A quickie on beauty trends 😘
Issue #15. A casual newsletter about consumer brands, trends, and generally cool things.
Happy last day of Jan! Today, I’m bringing you a short read on queen of trends herself: beauty.
I’ll preface with saying that while there’s always a new and beauty trend, I’m never quite compelled to write about them….
Maybe it’s because there’s always a new fad trending or a new product that feels just vaguely different than the last.
But this time, I’m seeing two trends at play that caught my attention. So without further ado, let’s get into the issue💋
Millennial vs Gen Z beauty trends
Beauty trends are forever at play, but what I’ve been noticing is two separate niches. On one end, we have the beauty-adjacent trends targeted towards millennials: think haircare and body care. Then on the other hand, we have expressive beauty targeted towards Gen Z, think signature fragrances and artful makeup.
Let’s start will Millennials, what I’m seeing is the same level of effort we put in for our faces (ie: 10-step k-beauty night time routines) but for every other part of our body. My guess is this is tied to aging millennials starting to see changes in their bodies, not just their faces… And, if you know millennials, we don’t just accept our reality. Instead, we look for solutions in the form of a perfectly targeted Instagram ad.
With haircare, there are thousands of TikToks on hair growth (remember that hair thinning is part of aging).
In 2022, searches for “scalp massage techniques” went up 55%, “clean scalp” grew by 55%, “natural hair mask for growth” grew by 80%, and we saw a peak in Rosemary oil treatments for hair growth. (Pinterest data).
Similarly, we have body care. In the recent months, we’ve seen an explosion of both new body-care brands and body-care expansions from existing brands.
Forget simply exfoliating and moisturizing, expect body washes with ingredients like vitamin C and glycolic acid, body serums with pre and postbiotics, and incorporating dry brushing, and Brazilian lymphatic drainage massages to your routine.
Now, unlike Millennials, Gen Z is desperately seeking self expression, when you grow up in the age where everyone is famous, everything is relatable, and there are millions of people out there just like you, it’s natural to want to stand out.
One of those ways is with fragrance. My guess is that this is a result of the “that girl” movement where young girls were told that if they have a shot at being different they need to find their signature scent… and it’s been an effective tactic.
Luxury fragrance brand Byredo was acquired by perfume group Puig for $1B mid last year, not to mention fragrance spend grew 28% YoY across the category… and this number continues to grow.
We’re seeing scents dictate and even create micro aesthetics from “clean girl” to “vanilla girls.” Can someone explain to me our obsession as a society to smell like vanilla when you’re in your teens?
Personally, I think I’ll stick to my micro aesthetic of recovered party girl, spray on some YSL Black Opium, and call it a day.
On the same thread as expressing yourself through fragrance, we also have experimental and expressive everyday makeup looks paired with face gems and stickers. This is a stark difference from the “clean” aesthetic that aims at appearing like you’re not wearing any makeup.
This movement, largely inspired by the TV show Euphoria, and brings the artful make up, eye gems, and sparkles to the forefront.
We’re also seeing the rise of decorative pimple patches that made pimple stickers so cute people actually look forward to having a blemish. And new product innovations like protective sunscreen patches have made the use of face stickers fun, encouraged, and what you’re saying about yourself is you value authenticity, and taking care of your skin.
Some of the brands capitalizing on these movements are Half Magic (make up), about-face (make up), Starface (pimple stickers), Sun Patch (sunscreen), Sol de Janeiro (fragrance).
Same same but different: links to more interesting beauty trends 😏
De-influencing is TikTok’s response to overconsumption and inauthenticity (much of the de-influencing is happening with beauty products)
A 10-year-old Urban Decay eyeshadow is back, thanks to Gen Z
That’s all for now, friends! I promise a deep-dive soon, but in the meantime, if you enjoyed this newsletter, let me know with a lil like below 💖