The Top 18 Makeup Trends of 2025

Virtual try-ons and use of tech for shade matching

The key purchases for consistent makeup users like foundation or concealer involve experimentation and so have traditionally been bought in-store. Online instead serves mostly as a replenishment channel in the beauty industry once a customer knows what they want. In fact, for female teens, a demographic that spends more time online than almost any other, 90% prefer to make beauty experimentation purchases in-store rather than online.

However, companies like Il Makiage are using technology to match users with the right shade of these products, making it easier for consumers to find their perfect match.

Makeup look on the rise: Glowy skin

Men’s makeup sees a rise in demand

While makeup is strongly associated with femininity, there's an ongoing cultural shift where male consumers are increasingly buying beauty products. It was only a few years ago when men's moisturizer was looked upon as taboo — now there are dozens of men's skincare brands.

In contrast to women's products, marketing for male cosmetics mainly focuses on utility. A product description on a male cosmetics site reads, "Your eyes tell a story. Don't tell a tired one. Use our Wake Up Eye Stick with Caffeine to help de-puff the bags under your eyes."

These brands also push back against the stigma by using models with highly masculine features - thick beards and defined facial features. They also typically use masculine branding, black and red colors alongside bold and all caps text.

Makeup look on the rise: Skin tint makeup for soft, natural skin

Teen makeup boom drives massive growth for brands

In 2023, Sephora reported that the number of its customers aged 9 to 12 had doubled over the past five years. Social media's role in shaping this trend is undeniable, with over 80% of teenagers reportedly watching beauty tutorials online. This growing focus on beauty among teens and pre-teens has fueled the explosion of brands like E.L.F., which saw its revenue surge by a staggering 77% in 2024 to $1.02 billion and now commands 35% of the female teen market.

Makeup look on the rise: Shimmering body

Clean beauty & ingredient transparency

Rising consumer demand for total transparency and simplicity in their skincare products has greatly influenced the shift towards ingredient-based shopping rather than brand-based shopping.

Nomadic lifestyles drive demand for makeup organization and storage

Over 40 million Americans now work hybrid jobs, doubling from 20 million in 2019. This increased flexibility has fueled a surge in international travel, as more people balance office commutes, remote work, and on-the-go lifestyles. As a result, makeup bags, vanity cases, and beauty storage solutions have become essential for maintaining beauty routines. Consumers prioritize compact and waterproof designs with organized compartments.

Consumers seek out home tanning solutions as tanning anxiety grows

Consumers are increasingly able to avoid embarrassment. We can now get drugs online without facing a doctor, work out online without being seen in the gym, and ask someone out online without leaving our house.

Meanwhile, terms like "gym anxiety" have exploded in popularity with over 44M views on TikTok: gyms are a wide open space with lots of mirrors and many opportunities to do the wrong thing, or simply to get unwanted attention.

Tanning is the latest place some consumers are feeling more anxious. They don’t want to get caught at a tanning salon because some increasingly see it as “cheating” and unhealthy. In fact, the U.S. government also doesn’t want consumers going to tanning salons. Similar to cigarettes, the U.S. government instituted a 10% tax on all tanning salon revenue as a result of the health ties to cancer, partly as a way to discourage usage.

There’s also increasing concern about being seen at tanning salons, as more and more beauty salons try to post photos of their clients on their social media pages. Thousands of threads on Reddit and other forums center around how salons increasingly take photos of clients, for marketing purposes, without asking. Others offer a discount in exchange for letting them take before and after photos.

Home tanning solutions are consequently on the rise and self-tanning products like those from Bondi Sands are surging in popularity and sales.