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Less Lipstick, More Eyeshadow: Cosmetic Companies See Shift In Product Sales As Result Of COVID

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Cosmetic companies are seeing a shift in the products women are wearing and buying as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Lipstick sales are sinking with more people wearing masks. A June report from the market researching firm Poshly found that 60% of beauty shoppers wore lipstick most of the time before the pandemic. This summer, that number fell to 23%.

"During the pandemic, everything happened and everyone was leery of sales," said Creative Director for Bovanti Cosmetics Marquel Javontei. "The company has seen lip product sales drop by nearly 50%, but sales for some eye products are up 96%."

When Bovanti's East Coast makeup studios reopened, clients booked appointments to get just their eyes made up.

"When you look someone in the eyes, you can really tell who that person is, how that person is feeling, how they're doing," said Javontei.

Beauty influencer Roxette Arisa has more than one million subscribers. She produces makeup tutorials, and one of her latest videos covers a common problem during the pandemic.

"If I wear makeup, no one can see my lips and it's just getting on the inside of my mask," Arisa said.

Arisa said a lot of her subscribers requested a mask makeup tutorial. She suggests concentrating on the areas people can see.

"Focus on the eyes and then not focus as much on the face, so that your mask stays clean," she said.

Arisa said she's been getting a lot of requests about skincare as well.

"I think skincare has been, like, on the rise this year especially just because so many people aren't going out as much and, you know, are staying in and doing self-care," she said.

In the Poshly survey, 80% of makeup consumers said they are focused on a low maintenance beauty routine.

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