UK Colour Cosmetics Market Overview
As living expenses have increased, and consumers remain under financial strain, there is a risk that they may scale back on discretionary spending, which could impact demand for colour cosmetics. However, to date, spending in the category has remained strong as consumers continue to engage with most segments.
Market size: Inflation is driving up prices, and alongside a return to work and social activities this has enabled continued growth in colour cosmetics.
Consumer behaviour
Fierce competition and the continual emergence of new and fast-moving beauty trends pose significant risks to established brands in the colour cosmetics category, as they may struggle to stay current and keep up. Moreover, excessive replication of products, otherwise known as ‘dupes’, could lead to a stagnant innovation and disinterest among users.
Opportunity for brands
However, the increasing emphasis on sustainability and inclusivity offers an exciting prospect for colour cosmetics brands to innovate and align with evolving consumer preferences. Furthermore, if maximalism remains a trend in 2024, embracing colourful experimentation will invigorate the category.
Topics Analysed
- The impact of the rising cost of living on the colour cosmetics market.
- Consumer priorities across different makeup segments, and how brands can respond.
- The impact of social media trends and technology’s influence on makeup purchasing.
- How brands and retailers can drive makeup usage and purchasing at different life stage.
- Opportunities to increase the repertoire of products used and bought by consumers.
- Retail activations that can boost spending and improve the purchase journey.
- The next wave of inclusivity opportunities, including greater consideration of skin types in NPD and market.
Report Scope
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions:
- Face makeup: foundation, concealer, face powder, BB/CC cream, tinted moisturiser, blusher, bronzer, primer, highlighter, colour correctors, contouring products
- Eye makeup: mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow, eyebrow products, false eyelashes
- Lip makeup: lipstick, lip gloss, lip liner, tinted lip balm
- Nail makeup: nail polish, gel/UV nail polish, false nails
Within this Report, we also discuss base and point colour makeup. Base makeup refers to products for the face that create an even cover for the skin, primarily foundation, concealer, BB/CC creams and face powder. By contrast, point colour refers to makeup products that are designed to draw attention to specific areas, such as eye, lip and nail makeup.
Nail care products (eg cuticle cream, buffers and French manicure) are excluded. Body glitter products and instant tanning products are also outside the scope of this Report.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by Shiyan Zering. Shiyan joined Mintel in 2022, writing UK reports on beauty, personal care, and OTC categories. She has over six years of previous experience in the colour cosmetics sector, in both consumer and artistry-facing roles.
Demand for colour cosmetics increased in 2023 and is expected to continue to rise, creating opportunities to address consumer endurance and simplicity needs.
Shiyan Zering
Beauty and Personal Care Analyst
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Executive Summary
- Opportunities for the colour cosmetics market
- Consumers want the best of the basics
- Consider the importance of experts
- Capitalise on the influence of online
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Market size & forecast
- Market predictions
- What consumers want and why
- Face and eyes are the focus for the consumer
- Graph 1: net purchase of makeup in the last 12 months, by segment, 2024
- Familiarity impacts base makeup choices
- Mascaras remain a staple in makeup routines
- Graph 2: top 5 most purchased makeup products in the last 12 months, 2024
- Long-lasting claims appeal across segments…
- …and are desired for everyday occasions
- Neutral shades are prefered
- Graph 3: behaviours towards makeup, 2024
- Innovation and marketing
- Base makeup remains the focus of NPD
- Graph 4: new product launches in the colour cosmetics category, by sub-category, 2019-24
- Brands are breaking the mould in formats
- Shine and shimmer is explored across-segments
- Improved private label ranges improve accessibility
- Brands are considering the needs and wants of more consumers
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Market Dynamics
- Market size
- Colour cosmetics market continues to grow
- Brand and product experimentation boosts basket values
- Mass market makeup is outperforming prestige…
- …but prestige usage has increased amongst women
- Graph 5: types of colour cosmetics brands used by women, 2022 and 2023
- Market forecast
- Continued growth expected for colour cosmetics
- Shifting priorities among young consumers could stunt future growth
- Learnings from the last income squeeze
- Market segmentation
- Most segments are seeing an increase in sales
- Base makeup is outperforming
- The lipstick effect is still going strong
- Encourage eye experimentation
- Nails take a momentary hit
- Market share
- All manufacturers achieve value sales growth
- Graph 6: estimated retail value sales of colour cosmetics, by manufacturer, 2022-23
- Affordable brands fare well
- Smaller disruptor brands are expanding
- Channels to market
- H&B are still the go-to for cosmetics
- Graph 7: retail value sales of colour cosmetics, by channel, 2022 and 2023
- Create experiential environments in department stores
- Expand the shopping atmosphere in grocers
- Online-only channel fosters comfort and versatility
- Macro-economic factors
- Consumer confidence continued to trend upwards
- Graph 8: the financial confidence index, 2016-24
- Cater to the early stages of ‘ageing’
- Target active 25-34 year old makeup users
- Create suitable products for a new generation of makeup users
- Utilise AR to boost education
- Graph 9: select online beauty/grooming shopping tools and services used in the last 12 months, 2023
- Pay attention to the gap in makeup for skin conditions
- Graph 10: skin conditions experienced in the last 12 months, 2024
- Pivot from the impact of the EU glitter ban…
- …while silicone restrictions may prove more difficult
- Social media trends
- Consider social media’s impact on demand
- Macro-trends have greater longevity…
- …than momentous micro-trends
- Help consumers embrace the pro-ageing trend
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What Consumers Want and Why
- Base makeup purchasing
- Consumers are investing in base basics
- Graph 11: purchase of base makeup in the last 12 months, 2024
- Men seek quick application and natural finishes
- Stop ageing consumers from dropping out of the category
- Graph 12: purchase of base makeup in the last 12 months, by age, 2024
- Concealers are set to be the No.1 base staple
- Encourage a cheek trifecta
- Makeup artist brands can push lower purchase categories forward
- Seasonal makeup wardrobes can boost repertoires
- Graph 13: repertoire of base makeup purchased in the last 12 months, 2024
- Sought-after base makeup claims
- Enhance desired coverage, hydration and longevity claims
- Graph 14: sought-after claims in base makeup (in order of coverage, finish and properties/claims), 2024
- Spotlight the benefits of setting spray layering
- Appeal to ingredient savvy hybrid workers
- Encourage layering for different coverages
- Graph 15: sought-after claims in base makeup, by repertoire of base makeup purchased in the last 12 months, 2024
- Eye makeup purchasing
- Consumers are enhancing eyes with mascara
- Graph 16: purchase of eye makeup in the last 12 months, 2024
- Graph 17: net purchase of eye makeup in the last 12 months, 2024
- Capitalise on mascara purchases with add-ons
- Softer brows are sought after
- Create semi-permanent lash and brow solutions
- Sought-after mascara claims
- Consumers want a wow factor from their mascara
- Encourage additional tools to achieve desired volumised effect
- Graph 18: sought-after claims when purchasing mascara, 2024
- Long-lasting mascara claims aren’t as important
- Accentuate lengthening with finer brushes
- Bat eye allergies away with safety claims
- Lip makeup purchasing
- Versatile lipsticks and lip glosses are popular
- Graph 19: purchase of lip makeup in the last 12 months, 2024
- Lip oils can fuse with skincare
- Position long-lasting lip tint benefits to increase purchase
- Nail colour purchasing
- Consumers aren’t committed to long-wear polishes
- Graph 20: purchase of nail makeup in the last 12 months, 2024
- Graph 21: repertoire of nail colour products purchased in the last 12 months, 2024
- Teach consumers to go back to basics
- Expand nail art options
- Improve press-on nail longevity to encourage use
- Elevate regular nail polish segment with desired claims
- Graph 22: sought-after claims when purchasing nail polish, 2024
- Encourage experimentation with easy-to-remove formats
- Makeup usage behaviours
- Makeup tools remain integral in daily routines
- Graph 23: behaviours related to makeup usage, 2024
- Capitalise on makeup tool usage by improving ease of use and optimising their performance
- Encourage the use of different shades for personalised results
- Primers are an opportunity to upsell
- Cater to at-home artists
- Makeup purchase preferences and influences
- Consumers are confident, but still lean on social media for inspiration
- Shade/colour is more important than finish…
- …with a preference for neutral shades across all segments
- Encourage vibrant shade use for those hesitant to try
- Avoid ‘filler’ shades in foundation ranges
- Educate on mascara wand formats
- Adapt NPD to help oily skin types achieve trends
- Look to Snapchat for emerging trend interest
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Innovation And Marketing Trends
- Cross-segment launch activity and innovation
- Base makeup remains the focus of NPD
- Graph 24: new product launches in the colour cosmetics category, by sub-category, 2020-24
- Multi-use products can cater to climate shifts
- Longevity claims fluctuate in NPD
- Graph 25: new product launches in the colour cosmetics category, by top 10 claims (based on 2023), 2022-24
- Improve long-lasting claims
- Ease of use claims are a missed opportunity
- Sustainability is still important, but requires further innovation
- Be wary of jumping on the dupe trend
- Launch activity is fragmented
- Graph 26: new product launches in the colour cosmetics category, by top 10 ultimate companies (based on 2023), 2022-23
- Private label innovation ramps up
- Men’s makeup is a burgeoning category
- Playful routines are still desired
- FW 2024’s stand-out trends are already visible in NPD
- Face launch activity
- Skin tints gain prominence in innovation
- Innovative formats excite the base segment
- Jump ahead of glazed blush trends
- Consider the importance of skin tone innovation
- Eye launch activity
- ‘Skinification’ trends extend to cream eyeshadows
- Experiment with eyeshadow formulas and packaging
- Promote the benefits of tubing mascara
- Lips launch activity
- Let lips shine
- Prolong the longevity of lip liners to align with gloss preferences
- Plumping lip products will appeal
- Nail launch activity
- Stay ahead of trends in nails
- Hybrid nail care segments can appeal to non-users
- Sephora targets consumers looking for convenience
- Advertising and marketing activity
- TV accounts for the majority of ad spend
- L’Oréal garners traction with CGI advertising
- Graph 27: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on colour cosmetics, by advertiser, 2022 and 2023
- Be cautious when targeting Gen Alpha
- Fenty Beauty goes on a shade matching tour
- M·A·C Cosmetics considers underserved consumers
- Chanel revives the party girl
- Makeup artist ambassadors boost private label
- Brands get active for women
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Brand Research
- Newer brands benefit from high usage frequencies
- Graph 28: usage frequency of brands operating in the colour cosmetics category, 2024
- Graph 29: awareness of brands operating in the colour cosmetics category, 2024
- Maybelline is trusted
- M·A·C Cosmetics solidifies its established status
- e.l.f. provides affordable prestige alternatives…
- …as does Makeup Revolution
- Huda Beauty captures consumers with innovation and transparency
- Hourglass appeals to higher earners
- Glossier taps into streamlines routine seekers
- REFY’s innovation can reach wider audiences
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Appendix
- Supplementary data
- Population Estimates
- 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
- Methodology
- Consumer research methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
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