The beauty industry seems to be on a constant incline and it’s easy to see why with the influx of beauty vloggers and influencers promoting products, new emerging brands and exciting new beauty procedures.
According to the British Beauty Council, in 2023, the beauty and personal care industry made a direct contribution to UK Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of £13.5 billion.
But to maintain the momentum, brands have to keep up with emerging trends.
Eva Ringwood, Brandnation’s Deputy Managing Director says these are what we all need to look out for in 2025…
AI on the rise
The world of Artificial Intelligence is growing rapidly and it’s now hard to go a day without seeing AI-generated content online.
But, according to Eva, AI is also breaking into the beauty world.
“Virtual try-on for products already exists with a number of brands utilising this capability for consumers.”
If you go onto your favourite beauty brand’s website, there’s a high chance that you’ll be able to find your perfect beauty matches with virtual make-up tools. Simply upload a photo of your face, click on the product you’d like to try and let AI do the rest.
About the author
Simarin Tandon | Performance and Digital Marketing Manager
Having worked with brands across the Beauty &Wellness, FMCG, FinTech, and Home & Lifestyle sectors, Simarin focuses on driving acquisition and growth, whilst managing the performance team at brandnation.
A curious marketer, Simarin is always on the pulse when it comes to performance and digital updates across both paid and organic platforms.
Eva adds that AI in beauty looks set to rise in 2025, with new product innovation at the forefront.
“By analysing all manner of trends and consumer feedback, brands can then utilise the power of social media to drive developments forward.”
Heavy eyes
The no-make-up make-up look has taken centre stage for a while now, with a natural approach often being seen on beauty ads and gracing the covers of magazines.
But Eva says that whilst there’s still a place for this, ‘heavy eye makeup is set to be a big trend for spring and summer 2025, as seen on the season’s runways’.
“Think smudged smokey liner with a grunge look for optimum effect,” says Eva.
Clean beauty continues
It was once somewhat of a niche trend, but exactly what we place on our face will become much more of a deal as we edge into 2025.
In fact, the overall organic beauty and wellbeing market is now worth £136 million in the UK, according to the Soil Association.
“Care for the environment and general health has become much more of a focus point, as consumers become much more aware about what they are putting on their skin and the effects that their beauty products can have on their health,” says Eva.
For example parabens and synthetic fragrances have been said to potentially disrupt hormones and damage skin.
“Safety and performance of beauty products will be key,” says Eva.
However, with the cost of living seemingly always on the up and ‘clean’ products typically having a much higher price tag, brands will need to ensure they stay affordable.
Microbiome magic
The microbiome in our guts, AKA the collection of bacteria, fungi and viruses that live within our digestive tract – has received a lot of press in recent years. And for good reason; the gut microbiome influences many areas of our health[1].
However, our skin also has its own microbiome. Research has found that the skin harbours over 1200 bacterial species[2].
“Skin microbiome is a relatively unexplored but rapidly growing field in beauty,” says Eva.
“Whilst a healthy diet is a must to improve your skin’s microbiome, what we put on our skin is just as important. It’s all about selecting ingredients that work to maintain microbiome stability.”
The first ‘microbiome-friendly’ product was launched in 2019[3] and since, the beauty landscape has been peppered with other products that claim to maintain a peaceful skin microbiome. But, according to Yaso, the global microbiome skincare market is predicted to be worth over $2.97 billion by 2030. For contect, in 2021 it was worth $658.8 million[4].
These are just four emerging trends within the beauty industry, however, as consumer needs and demands evolve, more new trends will continue to rise up and change the face of the beauty landscape.
