India has a culture of beauty that spans ages and a large, upward moving population.
Indian consumers are becoming increasingly knowledgeable about beauty and personal care.
According to research, India’s retail beauty and cosmetics industry is expected to grow to USD 2.68 billion by 2020. The industry is booming, thanks in part to the growing desire among both men and women to look good and stand out amongst the crowd.
From being satisfied with a black kohl pencil and a simple pink lipstick (or brown, red or maroon – take your pick), Indians have started to demand the whole package – with products ranging from a foundation with an inbuilt sunscreen to shampoos that not only cleanse the hair but also make it thicker.
Over the last few years, there has been an influx of many international cosmetic brands. This can be attributed to the growing demand of branded products amongst consumers due to aggressive marketing strategies employed by these players; and also to global influence. Companies are also trying to stay ahead of the game by launching new products that cater to specific consumer requirements, further fuelling the industry’s growth.
The above factors, along with the emergence of technology has given rise to a new breed of professionals – that of beauty, makeup and lifestyle bloggers. This has been made possible due to the explosion of social media – YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Vine etc. A small but growing tribe of ‘influencers’ is quick to buy the trending eyeliner or foundation and review it online, for the benefit of their followers. Brands seize this opportunity to reach out to prospective customers, potentially saving lakhs of their marketing moolah which is better spent elsewhere.
Brands are pulling out all stops to extract the most out of blogger tie-ups. From offering free special promotions (to the bloggers’ audience), to making certain coveted items on sale for limited periods to even offering a trip to Paris to a lucky few, different strategies are deployed to test an avenue that is still in its nascent stage in India.
An estimated ten to twelve million weddings take place in India every year. The estimated cost of a wedding could be anywhere between Rs. 5 lakhs to, well, there is no upper limit really. Several ancillary markets benefit from this boom – jewelry, apparels, décor and makeup.
As soon as a wedding date is fixed, finding a good makeup artist and hairstylist is one of the biggest priorities for a bride. After all, those pictures are going to stay for life! It is not unusual for established makeup artists to charge upwards of INR 20,000 to do hair and makeup for just one bridal event. More renowned names are said to charge INR 50,000 for the same offering. And customers are coming to them in droves.
At Pearl Academy, diploma courses are offered in Fashion Media Makeup and Styling & Grooming. The former program offers intensive conceptual and practical study for a career in fashion hair and make-up design, covering international hair and makeup trends. Employment opportunities can be found in advertising, television, cinema, events, fashion, weddings etc. The latter course is aimed at equipping learners with the ability to style themselves aesthetically, in order to meet the challenges of looking their best, whatever the occasion.
Click here to know more on Fashion Media MakeUp or Styling & Grooming
