This Report explores the colour cosmetics market in India, with a focus on face and nail colour cosmetics.
Indian women seek lightweight textures in face makeup, creating opportunities for brands to innovate with new formats that enhance the sensory experience. Understanding the balance between lightweight feel, coverage, and varied finish can help boost usage and engagement.
Addressing key user concerns is critical for face makeup brands. While NPD has so far focused on long-lasting and moisturising benefits, many users still report issues like skin dryness, lack of longevity, and the impact of climate conditions on wear. This signals a need for brands to evolve beyond basic claims and develop formulations that are both hydrating and climate-adaptive.
The Report also shows that most women in India prefer doing their nails at home, but base and top coat usage is low. Promoting their benefits for long-lasting colour and ease of use could boost adoption. The growing trend of press-on nails among younger women also presents a great opportunity for growth in this category.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Key trends shaping the colour cosmetics category
- Usage of face and nail colour cosmetics
- Concerns when applying and wearing makeup
- Important factors when buying face makeup products
- Opportunity to expand the skinfication trend in face colour cosmetics
- Opportunities for innovation in textures and formats
- Interest in nail colour cosmetics innovation
- Attitudes towards makeup
Elevate face makeup with weightless coverage, a rich sensory payoff, climate-smart care. Nail cosmetics can innovate with a focus on durability and convenience.
Twinkle Behl, Research Analyst – Beauty and Personal Care, India
Market Definitions
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions:
- Face makeup products: Face foundation, concealers, blush, setting powder/compact (Not talcum powder), bronzer, highlighter and contour formats
- Nail colour cosmetics: Nail paints/polish, base coat, top coat, press-on nails, nail services at salon such as applied nail polish at salon, manicures, extensions, gel nails
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Mintel’s perspective
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Overview
- The outlook for face & nail colour cosmetics in India
- Boost sensory payoff in face makeup
- Graph 1: important factors when buying face makeup products, 2025
- Deliver lightweight, full-coverage foundations and concealers in diverse finishes
- Graph 2: important factors when buying face makeup products, by foundation or concealer users, 2025
- Combat dryness, short wear, and climate impact
- Graph 3: top three concerns when applying/wearing makeup, by face makeup users, 2025
- Bridge performance and convenience with hybrid nail colours and press-on nail offerings
- Graph 4: usage of nail colour products/services in the last three months, 2025
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KEY TRENDS AND MARKET FACTORS
- What you need to know
- Lip colour represents the most dynamic launches
- Graph 5: colour cosmetics product launches, by sub-category, 2020-25
- Foundation launches plateau, while blush and powder soar
- Graph 6: face colour cosmetics product launches, by sub-category, 2020-25
- The skinification trend continues to shape face colour cosmetics
- Facial skincare rituals are becoming increasingly popular among Indian women
- Social media chatter highlights the fusion of skincare and face makeup
- Skin-friendly claims like moisturising are steadily gaining ground
- Graph 7: face* colour cosmetics product launches, by top beauty enhancing claims, 2020-25
- Indian brands are highlighting skincare benefits in NPD
- There is room for innovation in skin-friendly textures and formats
- Graph 8: face* colour cosmetics product launches, by top 10 formats & textures, 2020-25
- Indian brands marry skin-friendly formats and textures in face makeup
- Social media drives nail colour experimentation
- Social media plays a key role in driving demand for innovative nail colour cosmetics
- Nail colour trends that went viral
- Growing popularity of press-on nails
- Graph 9: nail paints and press on nail searches on google, 2020-25
- Indian home-grown brands tap into press-on nail trend
- Environmental and climate impact on skin fuel innovation in makeup NPD
- Environmental stress and climate variability are significant contributors to skin issues
- Graph 10: factors perceived as causing skin issues, 2025
- UV protection claims dominate, with other external aggressors and climate-adaptive claims trailing behind
- Graph 11: face* colour cosmetics launches, by select functional claims, 2020-25
- Indian home-grown makeup brands tap into the potential of climate-adaptive makeup
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- What you need to know
- Foundations surpass compact powders as the most popular face makeup product among women
- Graph 12: any base makeup products used in the last three months, 2025
- Graph 13: face makeup products usage in the last three months, 2025
- Women aged 18-24 have the most extensive repertoire of base makeup usage
- Graph 14: repertoire of face makeup products used, by age group, 2025
- Graph 15: face makeup products used in the last three months, by age group, 2025
- Highlight the skincare benefits of primers to maximise appeal
- Cater to the demand for face makeup that feels good on skin
- Makeup’s on-skin texture significantly influences purchase
- Graph 16: important factors when buying face makeup products, by product users 2025
- Graph 17: important factors when buying face makeup products, 2025
- Comfort and breathability take centre stage in social media conversations around face makeup
- Foundation: look beyond liquid, and innovate with alternative formats that deliver a lightweight feel
- Graph 18: foundation/fluid illuminator launches, by top 10 formats & textures, 2020-25
- Take cues from global brands using novel textures and formats to elevate sensory appeal
- Concealer: complement lightweight foundations with similar hybrid concealer formats
- Graph 19: concealer product launches, by top 10 formats & textures, 2020-25
- Revolutionise concealer formats and textures
- Blush: draw inspiration from global markets pioneering innovative textures for a weightless on-skin feel
- Graph 20: face blush launches, by top formats and textures, 2020/25
- Explore innovative formats and textures for a weightless, natural on-skin feel
- Offer a multi-texture experience with a blush palette
- Make powder lightweight in texture
- Address the need for flawless coverage and finish in face makeup
- Marry the desire for full coverage, without compromising on weightlessness
- Graph 21: important factors when buying face makeup products, by foundation or concealer users, 2025
- The parallel interest in matte and glowy finishes paves the way for innovation in both
- Graph 22: important factors when buying face makeup products, by foundation or concealer users, 2025
- Foundations: lightweight, matte/glowy and full coverage
- Concealers: lightweight, matte/glowy and full coverage
- Meet the need for lightweight, full-coverage foundations that conceal acne marks and scars
- Innovate full-coverage, lightweight foundations tailored for acne, scarring and redness
- Opportunity to tailor foundations to different skin types
- Graph 23: foundation/fluid illuminator launches, by select product-tested skin type claims, 2020-25
- Tailor foundations that cater to diverse skin types
- Tackle key performance gaps in face makeup: longevity, dryness, and climate impact
- Skin dryness, lack of longevity, and susceptibility to sweat/humidity are key concerns for face makeup users
- Mitigate makeup-induced dryness
- Graph 24: face makeup product launches, by moisturising & plumping claim, 2020-25
- Move beyond basic moisturisation to moisture-locking benefits to combat wear-induced dryness
- Marry moisturising and plumping claims to address post-wear dryness
- Opportunity to enhance durability with sweat/humidity-resistant face makeup
- Global uptick in face makeup products featuring sweat-, humidity- and climate-resistance claims
- Graph 25: face makeup* launches with ‘climate’, ‘climatic’, ‘humid’ or ‘sweat’ descriptors, with word variants, 2020-25
- Double down on sweat, humidity and climate-adaptive claims
- Offer cooling sensation for hot/humid summers
- Extend climate-adaptive claims to anti-pollution
- Graph 26: face makeup product launches with a protection against elements claim, 2020-25
- Strengthen anti-pollution claims in face makeup launches
- Bring innovation to the nail colour category by focusing on durability and convenience
- Most women apply nail colour at home
- Graph 27: usage of nail colour products/services in the last three months, 2025
- Raise awareness about how using base and top coats can significantly extend the wear of nail polish
- Enhance top and base coats’ usage by positioning them as essentials for a salon-quality, at-home finish
- Graph 28: interest in nail colour cosmetics innovation, by age group and region, 2025
- Spotlight the role of base and top coats for achieving a salon-quality finish at home
- Simplify the top and base coat routine with hybrid formats
- Leverage interest in new formats to create a salon-like finish at home
- Graph 29: interest in nail polish/paint pen innovation, 2025
- Leverage interest in new formats to create a salon-like finish at home
- Opportunity to combine a salon-quality nail polish finish with built-in treatment and care
- Graph 30: interest in nail polish/paint infused with natural oils, by region and socioeconomic group, 2025
- Offer a salon-quality nail polish finish with added care benefits
- Skinify the nail segment
- Case study: hybrid nail polish serum enriched with natural oils to repair and strengthen nails
- Press-on nails grow in popularity among younger women, offering a salon-like finish and easy application
- Graph 31: usage of press-on nails at home, by age group and region, 2025
- Press-on nails gain global traction, while in India they hold opportunity to appeal as a convenient format for a salon-like finish
- Graph 32: press-on nails* launches as a % of total nail colour cosmetics, 2020-25
- Graph 33: nail colour cosmetics product launches, by convenience claims, 2020-25
- Position press-on nails as a convenient alternative for a salon-like finish
- Improve press-on nails’ longevity to encourage use
- Take inspiration from global brands innovating with nail wraps
- Reusability can further appeal to press-on nail users
- Graph 34: interest in reusable press-on nails innovation, by press-on nail users, 2025
- Innovate with reusable press-on nails
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APPENDIX
- Report definition
- Consumer survey methodology
- Repertoire analysis
- Social data research methodology
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