Paris, France – January 12, 2015

The 2017 Color Trends collection by BASF offers manufacturers of cosmetics and personal care products a vast range of color and effect pigments, actives, and formulations to help them meet consumers’ functional and emotional needs. Following extensive market research, the business has identified next year’s lifestyle trends and carefully grouped together colors to reflect them. “BASF’s 2017 Color Trends consists of four distinct beauty profiles, each based on cultural drivers in the global marketplace,” said Valérie Pian-Parison, Marketing Manager at the Personal Care business of BASF. “We have been keeping a close eye on both regional and global developments as well as the latest fashion shows in order to help our customers create products and brand experiences that really resonate with consumers.”

A cooler look – Smart and Seamless

The Smart and Seamless color collection appeals to people who rely on technology that integrates seamlessly into their everyday life, and long for beauty products just as smart. They prefer smooth lines, flawless finishes, and intuitive details. The powdery color palette features neutral tones with lab greens, metallic hues and elegant whites, as well as nude and natural skin tones. In formulations, soft shapes, chalky consistencies and mousses contrast with a sublimely cool and marble-like feel. Steel Blue Shadow, for instance, provides graphic definition for the eyes and is easy to apply thanks to Cetiol^® Ultimate, a volatile 100-percent natural-based emollient. Timica^® Terra White provides the subtle but exquisite pearly-white color in Sleek White Nail Polish, while Reflecks™ MultiDimensions Shifting Sapphire creates a modern color travel effect, ranging from a blue hue to a flash of violet.

Timeless elegance – Glam Now

Evoking the lifestyle and legacy of Hollywood’s iconic movie stars, Glam Now redefines beauty for the modern woman. Timeless elegance takes central stage in this collection, which showcases plush velvet plums, feminine pinks and nudes, dramatic reds, and midnight blues. A touch of modernity is added to classic colors, resulting in luxurious golds and rich coppers with a contemporary, metallic twist. The look is sophisticated and glamorous, as demonstrated by Cloisonné^® Red and Cloisonné^® Vivid Red, which give Velvet Red lipstick its sensual, rich red hue and a retro semi-matte finish, combining to create an irresistible look for the wearer.

Inspired by nature – Alive

The Alive color trend catches the interest of the growing number of people who enjoy the vitality, diversity, and richness of nature. The collection is inspired by the succulence of fruit, the vibrant colors of nature in full bloom, the saturated greens of trees after summer rain, and the vastness and depth of the oceans and the sky. Its mood is colorful yet considered, its look playful yet discreet, and its feel is one of both dewy freshness and rich sensations. Juicy Red Lip Gloss, for example, has a shiny yet long-wearing nectar-like texture thanks to Cosmedia^® DC, while Cetiol^® C5 C enhances spreadability. Cloisonné^® Vivid Red creates a vibrant pink-red shade and Reflecks™ MultiDimensions Twisted Terracotta adds earthy tones traveling from a flash of brass to a hint of copper.

Uncompromising self-expression – Gen You

Mix and match, radical contrasts, pastel shades, and funky neon colors, Gen You targets the next generation of young girls who know no limits when it comes to creativity and expressing themselves. With the coverage of lipstick and the shine of gloss, vivid Pop of Pink Lip Lacquer is just one example of this trend’s eccentric look. The raspberry color of MultiReflections™ Soft Sparkle Orchid contains hints of both violet and red, while Chromalite^® Magenta radiates a luscious lilac, highlighted by the plumping effect of Hyaluronic Filling Spheres™.

About BASF’s Care Chemicals Division

The BASF division Care Chemicals offers a broad range of ingredients for hygiene, personal care, home care, industrial & institutional cleaning, and technical applications. We are the global leading supplier for the cosmetics industry as well as the detergents and cleaners industry and support our customers with innovative and sustainable products, solutions and concepts. The division’s high-performance product portfolio includes surfactants, emulsifiers, polymers, emollients, chelating agents, cosmetic active ingredients, pigments and UV filters. Superabsorbent polymers developed for the full spectrum of hygiene applications complete the range. We have production and development sites in all regions and are expanding our presence in emerging markets. Further information is available on the Internet at www.care-chemicals.basf.com.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry – and have been doing so for 150 years. Our portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. As the world’s leading chemical company, we combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of about €74 billion in 2013 and over 112,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.