Walmart recently made a variety of enhancements to its beauty aisle, including the next class of Walmart Start finalists from its accelerator program.
 
Featuring what could become next big names in indie beauty—including Sundae Body, Kazmaleje, Current State and LatinUS—Walmart customers can discover exciting new products from vibrant women- and diverse-owned brands. 
 
Walmart also recently expanded its Beauty Virtual Try-On experience. It offers customers the ability to try-on and shop over 2,200 beauty products. The retailer is hosting its annual Beauty Glow Up event and sharing trends for spring and summer. 
 
“The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming and Walmart’s beauty assortment is getting a major glow up. We listen to our customers. And this season, we’re offering items that are sure to put a spring in their step: on trend, affordable, awesome,” said Creighton Kiper, vice president, beauty merchandising, Walmart US.
 
Launched two years ago, Walmart Start, has quickly become one of Kiper’s favorite initiatives.
 
“I love meeting with up-and-coming brands to help connect them with the tools and resources to succeed and scale at mass retail, and ultimately, successfully launch in-store and on Walmart.com,” he said.  
 
This second Walmart Start class features a vibrant group of hair, skin and body care brands from a variety of women and diverse-owned founders.
 

Meet the New Walmart Start Class

 
The newest Walmart Start Class includes:
 
Current State, co-founded by Emily Parr and Majeed Hemmat, is a collection of “nutritiously balanced and clinically responsive” products created to make taking care of skin as intuitive as eating a well-balanced diet.  
 
LatinUS is a brand created for Latinas. It exists to help all women feel empowered, confident and beautiful. The brand’s formulas are powered by a proprietary technology created to give “Healthier hair from the first use.”
 
Kazmaleje is described by Kiper as brand for innovative hair care tools and accessories. Sisters LaToya, LaTasha and LaTrice Stirrup took a chance and launched KurlsPlus Detanglers, three hair tools that leverage the idea of finger detangling into a comb. 
 
Founded by Lizzie Waley, Sundae Body offers body care products to change the everyday shower routine into a joyful activity that makes you smile, feel good and savor the moment.  
 

Beauty Virtual Try-On 

Earlier this month, Walmart announced the latest expansion to its Beauty Virtual Try-On technology. The retailer is launching nearly 500 hair color products that can be “tried on” via Walmart’s iOS app. The app allows beauty enthusiasts to experiment with various hair colors to find their perfect shades in real-time, creating a personalized experience in user-friendly digital platform.
 
According to Kiper, customers can try-on and shop over 2,200 beauty products, and more on the way, including color cosmetics across eyebrows, mascara, foundation, contour, lip liner, eyeshadow and more. 
 
“We know that Walmart beauty customers are always looking for new ways to shop trending products and their favorite brands, and I’m proud of the work our team has done to provide them with endless beauty inspiration and personalized experiences no matter where they shop – in-store, or in the endless aisles of Walmart’s app,” he noted.

Upcoming Seasonal Trends 

According to Kiper, customers count on Walmart to help them bring to life the latest beauty trends.
 
“Here’s what we’re expecting to spring up over the next few months, along with some of my team’s favorite products this season: 
 
The “skinification” of hair continues to be a hit with Walmart Beauty customers. As a result, more products feature key ingredients from the skincare world—like Hairitage’s new Damage Repair line—popping up on our shelves to treat a variety of hair care needs. 
 
What’s more groundbreaking than floral for spring? Bold lips! Expect to see bright pink and orange lip colors and glosses this season. 
 
Who has time to go to the nail salon anymore? With brands like Kiss, OPI and Olive & June delivering on-trend press-on nails, customers can get a shiny, salon-quality look for less. 
 
Skincare continues to reign supreme. Customers are shopping across a variety of brands- from indies like Bubble to mass brands like Cerave, and customers are mixing and matching within their regimen. We’re building our assortment to align with the interests of younger customers who are driving growth across this category.” 
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