Economic concerns on both sides of the Atlantic have haunted the beauty industry since January, from recession fears to tariff stresses. Yet beauty has remained surprisingly resilient overall, even if some beauty brands have struggled. In fact, Circana reports that, for the four weeks ending May 31, 2025, U.S. "prestige beauty sales rebounded into growth mode and reclaimed the top spot in general merchandise." (This rebound followed a pullback in January, followed by a gradual recovery in subsequent months.)
Now, new U.S. and European data from Circana provides insights into what's working in beauty in 2025, offering clues for brands seeking growth.
The Rise of Food-Inspired Beauty and the "Joy Economy" in 2025
Circana's new "Eat Play Love" report highlights a desire for comforting and "nourishing" beauty products that offer "mini moments of bliss," as the company puts it.
This theme echoes the company's early 2025 reporting, which highlighted the importance of the "joy economy" in today's beauty market.
This, per the "Eat Play Love" report, includes food-inspired beauty, including cherry cola lips, butter yellow nails and glazed doughnut skin.
Fragrance, too, has been heavily influenced by gourmand concepts.
Mother's Day 2025 Fragrance Sales Surpass $500M, Setting Positive Trends for Father's Day
In the U.S., meanwhile, a new analysis from Jacquelyn Wenskus, Circana' fragrance category analyst, shows just how powerful the scent sector is.
In the three weeks ending May 17, 2025, the prime Mother's Day shopping period, both prestige and mass fragrance sales channels experienced growth, though prestige dominated.
In fact, Mother’s Day 2025 fragrance sales totaled more than $500 million, representing a year-over-year growth rate of 7%. Furthermore, "fragrance drove half of the total dollars gained within the overall women’s prestige beauty market during this three-week timeframe," per Wenskus.
Sales of new scents increased by 31%, showcasing the power of newness in the markets.
And, continuing a multi-year theme in scent, higher concentrations such as eau de parfums and parfums "led most of the growth."
Another ongoing trend was the strength of gift sets, particularly minis and travel sizes, which outperformed 2024's category results.
Looking forward, "the outlook for Father’s Day remains positive," per Wenskus, with results driven by similar dynamics seen during Mother's Day: gift sets, high concentrations and new launches.
Overall, Father’s Day 2025 prestige fragrance sales are forecast to exceed $230 million.
How Wellness and Self-Love Are Redefining the European Beauty Industry
"Beauty is no longer just about appearance, it's an emotional pick-me-up that people reach for daily," says Mathilde Lion, chief beauty analyst, Europe, at Circana. "Niche scents, premium hair care products and makeup with innovative textures are just some of the examples. Fueled by social media, beauty trends are evolving at break-neck speeds but there is no doubt that this focus on wellness and self-love is rewriting the European beauty playbook and set to continue well into 2025."
