UK Cosmetics: Winning Innovation Territories 2026
Expressive colour, shine and design-led details are helping makeup become a visible marker of mood, taste and identity.
Trusted by leading global brands
Collapse All
-
- Know where to activate now and next within the category and how to win the hearts and minds of consumers
- Opportunities in the UK Cosmetics category
- UK Cosmetics dataset
-
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Trend Territory overview: five growing Trend Territories will shape future brand growth opportunities
- #1 Trend Territory: Style As Signal
- Graph 1: growing themes, products and ingredients associated with the Style As Signal Trend Territory that are already achieving a significant volume of conversations, 2024-26
- #2 Trend Territory: Comfortable Performance
- Graph 2: growing themes, benefits, products and ingredients associated with the Comfortable Performance Trend Territory that are already achieving a significant volume of conversations, 2024-26
- #3 Trend Territory: Effortless Beauty Shortcuts
- Graph 3: growing themes, benefits and products associated with the Effortless Beauty Shortcuts Trend Territory that are already achieving a significant volume of conversations, 2024-26
- #4 Trend Territory: Beauty That Fits
- Graph 4: growing themes, benefits, products and ingredients associated with the Beauty That Fits Trend Territory that are already achieving a significant volume of conversations, 2024-26
- #5 Trend Territory: Skin-first Enhancement
- Graph 5: growing themes, benefits, products and ingredients associated with the Skin-first Enhancement Trend Territory that are already achieving a significant volume of conversations, 2024-26
-
TREND TERRITORY #1 – STYLE AS SIGNAL
- Overview
- Style As Signal: key takeaways
- Social-led beauty codes become style signals
- Colour cosmetics sharpen the language of style
- Associated themes
- Expressive beauty becomes more visual and personal
- Style As Signal: top 10 associated themes in conversations
- Style As Signal: top 10 growing associated themes in conversations
- Associated benefits
- Gloss, shimmer and colour drive expressive appeal
- Style As Signal: top 10 associated benefits in conversations
- Style As Signal: top 10 growing associated benefits in conversations
- Associated ingredients
- Gold, pearl and offbeat hues shape a more stylised palette
- Style As Signal: top 10 associated ingredients (colour) in conversations
- Style As Signal: top 10 growing associated ingredients (colour) in conversations
- Associated products
- Palettes, press-ons and glitter eyes shape expressive beauty
- Style As Signal: top 10 associated products in conversations
- Style As Signal: top 10 growing associated products in conversations
- Innovation inspiration
- Experimentation opens space for faster beauty trends
- Colour cosmetics reinforce their role in trend-led self-expression – recent global launch examples
- Mintel Spark imagines press-on nails in collectable beauty pods
-
TREND TERRITORY #2 – COMFORTABLE PERFORMANCE
- Overview
- Comfortable Performance: key takeaways
- Comfort-led colour holds up through daily wear
- Long-wear makeup gets lighter and more comfortable
- Associated themes
- Long-wear makeup trades rigidity for skin-like ease
- Comfortable Performance: top 10 associated themes in conversations
- Comfortable Performance: top 10 growing associated themes in conversations
- Associated benefits
- Seamless wear raises the bar for lasting performance
- Comfortable Performance: top 10 associated benefits in conversations
- Comfortable Performance: top 10 growing associated benefits in conversations
- Associated ingredients
- Performance ingredients balance control, glide and freshness
- Comfortable Performance: top 10 associated ingredients in conversations
- Comfortable Performance: top 10 growing associated ingredients in conversations
- Associated products
- Durable formats bring comfort into the performance story
- Comfortable Performance: top 10 associated products in conversations
- Comfortable Performance: top 10 growing associated products in conversations
- Innovation inspiration
- Comfort becomes part of long-wear performance
- Long-wear makeup puts comfort back into performance – recent global launch examples
- Mintel Spark imagines press-on blush sheets for weightless, long-lasting cheek colour
-
TREND TERRITORY #3 – EFFORTLESS BEAUTY SHORTCUTS
- Overview
- Effortless Beauty Shortcuts: key takeaways
- Makeup shortcuts make application feel easier
- Beauty shortcuts make makeup easier to master
- Associated themes
- Beauty shortcuts are built around routines, guidance and everyday ease
- Effortless Beauty Shortcuts: top 10 associated themes in conversations
- Effortless Beauty Shortcuts: top 10 growing associated themes in conversations
- Associated benefits
- Blendability becomes the shortcut to a finished look
- Effortless Beauty Shortcuts: top 10 associated benefits in conversations
- Effortless Beauty Shortcuts: top 10 growing associated benefits in conversations
- Associated ingredients
- Glide, comfort and polish define shortcut-friendly formulas
- Effortless Beauty Shortcuts: top 10 associated ingredients in conversations
- Effortless Beauty Shortcuts: top 10 growing associated ingredients in conversations
- Associated products
- Sticks, tints and cushions streamline the daily routine
- Effortless Beauty Shortcuts: top 10 associated products in conversations
- Effortless Beauty Shortcuts: top 10 growing associated products in conversations
- Innovation inspiration
- Makeup shortcuts meet the demand for easier application
- Makeup shortcuts simplify technique and application – recent global launch examples
- Mintel Spark imagines a tri-shadow pen for effortless everyday eye looks
-
TREND TERRITORY #4 – BEAUTY THAT FITS
- Overview
- Beauty That Fits: key takeaways
- Better undertones create a closer colour match
- Colour cosmetics move closer to a true personal fit
- Associated themes
- Undertones sharpen the search for the right fit
- Beauty That Fits: top 10 associated themes in conversations
- Beauty That Fits: top 10 growing associated themes in conversations
- Associated benefits
- Fit is measured in balance, brightness and tailored definition
- Beauty That Fits: top 10 associated benefits in conversations
- Beauty That Fits: top 10 growing associated benefits in conversations
- Associated ingredients
- Complexion colour becomes more approachable, richer and more personal
- Beauty That Fits: top 10 associated ingredients (colour) in conversations
- Beauty That Fits: top 10 growing associated ingredients (colour) in conversations
- Associated products
- Correction, contour and neutrals refine the fit story
- Beauty That Fits: top 10 associated products in conversations
- Beauty That Fits: top 10 growing associated products in conversations
- Innovation inspiration
- Brands respond to demand for better colour fit
- Colour cosmetics tailor fit across tones and looks – recent global launch examples
- Mintel Spark imagines a contour cassette that personalises the bronzed look
-
TREND TERRITORY #5 – SKIN-FIRST ENHANCEMENT
- Overview
- Skin-first Enhancement: key takeaways
- Makeup takes on a skin-supportive role
- Skincare cues reshape colour cosmetics
- Associated themes
- Glow becomes the visible proof of skin-first makeup
- Skin-first Enhancement: top 10 associated themes in conversations
- Skin-first Enhancement: top 10 growing associated themes in conversations
- Associated benefits
- Radiance, comfort and texture define skin-first payoff
- Skin-first Enhancement: top 10 associated benefits in conversations
- Skin-first Enhancement: top 10 growing associated benefits in conversations
- Associated ingredients
- Skincare actives strengthen the makeup promise
- Skin-first Enhancement: top 10 associated ingredients in conversations
- Skin-first Enhancement: top 10 growing associated ingredients in conversations
- Associated products
- Base and lip formats carry the skin-first brief
- Skin-first Enhancement: top 10 associated products in conversations
- Skin-first Enhancement: top 10 growing associated products in conversations
- Innovation inspiration
- Makeup works harder for different skin needs
- Makeup products take on stronger care roles – recent global launch examples
- Mintel Spark imagines a pressable jelly skin tint for dewy, skin-first coverage
-
NEXT STEPS
- Next steps to building this predictive social intelligence into innovation pipelines
- Sitting on top of our data, our solutions work together to meet our customers’ needs for confidence and precision
"Explore emerging trends and territories within real consumer behaviour, obtaining actionable and predictive direction to drive winning innovation strategies."
Benedict Lai, Associate Analyst (Innovation)
Know where to activate now and next within the UK Cosmetics industry and how to win the hearts and minds of consumers
The insights in this report draw on Black Swan Data’s social prediction technology to surface detailed opportunity areas, known as Trend Territories, in the UK cosmetics category, based on using AI to analyse millions of consumer conversations.
How this report helps you and your business:
- Discover and prioritise high-potential market opportunities, with 5 key ‘Trend Territories’ poised for consumer growth and innovation spotlighted. Use metrics to determine which opportunities to act on NOW (within 12 months) and which to prepare for NEXT (1-3 years).
- Accelerate and refine the innovation process by leveraging unpromoted social media data as an additional lens, alongside an understanding of consumer needs and the existing innovation landscape.
- Support ideation and understand ways to win in the market, with granular detail on the associated factors (themes/benefits/ingredients/products) that drive opportunity areas and offer clear activation points, as well as AI created concepts to inspire innovation and creativity.
£ 2,195 excl. Tax
Secure direct checkout
Instant PDF download
Portal access included
Need help deciding?
Get in touch
Trusted by global industry leaders
Mintel is really good for getting a handle on a particular category quickly. If we are working on a new business pitch in an area we don’t have much experience in, it’s a brilliant way to get up to speed with what’s going on, what’s changing and what the key trends are in any category.
It’s very rare now that anyone will plough through a 200-page report – that’s why the summaries are really useful. We know they are backed up by a lot of detail, so if you need to go into something in more depth you know the information will be all there for you.
Pauline Robson, Managing Partner, Mediacom
We use Mintel to inform our thinking and reinforce strategy. If you’re presenting new ideas, it’s essential they are underpinned by robust data and evidence, and clearly rooted in fact.
Mintel gives us all that. It’s a great brand and one that is trusted by clients.
Marie Stafford, European Director, The Innovation Group, VML
We have such a great working relationship with Mintel on lots of different levels. As an insight partner, they have helped us to develop our business planning in specific categories as well as supporting our creative process but they’ve also been super helpful with facilitating our events in their inspirational offices near St Paul’s.
They’re an innovative company, with a client-focused team that always delivers.
Abby Carvosso, Group Managing Director, Bauer Media Group
We use Mintel Reports, mostly for financial services and ecommerce markets, plus a few retail and technology ones.
As a leading payments provider, we value additional insights into consumer behaviour, opinions and trends that are shaping the many different markets we operate in. Mintel is a very good and very quick way for us to obtain those insights.
We use Mintel to get a view on where a particular market is going, which can support us in product development and help us identify opportunities or indeed risks, it is a very useful barometer of a market’s potential.
Andrew Neeson, Market Intelligence Manager, VocaLink
We utilize Mintel Reports, Trends and Comperemedia to mine for insights across the numerous business verticals that Epsilon serves, such as CPG, automotive, telecom, healthcare/pharma, retail and financial services.
By integrating Mintel insight into new business opportunities, we have been able to gain the competitive edge necessary to advance partnerships with global brands and key business players.
For our organization, it’s about depth and breadth. Having one without the other doesn’t enable success in our business.
Virginia Harvey, Secondary Research Manager, Epsilon
When I’m investigating specific sectors I tend to use Mintel reports for their forecasting, which I’ve always found to be very accurate.
They also offer really broad and deep coverage in their reports. They are very, very detailed. For example, we were able to gain insight across a wide range of business areas from just one report, proving that Mintel is excellent value for money.
So overall, it’s the level of detail and the quality of forecasting that really stand out for me.
Rebecca Green, Market Insight Manager, Wincanton
One of the biggest challenges we face is the need to get smart on a business or category real quick.
We are talking to clients who live and breathe their category every day and the expectation is that we will be able to get caught up very quickly, and bring the thinking that can help them.
We need to do that often in a matter of days, so it’s not a small ask. Mintel gives us a very articulate view of category conditions and does so at the speed we need it.
Jeff White, Business Development Director, Deutsch
There is no question that Mintel is the go-to resource for the best quality market research, but I did not think it was an affordable option for Abacus Marketing to consider. As a small marketing agency, we only work with a few new clients each year.
However, we have a very high-end consultative approach to our work, so we really do need a partner like Mintel to provide the big agency experience we are always aiming to deliver. Our clients come from an incredibly diverse range of industry sectors, so we obviously need access to market research reports from a very wide spectrum of marketplaces – and that is precisely what we got.
Stephen Taylor-Brown, Managing Director, Abacus
Working in a customer-obsessed organization means that data and insights have to be at our fingertips. Mintel’s reports help us support anecdotes with real quantifiable insights. The summary sections (which I really like) helps save time by giving a birds eye view of the content before spending time combing through the pages.
Our business review discussions are strengthened by the relevancy of the reports to help us better understand our customers. In addition, the customer service received from the team (especially in crunch periods) makes the process of understanding customer behavior even better.
Ngozi Ngonadi-Nkwoji, Senior Marketing Manager, Amazon
Mintel helps us when we want to know something quickly – it provides fast answers to our questions. If we need to get a view of what’s going on in a particular market it’s very useful.
When carrying out background research, I find Mintel an excellent starting point.
The fact that it covers so many markets is a big plus for me– instead of having to buy specialist products in each area we are interested in, especially when we only require a brief view on a particular market, we can go to Mintel for help as a one-stop shop. I find Mintel a useful and valuable resource.
Ben Zeidler, Director - Research and Analytics, Tenth Wave
We’ve found it so useful working more closely with Mintel. They helped support our recent flagship event for our top suppliers by providing a really unique viewpoint on the future of online retailing.
Nick Carroll from their Retail Team was also an excellent panelist, sharing useful and actionable consumer insights. We definitely look forward to working with Mintel again on future projects.
Zac Steele, E-Commerce Trading Development Manager, Waitrose & Partners
At Jackman, we believe that powerful strategies are based on human insight. Mintel’s leading-edge reports and insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors are an important input as we develop and execute strategy.
Alana Gavin, VP Research and Insights, Jackman
