Makeup brushes

	This seven-piece makeup brush set from Anionte features goat, pony and nylon hair, aluminum ferrules and wooden handles.

With the deadline fast approaching, suppliers are taking expensive steps to secure REACH certificates.

The makeup brushes and applicators industry in China remains largely unaffected by the financial downturn, but faces challenges brought about by conformity with REACH regulations.

Unlike in the majority of export sectors across the country, outbound sales in the line increased 33 percent to exceed $27 million in the first seven months of 2009. Growth is attributed to two main factors.

The "lipstick effect" is touted as the underlying reason for the industry's resilience. The phenomenon states that in times of economic uncertainty, consumers are more likely to reward themselves with less-expensive luxury goods that can bring immediate satisfaction. For example, women are opting to purchase premium lipstick or other types of color cosmetics rather than a designer handbag. This, in turn, is driving up demand for makeup brushes and applicators.

Another factor is that China's output in the line is mainly low-end and midrange, and is therefore more appealing to buyers.

Nonetheless, suppliers are not immune from difficulties. With the registration deadline looming, makers have been receiving an increasing number of requests for REACH compliance reports from EU buyers.

Businesses normally turn to third-party testing institutes such as Pony for evaluation and certification. The cost of checking whether a certain material contains unregistered substances can be from $300 to $500 per type. Depending on the number of materials to be tested and other types of services required, conformity with the regulation could raise expenses by about 5 percent.

This is typically not such a big problem for midsize and large operations. They consider testing fees an investment and not part of their production costs. REACH certificates are valid for five years, and companies can use these as a marketing tool to attract more EU buyers. This also means they do not see the need to pass on the additional expense to clients.

Smaller manufacturers, on the other hand, are generally not as liquid and cannot absorb the cost of securing compliance reports. To keep prices stable, many source from long-term suppliers that are willing to produce safety data sheets ensuring all materials meet REACH requirements. Currently, however, there are only very few such providers.

China suppliers offer makeup brushes for the face, eyes, lips and nails. Models can have domed, tapered, chiseled, squared, fan-shaped, angled or rounded bristles.

Both animal and synthetic hairs are used. Among the former, goat hair is the most common. Other variants are squirrel tail, sable, pony, raccoon, horse, weasel, badger and kolinsky. Natural animal hair is expected to remain in demand because it does not irritate the skin and is softer and more elastic than man-made variants.

Even so, synthetic types are seeing increased usage in part because they are deemed cruelty-free, but mostly for their low cost. In addition, artificial versions are preferred for applying liquid foundation.

PVC, nylon and taklon are processed to make the fibers simulate the hand of natural hair. Some suppliers even steam the man-made strands twice to enhance the softness of the bristles.

A large number of suppliers source animal hair from Henan province, the country's largest sourcing center for the material. Sable, however, is often from Siberia.

For higher-priced synthetic models, makers generally import man-made fibers from South Korea. This is because variants there are softer and more durable. They are also thrice as expensive as local counterparts.

The ferrules can be made from aluminum, bamboo, brass or copper. The handles can come in PS, ABS, AS, PE, PP, acrylic, bamboo, birch, beech, mahogany, aluminum, copper and bronze. Fancy models have beads, zircons or rhinestones on the stems.

In terms of product type, kabuki brushes remain popular in line with the growing demand for mineral makeup. The brush typically has denser bristles, is dome-shaped or tapered, and is suitable for buffing loose powder cosmetics for full face coverage. Most versions have short handles that are no more than 2in long, but extended styles are available. Retractable designs are offered as well.

The latest makeup brushes come in eye-catching colors such as gold, silver, orange, red, purple and pink, with ferrules and handles in matching or contrasting shades.

While models are often sold individually, sets are also available. The latter normally consists of four to more than 20 different types, including blush, eye shadow, nail and lip brushes. These are packed in pouches made from PU or PVC leather, or fabric.

Some of the newest kits are contained in jacquard or velvet cases, or bags that feature crocodile- or leopard-skin patterns. Other styles come in gold or silver, or have allover floral prints or embroidery.

The carriers may have a built-in mirror, zippers or snap button closure, and a handle. Pouches in novelty designs and brush sets in miniature versions are available as well.

China is home to more than 500 makers of brushes and applicators. Privately owned businesses account for about two-thirds of the supplier base, while foreign-invested companies constitute the rest. Small and midsize operations dominate.

OEM orders contribute more than 70 percent to the country's outbound shipments in the line. Some brushes are sent out under ODM contracts, but very few models are exported with in-house brand names.

Among the major clients are L'oreal, Shiseido, Maybelline, Olay, Lancome, Coty and Sephora.

A typical R&D team consists of no more than 10 members, including designers and sample makers. Midsize and large enterprises may have up to five designers who can release as many as 100 new models each year.

Work is centered on coming up with countersamples based on buyers' preferred materials and price range. It normally takes between seven and 10 days for a prototype to be finished.

Guangdong, Zhejiang and Liaoning provinces are the top manufacturing hubs.

Shenzhen in Guangdong is home to more than 200 makers and is the largest sourcing center for the line. The city started production in the 1990s, with investors from South Korea or Taiwan relocating manufacturing facilities there. Shenzhen suppliers emphasize midrange and high-end models.

Apart from years of experience, Guangdong is home to established auxiliary industries, skilled labor and trained managers. In addition, the province's proximity to Hong Kong helps keep releases on-trend.

Most factories in Zhejiang are privately owned and concentrate on low-end and midrange models. Yiwu is the major production city.

Many investors from South Korea set up factories in Dalian, Liaoning. Some also moved their plants from Guangdong to the city, since it is closer to South Korea. Midrange and high-end models dominate exports.

The production process starts with the inspection of the incoming materials. Regardless of whether natural or synthetic, hair is assembled and bundled by hand. It is inserted into the ferrule tubes, which will be punched flat. Glue is then applied to the hair, ferrule and handle. The bristles are trimmed and examined prior to packaging.

Many of the manufacturing steps are completed manually. Tier 1 suppliers, however, use printing and plastic-injection machines from South Korea.

All companies carry out visual and tactile tests on incoming materials and finished products based on the standards agreed upon with the buyer. Bristles are inspected for broken hair. Some factories expose finished brushes to gamma rays for disinfection before shipping.

The majority of operations send samples to testing institutes such as SGS or Intertek for physical and chemical analysis on request. This is to ascertain whether models can meet EU requirements for azo content and REACH.