Consumers & Markets | Global Cosmetic Industry

A sampling of 5,000 Reddit posts and nearly 700K comments found that consumers are prioritizing unique scents/distinctive olfactory experiences. Often, this gives an advantage to indie brands, which are often freer to push the envelope with novel notes and combinations.

Beyond the Boom: Strategic Growth in the Era of Fragrance Normalization

From longevity to functional fragrances, consumers want brands to push the envelope in scent innovation.

MOON: mascara in glass by Lumson and Ponzini

MOON: mascara in glass by Lumson and Ponzini

MOON is the first glass mascara created by Lumson in collaboration with Ponzini. This Made in Italy design elevates the formula, transforming the mascara into a luxury object. The bottle comes with three applicators for a tailored, premium performance

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

Population shifts are opening new avenues for growth as purchasing power redistributes across age cohorts, rewarding brands that strategically embrace these demographic transformations.

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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

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

Debut is backing the launch with sample-ready concept formulations featuring EDL, giving industry players a tangible way to evaluate performance firsthand.

Debut Puts Samples First to Prove Its Post-Procedure Skin Care Vision

Take control of your secondary packaging. Match your brand aesthetic.

Precision Systems: Closing the Efficacy Gap through Functional Packaging Architecture

Precision Systems: Closing the Efficacy Gap through Functional Packaging Architecture

From passive packaging to precision delivery, discover how beauty brands are closing the “Efficacy Gap” with smart microneedling, integrated LED therapy, and next-gen skincare technology designed to maximize real results.

'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.

Prestige beauty outperformed the market, despite average price increases, buoyed by emotionally driven, want-based shoppers.

Beauty Holds the Line as Resilient US Consumers Keep Spending

“There is a growing divide between industries where consumers feel value aligns with pricing and those where elevated costs are dampening demand.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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%.

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.

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.

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.

More than 50% of women learned about menopause’s impact on skin only by experiencing it themselves, notes a recent Galderma study.

Menopause Skin Care: The Multi-Billion Dollar Opportunity Hiding in Plain Sight

New global survey data from Galderma, presented at IMCAS 2026, reveals a striking gap between what women experience, what they understand and when they act.