Oral East AfricaWhat colour of clothes are you wearing? Our resident make-up artist asks a client as she prepares to alter the colour of her lids.
She holds bristles of brushes as a painter would, different sizes of soft bristle brushes for different crevices made by different companies. On her desk the assortment of coloured pigments in multiple shades also come from different makers.
Last year, make up companies were the only ones who increased their advertising spend in a bid to fight for the only segment of the consumer market that has not shrunk.
According to ReelAnalytics, Personal Care was the only sector among the top six that reported an increase in advertisement spend at a time when spending across all the other sector shrunk 7 percent to Kes126billion down from Kes136 billion a year prior.
Make-up choices
Kenya’s beauty industry is valued at over Kes100 billion, as customers become more conscious about their looks and grooming. In 2024, Kenya’s beauty & personal care market generated a revenue of $2.30 billion (Kes304 billion) dominated mostly by American brands and their variations in counterfeits.
As we were setting up Seamless Studios and needed a bit of make-up I was tasked to scout for good deals along Nairobi’s Dubois street. For all the years I have been in the Capital I quickly realized I had not been to Dubois Road before.
The street has the highest concentration of made up girls, leaning out of glass paneled tiny stalls reflecting glitter and almost childlike packaging. The rows of shops are full of tiny eye lashes, make up brushes and a multitude of ointments, scents and creams.
It is impossible to make a brand choice and I was lucky I was making a financial one. The other customers walked in knowing what they were buying, few were making consultations and a number were looking for a specific retailer or chasing a deal.
When I ask our resident makeup artists how they choose their make-up, they say they go for brands that provide their range of colour schemes. They also chose brands depending on the look they want to attain whether it is a light touch up or the transformative mask.
Some go with product referrals from people who ‘use a lot of makeup’ and mother makeup artists, indicating how the market is driven by influencer type of marketing.
Made up industry
Kenya is witnessing a shrinking of the consumer on sticky and persistent inflation blown by state taxes, energy prices and currency devaluation.
This has impacted company revenues forcing corporates to cut expenditure with advertisement witnessing a 7 percent decline after three years of back to back increases.
Some of the sector’s that reported massive decline in ad spends were Betting & Gambling, Media and Communication (7 percent , 20 percent and 29 percent respectively). Advertising spends on TV in 2023 declined by 14 percent compared to 2022, while Out of Home (OOH) advertising expenditure dipped 3 percent.
Lipstick effect
Despite the dip in other sector, the beauty industry was booming, a phenomenon called the “Lipstick Index’’. This concept arises in times of recession and economic stresses and suggests that women tend to indulge in discretionary purchases that provide an emotional uplift without breaking the budget, such as lipstick.
A recent study by consumer research firm Pierrine Consulting revealed that despite the rising cost of living, Kenyans may be indulging in expensive pleasures like alcohol and coffee. Interestingly, travel remains a priority, and consumers are willing to spend more in this area. Particularly, women are reluctant to forgo their skincare products, clothing, and accessories.
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