Sephora Backs The Athleisure Beauty Trend

NEW YORK, United States — Sephora has teamed up with American startup Sweat Cosmetics in an attempt to tackle the athleisure beauty trend.

Stocking mineral foundation and a translucent mineral powder designed for people who lead active lifestyles, the multi-functional products are available both instore and online.

Inspired by the athleisure trend, Sweat, founded by a group of former athletes, is one of a growing number of brands leveraging the opportunities that exist within the evolving athleisure market.

Launched in 2015, the team behind the brand spotted a gap in the market for functional makeup that allows women to workout while feeling confident their makeup will remain intact.

Differentiating Sweat from the competitive landscape in image, product uniqueness, and function has allowed the innovative brand to attract a cult following in a short space of time. However, the startup hopes its new partnership will help push its products into the mainstream.

“When we started Sweat, our vision was to be aligned with Sephora, the leader in global beauty retail,” Leslie Osborne, Sweat CMO and co-founder told GCI.

“As former professional athletes, we are creating products to empower women and encourage active beauty,” she added.

As one of the pioneers of bridging the gap between beauty and fitness, Birchbox co-founder and CEO, Katia Beauchamp, argues that the same elements women look for in activewear, can and should, be applied to beauty.

Having launched Arrow, an in-house beauty brand dedicated to athleisure beauty earlier this year, Beauchamp says their customers want high-performance products that help them look their best, without looking like they are trying too hard.

“It’s that effortless, ready-for-anything beauty that so many of us are often looking for,” she explained.

Recognising the influence the athleisure trend is having on consumers’ approach to beauty, Birchbox has already expanded on its initial line for Arrow, with plans to release a third collection later this year.

And while competitors like Eyeko, Rae and Organic Wear all vie for their place in the market, as long as women continue to integrate fitness fashion into their wardrobes, this complementary beauty category looks set to continue growing.