Consumers & Markets

Luxury beauty brands desperately need new points of distribution, as traditional department stores increasingly fail to deliver true luxury experiences. The solution lies in infiltrating high-end, membership-based wellness spaces.
The New Alchemy: Why Longevity is Beauty’s Next Billion-Dollar Battleground
Brands must transition from being simple product providers to becoming indispensable, lifelong partners in a consumer’s personal growth and vitality.
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Beyond Time: Intelligent Longevity for Skin and Hair
Sponsored
Beyond Time: Intelligent Longevity for Skin and Hair
Discover how Peptid4® Light MB and BioTech4 AntiGray redefine beauty longevity by acting at the biological origin of pigmentation, delivering even skin tone and restoring natural hair color with long-lasting, science-driven results.
Apr 8th, 2026
Lower-income consumers are more likely to prioritize products tailored to their skin type or concerns (40%), while higher-income shoppers lean more heavily on brand trust (43%).
Consumers Are Buying Less but Expecting More. Here's What That Means for Beauty.
Spending expectations diverge by 15–20 percentage points between high- and low-income households.
Apr 28th, 2026
June 2026
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June 2026

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By 2034, older adults will outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history. Declining populations under 18 and rising life expectancy will drive this aging trend.
Beauty’s Demographic Destiny: Aging, Autonomy, and the 2040 Pivot
Apr 22nd, 2026
Hair thinning (77%) and hair loss/shedding (80%) are the top two negative hair changes women experience since perimenopause or menopause (up sharply from the 2021 study results, where hair thinning or shedding were negative effects hovered around 50% for menopausal women).
Beyond Quick Fixes: Women Embrace Science-Backed, Life-Stage Hair Care
Apr 9th, 2026
Urban Decay spent four years developing its Tube Job Tubing Mascara, which features an 89% serum-infused formula.
The Performance Pivot: Stains, Serums and the Science of Life-Proof Beauty
Apr 9th, 2026
Beyond Time: Intelligent Longevity for Skin and Hair
Sponsored
Beyond Time: Intelligent Longevity for Skin and Hair
Apr 8th, 2026
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By combining fMRI data with consumer testing and market insights, the system reportedly enables brands to directly link formulation choices—such as texture or scent—to how a product is perceived, experienced and ultimately valued.
Can Sensory Neuroscience Rewire Cosmetic Product Development
The company’s research is claimed to reveal that sensory experiences can have deeper and more lasting neurological effects than previously understood.
Apr 6th, 2026
Today, many consumers recognize functional ingredients—niacinamide, ceramides, peptides—and have a working understanding of what they do. This shift has changed the rules of brand communication. It’s no longer enough to reference “advanced botanicals” or “proprietary complexes.” Consumers want specifics.
Building a Science-Forward Beauty Brand Is Harder Than Ever. Here’s What I've Learned.
The companies that will thrive in the coming decade are those that treat science not as a decorative flourish but as a foundational element of their identity.
Mar 30th, 2026
'The most valuable thing we can do with this capital is remove the operational friction, focus the best talent in the business on the work they are genuinely brilliant at which will unquestionably unlock innovation adding more value to our clients and our community—that is truly where the magic happens,' says Jane Walsh, CEO, SEEN Group (at center, pictured with the company's management team). 'No one tool or one capability in isolation, but in the compounding effect of a team that is operating at its fullest. Clients feel that. The community feels that. The quality of the work reflects it.'
Micro-Creators, Macro Growth: SEEN Group Scales Its Influence Engine
The centerpiece of this next phase is Community X SEEN (CXS), the group’s proprietary influencer platform dedicated to micro- and nano-creators.
Mar 25th, 2026
Beyond Time: Intelligent Longevity for Skin and Hair
Sponsored
Beyond Time: Intelligent Longevity for Skin and Hair
Discover how Peptid4® Light MB and BioTech4 AntiGray redefine beauty longevity by acting at the biological origin of pigmentation, delivering even skin tone and restoring natural hair color with long-lasting, science-driven results.
Apr 8th, 2026
DUA, a skin care line created by Dua Lipa and Augustinus Bader Science, targets consumers on the upward arm of the K, particularly those who continue to invest in high-performance, science-led skin care as a form of long-term self-maintenance rather than discretionary luxury.
The K-shaped Skin Care Market Playbook
As inflation fatigue, selective splurging and value-conscious upgrading converge, American beauty shoppers are no longer trading strictly up or down.
Mar 9th, 2026
Consumers are trading up for science-backed efficacy, personalization and immersive experiences, or trading down for clarity, reliability and value.
Beauty in a K-Shaped Economy: Thriving Segments, Squeezed Middle and Strategic Opportunities for 2026
In this environment, success requires brands to master the barbell strategy: hero products at the top, smart efficient solutions at the base, while avoiding the soft middle where offerings blur and relevance fades.
Mar 9th, 2026
Capitalizing on skinification trends, hair care brands are increasingly positioning ingredients traditionally associated with skin care as key selling points and value-added benefits.
Scalp‑First: The New Longevity Play in Hair Care
A new approach that focuses on prevention, optimization and regeneration, rather than mere repair.
Feb 26th, 2026
These high-profile corporations join a massive wave of over 1,400 importers, including Costco, Goodyear, FedEx, and Sol de Janeiro, who are now challenging the duties to recover a portion of the estimated $175 billion in collected U.S. tariffs subject to potential refunds.
Tariff Repayment Tsunami: L'Oreal and Other Beauty Giants Sue for Billions
While the Supreme Court has cleared the path by ruling the duties unlawful, the actual recovery process for these billions of dollars must still be settled by a lower court.
Feb 25th, 2026
Fragrance is the smallest mass market segment, but it grew at the fastest rate, with both dollar sales and units up about 15%.
Beauty’s Resilience Comes With New Rules: 2025 Sales & Lessons for 2026 from Circana's Latest Data
Prestige unit sales increased at a flat rate, while average selling price was up by 1%.
Feb 10th, 2026
Moisturizers, serums and lip care led, anchored by hydration, nourishment, and brightening claims—proof that skin health remains a daily ritual, not a trend cycle.
Beauty's New Rules: 10 Takeaways from 2025's Prestige Playbook
At 5.7% of prestige share, bath and body is the smallest category—but one of the most emotionally resonant.
Feb 9th, 2026
With the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics approaching, Gillette Venus recently announced partnerships with U.S. figure skaters Alysa Liu, Isabeau Levito and Starr Andrews, extending its long-standing “ritual” positioning into cold-weather performance conditions.
Ulta Beauty Formalizes Its Playbook as Beauty-Sports Partnerships Go Pro
The strategy reflects a broader recalibration underway across beauty: sports partnerships are no longer about visibility alone.
Feb 4th, 2026
Consumers are increasingly gravitating toward niche scent profiles, limited launches and storytelling-led olfactive identities—moving away from mass-recognizable designer fragrances.
Indies Set the Pace, Conglomerates Hold the Shelf—2026 Lessons for Beauty
Conglomerates defend share, while indies drive upside.
Feb 2nd, 2026