In light of conscious consumption, brands must focus on matching lip care benefits with makeup occasions to enhance the overall value of their products.
Daisy Tong, Senior Analyst, China Insights
Market Definitions
Lip colour cosmetics include lip colours and lip liners.
- Lip colours refer to products designed to give texture and colour definition to the lips, in any format (such as powder, gloss, stick, compacts and liquid).
- Lip liners refer to products designed to line the lips and help prevent lip colour from ‘bleeding’; they can be coloured or colourless, and are traditionally in a pencil format.
Excluded:
Lip makeup-removing pencils; tinted lip balms; and dual-ended packs, palettes and sets when only one product is to be used as a lip colour or lip liner, or products that are positioned for more than one purpose (ie stain for the lips and cheeks) – these are classified under multi-use.
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Executive summary
- Definitions
- What you need to know
- Lip colour cosmetics market shows slow growth
- Graph 1: best- and worst-case forecast of value sales of lip colour cosmetics, 2020-30
- Market factors
- Brands and products
- Consumer needs
- Keys to brand success
- What we think
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The market
- Market size and forecast
- The colour cosmetics market is expected to rebound in 2025
- Graph 2: total value sales of the colour cosmetics market, 2021-25 (est)
- Colour cosmetics segments maintain stable market shares
- Graph 3: annual growth in value sales of colour cosmetics, by segment, 2021-25 (est)
- Graph 4: total value sales of the colour cosmetics market, by category, 2021-25 (est)
- Lip colour cosmetics market shows slow growth
- Graph 5: best- and worst-case forecast of value sales of lip colour cosmetics, 2020-30
- Market factors
- BPC market sees recent improvement, but growth is slowing
- Graph 6: year-on-year growth rate of total retail sales of cosmetics, 2023-25
- Smaller gap between usage and purchase rates of lip colour cosmetics vs face and eye/brow colour cosmetics, with more ‘rigid’ overall demand
- Lip colour cosmetics undergoing price tier polarisation: affordable options dominate still, with the premium end showing growth potential
- Graph 7: volume sales of lip colour cosmetics on Tmall, by price band, 2023-25
- The bare face trend makes lip colour cosmetics a necessity
- Diverse lip issues drive evolution of lip makeup from a contouring tool alone to offering both makeup and lip care benefits
- Graph 8: lip issues expected to solve, 2023
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Companies and brands
- Market share
- Tmall: some movement in the rankings but leading brands remain on top
- Douyin: overall rankings relatively steady, with local affordable brands still the mainstay
- New product trends
- China stands out among key global markets for a high proportion of new lip colour cosmetics launches
- Graph 9: new colour cosmetics launches, by sub-category, 2024-25
- Graph 10: new colour cosmetics products, by sub-category, 2020-25
- Long-lasting, brightening/illuminating and moisturising/hydrating claims prevail in the Chinese market, while botanical/herbal and plumping claims increase in proportion
- Graph 11: top claims in new lip colour cosmetics launches, 2020-25
- Upgraded technology enhances lip makeup durability
- Leverage shimmer particles to brighten and illuminate
- Botanicals convey moisturising and nourishing effects
- Popular facial skincare ingredients show potential in lip colour cosmetics
- Graph 12: % of new lip product launches with collagen, by collagen type, 2022-25
- Graph 13: % of new lip product launches with peptides, 2022-25
- Peptides and collagen are mainly used in lip colour cosmetics for plumping and reducing fine lines
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The consumer
- Diverse use and conscious consumption coexist
- Traditional categories are maturing, while innovative categories show significant potential
- Graph 14: usage of lip colour cosmetics, 2023-25
- Younger consumers are interested in niche emerging categories, while tinted lip balms are more popular among over 30s
- Graph 15: usage of lip colour cosmetics, by age, 2025
- High income earners have diverse and segmented needs, while lower tier cities focus on versatility and value for money
- Graph 16: usage of lip colour cosmetics, by city tier, 2025
- Graph 17: usage of lip colour cosmetics, by monthly personal income, 2025
- Relatively small difference between usage and purchase indicates lip colour cosmetics are a staple in daily makeup routines
- Graph 18: comparison of lip colour cosmetics usage and purchase, 2025
- Degree of polarisation in product usage as consumers become more rational
- Graph 19: usage of lip colour cosmetics, by number of product types used, 2023-25
- Graph 20: lip product usage vs lip product purchase, by number of products bought, 2025
- Lip gloss entices consumers to try and buy, but tinted lip balm better meets everyday usage needs
- Natural look is mainstream, while lip makeup consumers use a wide range of shades based on occasion
- Lip makeup is the most basic and routine makeup step across a wide range of occasions
- Graph 21: makeup steps, by occasion, 2025
- Natural lip makeup is the prevailing beauty trend
- Graph 22: changes in colour cosmetic usage – lip, 2024
- Pinks, corals and nudes continue to be popular for everyday occasions, while plum/berry shades and brown reds see modest growth
- Graph 23: colour shade selection for daily occasions (a), 2022-25
- For special occasions, corals are steadily rising, while reds and plum/berry shades pick up
- Graph 24: colour shade selection for special occasions (a), 2022-25
- Consumers have clear preferences for lip makeup effects, and they use different types of products for different results
- Consumers tend to use lip makeup to improve the shape/colour of their lips, with the contouring function an important and clear demand
- Graph 25: lip issues expected to solve, 2023
- Consumers show obvious preferences for certain lip makeup effects and tend towards natural and subtle applications
- Graph 26: usage habits and preferences – application habits, 2025
- Graph 27: usage habits and preferences – preferred lip shape, 2025
- Long-lasting makeup effect becomes a core demand with touching up done routinely
- Graph 28: usage habits and preferences – touch up habits, 2025
- Graph 29: usage habits and preferences – preference for long-lasting, 2025
- Short video platforms and Xiaohongshu are the main sources of inspiration for lip makeup
- Graph 30: makeup inspiration, by have used lip colour cosmetics products, 2025
- Social media has become the main platform for understanding makeup effects and look tutorials
- Variation in the perception of different lip makeup categories allows for the creation of unique makeup looks
- Graph 31: perception of specific lip colour products – selected items, 2025
- Lip care demand drives differentiation in lip colour cosmetics
- Emerging demand for lip care offers new opportunities for differentiated upgrades in lip colour cosmetics
- Graph 32: lip issues expected to solve – selected items, 2023
- Ingredients are a key concern for consumers when it comes to lip care benefits
- Graph 33: purchase drivers of lip colour cosmetics – selected items, 2025
- Graph 34: criteria for effective lip care – selected items, 2024
- Tinted lip balm has significant perceived advantage in lip care benefits as well as natural colour attributes
- Graph 35: perception of specific lip colour products – selected items, 2025
- Graph 36: perception of specific lip makeup products – tinted lip balm, 2025
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Issues and Insights
- Focus on both colour and lip care functions to boost the perceived value of lip makeup
- With rising attention to lip care ingredients and willingness to try new colours the value of both colour and lip care in lip makeup is increasing
- Graph 37: purchase drivers of lip colour cosmetics – selected items, 2025
- Give equal weight to immediate makeup effects and lasting care to boost lip makeup’s perceived value
- Ingredients transparency conveys benefits and the impression of skincare, building trust in lip care
- Rise of tinted lip balm opens up new occasions for lightweight and no-makeup looks
- Fusion and innovation of colours, occasions and makeup effects driving diversification of lip makeup looks
- Occasion-based colour preferences driving diversity in lip makeup looks
- Natural colours are popular during economic slowdown and are suitable for everyday occasions
- Innovate new looks with stylised product lines
- Texture and technology support look for diversification
- Consistent launch pipeline and building out product lines to enhance brand image
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Appendix – market size and forecast, research methodology and abbreviations
- Mattifying textures dominate alongside rising glossy/hydrating looks
- Graph 38: usage habits and preferences – preferred effects, 2025
- Market size and forecast
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
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