Global Beauty Industry Research Articles

Florasis: the emerging C-beauty brand

Learning outcomes This case study is designed to enable students to understand the reasons behind the launch of a beauty brand grounded on traditions and culture, understand the strategies adopted by Florasis to establish its presence in the C-beauty space and emerge successful, analyze the positioning of a C-beauty brand in a highly competitive beauty market, identify the issues and challenges faced by a C-beauty brand in its efforts to disrupt the C-beauty space and suggest strategies that Florasis can adopt to emerge as a market leader in the global beauty industry. Case overview/synopsis Set in 2021, the case study discusses about the emerging C-beauty brand Florasis innovative strategies to promote the brand. Florasis was founded in 2017 with a vision to become a century old national makeup brand of China. Florasis was successful in getting on board a story-telling experience that featured traditional Chinese culture, aesthetics and heritage. It sold cosmetic products with retro packaging, concepts derived from traditional Chinese style, promoting a sense of national pride and nostalgia. The case study highlights the innovative strategies Florasis adopted like influencer marketing through key opinion leaders and key opinion customers, celebrity endorsements, user co-creation programs, social content and network marketing, brand crossovers and collaborations, etc. In April 2021, Florasis became the No. 1 cosmetic company in China with a gross merchandise value of 218m yuan and further the total sales for second quarter of 2021 reached 830m yuan, endorsing its supremacy over other global and local beauty brands in China. However, with success came along a set of challenges. Some analysts pointed that the brand was slow in innovating its product line-up, it focused more on promotions and advertisements and the brand positioning with a single sales channel, the cost performance and quality of the products and excessive marketing campaigns targeting a niche segment. Going forward, what should Florasis do to conquer the global beauty space? Can Florasis aspire to become a digitally empowered global beauty brand? Has it got the momentum? Will its direct-to-consumer model and unprecedented marketing and promotion gimmicks, help it achieve the lead in the global beauty space? Complexity academic level This case study is suitable for students of the graduate and undergraduate programs in management. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 8: Marketing.

Emergence and Transformation of K-Smart Beauty Care

Purpose: K-smart beauty is securing an important position in the global beauty industry through innovation based on a scientific approach and the latest technology. This satisfies consumers' diverse appearance management needs and conveys the positive values of the new K-culture. In this study, we aim to examine changes in Korean beauty care behavior for the pursuit of health interventions and aesthetics that meet consumer requirements and preferences. Method: This study investigated academic research published by the Korea Research Information Sharing Service(www.riss.kr), data from Korea's government-funded research institutes, and media articles to investigate the recent change process of K-beauty. Purpose of the study a literature review was conducted by organizing the contents that corresponded to the above. Results: The beauty industry in Korean society is going through a process of specialization, segmentation, and cutting-edge technology, and is transforming into smart beauty through continuous innovation. Changing consumer awareness of beauty care was at work on this basis, and various factors such as technological development and distribution of beauty equipment, diversification of service provision to consumers, and globalization of K-culture were confirmed to have a complex synergistic effect. Conclusion: In Korean society, the perception of beauty care is changing beyond simple appearance care to the concept of smart beauty, which includes health interventions. It has been confirmed that these changes enable the provision of efficient and economical services and are gradually moving towards data-based customized services for everyone while protecting the environment.

Semi-quantitative health risk assessment of heavy metal dust exposure among nail technicians using the SQRA technique and Monte Carlo simulation.

Nail technology, including the application of artificial nails and nail care, is a developing sector of the global beauty industry. Nail technicians are exposed to a variety of chemical substances through inhalation, as they spend extended periods of time in close proximity to these materials. This study aimed to evaluate the semi-quantitative health risk of dust-containing heavy metals among nail technicians. This analytical descriptive study employed the risk assessment method provided by the Singapore Occupational Health Department to evaluate the health hazards of lead, cadmium, nickel, chromium, and manganese. Dust samples from nail filing were collected from the respiratory zone of 20 nail technicians following the NIOSH 7300 method. The samples were analyzed using ICP-OES instrumentation. Monte Carlo simulation was utilized to characterize the risk and its uncertainties. Manganese and cadmium had the highest and lowest mean concentrations, respectively. The risk scores of the metals ranked from highest to lowest were as follows: . All five metals had risk rankings below 2.8, signifying a minimal risk level. Sensitivity analysis using Spearman's correlation coefficient demonstrated a positive relationship between concentration, daily hours of exposure, and the number of workdays per week with the risk score (RR) and exposure level (ER). Conversely, the variable of weekly working hours (W) showed a negative correlation with these parameters. Despite the low-risk level of the examined metals, continuous exposure and potential long-term effects on nail technicians warrant preventive measures. Recommendations include implementing local exhaust ventilation systems, using table fans, establishing work-rest cycles, wearing N95 dust masks, and using reputable and high-quality nail polishes.

Being Beyond Brown: Colourism and Embracing Skin Colour among Young Adult Malaysian Indians

Colourism is a form of discrimination based on skin tone in which lighter-skinned individuals are favoured over darker-skinned individuals. This phenomenon that is perpetuated by the global beauty industry and the media have shown to cause damaging mental and emotional effects that can last for generations. Past studies have highlighted the effects and perpetuation of colourism but not the process of how one would have to overcome these challenges and embrace their own skin colour; hence, the current study aims to unlock the knowledge on this missing key component. The objective of this research was to study the experience of embracing one’s skin colour after facing colourism among Malaysian Indian young adults. A basic interpretive qualitative research design was adopted to explore the process of how seven female Malaysian Indian young adults, in the age range of 22 to 32 embrace their skin colour following their experience with colourism. Through purposive sampling, selected participants were interviewed online using semi-structured questions. Braun and Clarke's six phases of thematic analysis (2006) were employed to analyse the data collected. The findings of this study revealed the emergence of eight themes, ‘Status quo’, ‘Initial exposure’, ‘Support system’, ‘Actively seeking to validate examples’, ‘Seeking like-minded others’, ‘Transformation’, ‘Advocate for change’ and ‘Generational empowerment’ all of which have formed a framework on the process of embracing one’s skin colour. Consequently, the result of the participants’ experience in this study, created a path to empower and shed light on how one may embrace their skin colour following their experience with colourism.

The Effect of Beauty Consumers' Ethical Consumption Awareness on Motive to Purchase Refillable Cosmetics

Although the range of choices of consumers has expanded due to the variety of products, ethical consumption is spreading by raising objections to social phenomena that cause risks such as waste of resources and destruction of the global environment. Cosmetic containers, which increase in proportion to the size of the global beauty industry, are thrown away as general waste, and research on container recycling or refilling cosmetics is lacking. The purpose is to help educational basic materials for the generation and marketing aspects for revitalization of refill cosmetics. For the empirical analysis of the study, 337 questionnaires were used as final data for beauty consumers in their 10s to 60s who have purchased refillable cosmetics living in Seoul and metropolitan areas. For the collected data, frequency analysis, factor analysis and reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were performed through SPSS 24.0. As a result of the analysis, ethical consumption consciousness was divided into two sub-dimensions: ‘trust in certified products’ (45.4%) and ‘resource saving’ (22.3%). The motivation for purchasing refill cosmetics was extracted from two sub-dimensions: ‘purchase promotion’ (42.7%) and ‘environmental protection’ (26.6%). In conclusion, it was found that the higher the propensity for ethical consumption awareness to trust certified products, the higher the purchase promotion of refillable cosmetics and environmental protection factors. This study has regional limitations, and in relation to the above study, we expect meaningful and active studies on the effect of refill cosmetic consumption on the sustainability management (ESG) of beauty companies. Consumers expect it to be an index to measure corporate social responsibility activities.

The Modern-Day Feminine Beauty Ideal, Mental Health, and Jungian Archetypes

Introduction: It can be argued that beauty is not only an aesthetic value, but it is also a social capital which is supported by the global beauty industry. Advertising kindly offers all kinds of ways to acquire and maintain beauty and youth that require large investments. Recent studies demonstrate that physical attractiveness guided by modern sociocultural standards is associated with a higher level of psychological well-being, social ease, assertiveness, and confidence. What is behind this pursuit of ideal beauty and eternal youth: the life-long struggle for survival, selfless love for beauty, or something else that lurks in the depths of the human unconscious?
 Purpose: The aim of the paper is to analyze the modern-day feminine beauty ideal through the lens of Jungian archetypes.
 Methodology: An extensive literary review of relevant articles for the period 2000-2020 was performed using PubMed and Google databases, with the following key words: “Feminine beauty ideal, body image, beauty and youth, mental health problems, C.G. Jung, archetypes of collective unconsciousness”. Along with it, the author used Jung’s theory of archetypes, integrative anthropological approach, and hermeneutical methodology.
 Results and Discussion: Advertising and the beauty industry have a huge impact on women and their self-image. Exposure to visual media depicting idealized faces and bodies causes a negative or distorted self-image. The new globalized and homogenized beauty ideal emphasizes youth and slimness. Over the past few decades, the emphasis on this ideal has been accompanied by an increase in the level of dissatisfaction with their bodies among both women and men. Though face and body image concerns are not a mental health condition in themselves, they have a negative impact on women’s mental health being associated with body dysmorphic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, depression, eating disorders, psychological distress, low self-esteem, self-harm, suicidal feelings. These trends are of real concern.
 The interiorization of the modern standards of female beauty as the image of a young girl impedes the psychological development of women and causes disintegration disabling the interconnection of all elements of the psyche and giving rise to deep contradictions. This unattainable ideal is embodied in the Jungian archetype of the Kore. Without maturity transformations, the image of the Kore, which is so attractive to the modern world, indicates an undeveloped part of the personality. Her inability to grow up and become mature has dangerous consequences. Women “restrain their forward movement” becoming an ideal object of manipulation. Thus, they easily internalize someone’s ideas about what the world should be and about their “right” place in it losing the ability to think critically and giving away power over their lives.
 Conclusion: Overcoming the psychological threshold of growing up, achieving deep experience and inner growth, a woman discovers another aspect of the Kore, ceases to be an object of manipulation and accepts reality as it is, while her beauty becomes multifaceted and reflects all aspects of her true personality

Brazilian Natura & Co: creating cosmetic powerhouse. Empirical evidence of competence-based synergies in M&A processes

ObjetivoEl presente artículo pretende poner en práctica y a prueba el esquema ARCTIC a fin de evaluar los requisitos previos de la sinergia basada en las competencias en el proceso de adquisición. Este estudio ofrece nuevos análisis de las recientes adquisiciones acontecidas en el sector de la belleza a nivel mundial en las que se siguió el esquema ARCTIC y en las que NO se siguió por factores decisivos para conseguir las sinergias de la adquisición. Permite a los lectores contrastar dos casos prácticos y comprender con mayor detalle cómo funciona el esquema.Diseño/metodología/enfoque del estudioPara el estudio actual se ha llevado a cabo una amplia búsqueda de archivos entre los que se incluyen balances financieros, informes anuales, documentación interna, publicaciones del sector y declaraciones del director general para obtener una comprensión pormenorizada. De este modo, se potencian los datos de la investigación y la puesta en práctica del esquema ARCTIC.ConclusionesEn el estudio se han identificado cuatro pasos que determinan si la transferencia de competencias básicas en un proceso de adquisición sería el origen de sinergias basadas en las competencias. La incorporación de opciones reales en la evaluación de las sinergias mide el valor añadido del mercado derivado de las operaciones de fusión y adquisición.Originalidad/valorEste artículo contribuye a los aspectos teóricos y prácticos de las fusiones y las adquisiciones mundiales como parte de la bibliografía existente sobre comercio internacional y gestión estratégica. El impacto de las sinergias recíprocas de problemas del agente-principal, las interacciones externas entre directores generales en acuerdos de fusiones y adquisiciones, los sistemas de gobernanza empresarial y una teoría de la compensación ejecutiva son campos prometedores para futuras investigaciones.

Bioactive ingredients in Korean cosmeceuticals: Trends and research evidence.

Cosmeceuticals are commonly used in skincare regimens to maintain healthy skin and improve visible signs of aging. In recent years, South Korean skincare has gained prominence in the global beauty industry by introducing innovative cosmeceutical products and aesthetic trends. To describe the global impact of Korean skincare and to review the current research evidence for bioactive ingredients commonly found in Korean cosmeceuticals. A review of the biomedical literature was conducted using PubMed to identify laboratory, animal, and clinical studies that evaluated the biological properties and potential dermatologic uses of ingredients found in Korean cosmeceuticals. Bioactive ingredients in Korean cosmeceutical products are increasingly undergoing scientific validation and are derived from various sources including animals (eg, bee venom and snail mucin), plants (eg, dragon's blood and tiger grass extract), and biotechnology (eg, synthetic snake venom). Their bioactive components and pharmacologic activities have been shown to provide dermatologic benefits with potential applications for skin rejuvenation, photoprotection, wound healing, and more. Further research studies are warranted to elucidate any biological or therapeutic mechanisms of action of these ingredients, which may translate into clinical practice. With the rising public awareness and interest in Korean cosmeceuticals, patients may seek advice from dermatologists about how to incorporate these bioactive ingredients into their skincare regimens to improve skin health and aesthetics.

Book review: The Global Beauty Industry: Colorism, Racism, and the National Body

Book review: The Global Beauty Industry: Colorism, Racism, and the National Body

Subject/Object/Body: Recent Perspectives on Beauty and Aesthetics in Gender Studies

Subject/Object/Body:Recent Perspectives on Beauty and Aesthetics in Gender Studies Freda Fair (bio) Uri McMillan's Embodied Avatars: Genealogies of Black Feminist Art and Performance, New York: NYU Press, 2015 Sherri Irvin's Body Aesthetics, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016 Meeta Rani Jha's The Global Beauty Industry: Colorism, Racism, and the National Body, New York: Routledge, 2016 Uri McMillan's Embodied Avatars: Genealogies of Black Feminist Art and Performance, New York: NYU Press, 2015 Sherri Irvin's Body Aesthetics, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016 Meeta Rani Jha's The Global Beauty Industry: Colorism, Racism, and the National Body, New York: Routledge, 2016 In their 1977 black feminist statement, the Combahee River Collective calls attention to beauty as a regime of regulation that disciplines belonging. The Collective offers the formulation "smart-ugly" to articulate recognition and marginality as deeply racialized, gendered, and sexualized (2000, 268). Taking the body as central to social interpretation from the standpoint of black lesbian positionality, smart-ugly serves as an instructive point from which to highlight the contributions of three recent books that advance theories of beauty and aesthetics with a primary focus on the body: Uri McMillan's Embodied Avatars: Genealogies of Black Feminist Art and Performance, Body Aesthetics edited by Sherri Irvin, and The Global Beauty Industry: Colorism, Racism, and the National Body by Meeta Rani Jha. Like the Combahee River Collective's statement, all three books interrogate the cultural capital attributed to beauty and aesthetics sutured to the body. Working through performance studies, visual cultural studies, affect studies, women of color feminism, transnational feminism, critiques of capitalism and neoliberalism, sports studies, and food studies among other approaches, the authors recast the body as pliable subject and object. Readers seeking nuanced interdisciplinary approaches to the study of embodiment will value the diverse perspectives each book offers. The body itself is elaborated as a primary site of economic, cultural, and political inquiry as the authors mobilize formulations such as "performing objecthood" to index the bodily risks taken by black women performers (McMillan, 7), "subject and object of the gaze" to refer to the aesthetic [End Page 215] assessment of the body (Irvin, 1), and "beauty capital" signaling the distribution of contradictory social rewards assigned to the body as it circulates within the exchange relations of transnational capitalism (Jha, 4). In this review, I trace the body as it takes shape in each book to examine how the relationship between subject and object is reworked toward varying ends. Feminist thought has distinguished subject and object positions in part to challenge biological determinism and sexual objectification. The positionality of the body with respect to the subject-object relation undergirds the theories of aesthetics and the critiques of beauty put forth by McMillan, Irvin and the other contributors in Body Aesthetics, and Jha.1 McMillan argues for the body as a site for black women to literally transform the body into object for the purpose of challenging social and political exclusion. Jha addresses object status by attending to individual and institutional practices of objectification that govern access to the contradictory rewards of neoliberal beauty markets. While Irvin's introduction accounts for object status less as a measure of performative capacity and more with respect to questions of bodily assessment. The authors labor in the vein of what Samantha Frost, referencing Anne Fausto-Sterling, describes as the challenge to the "unidirectional model of causation" that signals the living body's implication in its own construction (2011, 69–70). For example, Jha, drawing on Inderpal Grewal, points to the "white-savior narrative" as oppressive while highlighting that it primarily operates by assigning object status to women in the Global South. Jha attends to white-savior objectification as it disarms women of color while securing an agential subjectivity for white Western liberal feminists: "Feminine whiteness is valorized at the cost of objectifying women from developing nations as passive" (55). While Jha's critique demonstrates the politically fraught dynamics of objectified bodily passivity in the transnational beauty economies that condition subjective potentiality, McMillan ardently argues for objecthood as a liberatory pathway toward subjectivity for black women performers particularly Joice Heth, Ellen Craft, Adrian Piper, Howardena Pindell, and Nicki Minaj...

Vogue and the possibility of cosmopolitics: race, health and cosmopolitan engagement in the global beauty industry

This article explores the possibility of cosmopolitics, using the global magazine franchise Vogue as our starting point. Drawing on Saito's conceptualizations of cosmopolitanism, we investigate whether Vogue promotes cosmopolitan engagement, which we define as promotion of human diversity, cultural omnivorousness and cosmopolitics. Our analysis focuses on racial diversity and health, two moral issues recently addressed by Vogue itself. We present a content analysis of Vogue and media coverage of Vogue in China, the Netherlands and the USA. We conclude that Vogue, because of its global basis, high status and reliance on visual materials, has the potential to address and unite transnational publics around global issues. However, the success of such attempts depends on local cultural and institutional contexts and the role of local actors, who may adopt, but also reframe or ignore, attempts to promote cosmopolitan engagement.

Geoffrey Jones, Beauty Imagined: A History of the Global Beauty Industry. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. xiv + 412 pp., [16] pp. of plates. ISBN 0-1995-5649-0, $45.00 (cloth); 0-1996-3962-0, $27.95 (paper).

Geoffrey Jones, Beauty Imagined: A History of the Global Beauty Industry. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. xiv + 412 pp., [16] pp. of plates. ISBN 0-1995-5649-0, $45.00 (cloth); 0-1996-3962-0, $27.95 (paper).

Managing the Body: Beauty, Health, and Fitness in Britain, 1880-1939 by Ina Zweiniger-Bargielowska Beauty Imagined: A History of the Global Beauty Industry by Geoffrey Jones

Managing the Body: Beauty, Health, and Fitness in Britain, 1880-1939 by Ina Zweiniger-Bargielowska Beauty Imagined: A History of the Global Beauty Industry by Geoffrey Jones

Beauty imagined: a history of the global beauty industry - By Geoffrey Jones

Beauty imagined: a history of the global beauty industry - By Geoffrey Jones

Beauty Imagined: A History of the Global Beauty Industry, by Geoffrey Jones

Beauty Imagined: A History of the Global Beauty Industry, by Geoffrey Jones

Beauty imagined: a history of the global beauty industry

Introduction: The Business of Beauty PART I: BEAUTY IMAGINED 1. Scent and Paris 2. How do I Look? 3. Cleanliness and Civilization PART II: BEAUTY DIFFUSED 4. Beauty Amid War and Depression 5. The Television Age 6. Global Ambitions Meet Local Markets 7. The Uncertain Identity of Beauty PART III: BEAUTY RE-IMAGINED 8. Challenges from New Quarters 9. Globalization and Tribalization Conclusion: The Dream Machine