The cosmetic and skin care market is still showing signs of improvement, with drug stores and mass merchandisers proving to be the most popular channels for cosmetic purchasing. According to a Mintel survey 27% of shoppers said they have made replacement purchases in color cosmetics but avoided splurge products in 2010, down from 33% in 2009. 39% said they actively looked for sales and tried only to buy products on sale during 2010, versus 45% in 2009. Women 35-44 years were the most frequent purchasers (37%) of color cosmetics. The study also showed that mass merchandisers (57%) and drug stores (45%) were the most popular channels for cosmetic purchasing among women of all ages.

Permanent makeup is a growing trend. Similar to a tattoo, an artist inserts the pigment in your skin with a needle, and it never washes off. To perfect the makeup, it can take three to four sessions.

Dolce & Gabbana has launched their makeup line at Saks with famed makeup artist Pat McGrath. The two newest additions to the line are the Summertime collection and the Animalier collection which features a bronzer pressed into a compact with a leopard-print design.

Tom’s of Maine has launched a new toothpaste, Simply White. To promote the toothpaste, Tom’s of Maine is partnering with Sheryl Crow’s 100 Miles from Memphis Concert beginning May 7^th.  The partnership will result in the greening of the concert tour, community beautification events in select cities, and a free song download for Sheryl Crow fans. Sheryl Crow was chosen by Tom’s of Maine for her passion for the environment and healthy living. Simply White toothpaste is proven to whiten teeth, but contains no bleaching ingredients. There are also no artificial flavors, preservatives, animal testing, or animal ingredients.

Salma Hayek has teamed up with CVS to launch her own cosmetics line – Nuance. She took off 3 years from her acting career to create the line which debuted with 100 pieces.

Although new products are always great, the value of customer service cannot be ignored. In a recent survey by American Express’s Global Customer Service Barometer, 7 out of 10 Americans were willing to pay an average of 13% more with companies that provide excellent customer service. Sixty percent of the survey respondents believed that companies hadn’t improved their customer service, and 26% believed that companies are paying less to their customer service. Seventy eight percent of the respondents said they would cancel a transaction or not make an intended purchase because of poor customer service.

Popular recording artist Nicki Minaj is planning to launch a fragrance sometime in the near future. According to Allure magazine, she wants her new perfume to smell light, yet be something a strong, sensual woman would wear.

In other news, Procter & Gamble’s Pantene is debuting plant-based plastic containers sourced mainly through sugarcane. This move is expected to cut P&G’s fossil fuel consumption by 70% and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 170%. However, the new containers will cost more to process. “As the world’s biggest hair care brand, we need to be there first. We are responsible for healthy hair and also a healthy world” – P&G General Manager of Global Hair, Hanneke Faber. The new Pantene eco-friendly bottles will be rolled out in Western Europe later in the month while the rest of the world will see them over the next 18 months.