Urban Living Pushing L'Oreal Sales

L'Oreal is a French cosmetics group that we own for some investors in New York. It is the world's largest beauty company. In a recent interview, CEO Jean-Paul Agon said that the two trends driving the business were pollution and selfies.

He said "When you live in a city your skin, your hair is challenged more than if you were living in a rural area, so you need more shampoos, conditioners, skin care, hydrating creams, anti-UV, etc. Urban life means more socialisation, and more socialisation means more beauty consumption." I think he means socialising, as in going out?

As for selfies, Agon said that millennials are buying more cosmetics to try to replicate the digitally enhanced images they have created of themselves for social media when they venture into the real world. "The more you make yourself look really great online," he said, "the more you have to work on yourself when you go out, because if, when people meet you, they discover that you are completely different from what they thought, then you have a problem."

Agon also said that he "can see a day when consumers 3D-print their lipstick and buy beauty ranges for their pets". Hmm. In other news, Hollywood star Kirsten Dunst just signed up as L'Oreal's latest brand ambassador. That's her in the picture below.

More odd observations from the boss here, on Marketwatch. Pollution is good for business, L'Oreal CEO says - and so are Instagram filters.