Will China’s makeup booth industry leave a mark?
In China’s beauty industry, solo makeup booths that allow users to apply their makeup on the go in a tiny personal space are popping up increasingly, a part of the growing “sharing economy”. But what is it really like to use these makeup booths? BeautyTech.jp’s reporter flew to Shanghai to try two different franchises: 17Beauty and its rival PlusBeauty.
17Beauty aims for a zero-staff, private space
The target demographic of 17Beauty makeup booths are 25- to 35-year-old students and white-collar workers. The booths are decked out with a wide array of brand cosmetics — from makeup remover to foundation and coloring cosmetics — and can be used for as long as the customer likes with a pay-by-the-hour system. With the absence of any staff, you’re left on your own to freely try the makeup products to your heart’s content.
The 17Beauty booth we tried was set up inside a shopping mall in Shanghai. You use the WeChat smartphone app to register and pay, as well as configure any other details before entering the booth.
After scanning the QR code affixed to the door, you launch the custom mini-program within WeChat and a screen appears where you select the amount of time you want to spend in the booth. The shortest unit of usage time is 15 minutes, which is priced regularly from US$4.20 (although the first time is free).
After payment is settled via your phone, you enter the booth. The usage time starts as soon as you’ve paid and the remaining time can be viewed on your phone. The enclosed 3-square-meter space contains a glass case within which the cosmetics are housed.
The door of the booth is made of frosted glass that conceals the customer once they enter. Through this, the booth offers privacy away from the public; essential in a shopping-mall setting where many people pass by.
The cosmetics available include luxury brands such as Lancôme and Dior that are popular with younger generations. Being able to freely try these mid to high-end brands that are normally hard to get hold of, and for a reasonable usage fee, is perhaps the greatest advantage that 17Beauty offers. To deter crime, the booths feature surveillance cameras and all cosmetics are fixed to the table, making them unable to be taken out.
17Beauty’s main sources of revenue come from the usage fees and advertising from cosmetics makers and brands. 17Beauty partners with several popular brands in China and, from the perspective of these companies, having their products featured in the booths is a form of advertising. Customer touchpoints are able to be created in a similar fashion to giving out samples.
In an August 2018 angel investor round, 17Beauty procured several million yuan worth of funds and is now reported to be worth up to US$4.4 million.
PlusBeauty’s staffed booths offer accessible expert service
PlusBeauty launched at almost the same time as 17Beauty, opening its first branch in Shanghai at the end of July 2018. It soon grew to ten bases within the city, as reported at the end of May this year.
Similar to 17Beauty, PlusBeauty booths are also located inside shopping malls. The booths are not only equipped with branded cosmetics but also staffed with a beauty stylist to do your makeup. Reservations and payments are made over WeChat, similar to 17Beauty. When it’s time for your reservation, you enter the booth.
BeautyTech.jp’s reporter chose the Everyday Makeup course, at US$14.80 for 30 minutes. Although relatively expensive for China, the appeal lies in having a professional do your makeup.
The booths feature a wide range of skincare products and cosmetics; from Western brands such as Lancôme and Clinique, to Japanese goods by brands such as Muji.
The in-booth stylist creates a friendly, conversational atmosphere while working, asking which color or style you prefer for aspects such as eye makeup or blusher. Their work comes across more as makeup for a special occasion rather than everyday makeup, but it is thorough, of high quality and brings a high level of satisfaction.
The founder and CEO of PlusBeauty, Fu Jiaying, has up to 12 years’ experience working in the wedding and fashion industries. She says the idea for PlusBeauty came from thinking about how women can look their best on occasions other than weddings, by giving them access to professional makeup services. Adopting the smaller booth format allowed PlusBeauty to expand in different locations and to take advantage of cheap rentals.
Looking at both franchises, it is clear that 17Beauty is aimed at savvy users comfortable with applying their own makeup, while PlusBeauty targets makeup novices. Compared to 17Beauty’s privacy-oriented setup, the design of PlusBeauty’s booths is also more bare bones, as if to showcase the makeup experience to passers-by.
China’s cosmetics market has boomed in recent years. More women apply makeup every day, at least among the younger generation. The growing presence of shared makeup booths could bring about even more widespread use of makeup in the country.
Yet, increased competition will likely result in a race to the bottom, with cheaper services in turn leading to a drop in quality. Then there’s the issue of upkeep. Unstaffed shared makeup booths, including those of 17Beauty, are reportedly poorly maintained. Bottles aren’t replenished often enough, period-after-opening dates on product packaging are unclear, and garbage is strewn on the floor. This has led to concerns about the booths’ hygiene levels and potential risks of contagious diseases. Solving these issues will be key to ensuring the stability of these makeup booth businesses.
Text: Denyse Yeo
Original (Japanese): Yoriko Takizawa
