Less ostentation, more low-key luxury during the recession

KERALA, INDIA — Ostentation is so over. Whether it’s the handbag with gold initials brazenly displayed on buckles so shiny they make Saudi gold look subtle or the equally bold varnishes lining beauty counters in compacts aglow with flashiness, consumers have learned to look away from the shiny, glittering objects that once spelled instant cash for luxury labels.

“People are looking for value right now,” says hairstylist and Wella colorist Eva Scrivo. Scrivo, who owns a high-end salon in New York City, hosts Beauty Talk with Eva Scrivo on Sirus Satellite Radio and has been included in Allure magazine’s “Best of the Best” list, flew in to Kerala to talk shop about the latest in hair treatments. “People are getting fancier,” she says of the trends emerging on the red carpet. “There’s a return to film noir and retro glamour.”

All well and good. But what about the consumers who don’t have a red carpet event neatly penciled in their schedules by overpaid personal assistants? Are they still throwing big bucks at fancy treatments? According to Scrivo, women haven’t given up their regular salon visits. “Surprisingly, our professional treatments are flourishing,” she says. “We’ve looked at the numbers and there’s been a spike in treatments.”

“Hair is still the affordable luxury,” she says. “People have become critical of what they’re spending on so they want the experience.”

Which implies that consumers still favor elegant accoutrements, flawless service and well-appointed facilities. They don’t go to Scrivo — or any other upmarket establishment for that matter — simply for the cut and color. They want to experience everything a $100 (and up) treatment costs. If they simply wanted a quick serviceable treatment, they’d go to Super Cuts.

Scrivo knows that women come to her to experience luxury — and they aren’t satisfied with anyone with a less than expert status touching their mane.

“We are the best at what we do,” Scrivo says without boasting. “You are paying for our education. You get the creme dela creme and that’s what you’re paying for.”

“You have to spend money to save,” she says, referring to women who scrimp on cheap cuts only to return — sheepishly, after suffering a badly-cut ‘do — to have it repaired.

The only change Scrivo admits to is the frequency of treatments. “Instead of once a month,” she says, “some clients come every other.”

Does Scrivo see consumers turning to alternative treatments, like at-home hair kits anytime soon?

“Not really,” she says. “The woman who tries home hair treatments is different from the woman who goes to our salon. Our client may try it once but in the end will return to the salon to have it done professionally.”

Vassiliki Petrou, P&G’s beauty trend expert, counters Scrivo’s argument, noting that women will be experimenting with at-home hair treatments as the economic downturn progresses. “Not to put too fine a point on it, but the way hair treatments are exponentially improving, I have no doubt that consumers will reconsider expensive salon trips and try something less heavier on the pocket.”

Petrou has some surprisingly common sense predictions for the outcome of the recession: “The super luxury market will suffer,” she says, meaning sales of labels that specialize in obscenely-priced products and services (think Lear jet-worthy luxury luggage or thousand-dollar-a-treatment facials) will decrease. “Fragrance spending will go down and women will be buying fewer lipsticks.”

Yet Petrou doesn’t believe that this will spell the end for the beauty industry all-together. “People will not let go of hero products.” The tried-and-tested concealer, foundation, eyeliner or mascara that has been a staple in most consumer’s makeup kit won’t be thrown out — whether that mascara happens to be Maybelline or Dior’s new oscillating version. “They need it more during these times to feel confident,” she says.

Times have proven that during a recession, many beauty brands tend to experience a resurgence in sales — what with consumers finding pleasure in spending a few bucks on, say, mascara rather than throwing it away on a few cups of coffee.

“If you can’t feel good about yourself then you might as well commit suicide,” Petrou says insouciantly.

“We have seen an era that has been a bit too greedy,” she says, claiming that in the future even luxury fashion labels will be toning down the ostentation, reverting to low-key luxuries that show off quality in the cut of a jacket instead of the style of material. For fashion watchers, expect less fur, gold or flashy ornamentation. The new luxury puts the focus on high-quality pieces that show more class than flash. (Think a Rick Owens jacket instead of a pair of gold Gucci pumps.)

“Women won’t be sacrificing the basics — whatever is a key part of their regimen,” she says. But that doesn’t mean they’re still willing to part with big bucks when it comes to treatments, like hair color.

“We’re seeing a lot of innovation in home kits,” Petrou says. “Because of technological breakthroughs, consumers are less likely to make mistakes. So in between hair color appointments, they skip a salon visit and fix their roots themselves.”

Classic, natural tones, like beige and brows, are worth investing in when it comes to hair color and cosmetics, Petrou advises.

Bruce Grayson, the makeup artist responsible for the Oscars with a clientele that includes Katie Holmes and Rosario Dawson, echoes Petrou.

“It’s easier to buy a lipgloss that’s natural,” Grayson says, “so you can wear it all the time.”

“So many women have 19 products sitting on their vanity that they don’t use,” he says. “Find the products that you will use every day.”

Grayson, who presented his top makeup trends at the P&G beauty summit in Kerala, focused on key looks for the year: sheer translucent hues, which allow the quality of the skin to shine through and are ideal for humid weather like ours, and lots of nude like shimmery shades and lots of taupes.

Recession talk turns to the kind of shades Asian women should purchase that won’t look tired when the season turns to another trend. “Buy browns without reds,” he suggests. “Naturals, like taupe and bronze, look fresh and can be worn every day.”

With all the discussion about recession and value for women, are beauty-savvy consumers no longer interested in high-priced luxury products? Does this mean more democratically-priced products, like drugstore labels, will be earning a hipper cred these days?

After all, Michelle Obama’s personal makeup artist, the woman credited with giving the first lady “friendlier eyebrows,” has been quick to note to the New York Times that all of the products used on Obama can be found at drugstore beauty aisles.

What are women really looking for these days?

“Consumers are telling P&G that they want to get out the door faster,” Grayson explains. “They want to leave the house with a finished look but that doesn’t mean they are willing to spend half an hour getting it together.”

Grayson makes sense. What with everyone pulling double duty to make the car and house payments, time has become every woman’s greatest luxury.

“I know I’m supposed to hawk it but I really believe in products like Olay Total Effects Touch of Foundation,” he says. The moisturizer, which still boasts Olay’s signature anti-aging and sun protection agents, now includes a light tint — which means you can skip layering on the foundation. The effects are two-fold: you end up with one product that has three functions — namely SPF, moisturizer and foundation (and means you get to save some cash) — and you don’t have to suffer through the humid climate with heavy makeup that ends up smearing after a quick walk down a non-air-conditioned alley.

“Women want to be out the door in five minutes. They want products that are efficient and multi-tasking,” Grayson concludes. “The consumer demands more from beauty brands — and they have every right to.”