5 Major Trends From Beauty’s Biggest Industry Event

Setting foot onto the main floor of Cosmoprof is like entering a snow globe. But instead of a mystical world of snow-capped mountains and Santa Clauses, it’s a universe of every beauty product under the sun. Amid the impeccably-lit displays and flashy booth setups,  makeup and skincare companies are there shilling every packaging component imaginable, from airless pumps to perfume flacons. Unlike events like Beautycon (Editor’s note: Refinery29 and Beautycon share a parent company.) or Sephoria, Cosmoprof brings together brand founders, formulators, chemists, retailer buyers, members of the beauty media (like me!), and more under one (very hot) roof in Las Vegas. 

Every year is a bit different — I’ve heard on good authority that last year’s event was rampant with Hailey Bieber-inspired nude nails) — but one thing we can always count on is the accurate forecasting. Some of the biggest beauty trends that flood social media feeds in the following months come from this very convention. With that in mind, I hopped on a flight to the Nevada desert to scope out some of the most exciting product innovations hitting shelves this year. Below, five standout moments from Cosmoprof that I’m projecting will be everywhere soon. Remember readers, you heard it here first!  

When Dyson first introduced the Supersonic blow dryer in 2016, it didn’t take long for “dupes” of the iconic circular barrel to flood the market. We’re on the cusp of another major sea change concerning its  once dime-a-dozen shape. ulky, pear-shaped bodies are now being upgraded for sleek, angular-shaped dryers that are ergonomic and ultra-lightweight. (To me, they resemble a right angle or the letter “T.”) Some even have interchangeable attachments, like Nicky Clarke’s AirStyle PRO, which is quiet yet powerful, and gave me one of the best blowouts of my life. Other devices to look out for include the BioIonic Pro Ultra Light Speed Dryer, WAHL’s Vanquish (launching stateside later this year), Karma Beauty’s IQ Professional Digital Blow Dryer, and the Elettra Pro Light. 

On the flip side, with all the technological innovations sweeping the industry, there’s an equally strong movement of ancient rituals reimagined for the 21st-century beauty consumer. Snow Fox Skincare’s Gua Sha Hair & Scalp Brush is handcrafted by Taiwanese artisans, and each wooden body is shaped individually and capped with 151 24k gold-plated steel bristles to stimulate blood flow to the roots. Founder Phoebe Song points out that this particular model retails for $118 — an investment, but one that reflects the quality and authenticity of how it’s made. There are two smaller brush styles: A palm-sized travel brush and plastic handle version retail for $60 and $98, respectively.

Elsewhere, Rthvi combines founder Meerika Khanna’s Ayurvedic roots with her expertise and passion as a certified trichologist. The result? A curated assortment of products rooted in the concept of “proactive hair wellness,” – in other words, maintaining hair health and integrity to curb the effects of hair loss later on. The products are equal parts innovative and luxurious — which is important because products work only as well as you use them. 

With the pandemic firmly in the rearview mirror, people are yet again ready to embrace an on-the-go lifestyle. This is beautifully reflected in Lena Park’s Mixik, an entirely mist-based skincare routine that works whether you’re out and about (or not!). Four core products consist of cleansing oil, jelly toner, brightening serum, and lightweight moisturizer (yes, all in mist form) in bottles so pretty, they resemble sink-side objets d’art. In a genius move, you can shop all products in travel sizes, which enables you to tote an entire routine to the office, workout class, weekend getaway, and back again.

Speaking of the gym, with studio fitness hotter than ever, the pre-and post-workout skincare customer is one that Nine Glow has its eye on. (The hypochlorous acid of it all!) Its hero Pre-Workout Anti-Pollution Serum protects your skin from pollutants and irritants with nine antioxidants (including ferulic acid, CoQ10, and tomato-derived lycopene — the bottle color is a nod to this), in addition to supporting a healthy barrier and curbing oil production. On deck for the brand is a micellar toner to refresh and gently cleanse post-workout skin.

Even though I’d personally argue that professional salons are here to stay (support — and tip — your nail techs!), it’s no secret that today’s nail consumers are savvier than ever. There was an understandable spike in at-home nail care during peak COVID, but brands are continuing to build on that momentum years later. In addition to transformations in the world of polish, like Orly’s One Night Stand Peel-Off Base Coat, which solves the challenge of switching up your manicure on the fly (and removing glitter polishes while keeping your sanity), nail subscription services make sure you always have new shades to play with at home.

For the advanced DIY manicurist, consumer-facing gel lamps from brands like Sun UV (the brand behind Amazon’s top-selling gel nail lamps) recreate the salon experience in your home. A perfect pairing comes in the form of Gelish’s new-to-market Cream Gel Palettes (!) which look like a six-pan lip palette but are actually solid cream-gel polishes that allow you to unleash your inner artist. (The best part is that one palette retails for $16.99, including six removable shades plus a brush.)

See it, touch it, smell it — the next generation of beauty is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. For example, two powerhouse, viral brands — Inked By Dani and PHLUR — come together for a one-of-a-kind product that seeing (and smelling) is believing. The collab (s)centers around a sheet of hand-drawn temporary tattoos in founder Dani Egna’s signature dainty style, but softly scented with PHLUR’s Coconut Skin perfume. 

In the wild, wonderful world of nails, Never Have I Ever is bringing the “art” back to “nail art” with a novel concept: Licensing designs from nail artists to create truly unique, straight-from-your-IG-feed press-ons. (Because stealing work from editorial manicurists is definitely not demure, and definitely not mindful.) 

Other standouts include K-beauty brand RETURNU’s Pore Shooter Gommage Cleansing Balm, an innovative 3-in-1 cleanser that starts as a balm, transforms into an oil, and finally, a gentle scrub. The three-pronged approach removes makeup, sloughs off dead skin cells, and reduces the appearance of enlarged pores in a single step. Category-defying, boundary-pushing beauty? This is only the beginning.