Trend Taster: lipstick robot edition
In this week’s edition of the Trend Taster, we round up the snackable trends, stats and insights from around the world, including:
Green ammonia is emerging as a sustainable fertilizer
Turning invisible nature signals into haptic feedback
Consumers' sustainability mindsets vary widely
AI-powered lipstick robot
Manga Lashes are spiking in popularity
Green ammonia is emerging as a sustainable fertilizer
Green ammonia is emerging as a sustainable fertilizer that could revolutionize agriculture and shipping industries. Traditional ammonia production is being transformed by a renewable process that could triple in demand by 2050. As part of the broader green hydrogen trend, this innovation represents a critical pathway to decarbonizing high-emission sectors while meeting global agricultural needs.
Turning invisible nature signals into haptic feedback
The Gaia Communication System translates invisible nature signals into haptic feedback. This allows humans to literally feel plant health, water quality, and soil conditions through vibrations in a wearable vest and gloves. It offers a way to make abstract ecological data physically tangible and immediate. Originally designed for architects and researchers, this sensory translation system could transform how urban planners, policymakers, and eventually consumers understand and respond to the health of our increasingly fragile ecosystems.
Consumers' sustainability mindsets vary widely
GlobeScan's The Road to 2025 report reveals that consumers' sustainability mindsets vary widely. The study segments 30,000+ consumers across 31 markets into four groups: Anxious Inactives (28%), Indifferents (27%), Enthusiasts (23%), and Minimalists (22%). This highlights the need for brands to tailor their sustainability strategies to different consumer attitudes to connect more effectively with their audience. Notably, a significant portion still associate sustainability with sacrifice, signalling a need to reframe it as a positive lifestyle upgrade.
AI-powered lipstick robot
Grupo Boticário's AI-powered "Smart Lipstick" robot is breaking down beauty barriers by enabling precise lipstick application for people with motor and visual impairments. The Smart Lipstick uses computer vision and robotics to apply lipstick precisely in two minutes, offering a new level of independence and self-expression. This demonstrates a growing industry focus on inclusive design, where AI enhances personal care. As brands face increasing demand for genuine inclusivity, innovations like this highlight the potential for technology to empower self-expression.
Manga Lashes are spiking in popularity
Manga Lashes are spiking in popularity with more than 108M TikTok posts. These anime-inspired, deliberately clumped and pointy falsies create a stylized look that is just one part of a massive lash revolution happening on social media. Lash extensions alone command 468M posts and #lashesoftiktok has garnered over 286M views in the past year. The trend sits alongside other emerging styles like Cat Eye, Angel, Wet Look, and Wispy lashes, signalling our collective fascination with dramatic eye transformations.
