Table of Contents
How can brands leverage makeup’s “social attributes” and explain why their products are worth purchasing? This has become a new challenge in the makeup market trends. Through multi-dimensional data observation, we’ve summarized four key points about makeup market trends that are making products more socially relevant.
I. Practicality and High Cost-Effectiveness: The Rise of Multi-Functional Products
Today’s younger generation tends to be more practical in their purchasing habits. While Gen Z is still inclined to show off high-end or limited-edition products on social media, they are increasingly focusing on purchasing high-quality products at a lower cost. They take pride in saying, “It’s not that I can’t afford XX, it’s that XX offers better value.”
This shift in consumer values has brought new challenges and opportunities for makeup brands. In the past, innovation in makeup market trends focused on differentiating elements and product characteristics. Now, innovation is more centered around hard skills, including technology, R&D, and product ingredients.
This means that in addition to incorporating cultural elements that attract younger consumers, brands need to demonstrate their strong capabilities in technology, R&D, and product quality to meet consumer expectations for high-quality products.
Looking at this year’s new beauty products, many brands have inevitably emphasized their products’ “practicality.”
For practical usability, Maybelline’s Nudes of New York Eyeshadow Palette stands out. This eye shadow palette focuses on ease of use, offering a well-curated selection of low-saturation shades, ideal for beginners. The simple formula and easy blending characteristics make it easy for anyone to create a natural and harmonious eye makeup look. Its “beginner-friendly” feature has garnered widespread attention, helping consumers effortlessly apply makeup and enhancing the ease of use.
For makeup effectiveness, Fenty Beauty’s Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Primer is another practical product. This primer incorporates Fenty Beauty’s unique technology to smooth skin, minimize pores, and control oil, ensuring a longer-lasting and natural base. It addresses skin imperfections such as uneven textures, enlarged pores, and cakey makeup while promising 8-hour long-lasting wear for a flawless finish. Consumers can experience extended wear while also appreciating the brand’s technological innovation.
Additionally, practicality is also reflected in the multi-functional perspective, with brands developing minimal-effort products to help busy millennials streamline their makeup routines.
In summary, the younger generation’s understanding of makeup’s value and their advanced needs have far surpassed previous generations. Their consumer values and ideologies are gradually reshaping the entire makeup market trends. Brands must optimize cost control and improve production efficiency through digital methods to achieve ultimate cost-effectiveness while developing core barriers with new ingredients, formulations, and patented technologies.
II. Outdoor Makeup: Immersive Experiences and the Upgrade of Camera-Ready Looks
In recent years, outdoor activities like camping, hiking, cycling, frisbee, skateboarding, skiing, fishing, and paddleboarding have gained massive popularity, becoming new social trends. These trends clearly demonstrate that the “outdoor lifestyle” has deeply permeated everyday life. This reflects people’s pursuit of a healthy lifestyle and their desire to explore the unknown and connect with nature.
Previously, collaborations between makeup and outdoor brands often seemed more like publicity stunts with little actual functionality in real outdoor scenarios. Despite their fashion appeal, the overall functionality of these products often appeared “weak.”
Outdoor activities frequently involve sweating, redness, dryness, and makeup smudging. As a result, consumers are increasingly seeking makeup products that combine skincare with cosmetics, especially those that can revive skin after exercise by replenishing lost minerals and moisture.
With the growing trend of outdoor activities, makeup products have visibly evolved in diverse forms. More and more brands are shifting to natural settings and incorporating various outdoor concepts into their products.
For instance, outdoor adventures often require products that can withstand harsh weather conditions. Brands need to create products that provide outdoor support, such as 12-hour waterproof and sweat-proof eyeliners, lipsticks, and multi-functional foundations.
In terms of long-lasting makeup, Estée Lauder’s Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup is a widely popular product due to its long-lasting and oil-resistant formula. The product’s unique formula combines high-efficiency oil-control and light-reflecting ingredients, ensuring makeup stays intact even in humid, high-temperature environments. Estée Lauder addresses the common issue of heavy and rough makeup by blending oil-control ingredients with fine silica to absorb excess oils without thickening the makeup, preventing skin from producing too much oil. The product also uses water-locking technology to maintain a stable balance between skin and foundation in high-temperature and humid environments. These innovations aim to provide all-day stability, especially for oily and combination skin, even in hot summers or humid conditions, meeting the growing demand for outdoor activities.
Additionally, the outdoor travel boom has made camera-ready makeup a must-have. A camera-ready look typically requires clean foundation and specific highlighting and contouring in certain areas, with eye and lip makeup that balances rich pigmentation with naturalness. Brands can seize outdoor travel scenarios and use their creativity to match color palettes and create new combinations, quickly grabbing the consumer’s attention while satisfying the demand for fresh looks.
For example, NARS’ Blush is well-suited for photography because of its vibrant color and natural effect. With its high color saturation and luminosity, the blush creates a glowing, sun-kissed look, ideal for spring and summer. The lightweight texture makes it easy to layer, adjusting the color intensity, making it perfect for photoshoots or outdoor settings. NARS’ blush enhances the face’s dimension and gives a fresh, radiant look, ideal for achieving a “natural, camera-ready” makeup effect.
In conclusion, outdoor social makeup typically includes these key elements: gentle, healthy, and additive-free; long-lasting; convenient design; natural-inspired colors; and makeup effects suited for outdoor scenarios, all contributing to the product’s immersive experience.
III. Mystical Makeup: Seeking Comfort and Transmitting a Life Attitude
In today’s high-pressure society, complex social dynamics, and uncertain futures, the younger generation often feels anxious and confused. To seek comfort and guidance, mystical beliefs, such as astrology and tarot, have gained a strong foothold among the youth, influencing their choices in makeup.
Psychologically, the Barnum Effect and Oedipus Effect help explain why consumers may resonate with mystical concepts. These psychological phenomena make people more likely to identify with vague, universal statements and self-fulfilling prophecies, influencing their purchasing decisions.
Brands have effectively incorporated mystical concepts, such as astrology and tarot, into their products, resonating with consumers’ desire for positivity and personal empowerment. For example, HOLIKA HOLIKA released a Tarot Card makeup collection, including eyeshadows, lip glosses, nail polishes, and eyeliners, featuring tarot elements that aim to inspire positivity while fulfilling consumers’ need for emotional comfort.
Similarly, JILL STUART released a limited edition lip oil featuring the 12 zodiac signs, offering consumers a unique, personalized makeup experience corresponding to their star sign, increasing the product’s appeal and collectible value. This mystical approach not only satisfies consumers’ desire for individuality and mystery but also fosters emotional connection with the brand.
In addition, the concept of mystical makeup can be integrated into facial features using makeup techniques to create symbolic characteristics, such as a high forehead (wealth), bright temples (luck), and well-shaped brows (prosperity). This approach has given rise to makeup tutorials like “Peach Blossom Makeup” and “Fortune-enhancing Makeup,” aimed at enhancing personal fortune through makeup.
Even if consumers don’t fully believe in mystical concepts, the meanings and symbolism associated with these ideas influence their buying behavior, adding value to makeup products and offering new ways for self-expression and emotional fulfillment.
IV. Atmospheric Makeup: Breaking the Monotony and Creating Emotional Aesthetics
People approach makeup similarly to fashion—by enhancing their outer appearance to express their inner individuality. However, the cosmetics industry’s rapid development has led to homogeneity in products, creating a monotonous effect. To counter this, creativity is needed to connect makeup with atmospheric aesthetics, telling new stories.
Atmospheric makeup emphasizes creating specific moods or atmospheres with makeup. It’s not just about the technical application but about expressing emotions through color, texture, and overall coordination.
For instance, “Makeup as a unified whole”—this concept involves integrating makeup, hairstyle, clothing, and accessories to create a cohesive, unique atmosphere. Makeup can express various moods, such as quirky, dopamine-inspired, gender-neutral, or ethnic-inspired, allowing viewers to feel a connection with the overall look.
Additionally, atmospheric makeup emphasizes “matching makeup with social scenes.” Whether at parties, concerts, or other social events, creative color combinations play an important role in conveying different emotions and moods. Warm tones like red, orange, and yellow create cozy, friendly atmospheres, while cool tones like blue, green, and purple evoke a mysterious or calm vibe.
These bold color combinations turn makeup into an artistic form of self-expression, especially for young people who want to communicate their emotions. Atmospheric makeup is also about fine details—like layering eyeshadow, defining lip lines, and blending blush—to enhance the overall texture and atmosphere.
Tom Ford’s Lip Lacquer Luxe exemplifies attention to detail and innovation. Combining liquid lipstick and lip balm, this product offers a dual-texture experience, providing long-lasting color and a glossy finish, creating a more dimensional and enriched lip look.
In conclusion, atmospheric makeup focuses on emotional expression and atmosphere creation, emphasizing color, texture, and overall harmony to communicate specific feelings. Brands can innovate in both product development and marketing, offering consumers new ways to express themselves emotionally and enrich the cultural significance and diversity of beauty.
V. Conclusion
The pursuit of beauty remains unchanged, and this extends to the ongoing pursuit of makeup. When beauty is attributed with social attributes, any form of beautifying oneself becomes a lifestyle. By enhancing social attributes—entertainment, fun, and visibility—brands can easily expand their reach. Contact us to get more information about makeup market trends.
VI. People Also Ask
1. What are the key trends shaping the future of makeup?
The main trends include practicality and cost-effectiveness, outdoor-friendly makeup, mystical-themed makeup, atmospheric aesthetics, and integrating social attributes into product design.
2. Why is practicality and cost-effectiveness important in makeup products?
Consumers, especially Gen Z, seek high-quality, multi-functional products that offer value for money rather than just luxury branding.
3. How is the rise of outdoor activities influencing makeup market trends?
Makeup brands are developing long-lasting, sweat-proof, and skincare-infused products to cater to active lifestyles and outdoor social events.
4. What is mystical makeup, and why is it gaining popularity?
Mystical makeup incorporates elements like astrology and tarot to provide emotional comfort, personalization, and a sense of spiritual connection.
5. How does atmospheric makeup enhance self-expression?
By using color, texture, and coordinated aesthetics, atmospheric makeup helps individuals convey emotions, moods, and unique personal styles.
Alice Zhang
Product Marketing Consultant
A seasoned consultant, Alice Zhang brings her profound expertise in market analysis and consumer behavior to the table, helping beauty brands carve out their niche in a competitive landscape. She has an exceptional ability to translate her comprehensive knowledge of industry trends into powerful marketing campaigns, providing clients with tailored strategies that position them for sustained growth and influence.