Cosmetics Consumer Insights

Trend - Peptides are becoming foundational ingredients in facial skincare as brands incorporate them into cleansers, toners, serums, moisturizers, eye creams, masks, and sunscreens; positioning peptides as an everyday skincare staple rather than a specialized anti-aging ingredient.

Insight - Consumers are becoming more ingredient-literate and taking a preventative approach to facial skincare, driving demand for clinically recognized actives beyond treatment serums. As a result, brands are incorporating peptides throughout complete skincare routines, enabling consumers to receive consistent benefits across multiple steps while strengthening ingredient-led positioning and encouraging long-term regimen adoption.

Trend - Skincare brands are replacing opaque containers with clear and frosted designs that place formulas on display. By emphasizing the product itself rather than decorative graphics, brands are reinforcing ingredient visibility while elevating shelf appeal.

Insight - As Gen Z increasingly curates products that reflect their personal aesthetic both online and at home, packaging has become part of the ownership experience rather than an afterthought. Formula-forward designs can satisfy this demand for products that feel authentic, visually engaging and display-worthy. As a result, brands can strengthen trust while creating skincare products that naturally encourage social sharing and visual distinction.

Trend - Skincare brands are expanding beyond traditional bottled formulations by introducing serum sticks that deliver targeted ingredients through solid, swipe-on formats—designed for precise application and portability to simplify daily routines.

Insight - As consumers increasingly prioritize efficiency, skincare routines are evolving toward products that minimize effort while maintaining performance. Stick serums can respond to this shift by offering mess-free, portable application that fits into daily schedules, whether at home or on the go. As such, these formats reflect a broader preference for beauty products that combine convenience, precision, and sensory appeal while supporting increasingly flexible, fast-moving lifestyles.

Trend - As experiential retail evolves, K-beauty brands are launching pop-ups where skincare diagnostics, interactive product testing, personalized consultations and visually curated installations transform product discovery into multisensory experiences that reinforce brand identity and engagement.

Insight - As consumers seek aesthetically curated and highly interactive retail moments, K-beauty brands are using pop-ups to bring their product philosophies into physical environments. Through personalized skincare analysis, tactile product sampling, immersive design elements and exclusive activations, these spaces transform beauty shopping. As such, this approach strengthens emotional connections while encouraging organic visibility through social content and in-person brand representation.

Trend - Skincare brands are introducing body oils that combine firming benefits with barrier-strengthening ingredients. These formulations go beyond basic moisturization, targeting skin elasticity and resilience while supporting long-term skin health through nourishing, lipid-rich blends.

Insight - Consumers are increasingly seeking body care products that deliver treatment-level benefits once reserved for facial skincare. As awareness of skin barrier health grows, consumers are looking for solutions that improve firmness, maintain hydration, and support overall skin function in a single step; reflecting a broader desire for high-performance body care that simplifies routines while addressing preventative and restorative skincare needs.

Trend - Perfumers are being introduced compositions built around airy accords, soft nostalgic references and soothing scent profiles that prioritize emotional atmosphere over intensity; positioning fragrance as a daily ritual that encourages relaxation, familiarity and brief moments of reprieve.

Insight - As consumers contend with persistent uncertainty, accelerated routines and constant digital input, many increasingly value products that support emotional wellbeing alongside everyday use. Fragrances that draw on nostalgic memories, airy compositions and calming sensory cues can create brief restorative rituals that feel familiar and reassuring. In doing so, scent becomes more than a form of self-expression, evolving into an accessible way to cultivate comfort, presence and mental escape.

Trend - Fragrance brands are launching cereal-scented perfumes and mists that translate breakfast notes like sweet milk, citrus, and sugar into wearable gourmand scents. These sprays balance novelty with everyday usability, offering playful yet approachable alternatives to traditional fragrance profiles.

Insight - Consumers are increasingly seeking fragrances that evoke emotion and comfort through familiar sensory cues; reflecting a broader shift toward mood-driven consumption, where products provide both functional and emotional value. By blending the recognizable with the unexpected, cereal fragrances can offer a form of accessible escapism, allowing users to express personality through scent while reconnecting with comforting, everyday rituals in a more elevated and modern format.

Trend - Fragrance brands are reimagining delivery formats by introducing balms, sticks, and compacts that emphasize durability and precision application; demonstrating a move away from traditional spray bottles toward tactile, controlled options suited for modern, mobile routines.

Insight - As lifestyles become increasingly fast-paced, consumers place greater emphasis on products that integrate into daily routines. This has elevated expectations around convenience, driving preference for solutions that feel intuitive, reliable, and easy to carry. Solid scents align with this shift by offering a simplified fragrance experience that removes common frustrations and supports on-the-go use; reflecting a mindset where functionality and sensory experience are closely intertwined.

Trend - Retailers and brands are embracing dupe culture as consumers seek affordable alternatives to luxury across beauty and fashion; driving demand for products that mirror high-end aesthetics, formulations, and design—from makeup to apparel—at more accessible price points.

Insight - Gen Z and Millennials are redefining consumption by treating frugality as empowerment, using dupes to balance aspiration with financial caution. In uncertain economic conditions, they still seek self-expression and small luxuries without the risk of overspending. As such, dupe-driven shopping can enable experimentation and flexibility, letting consumers engage with high-end aesthetics while maintaining control over budgets.

Trend - Skincare brands are launching grinding cleanser balms that combine physical exfoliation with a solid, balm-based format. These products are designed to gently polish the skin while cleansing, offering controlled application and reduced product waste.

Insight - Consumers are increasingly drawn to multifunctional skincare that streamlines routines while delivering visible results. Demand is also rising for hands-on formats that feel engaging and intuitive, alongside a continued shift toward low-waste, travel-friendly products that reflect sustainability values—fitting modern, on-the-go lifestyles. This evolution reflects skincare deliver efficacy and experience, balancing performance with convenience while supporting conscious consumption.