Nail care is the UK's ‘lipstick effect’ in Covid-19 crisis, French brands benefit

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Apr 8, 2020

The UK’s online sales of nail products are surging during the Covid-19 lockdown, NPD Group said on Wednesday, as consumers still long for their treats and beauty continues to be seen as an affordable way to achieve this. 

NPD said sales of online prestige nail products reported double-digit growth in the UK’s first weeks of lockdown with a 12% rise in the week beginning March 16. Then, in the week starting March 23 when the lockdown became more strict, they rose 24% year-on-year.

With nail salons and beauty businesses closed, “UK consumers turned to at-home manicure rituals to maintain their nails and boost their mood,” the company said.  

In the first week of the full lockdown, sales of base coats and topcoats increased 102%, while sales of colour enamel increased 18% and sales of nailcare increased 13%. During this phase of lockdown, pink, red and beige were the top three most popular shades.

And the big names of the designer beauty Industry were the brands that benefited the most. NPD said the top five best selling prestige nail colours (in alphabetical order) were Chanel’s Le Vernis Long Wear 18 Rouge Noir, its Le Vernis Long Wear 504 Organdi and Le Vernis Long Wear 562 Coralium, plus Dior’s Vernis Rouge 999, and YSL’s La Laque Couture 01 Rouge Pop Art.

“The increase in sales of nail products online, particularly intense nail enamel shades, indicates that nail care could be the ‘Covid-19 Lipstick Effect’,” said Emma Fishwick, account manager, NPD UK Beauty. “Consumers are increasingly turning to self-care and home based beauty treatments like at-home manicures to improve wellbeing and boost their mood. An application of nail polish is quick, simple and provides an instant result.”