Bullet points

 1. Neutral colours in eye make-up are favoured although a small proportion of consumers are confident with trying bold colours
 2. Seasonality accounts for over a third of 2014 eye shadow launches, but palettes are based on subtle colours
 3. Preferences vary by age, suggesting room for eye make-up collections targeting different age groups

Women favour a natural make-up look

Make-up wearers in the UK tend to favour a natural look when using lip, eye and nail make-up. The trend for nude tones and colours evolves towards the “no make-up” trend, with more subtle and “naked” colours than ever before. Women want to achieve an effortless yet impeccable look, which explains why they are rather unadventurous when experimenting with colours.

Only 14% of women in the UK say they are confident experimenting with bold and bright looks and while the youngest women are the most experimental with colours (22% of under-25s), it decreases with age to 7% for the 65+ age group.

UK, top 5 colours for lip, eye and nail colour, May 2014