L’Oréal Luxe
The YVES SAINT LAURENT Beauty year
2015 gave new impetus to the beauty range of the most subversive Parisian couture brand. Thanks to its fragrances, especially the continued success of Black Opium, and its trendsetting make-up initiatives, YVES SAINT LAURENT Beauty posted very strong growth at +18.4%(1).
To be a young, avant-garde luxury brand
Stephan Bezy
International Managing Director of Yves Saint Laurent Beauty
Reflecting a new take on the brand’s iconic attributes – the tension between femininity and masculinity, clashing colours and Parisian chic – all the creations of YVES SAINT LAURENT Beauty are a manifesto of a bold, free spirit that transgresses codes in order to reinvent them. In order to attract growing numbers of young consumers, the brand changed its point-of-sale aesthetic in 2015, by focusing on minimalism and ultra-luxury codes, opening 20 “new look counters” worldwide.
The make-up boom
Historically a strong category for the brand and further boosted by social networks, YVES SAINT LAURENT make-up posted spectacular growth in 2015, particularly in Asia. The brand is reasserting its leading position in lip make-up colour with Rouge Pur Couture and its new subversive marketing campaign; the worldwide success of the Vernis à Lèvres; and Volupté Tint-In-Oil, the first tinted lip oil and one of the top gloss launches of the first half. To further showcase colour in points of sale, the “YSL Color Showroom” counter concept was first launched in Japan.
The perfume wardrobe
In 2015, Black Opium confirmed its status as the new flagship women’s fragrance, with strong sales, especially in Europe. Meanwhile, La Nuit de L’Homme reinvented the codes of male seduction with a new campaign. But the fragrance event of the year – one that embodies the brand’s heritage – was Le Vestiaire des Parfums, a collection of five timeless fragrances, each reinterpreting an emblematic piece of clothing from the YVES SAINT LAURENT wardrobe.
After an excellent year, YVES SAINT LAURENT Beauty is setting its sights high: attracting new customers and continuing its geographic expansion in Asia and in the Travel Retail channel. In fragrances, the brand means to extend its conquest in women’s perfumes and consolidate its positions in the men’s segment. There are also bright prospects in make-up, thanks to the brand’s innovation, creativity and ability to capture the spirit of the times. Lastly, skincare also provides crucial growth leverage, with the upsurge in products on the borderline between make-up and skincare.
