The pressure to look perfect is exacerbating a culture of image editing, leading to an increase in body dysmorphia and eating disorders. A proposed Digitally Altered Body Images bill intends to bring awareness to unrealistic body standards, through visible disclaimers on edited photos.

Unrealistic body standards see MP push for ad honesty

Instead of viewing mask-wearing as a negative thing, female Gen Zers are more attracted to a man who’s masked up. While many debate mask-wearing, a study shows how some people are not only normalising masks, but finding themselves attracted to the social values signalled by those who wear them.

Mask-wearing values-signalling appeals to Gen Z women

Huge audience excitement surrounding Fezco's grandma from the second season of Euphoria highlights the demand for age-inclusive on-screen representation, especially in terms of fashion and beauty, as this stylish and assertive addition to the show brings glamour and power despite her age.

'Euphoria' grandma serves anti-ageist power in style

Beauty brands are launching creative forms of digital features like 'virtual try-ons' to appeal to people who feel hesitant about returning to in-store shopping. By adopting AR, VR, and metaverse tech, brands can enhance customer experiences by responding to desires such as safety and curiosity.

Beauty tech re-engages COVID-19-conscious shoppers 

How is the wellness movement manifesting in men’s daily routines?

Shifting notions of masculinity look set to transform the wellness and beauty market, with nail polish and concealer potentially joining shaving cream and deodorant in men's shopping baskets. But how can brands shape a more inclusive future for the sector rather than reinforcing old norms?

How do men want to evolve their beauty routines?

Lockdowns forced people to experiment with dyeing their own hair, but the process has a lot of pain points from its elaborate nature to the risk of disaster. Colorsonic, L’Oréal’s digital coloring applicator, is a handheld device that aims to make home dyes easier, more sustainable, and less risky.

L’Oréal hair colouring turns at-home-dyers into experts

Ffern is a Somerset-based perfumery that produces four seasonal, small-batch scents per year for its members’ club-style ledger of committed customers. How has the brand utilised transparency, membership, and limited runs to create an air of exclusivity and intrigue around its luxury fragrances?

Ffern: seasonal scents for perfume connoisseurs

Y2K aesthetics have re-emerged into the beauty mainstream, largely due to TikTok trends and influencers. But why exactly are young social media users obsessing over retro accessories and make-up looks? And how does this interest reflect Gen Z’s approach to digital creativity in beauty and beyond?

How does Y2K beauty reflect creative culture online?

The NBA is entering the beauty world through a collaboration with Colourpop that celebrates the most emblematic teams from the league. By integrating cosmetics into basketball fandom, it challenges gendered expectations around beauty and sport.

NBA make-up collab brings beauty to a wider crowd

California is hoping to create a ripple effect across the US on menstrual equity – schools and colleges will be required to give out free period products from 2022. With period poverty impacting education, people want menstrual care brands to empower and support the leaders of tomorrow.

California schools expel period poverty

As body positivity becomes the norm in the beauty sector, the ‘Beautiful InDeed’ campaign by skincare brand Mamaearth marks the next step. While other brands have celebrated different bodies or normalised body hair, Mamaearth goes even further by focusing entirely on internal beauty.

Focusing on kindness over beauty helps confidence

Clockwork has developed a robot that can paint nails in under ten minutes using 3D cameras and AI. With beauty salon bookings predicted to boom, the brand aims to bring a complementary dynamic to traditional nail salons as the 'fast-casual restaurant' of the manicure world.

Robot simplifies manicures for time-poor beauty buffs

Garnier, together with National Geographic CreativeWorks, uses the art of storytelling to empower people to live sustainably in its multimedia campaign. With people wanting more transparency from brands, the campaign aims to make information on sustainability easy to access.

'National Geographic' x Garnier empower eco living

Breaking down an industry that typically capitalizes on insecurity is Tula, a skincare brand that's tackling negative self-talk in its ad campaign. With skin woes negatively impacting people's self-perceptions, the brand aims to challenge this through kindness and self-love.

Tula helps people in quest to cut negative self-talk

Posts about ‘bathscaping’ – which promotes self-care through indulging in extravagant baths and decorating the tub with a range of aesthetically pleasing items – are seeing a boom on TikTok. As people prioritise self-care, they’re leaning into everyday ways to relax and refresh.

Tiktokkers turn to bathscaping to relax

Beauty brand Sephora is launching an initiative to change top search engine results for ‘Black beauty’ from a fictional horse to a real representation of Black beauty. Campaigns like these are essential in boosting the discoverability of racially diverse content and reducing bias across the entire industry.

Sephora boosts Black beauty discoverability

A survey of beauty consumers reveals an increased focus on physical appearances during lockdowns. As the Zoom effect takes a toll on people, their hyper-awareness of their body image is driving them to look for holistic beauty products that go beyond the skin.

Zoom effect gives rise to edible beauty connoisseurs

As the climate crisis looms, the promise of incremental change is no longer sufficient. With businesses forced to rethink their entire supply chain and production line, L'Oréal is positioning itself as a company leading the pivot with the announcement that all of its US facilities are carbon-neutral.

L’Oréal taps eco beauty fans by going carbon-neutral

With social media cluttered with beauty tips, credibility is a high priority. Cutting through this noise is Neutrogena – its SkinU campaign aims to quash skincare myths. As people become more critical of online influencers, the brand aims to tackle this with short-form educational videos.

Neutrogena SkinU debunks Gen Z skincare myths

Uber is expanding its business through delivery services and special members-only offers for big beauty spenders in Los Angeles, and more partnerships with beauty brands are in its sights. The service promises beauty fans heavily discounted bundles delivered to their doorstep.

On-demand beauty delivery taps busy beauty buffs

The COVID-19 pandemic saw storefronts close and spending shift rapidly to the online arena. The luxury sector was particularly badly hit. Newly reopened department store La Samaritaine is hoping that experiential retail and its French cultural heritage can draw back discerning shoppers.

La Samaritaine: local luxury for global spenders

Alongside the growth of the wellness, and men’s grooming industries, is the increase in Black-owned beauty brands designed to cater for a more inclusive world. Yet there is still a lack of representation for men of colour. This led to the launch of Temple, the skincare brand offering self-care.

Temple: breaking the mould for Black men’s skincare

Olay's #DecodetheBias campaign looks at how algorithmic bias is impacting beauty ideals and standards. With male-centric tech culture perpetuating racial biases within the beauty sector, the brand hopes its campaign will encourage more girls to tackle this by pursuing a career in STEM.

#DecodetheBias addresses biased beauty algorithms

Beauty brand Dcypher is going beyond the usual 50 shades of foundation by harnessing AI technology with the potential to produce millions of custom shades. With skin inclusivity increasingly important to beauty fans, Dcypher is offering a potentially perfect shade match for every single customer.

AI-made bespoke foundation promises perfect match

Media-integrated shopping has made it easier than ever for people to see products in action and buy online. Recognising this is Flip, a video-based e-tailer app for the beauty sector, which is hoping to surpass TikTok by democratising access to the content creator economy.

Social e-tailer Flip attracts beauty fan base

Beauty fans are searching for ingredients that solve specific problems with a more holistic approach. As wellness becomes central to beauty, Cultured Biomecare is tapping the interests of ingredients-focused buyers who want to nurture their skin through natural forms of care.

Cultured: dirty beauty for skintellectuals

The Zaragoza-based mobile hair salon, The Hair Truck, offers haircuts to Spaniards living in rural areas. With severe depopulation continuing to make life harder for Older Adults living in villages, the brand aims to facilitate their grooming practices with accessible and affordable haircuts.

The Hair Truck gives haircuts to rural Spaniards

Men in the UK are prioritising their wellbeing and are becoming more open to spa days and retreats, however many still feel that the industry doesn't cater to their needs. With gender stereotypes holding back potential spa-goers, brands would be wise to offer more male-specific treatments.

Wellbeing concerns push rise in male Gen Z spa-goers

Whether it's a hyaluronic acid formula or the must-have mascara, what to buy or not buy in beauty is always a conundrum. Hoping to simplify the process of discovery through the power of the community is Brandefy, a digital discovery platform helping people save time and money.

Brandefy simplifies discovery for beauty buffs

As the beauty sector continues to remove cultural barriers around skincare, men are being more specific about what they want from brands. Be it light and blendable skincare or products designed specifically for male-identifying people, brands have opportunities to tailor to their expectations.

Men want more tailored beauty from brands

Long a fixture of faith among devout Christians and central to Catholic spirituality, the Virgin Mary is increasingly becoming a symbol of empowerment among global young people of various creeds and beliefs. Her increased prominence in contemporary culture is opening up opportunities for brands.

The Virgin Mary is becoming a Gen Z icon

Consumers expect greater diversity in the beauty industry, including products that specifically cater to non-Eurocentric beauty needs. Bread Beauty Supply is an Australian hair care brand that creates products for Black consumers, encouraging them to celebrate and nurture their textured hair.

Bread Beauty Supply: taking care of textured hair

Confronted with unrealistic beauty standards imposed by the booming idol industry and social media, men in China are facing mounting pressures when it comes to their appearance. As gender stereotypes start to dissipate, men are turning to make-up as a confidence crutch.

Appearance-anxious Chinese men break the beauty binary

Even though Indian men have been known to sport kohl-rimmed eyes and henna at weddings, the idea of wearing make-up in everyday life is still frowned upon in wider society. How is blogger and influencer Siddharth Batra helping to change this outdated norm and normalise male beauty?

Siddharth Batra: new norms for male beauty in India

With continually shifting beauty ideals and standards come a growing appetite for experimentation – especially with the unconventional, the different, and even the ‘ugly’. US-based jewelry maker J. Hannah is pushing the beauty standards by creating an ‘ugly’ compost shade of nail polish.

Compost color nail polish rejects beauty standards

People are looking for fresh and fun ways to incorporate small acts of climate-change activism into their daily lives and they’re increasingly expecting brands to support them in their eco ambitions. Plus, a zero-waste, plastic-free body wash brand, is doing just that.

Plus: magic packaging for the climate-conscious

Although it was originally positioned as being ‘safe’ and ‘free from nasties’, the concept of ‘clean beauty’ lacks clarity. It's being criticised for not being clear enough on ingredients – especially for those who have chronic diseases that impact what ingredients they can use.

People want transparency from clean beauty

Peels, a wellness brand, is making CBD more accessible by producing THC-free CBD oil made from orange peel. With some consumers still confused by what CBD is and the legality of it, Peels aims to bust psychoactive myths around CBD as well as offer a cleaner, reliable way to opt-in.

Orange peel CBD oil aims to lure hesitant consumers

Tapping into the notion of 'beauty from within' is Beauty Kitchen which has launched Vitamin Kitchen – a vegan vitamin gummies brand. With Gen Yers taking more of an interest in edible beauty, Vitamin Kitchen shows how brands can use beauty supplements to optimise a core skincare range.

Beauty Kitchen’s gummies tap into inside-out beauty

From fermented oils to fragrance-free serums, the skincare sector is leaning increasingly on an attractive blend of science and health to support people’s skincare goals. Enter Cultured. It’s a UK-based skincare brand featuring three products that aim to protect and repair the skin.

Cultured biome care mixes science with skincare

An Olympian’s short hair added fuel to the fire of an ongoing gender war in South Korea. As South Korea sheds some of its ingrained gender norms, women are finding their voices in speaking up against patriarchal powers by advocating for gender equality.

South Korean women defend athlete from anti-feminists

Despite governmental bans on skin-lightening products, Kenyan women continue to strive for fairer skin. In spite of global pan-African movements, women are melanin-shy, as their Eurocentric beauty standards linger when it comes to beauty aspirations.

Skin lightening becomes currency for Kenyan women

Whether it’s beard oils, facial cleansers, or foundation, men's make-up and personal care products have been gaining attention. In a world-first, UK-based make-up brand War Paint for Men is launching a store in London in the hope of breaking the stigma around men wearing cosmetics.

War Paint for Men breaks stigma with store opening

Skincare is increasingly going natural, with even baby and toddler brands following suit. But simply using organic ingredients or labelling something vegan is not enough to win over some parents. How are wider trends within cosmetics affecting the ways they care for their children’s skin?

Why Gen Y parents want natural skincare for kids

Tired of invasive 'tweakments' and miracle products, videos tapping into the power of subliminal messaging as a way to achieve aesthetic beauty goals are gaining traction online. Taking the law of attraction in its literal sense, people are manifesting everything from better skin to ideal bodies.

People are manifesting their beauty ideals online

DJs and beauty icons Simi and Haze Khadra have launched Simihaze Beauty, believing instant make-up is the future of beauty. With people getting experimental and trying to save time with multifunctional make-up, the brand aims to help people achieve impactful looks within seconds.

SIMIHAZE brings bold looks with instant make-up

Entering the beauty space is Plus which sells body wash in dissolvable sachets that disappear with water. With the environmental effects of water waste garnering more attention among consumers, the brand has created a unique solution to a global problem.

Plus tackles water waste with dissolvable packaging

Swedish brand FORGO has released a powder-to-liquid soap aimed at reducing plastic pollution as well as encouraging a cultural change away from throwaway culture. As people seek innovative solutions to plastic waste from brands, they're looking for easy routes to adopt these new behaviours.

FORGO bridges eco intention gap with easy clean

Hourglass Cosmetics has launched its Curator Eyeshadow collection with an immersive pop-up experience for shoppers, letting them curate their own palettes in-store. With people increasingly looking for experience-based retail, the brand is cannily giving consumers both creativity and choice.

Hourglass’ immersive pop-up makes in-store fun again

From sitcom remakes to the return of low-rise jeans, pop culture is awash with '90s and early 2000s nostalgia. One brand channeling this yearning for all things Y2K is ColourPop, whose PowerPuff Girls collaboration looks set to take Gen Yers on a trip down memory lane.

ColorPop x Powerpuff Girls speaks to nostalgic Gen Yers

Men in the UK are still contending with toxic masculinity stereotypes around skincare, with many using their partners' products in secret. Even as gender categories evolve and conversations around male self-care and mental health grow, cultural barriers remain around using beauty products.

UK men secretly use their partner's skincare products

American dermatologist Dr. Muneeb Shah has built a cult following on TikTok with his entertaining yet educational videos on all things skincare. His bite-sized tips and product recommendations help to combat digital misinformation by broadening access to trustworthy professional guidance.

@dermdoctor: expert skincare via TikTok

Why are beauty fans asking for science-backed language from beauty brands? How are digital filters changing the ways we experience beauty? Where are the new players in beauty coming from and how are they disrupting the space? And why are people craving sensory beauty moments post-lockdown?

Beauty Sector Snapshot July 2021

Concerns about animal welfare are increasingly prevalent among shoppers. And Gen Zers, in particular, are looking to buy beauty products that are certified cruelty-free. With this in mind, there's an opportunity for brands to showcase their ethical efforts.

American Gen Zers care about cruelty-free beauty

Pride month saw many beauty brands advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, but members of this community want to feel represented by the industry in more ways than just rainbow-hued packaging. Among Gen Yers and Zers, there’s a demand for more accurate representation of diverse gender realities.

Fans want to see expansive LGBTQ+ identity in beauty

Je Joue puts women’s needs first with sustainable sophisticated sex toys that are designed in collaboration with female health specialists. As women turn to self-pleasure as a means of self-care, the brand aims to support women to better target these stress-relieving pressure points.

Je Joue brings playful allure to sexual wellness

The mainstream beauty industry in the UK has long centred the needs of people with Eurocentric features, but change is afoot. Updated training standards will see all new hairdressers learn to style afro hair, in a move set to make the landscape more reflective of the UK’s diverse population.

All UK hairdressers to learn to style afro hair

With the push for gender inclusivity gaining mass attention, many are recognising its importance when it comes to all things menstruation. Pantys is taking the lead with its period underwear, The Boxer, with the aim to put trans and binary people’s needs front of mind.

Pantys period boxers empower trans community

Various beauty trends emerged during the pandemic as people sought creative ways to feel better about themselves in lockdown – and it’s not just skincare routines that they’ve been honing. How are hair care innovations appealing to a growing desire for personalization and holistic wellness?

Why hair care is getting high tech

Vanessa Hudgens and Madison Beer have launched KNOW Beauty, a skincare brand that uses DNA to analyze people's skin health and treat them correctly. Using data and personal information, the brand aims to educate people when it comes to treating skin conditions and maintaining healthy skin.

KNOW Beauty uses DNA to level up skincare

As people stayed at home and socially distanced during the pandemic, their general hygiene practices somewhat slipped, with people neglecting basic needs. Degree’s campaign is helping readdress the importance of personal care as people prepare to go out and about.

Degree ad tells people on the move to use deodorant

Amazon is making a big move into the beauty business with the launch of its first physical salon in London. The company promises treatments backed by the latest in AR technology, which is likely to appeal to people who are increasingly comfortable integrating tech into their everyday lives.

Amazon Salon: high-tech treatments for beauty buffs

'Problem skin', 'blemishes', and 'imperfections': the language around breakouts has long framed acne as something to cover up and be ashamed of. But a campaign from Bioré is seeking to change the narrative by platforming different skin textures without problematising them.

Bioré shifts the narrative around 'bad' skin

Protruding ears may once have been a confidence-sapper but they're being endorsed by young Chinese people as a symbol of beauty and vitality. As they gravitate toward non-conventional beauty, lines are being blurred between the quest for youth and reclaiming imperfections.

Chinese Gen Zers subvert beauty ideals with elf ears

With not much else to do while stuck at home during the pandemic, many young Britons upped their usage of TikTok, seeking entertainment, escapism, and education. Canvas8 spoke to eight Gen Zers to find out how the social app has influenced their personal care routines.

Who are TikTok's Gen Z beauty fans in the UK?

TikTok provided a much-needed escape for Gen Zers during the pandemic, enabling them to watch an endless stream of entertaining, educational, and immersive videos. For many, it was the go-to platform to improve their self-care routines. Canvas8 spoke to ten people to find out why.

Who are TikTok's Gen Z beauty fans in the US?

Inspired by Senegal, made in New York – Ami Colé is a beauty brand that’s more than skin-deep. Created by ethnic minority women for ethnic minority women, the label creates cruelty-free complexion-caring formulas for an often-overlooked demographic, all while celebrating melanin-rich skin.

Ami Colé: make-up for melanin-rich skin

Despite steps being taken to destigmatize periods, people still often experience embarrassment when they menstruate. Midol has launched a campaign to shed a light on the toxic culture of period apologies. Its goal is to boost self-confidence and further the period positivity movement.

Midol tackles period shame with #NoApologies campaign

Make-up took a backseat during the pandemic as socialising was put on hold. But as restrictions ease and calendars fill up once more, people are eager to let loose through experimental beauty. The cosmetics industry is set to see a boom in sales, with bright colours winning big.

Britons keen to experiment with make-up post-pandemic

Chinese Gen Zers are brand-savvy shoppers who have more access to product information than their predecessors. But how exactly is this consumer power affecting their beauty buying habits? What do they expect from cosmetics brands and how are their demands shaping the sector?

What do Chinese Gen Zers want from beauty brands?

It's not uncommon for men in Japan to use make-up, thanks to the rise of Bishōnen (young men of androgynous beauty). But women, too, think cosmetics should be gender-inclusive; in fact, many are interested in sharing make-up products with men, creating new opportunities for brands.

Japan more accepting of gender-neutral make-up

Skincare is becoming a form of self-care, a shift that accelerated during the pandemic. During lockdowns, people had the time and desire to adopt complex skincare routines, but as they emerge into the new normal, simplicity and ease are key, something beauty brand Fig.1 is tapping into.

Fig.1 simplifies skincare for post-lockdown lifestyles

As Americans look forward to a summer spent socializing outdoors, a survey shows that their lack of knowledge around sun exposure may be putting them at risk despite the rise in skincare practices. As a result, brands have a chance to fill in this knowledge gap by promoting healthy suncare habits.

Americans lack knowledge when it comes to sun safety

Scent, and the lack thereof, has been a defining feature of the pandemic. As people return to more public living, the return of fragrances is set to play a pivotal role. Le Labo’s Santal 33 is a strong example of how branding and design can place perfume firmly in the public’s imagination.

Le Labo Santal 33: covetable gender-neutral scent

The barely-there make-up look has become increasingly popular for women embracing the skin they’re in, but options remain limited for women of colour. Enter Ami Colé, a New York-based, Senegal-inspired beauty brand touting clean credentials and a promise to celebrate melanin-rich skin.

Ami Colé's subtle make-up celebrates melanin-rich skin

Due to stigma around female genital anatomy, many women are unable to accurately name all parts of the vulva. This knowledge gap sparks concerns around consent and poses a potential risk to women's health, such as by hindering them from identifying symptoms of gynaecological conditions.

Britons lack understanding of female genital anatomy

Amid strong demand for natural beauty ingredients, African beauty entrepreneurs are taking ownership of their individual countries’ local resources and beauty traditions. Consumers beyond the continent are turning to African businesses over multinationals profiting from the same ingredients.

A-beauty brands are leveraging local ingredients

From unclear labeling to confusing terminology, finding clean beauty products can be challenging. Farmacy is hoping to make it a little easier with the launch of a virtual game that walks beauty buffs through the benefits and eco-credentials of ingredients in various beauty products.

Farmacy taps into virtual play to educate beauty buffs

Brands tend to tiptoe around the word ‘pubic’, almost like it's a swear word, instead using terms such as ‘bikini’ or ‘intimate wash’ to describe the use of their products. Venus is getting frank with its Pubic line, accompanied by a campaign that encourages women to #SayPubic.

Venus encourages women to fight shame and #SayPubic

As people wise up to greenwashing marketing tactics, they’re seeking clear, accurate information they can trust. Women’s magazine Allure has pledged to stop using sustainability buzzwords, serving as an example for other publishers to broaden people’s eco-literacy and deliver honest reporting.

'Allure' bans eco buzzwords to fight greenwashing

In an extension of the lifestyle cult around its hit show Euphoria, production company A24 has announced the launch of a beauty brand. Fans who celebrated the show for its fresh representation of gender, beauty, and identity are excited to see how the brand translates this IRL.

A24's beauty brand taps Euphoria's cultural impact

Japanese cosmetics brand SK-II is launching a virtual, hyper-real city where customers can explore and spend, one of the first of its kind. Customers respond best to bespoke experiences, and virtual worlds could be a way to offer a personal touch remotely while allaying hygiene fears.

SK-II's virtual world targets adventurous beauty fans

From wrinkle creams to collagen supplements, so much of the anti-aging beauty narrative focuses on skin and body. Supermodel Cindy Crawford is broadening the conversation to an oft-overlooked category: she’s launching a hair care range made for older women and their tresses.

Meaningful Beauty targets older women’s hair needs

As global demographic landscapes change and diaspora communities grow, people are expecting more when it comes to diverse and inclusive representation. Within the beauty space, Ceremonia is addressing the unique hair needs of the often-overlooked Latinx community.

Ceremonia hair care celebrates Latinx heritage

Food waste is a massive contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, something that sustainable skincare brand Circumference aims to tackle. By using discarded food in its products, it’s appealing to consumers who want to see cross-industry efforts to combat climate change.

Circumference upcycles food waste for eco beauty

Rockstars and rappers have been known to rock nail art as part of their image. Bringing his own spin to nail design is Lil Yachty who is launching a unisex nail line, Crete, with the aim of encouraging self-expression and making nail paint accessible to all.

Rapper Lil Yachty launches unisex nail polish

Amid economic uncertainty, young people in China are looking to mysticism for reassurance, embracing things like Zodiac signs, tarot readings, and traditional Chinese beliefs. And with skincare becoming a core part of wellness, beauty brands are tapping into these notions.

China's young beauty fans self-soothe with mysticism

Repeatedly confronted with their own faces on virtual meetings, Japanese businessmen are embracing make-up to glam up their online reflections. In pursuit of a boost of self-confidence, older men are dissolving beauty binaries, reinventing masculinity for themselves.

Japanese men are donning make-up to lift self-esteem

When Gen Yers adopted a hue of pink that became associated with their generation brands like Glossier soared in popularity as they bought into the pink aesthetic. Gen Zers are switching things up by picking green as their go-to colour for beauty products.

Green becomes defining colour for Gen Zers

For people with disabilities, everyday tasks can be difficult - not because they are incapable of doing them, but because of limited resources adapted to their needs. Aiming to pave the way for change is Degree, which has launched an adaptive deodorant.

Degree debuts world's first adaptive deodorant

Dove has launched a campaign called ‘Reverse Selfie’ to address the impact of social media filters on self-esteem – specifically for young girls. The pandemic has led to a surge in social media usage, and there are mental health ramifications when it comes to striving for aesthetic perfection online.

Dove wants girls to see how filters impact self-esteem

After a year spent largely indoors, connecting with the wider world via screens, people are being drawn to nature with a greater sense of urgency. The impulse to rewild is increasingly being expressed through consumer decisions and behaviours. Foraged beauty is a further manifestation of this shift.

Foraging adds natural goodness to beauty routines

‘Plumping’ is a common practice in beauty – usually in relation to lips, cheeks, and eyes. Taking this fixation in a new direction are Plexigel manicures, which promise volumised nails. As selfie filters push the boundaries of pixelated perfection, beauty fans are looking for similar IRL enhancements.

Nail 'plumping' brings filter aesthetic to manicures

Hyaluronic acid edibles are making waves in C-beauty, joining the likes of other cosmetic treats – from placenta to collagen to plant-fermented essences. With rising pressures at work, young Chinese consumers are resorting to snackable beauty treats as a shortcut to keeping tabs on skin health.

Edible hyaluronic acid enhances beauty from within

A growing number of beauty fans want the products they use to match their eco values. Lifelong is looking to meet this demand with ‘just add water’ beauty products. As well as promising more sustainability, it’s also tapping into people’s desire to get involved in product creation.

Lifelong's waterless beauty powders minimise emissions

Website-in-disguise helps victims of domestic abuse

The pandemic lockdowns have led to a surge in domestic violence cases. An increasing lack of privacy has added to the gravity of this issue, with many feeling unable to safely seek help. A Polish teen has found a cleverly stealthy way of addressing this issue through a website-in-disguise.

J-beauty giant Kao has joined other beauty players in pledging to remove words such as ‘whitening’ and ‘lightening’ from its products. As Japan’s younger generation pushes back against traditional norms, beauty brands are under pressure to make their offerings more inclusive.

Kao drops skin whitening vocab to back skinclusivity

Every beauty buff knows it’s an unwritten rule to never sleep in your make-up – it traps dirt inside the skin, clogs pores, and might even bring on early aging. But not everyone has time or energy to cleanse at night – a problem that Youthforia aims to solve with make-up that cares for your skin while you sleep.

Youthforia makes sleeping in make-up acceptable

Digital platforms have long been performative places for expressions of beauty and creativity, and on TikTok, traditional beauty rules are meant to be broken. Tapping into this attitude, Revolution has partnered with TikTok to launch a pageant to scout the best diverse beauty talent online.

TikTok x Revolution Beauty pageant champions diversity

Recognising a gap in the make-up and skincare market for women aged 35 to 55, Trinny Woodall wanted to create an offering that addresses their needs. D2C start-up Trinny London is building an enthusiastic community of fans that love Woodall’s personalised, inclusive approach.

Trinny London: building a cult Gen X beauty brand

https://cdn.sanity.io/files/1mk9ifx4/production/5b9d8184d511bfd0ec5603c669de2cc3523bd2db.pdf