on the market, but guess who's got a sample?
This one made me smile.
This is Tagra's Cameleon Caps.
It uses microencapsulation to hide pigment in these tiny little spheres.
The product looks white until you rub it on your skin and then it reveals its true color.
It can be used to add a color tint to white lotions and create fun face masks.
You can even use it in shower gels and hand soaps to make bath time at more fun for the
little ones.
Okay.
This one presentation I caught was a science of a different sort.
Mintel is a global research company that specializes in marketing science.
They predict trends for thousands of consumer products, including cosmetics.
They did a presentation on trends for 2019 that was so much fun.
I had to share.
This year's presentation was all about products than make an emotional connection with the
consumer.
Let me know what your emotions tell you about some of these products.
A lot of what we taste comes from what we smell, so it's about time we start seeing
products that take advantage of that relationship.
Like these Lick Your Scent edible fragrances created by Smith and Sinclair.
Yup, so that exists.
Mr. Woof Woof here will demonstrate how it works.
Oh, you like it, huh?
Smells good?
Okay.
I'll be honest.
The scent and feel could use some refinement, but I'm really intrigued to see if this trend
takes hold in other products.
The next trend is things that are super Instagramable like this Yes To Grapefruit Unicorn Transforming
Cleanser.
It's a pink clay cleanser that changes color to yellow once your face is clean.
It smells so good that I want to lick it.
Oh wait, that was the other product.
Yes.
This is perfect for social media influencers, but is it any good?
I guess the Instagram army will have to let us know.
Another big trend is wellness from the inside out.
This is a Forever Wild Hair Tea.
Yes, I said hair tea.
You can steep it, then drink it, or use it as a hair treatment, as long as you don't
use it as a hair trim at first, then drink it now.
That might not taste so good.
Do you like these products or want to share a trend I missed?
Let me hear about it.
That's why I have a comment section.
Then there were the events.
One of my favorites was Global Beauty Day, a Day that highlighted companies and individuals
improving diversity and inclusivity in beauty.
Sam Farmer took to the stage and shared how he started his own gender brand.
He saw so many brands out there promoting unhealthy gender stereotypes to young people.
He decided to step up and do something about it.
In fact, not long after I had a Sam Farmer moment, I purchased a naturals eyeshadow palette
for my friend's teenage daughter, only to find out later the pallet included shadows
with names like erotica, sexpresso, and strip poker.
So yeah, Sam Farmer, I think we can do better, and I am glad your brand exist to raise awareness
and offer more positive alternative to how we view ourselves.
Global Beauty Day also took to social media as Ryanraroar opened up about his experience
beauty blogging in a world of gendered products, and Powered by Mom highlighted those struggles
and skin's sensitivities.
Cosmetic Composition shared some eye-opening stories about cosmetic designs that work better
for people with different physical abilities.
Both Skincare Affairs and Skin Perspective discussed opening up beauty standards, so
that we all don't look like homogenized dolls.
Then there was the Formulation Challenge, which I love, love, love!
It's a 90-minute competition where cosmetic companies go head-to-head in a race to create
a personal care product from a box of mystery ingredients.
This year's challenge involved creating a compelling product with the theme of sleep.
Contestants were judged on their marketing campaign, if their concept was on trend, whether
their products adhered to regulations, and of course, the quality of their formulation.
Once the mystery box entered the space, the room was this flurry of lab coats.
The winner was a company called Nuxe.
They developed a trio of scalp and hair night treatments aimed at normal, greasy and dry
scalps.
Let me tell you, after three days in a convention center, my hair was feeling pretty ick, so
I asked if I could take home a sample of the product.
You know, the one they created right in front of me?
They said yes.
How's that for an early access perk?
The product was muah!
Of course for me, the biggest highlight of In-Cosmetics is making friends.
You can meet everyone from indie brands to big beauty companies and bonus, it's free.
Anyone interested in the beauty community can just show up to one of their events around
the world each year and attend the workshops and panels that excite them.
Personally, I found the socializing after hours just as important as all the products
and ingredients.
Some of the people I've met at in-cosmetic events have also become my really good friends.
If you like this video, you might want to check out my next one here.
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Au revoir.
I'm out.