This Market Dynamics report features market data extracted from Mintel’s UK Colour Cosmetics Market Report 2025. Giving you direct access to key market information and analysis from our category experts. This report is ideal for those looking for a topline summary of the UK colour cosmetics market. The full UK report is available to purchase here.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What consumers want and why
- Consumers gravitate toward simple makeup routines and application techniques, but crave creativity
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market size
- Colour cosmetics growth slows, as consumers embrace underconsumption trends
- Graph 1: retail value sales of colour cosmetics products (£m), 2019-25
- Value sales exceed £2bn for the first time in 2024
- Volume sales have remained stable
- Prestige outperformed, despite mass-market success
- Market forecast
- Forecast – note on US trade disruption
- The impact of US trade disruption on the colour cosmetics market
- Continued growth expected for colour cosmetics
- Graph 2: market size and forecast for colour cosmetics, 2019-30
- Focus on high-performance at every price point
- Market segmentation
- Lip cosmetics outperformed all other segments…
- …as consumers experiment with different formats
- Remove barriers to entry to further boost base makeup sales
- Consumers are willing to trade down when buying eye products
- Help consumers create trending nail looks at home
- Channels to market
- Brand assortment and loyalty rewards benefit H&B retailers
- Graph 3: retail value sales of colour cosmetics, by channel, 2023 and 2024
- Use live demonstrations to ease the online shopping process
- Rethink physical makeup shopping experiences
- Explore cross-category promotions to boost supermarket makeup sales
- Market share
- L’Oréal strengthens its market share with innovation
- Graph 4: estimated retail value sales of colour cosmetics, by manufacturer, 2023-24
- Brands at an array of different price point saw success in 2024
- Small brands make a big impact
- Market drivers
- Price sensitivity could encourage consumers to trade down
- Graph 5: the financial confidence index, 2016-25
- British society is increasingly diverse
- Beauty’s shade problem brought to light
- Build brand trust and loyalty with skin-friendly NPD and content
- Speak to teens with playfulness and community engagement
- Redefine makeup experiences for ageing consumers
- Fix concealer creasing for ageing consumers
- Graph 6: facial skin ageing concerns, 2024
- Women feel the weight of changing beauty standards
- Guide makeup users better
- Graph 7: difficulty finding relevant BPC reviews, recommendations, tutorials and advice, 2025
- Create opportunities for pre-makeup masking
- Navigate the rise of alternative shopping platforms
- Improve virtual try on tools
- Regulatory talc changes spark online drama
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Enthusiastic Experimenters
- Create fun for the experimenters
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS
- Base colour launch activity
- Highlighters could make a comeback
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Super brand day showed TikTok’s impact on beauty
- Blend beauty and food/drink in pop-up activations
- Social media trends
- K-beauty influences makeup trends…
- Graph 8: Google searches for ‘glass skin’, 2022-25
- Nail trends go beyond colour
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APPENDIX
- Supplementary data
- Population estimates
- Makeup Persona Definitions
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Market size and forecast: at constant and current prices
- Market forecast: prediction intervals
- Forecast methodology
- Channels to market
- Market share
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
About Mintel Market Dynamics
Mintel’s Market Dynamics reports are built from Mintel’s robust market size data. We pair these comprehensive market statistics with unparalleled market intelligence to offer deep insights into the dynamic landscapes of key markets across the world.
Created by our team of expert analysts, Market Dynamics connects the dots between market forecasts, consumer sentiment, and brand innovations to give you the full story of how your market is evolving and what your next move should be.
How can Market Dynamics help your brand?
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- Understand the ‘why’ behind industry trends with world-class human insight.
- Plot your next move with analysis of the competitive landscape and product launch activity.
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