Hi everyone! Mallory here, Director of Beauty & Wellness at Future Snoops. Over the last month, the FS Beauty + Wellness team attended Cosmoprof ASEAN in Bangkok, In Cosmetics Korea in Seoul, and Cosmoprof North America in Las Vegas. It's been a whirlwind of travel destinations and beauty inspirations, but we always leave feeling enriched and energized by the amazing brands and products at these shows. 

At a trade show, my MO is always to first do an initial walk around the show floor (depending on the show size, though! Some shows are so big that’s simply not possible). I like to get the lay of the land and make a mental note of any interesting booths I see. Then, I begin my trend search, stopping where I see intriguing product or brand concepts—always stop if that curious part of your brain perks up when you see a booth! I'm always surprised. 

K-beauty is on a quest for global domination! Across all of these recent shows, but especially at Cosmoprof North America, we saw a major spike in the influence of K-beauty. This is due to the so-called "second wave" of K-beauty, as Korean-born beauty brands are going massively viral on TikTok, as well as an exodus of global consumers traveling to Seoul for medical and aesthetic tourism. Korea is also the nexus of so many beauty trends, from color season matching to the PDRN craze to microneedling, and it's clear that the world is looking to Korea first for the next big beauty trend. This is an essential market to keep your eye on if you want to stay ahead of the trend curve!

I'd say don't be afraid to have fun with brand activations. You'd be surprised how many attendees walk by fun and interactive elements in brand booths and don't take advantage of immersive opportunities to learn about a brand message and ethos. Don't neglect the joyful side of brand exploration, so play the fun game, sample the snacks, and try the unique product, as it becomes a more memorable and enriching experience. 

Some of my favorite product categories that I've seen innovation in have been suncare and scalp care. As both a futurist and a consumer myself, sun care is one of the categories I am personally interested in, and I've loved so much of the innovation I've seen recently at trade shows (especially coming out of Korea!). Adding to that is the continued skinification of hair conversation, as scalp care remains a huge focus for consumers who are obsessed with supporting healthy hair growth from root to tip.