Blue Hair Hues Signal Bold Make-up Revival for New L’Oreal Boss

Blue Hair Hues Signal Bold Make-up Revival for New L’Oreal Boss

L'Oreal CEO Nicolas Hieronimus poses after an interview with Reuters at the company's offices in Levallois-Perret, near Paris, France, May 7, 2021. (Reuters)

L’Oreal’s make-up sales are set to bounce back to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, the French group’s new chief executive said on Friday, with women opting for brighter colors in their post-crisis makeovers.

Cosmetics groups were hit by shop closures and consumers shunning make-up during pandemic lockdowns, with many people spending online instead on items including premium skincare.

Nicolas Hieronimus, a L'Oreal veteran has become CEO just as vaccinations alter the landscape again, prompting not only a return of products like mascaras but other changes the firm may have to adapt to as people try to break with the crisis.

Women have recently been opting for bolder shades of hair dyes such as blue, Hieronimus told Reuters, a potential sign that brighter make-up colors could also be on the cards.

"It's a clear indicator people want to indulge themselves, they want to have fun, and express their differences and their individuality," Hierominus said. "It's a good omen."

Make-up sales in countries such as China and Israel, where shops are open and COVID-19 constraints have largely lifted, have yet to reach 2019 levels but could do