While people were spending more and more time at home, many consumers stopped wearing full faces of makeup. Some cosmetics, like eyeshadow, saw modest growth during this time. But most of the makeup industry saw less revenue than in previous years. Now that people are leaving their homes regularly again, makeup is coming back into the everyday routine. The makeup industry was valued at over $300 billion in 2021, and revenue is expected to increase at a CAGR of over 5% between 2022 and 2029.
The future of makeup will continue to be affected by the health crisis. Hygiene concerns increase the demand for clean makeup products and ingredients. Additionally, makeup will focus on highlighting natural facial features and taking better care of the consumers’ skin. Many behaviors also changed in a post-pandemic society, including digital cosmetic purchases and virtual consultations.
With this in mind, here is a list of the new makeup trends to focus on in 2024.
Table of Contents
Clean color products
Makeup for men
Skin-first cosmetics
‘No-makeup’ makeup looks
The return of blush
Soft-sculping instead of contouring
Travel-sized cosmetics
A new life for lipstick
Clean color products
Color-depositing makeup, like eyeshadow and lipstick, has long been known to use ingredients that aren’t the best for the planet. Ingredients that add color to cosmetics, like micas and oxides, often contain heavy metals that present a problem when they enter the waterways.
Brands will need to educate the customer about how their products are more environmentally friendly than others. Offering this information to the consumer will prove to be a valuable way to get brand loyalty. Moving forward, consumers will prioritize products that use cleaner and more natural colorants. Any ingredients that harm the earth when sourced or involve harmful and unethical mining processes should be replaced with more ethical synthetics whenever possible.
Makeup for men
There have been great strides in eliminating gender expectations in recent years, and 2024 will see even more concerning cosmetics. Men and male-presenting individuals found that they were able to safely experiment with makeup while staying indoors during the health crisis. As such, the demand for cosmetics within this demographic went up significantly during the lockdown.
Men aren’t just using cosmetics; they’re also focusing more heavily on skincare and hygiene these days. Many men are no longer afraid to reach for a little concealer if they feel they need it.
Certain cultures, such as Asian cultures, have normalized everyday makeup-wearing for men. In other places, men practice the ‘no-makeup’ makeup look. Consider the male audience when adding makeup and cosmetics to your storefront. They will become a more substantial part of your customer base in the coming years.
Skin-first cosmetics
Customers had increased concern about skincare while working from home, and now that people are returning to the office, this will become an even higher priority. Hygiene concerns will increase the desire for makeup that also acts like skincare. Many of these products will have hydrating properties, like hydrating lipsticks or moisturizing foundations.
Makeup that can double as skincare will be seen as a good financial investment by consumers, who will likely pay more for these products if they can multitask. Newer cosmetics are also prioritizing skin protection around the eye areas, with products like Supergoop’s shimmershade offering 30 SPF protection for consumers. Consider adding products to your storefront that emphasize skin health or offer to help certain skin conditions, like dry skin and acne.
‘No-makeup’ makeup looks
Now that many more consumers are taking care of their skin, they’ll be looking for products that allow them to show off their natural skin. Buyers will be looking for products that enhance their natural facial features, not ones that cover or change them. This new makeup trend will be dominated by multitasking, sheer products that let consumers’ skin come through, like buildable foundations.
These formulas will be more buildable by nature, which will become a selling point for consumers who want to adjust their looks more naturally. Consumers will also be interested in makeup that can be applied all over the body, such as full-body foundations. Your storefront should offer plenty of products that will boost natural features instead of covering them up.
The return of blush
Blush was used sparingly in recent makeup trends, but in the next year, blush will reappear as a must-have cosmetic product. The placement of blush will also change, with consumers opting to use blush even higher up the cheekbone and around the eyes. Cosmetics will emphasize the C shape, making it visible even with a mask. Blush will also come in new formats, like stick blush and liquid blush, and these easy-to-use formulas will be favored over contouring moving forward.
Younger cosmetic consumers will be drawn to new formulas and applications, such as stampable blush and adventurous blush colors. Consider adding more innovative formats and formulations for blush to your storefront, as well as classic blush compacts.
Soft-sculping instead of contouring
Contouring was the hottest new makeup trend before everyone went into lockdown. Moving forward, consumers will be practicing a new technique called ‘soft-sculpting’. Where contouring in the past called for harsh lines and sharp angles, soft sculpting is a much more relaxed form of cosmetic definition. The focus will transition from hiding flaws to enhancing facial features.
Consumers will use products to accentuate and highlight their natural features, rather than attempt to change the shape of their faces. It will be easier for most consumers to practice, and the attainability of the soft sculpted look will also help its popularity. Soft-sculpting will be dominated by shimmer-free products that aim to glow rather than sparkle. Products that will do well in this category will include balsam, creams, and serums.
Travel-sized cosmetics
Now that consumers are traveling again, the desire for small cosmetics will increase as consumers don’t want to be weighed down with makeup products. People will want to wear makeup during their trips, but they won’t want to make space in their suitcases for full-sized products.
This makeup trend will be defined by portability and multi-use potential. Any makeup items that have multiple purposes, such as stackable makeup packaging, will see an increase in demand. Some cosmetics are beginning to allow consumers to customize a small palette with makeup products for the whole face, allowing consumers to create personalized and refillable palettes.
A new life for lipstick
Now that mask restrictions are easing around the world, we’ll begin to see lipstick demand take off as people celebrate and return to normal usage. Formulas that can stand up against daily mask-wearing and adjustments will be prioritized by consumers. Consumers will look for products that are long-lasting, transfer-proof, and smudge-free; consider adding these items to your storefront for a sales boost.
New makeup trends will see consumers looking for more creative ways to find the perfect shade. Personalized colors will be popular as technology will allow companies to make color-changing makeup based on pH. Technology will also give consumers more control over color customization at home with products like custom lipstick printers and AR-try-on tech.
Conclusion
In this new era of makeup, consumer goals and priorities are going to shift from heavy makeup to more natural products. Consumers are going to be looking for products that offer clean and sustainably sourced ingredients without sacrificing color. New skincare and makeup trends will highlight natural features instead of hiding or reshaping them with cosmetics. Focusing on these areas will help ensure that your storefront is prepared for the next wave of makeup trends in 2024.
