8 Ways Beauty Can Grow in 2017 and Beyond

Beauty M&A had an extremely busy year in 2016, with Estee Lauder, L'Oreal and Unilever driving many of the deals, including the acquisitions of Becca Cosmetics, IT Cosmetics and Dollar Shave Club, respectively. These deals and the additional needs of these top strategic players point to beauty's top growth areas, according to Nicholas Micallef, senior beauty and personal care analyst, Euromonitor Internat­ional.

Micallef, who recently reviewed Unilever's acquisition prospects, explained that the buying power of top-tier companies overshadows that of organizations such a Henkel and Biersdorf, creating an uneven playing field in the pursuit of high-yield, high-value brands that can consolidate power in the beauty and personal care space.

A Color Shopping Spree?

It's no secret that color cosmetics are having a moment. Micallef noted that Unilever, which has under-leveraged the prestige color category, could conceivably decide to go on a color cosmetics "shopping spree."