Summary

The author, Dr. Preeti Singh, expresses a personal aversion to the excessive use of cosmetics while acknowledging the fascination with the wide array of beauty products available in the modern cosmetic revolution, which is a significant and growing industry.

Abstract

Dr. Preeti Singh shares her experience and perspective on the cosmetic industry's boom, revealing her preference for minimal makeup and skepticism about the necessity of numerous beauty products. Despite her initial disinterest, she is amazed by the variety and innovation in cosmetics during a shopping trip with her niece. The article highlights the author's realization of the extensive use of beauty products among young people, the rise of 'natural' products, and the competitive nature of the cosmetics market. Singh notes the market's expected growth and the challenges faced by smaller companies. She advises discretion in the use of cosmetics, emphasizing that excessive artificial products can harm the skin, and advocates for authenticity and minimalism in beauty routines.

Opinions

The author considers herself a 'plain Jane' when it comes to cosmetics, preferring a minimalistic approach with basic items like lipstick, compact, and kohl.
She views the time spent at beauty parlors as wasteful and is bewildered by the enthusiasm others have for these services, including her friends and acquaintances.
Despite being taken to a cosmetics shopping trip by her niece, Singh feels out of place and is initially uninterested in the vast selection of products.
The author is fascinated by the transformation possible through cosmetics, noting that people can alter their appearance dramatically, but she questions the authenticity of such changes.
Singh is skeptical about the true 'natural' quality of products marketed as organic, especially given their high prices.
She emphasizes that the cosmetics market is highly competitive and that smaller companies may struggle to survive against larger multinationals.
The author's

I Am Shocked And Fascinated To See The Cosmetic Revolution

The choice of too much

I use bare minimum makeup

I am plain Jane when it comes to cosmetics. I am not a fan and when I see too many of them I get really flabbergasted and don’t understand what to do.

I like perfumes and amongst the vast mass just pick one or two that I know and understand or ask someone.

I use basics like lipstick, a compact, and some Kohl's. Of course, I do use a day cream and a night cream.

I barely ever go to beauty parlors and I think it is a waste of time sitting and waiting for things to be done.

My friends sit for hours getting their face or hair done and now a lot of gentlemen I know around all seem to enjoy going to parlors too. No wonder they are always full.

My influencer friend once in a while pushes me with her as she keeps on getting free services of different kinds at parlors. Sometimes the parlors extend it to soul moms like me too.

I keep wondering when will this ordeal end. When will I go out of the parlor?

My friends find me the odd one out. However, I don’t mind staying out of the cosmetics and parlors fettishness.

This does not mean that my being interested or not interested will have an effect on the cosmetics market.

Cosmetic shopping without enthusiasm

The other day my niece took me to buy cosmetics. She was visiting her mother from Australia and so the aunt (that's me)had to be in her attendance. I pleaded with her that I was the wrong choice for helping her to buy cosmetics. She however did not listen to me.

“We will go and have fun together. We will try various cosmetics and find the right one for ourselves and then we can buy.

Be ready to try various cosmetics. It will be a fun time for us. Then we can spend many hours together because I am only here for 4 days. Today is the only day I am free so let us go,” excitedly she called out.

I am usually excited about shopping but cosmetics was putting me off.

She was a queen of cosmetics and I was quite a fool.

I looked so disinterested in the Mall while my niece had a running commentary about them. She was calling friends all over the world that was awake at that time and telling them about the products available and what she could get for them.

I was completely uninterested at first and then I got fascinated seeing so many products of various kinds of cosmetics with an unlimited choice.

Fascinating cosmetic revolution

A few things I learned and was fascinated with from this visit.

First and foremost young people use so many products. There is nothing natural left in the skin or face anymore in life.

Wow! A charming woman is completely made up and not recognizable without makeup.

There are products for everything. There are wigs available in different colors based on the hair color of people. No one needs to look bald anymore.

I thought I would naturally go bald one day and am ready for the day but looking at the products I am tempted to try it before I become old and decide to go bold.

I even put one on my head and checked in the mirror. This was interesting.

Then going on to eyelashes. They are available according to your hair color. Just stick it on and you are ready to go.

Next were the eyelashes. You can stick them to your original and it sticks till you decide to wash it off. You wear eyelashes and now I fancied myself with long lashes looking really different.

The eye color could also be changed by wearing different color lenses every day.

The hair, face, nails, eyes and skin are all covered. An extra layer everywhere. Who is the true person? No one knows.

Another interesting fact is that there is a mushrooming of the so-called natural products. Are they natural? No one knows. They come under skin and hair creams and are supposed to be organic. Their prices are blown up to the roof. After all, they are made from natural products is what people say.

Finally, I took a look at the global cosmetics market size and found that it was valued at USD 262.21 billion in 2022 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.2% from 2023 to 2030. It has become a very important sector in industries. Hair care is supposed to grow by 3% and skin care had the largest shelves.

The moment I started looking at the shelves, my eyes popped out. The products are so much in plenty that they are flooding the showrooms.

It is necessary not to be ignorant about the market. If your field is about business and management there is a lot to learn from market practices. What I saw was that the availability of brands has increased at least tenfold and some small companies in the industry are finding it difficult to survive as there are no buyers for their products.

There is so much competition. Soon the weak companies will move out leaving the market with the large multinationals.

It is not necessary to buy always. It is good to understand what the specific types of cosmetics are used for. Judge for yourself what is good and what is not good. It is your choice ultimately to buy or not buy.

I do feel that people should not douse themselves with cosmetics even though they are available in plenty in the market. Use discretion, awareness is good but it is not necessary to emulate those who use it.

Skin thrives better with minimum use of skin products. Nothing happened to mine even though I did not fill my face with artificial products.

It is not necessary to follow or keep up with the Joneses. Too much of artificial products can actually harm the skin.

Be authentic

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