Cosmetics sales pick up after mask rules eased

Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy Bomb (Shinsegae International)

Sales of cosmetics products have seen a surge over the past week after the nation’s mask-wearing mandate was lifted here, according to data compiled by Shinsegae International, a local importer of foreign beauty brands, Thursday.

US luxury makeup brand Hourglass posted a 149 percent jump in sales here from Jan. 28 to Feb. 1 right before and after eased masking rules, according to Shinsegae International. For the whole month of January, sales more than doubled compared to a year ago.

The company declined to disclose more detailed sales figures.

Among product categories, the top 10 sellers were products such as highlighters, blushers, lip balms, concealer, a contrast to the sales boom of eye makeup products earlier during the pandemic.

Other high-end brands such as Yunjac reported a 71.6 percent increase in sales in January, largely driven by sales of base makeup products like sunblock and concealer.

VidiVici, a local cosmetics brand, also saw a surge in sales of base makeup products that were included among the five top-selling products on the company’s own e-commerce platform, called S.I. Village.

“Following the easing of mask rules, there is a surge in sales of color cosmetics products, especially those that help offer a glaring and moisturized finish to the skin,” said a Shinsegae official.

“We plan to ramp up efforts to meet the growing consumer demand.”