Paris – With its new range of makeup-meet-skincare products, the luxury beauty brand is moving away from the more-is-more approach to beauty that has long dominated the industry. Paradoxically, its new line, Nu, is built on a foundation of enhancing, rather than covering up, skin imperfections.
YSL has created the line to highlight people’s skin signature – or attributes such as freckles, dark circles and uneven textures. The products include a Bare Look Tint, which offers light facial coverage, and a fine Dewy Mist to hydrate skin. The collection is explicitly aimed at Generation Z, who are known for their celebration of natural beauty flaws. According to Laetitia Raoust, general manager of YSL Beauty, ‘this new generation of products are focused on enhancing, rather than hiding, our consumers’ unique beauty signatures.’
With its less-is-more mindset, YSL is recognising the importance of Enhanced Natural Beauty while also using flaw-positive marketing to reach Anti-aspirational Gen Z beauty buyers.
Strategic opportunity
Gen Z are leaving idealised beauty standards in the past, and brands are playing catch-up. Eradicate marketing language that drives perfection, while also allowing your products to highlight people’s natural idiosyncrasies