Paris (AFP)

"Already that I did little makeup, but then with masks ..." Between teleworking and wearing a mandatory mask, the Covid-19 crisis dealt a blow to makeup, and particularly lipstick, the French preferring to insist body and eye care.

"During confinement, I did not put anything, only moisturizer. The first days, I did not recognize myself. I said to myself + this is my head for real, without make-up? + To the deconfinement, I loved to put on my make-up again, but I don’t put much less. A stroke of mascara and I feel pimped. "

Is Nolwenn representative of French women? This 27-year-old Parisian architect has radically changed what youtubers call "the beauty routine".

From the second month of confinement, the "prestige beauty" market, grouping perfumeries and department stores, suffered the blow. In 2019, it posted a turnover of nearly 3 billion (2.974) euros, but in April its performance rose painfully to 22 million, according to figures provided by the research firm NPD Group.

Among the products, some are doing better. Creams for the face, the body, lip balms: the big winner against the coronavirus is ... skincare, confide several big brands questioned by AFP.

Sephora says that "skincare and hair care are growing much faster than makeup".

"Yes, there have been variations: basically, it's more care, a little less makeup," confirms Hervé Navellou, CEO of L'Oréal, with its brands Lancôme, Vichy, Yves Saint Laurent and La Roche Posay.

Videoconferencing and health protection could have discouraged: "I did little makeup, but then there between the masks, gloves ... you can buy PQ without fear of ridicule", laughs Myriam, a thirty-something Parisian.

Surprising beneficiaries of containment: nail polish. "They who had fallen asleep woke up during the period. Probably because we had more time to do it, and a desire for color, for lightness", judge Hervé Navellou.

According to Mathilde Lion, beauty analyst at NPD Group, it was also "the closure of nail bars and beauty salons" that played a role.

On the other hand suffered "lip makeup, especially lipsticks (-58% on online sales compared to April 2019)", adds the expert.

It's lip service that brands recognize a decline in sales, modestly evoking for L'Oréal "products linked to socialization that have worked less well".

- Beautiful eyes -

The mask camouflages the lower face, the attention is focused on the look.

It is the premium to beautiful eyes. "We hypothesize that the consumption of mascaras and pencils will greatly increase if the wearing of the mask continues," says Hervé Navellou.

In April, eye makeup registered "an increase of 116%, especially the queen category of mascaras which increased by 150%", explains Mathilde Lion.

Finally, non-transfer products - those that hold despite a mask - make a breakthrough.

"The light make-up (blush, bronzing powders, concealer) worked well, as did the tinted creams - combining moisturizing effect and make-up - which took precedence over the more covering foundations", decrypts Ms. Lion.

"Clearly, because of the wearing of the mask, the long-lasting, no transfer, water / sweat proof products (water and perspiration resistant, Editor's note) are meeting with great interest", indicates Make Up for Ever.

This lightness leads, according to Mathilde Lion, a "tendency to the most natural, and less contouring", a technique of make-up of the complexion which accentuates the features, alternating dark and light shades and whose tutorials have flourished on Instagram and YouTube.

As for the return to the store, "that's the real question" according to Mathilde Lion. "Care, you don't need to try. But perfume or make-up? How to have testers in the middle of a pandemic? There is always the possibility of single doses ..."

Finally, this pandemic confirmed an already marked trend, that of "brands committed to sustainable development, and a demand for transparency" on ingredients and product development, explains Hervé Navellou.

© 2020 AFP