Huge rise in online searches for nail products

The number of web searches relating to beauty products in September was up 48% compared with figures from the previous quarter, according to new date from digital marketing agency Greenlight.

Searches pertaining to make-up (32%) and hair care (31%) accounted for the majority of beauty care queries, with foundation and BB cream featuring prominently.

However, searches for nail care saw the biggest quarter-on-quarter rise, up 142% on June levels.

"OPI nail polish" was the most popular nail-related search, accounting for 7% of nail care-related queries. "gel nail polish" and "Shellac nail polish" were the next most searched terms, with "French manicure", "nail wraps" and "false nails" also in the top ten.

While this is promising news for professional brands, perhaps more worryingly, the research also found that Ebay was the most visible site to consumers entering these search terms, visible to over 160,000 beauty-related searches.