Beauty consumers can be fickle—and products’ popularity can change drastically in a heartbeat—or a month. Now, the appearance and movement of new products and brands can be closely watched with Amalgam, a new digital tool from consulting and research firm Kline. Amalgam scores and ranks beauty items and brands based on best-selling product listings and customer ratings and reviews across nearly 20 leading retailer websites to identify which brands and products are at the forefront in the digital space.
 
Based on the continuous collection, aggregation, and blending of data from approximately 20 leading retailer websites, Amalgam uses a proprietary algorithm to score beauty products based on their ranking among best-selling product listings, customer ratings, prevalence, and duration on the charts.
 
For instance, Amalgam shows that five of the top 10 beauty and personal care products jumped more than 200 spots to become one of the top 10 best-performing items in online sales in February 2018, with Ulta’s Eyeshadow Single jumping more than 2,000 spots.
 
Top 10 Beauty and Personal Care Items, February 2018
—Garnier Sleek & Shine Intensely Smooth Leave-In Conditioning Cream, 10.2 oz
—Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm 4-Pack
—Ulta Eyeshadow Single
—Redken Color Extend Conditioner, 8.5 oz
—Philosophy Amazing Grace Perfumed Shampoo, Bath & Shower Gel, 16 oz
—It's a 10 Miracle Leave In Plus Keratin, 4 oz
—Urban Decay Eyeshadow Single
—IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream, 2 oz
—AmazingCosmetics AmazingConcealer
—Urban Decay Anti-Aging Eyeshadow Primer Potion
 
Amalgam shows that things can change quickly in the digital world, especially in the makeup category. Some items reside at the top for months while others come and go quickly. For instance, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil dropped from a No. 1 rank in makeup in January to No. 257 in February. Meanwhile, its Eyeshadow Single and Anti-Aging Eyeshadow Primer Potion jumped from the positions of No. 293 and No. 78 in makeup in January to No. 3 and No.5, respectively, in February. Along with items from major brands that are present at the top of the charts across all categories, many Indie brands, such as Anastasia Beverly Hills, or lesser-known brands, including AmazingCosmetics, which landed in the top 10 in February, appear at the top.
 
Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty, which launched in Q4 of 2017, had three of its products among the top 500 makeup items by the end of 2017. The brand continues to climb the charts, with its current top-ranked item, Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer, jumping more than 500 spots each month since its debut to land in the top 25 in the lip makeup category in February.
 
Top 10 Lip Makeup Items, February 2018
 
—Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm 4-Pack
—Ulta Butter Balm Lip Gloss
—Maybelline New York Baby Lips Moisturizing Lip Balm
—L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Matte Lipstick
—Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer
—NYX Cosmetics Soft Matte Lip Cream
—Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm Natural Mint & Shea Butter SPF 25, 0.25 oz
—FRESH Sugar Lip Treatment Sunscreen SPF 15
—J.Cat Beauty Roll It Up Auto Lip Liner, All 12 Colors
—Kat Von D Everlasting Lip Liner
 
Amalgam enables Kline to also observe product trends as they emerge, which is critical, especially in skincare where ingredient stories and new formats continually change the product landscape. For instance, gel formats increased in popularity, as seen with the success of Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel, Toyo Natural Aqua Gel Cure, Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel, and Hada Labo Tokyo Skin Plumping Gel Cream. Micellar water and cleansing wipes also remain prevalent.
 
Top 10 Facial Skin Care Items, February 2018
 
—IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream, 2 oz
—Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1, 13.5 oz
—Ole Henriksen Transforming Walnut Scrub, 3 oz
—Simple Facial Wipes Micellar, 25 count
—Differin Gel, 0.5 oz
—Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel, 1.7 oz
—St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub, 6 oz
—NeedCrystals Microdermabrasion Crystals, 8 oz
—Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover, 4.2 oz
—Burt’s Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes, Cucumber and Sage, 30 count
 
 
“Kline has closely watched the changing trends and brand performances in the beauty market for nearly 60 years,” comments Carrie Mellage, vice president of Kline’s Consumer Products practice. “As technology enabled the evolution of the business and channels, this same technology allows us to uncover emerging nuances in the market and see the fresh, often unknown brands and trends bubble up to the top. It confirms that digital is an equal-opportunity playing field where any brand can win, if they play their cards right and maintain relevancy.”

PHOTO: Two of the high-scoring products