This article was originally published in the Make-up Trend Report. Receive your copy here
Just like the soft-focus lip and make-up looks that are trending in 2025, the make-up category has become a little blurred of late, amid a shifting landscape that is affecting all players, from prestige to mass.
“Colour cosmetics is in a rare moment of recalibration,” says Beauty Industry Consultant and Strategist Sam Murton.
“Across markets, the lines between mass and premium are dissolving, product definitions are blurring, and operational agility is becoming as critical as creative vision.
“Growth is flowing to the players who can interpret culture quickly, deliver high-performance innovation at accessible price points, and optimise supply chains to withstand volatility.”
McKinsey data finds that globally, 46% of consumers now ‘mix and match’ across price tiers.
And the latest data from Circana for the first half of 2025 shows a slowdown in prestige make-up across Europe and the US in contrast to its previous strong growth.
In Europe, prestige make-up grew by 2% for the first half of 2025, compared to 12% growth for the same period of 2024.
In the US these figures were respectively 1% in 2025, versus 5% in 2024.
“It’s true that in make-up, when you look at who’s winning today, we are seeing new types of accessible, mid-range or entry-priced brands in the market, that are more dynamic overall than prestige brands – this is different to previous years,” says Circana’s Director of Beauty, Europe, Mathilde Lion, noting examples such as Kiko, Made by Mitchell and R.E.M. Beauty by Ariana Grande.
Euromonitor International Consultant Emilie Hood similarly notes that “Growth has flourished across mass market brands, private labels, and dupes... with consumers seeking affordable alternatives that still deliver performance.”
Premium, heritage brands, on the other hand, continue to feel the impact of both indie and mass players, with Hood explaining that they are “seen as reliable but less exciting compared to newer entrants...
“In the UK, Estée Lauder retained market leadership but lost value share due to its premium pricing and lack of innovation.”
Make-up product trends have been shifting too, with demand moving from “transformation” to “enhancement”, says Beauty Industry Consultant and Strategist Sam Murton.
This has resulted in softening sales for high-coverage make-up like foundation and classic lip colour, with tinted moisturisers and bronzers luring consumers and ‘other lip products’, such as balms and oils up 47% this year across in Europe (source: Circana).
Multifunctional benefits form the backbone of today’s trending product segments.
Primers focus on added skin benefits, and the latest bronzers hydrate and provide comfort to the skin, as well as being buildable and blendable.
Nick Vaus, co-founder and Managing Partner of Free The Birds, the dual function of aesthetics and treatment is a major theme in colour cosmetics that will continue into the future.
“It is no longer just about covering up blemishes or imperfections of the skin – it’s about treating root causes of these perceived imperfections and supporting not just a healthy appearance, but a healthy foundation,” says Vaus.
“The marrying of skin care and cosmetics will only become more and more specialised, with the topical application of breakout ingredients which support healthy ageing and longevity, an issue which generations as young as Gen Z are starting to care about much earlier than their predecessors,” he explains.
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Trend 1: The blurring boom
Once synonymous with Instagram’s early beauty boom, the “blurring” aesthetic is back. But this time, it’s more refined.
Gone is the hyper-glam, high-coverage matte look of the 2010s, replaced with soft-focus finishes and flexible balm-to-powder formulas that promise real-skin texture, shine control and all-day wear.
After years of obsession with glossy, dewy, “glass skin” finishes, consumers are now pivoting toward a more airbrushed yet believable aesthetic.
This trend explores why blurring beauty is having a moment, but this time it’s all about comfort, versatility and skin confidence.
Trend 2: Doughnut applicator lip balms
Balms and glazes have taken over lip make-up in 2025 with glossy, hydrating formulas and ever-expanding ranges of playful shades and flavours.
But possibly the most unexpected trend to surface amid the lip balm craze is a certain style of applicator: the ‘doughnut’ tip.
As the latest expression of beauty’s doughnut craze, these applicator tips are made of silicone and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and shaped like a little ring, or doughnut.
They are bouncy, squishy, offer a cushion-like touch which hugs the lips as the balm is applied, and they have now gone viral, wooing lip balm-loving consumers with their ultra-sensory, ASMR-worthy appeal
Trend 3: Next-gen gripping primers
Make-up primers – developed to provide a smooth, even base that improves the appearance and longevity of make-up – have diversified by need, with versions claiming hydrating, blurring and mattifying capabilities all gracing the market.
And there is one claim, in particular, that’s stuck in the public’s imagination. According to social listening firm Spate, since last year, ‘gripping’ primers have seen a 470% growth in views on TikTok.
But with e.l.f.’s Power Grip having dominated the primer boom for years, can the latest swathe of launches unstick its viral reign?
Trend 4: Look out blush, bronzers are back
From boho fashion and butterfly clips, to low slung jeans and Lindsay Lohan, the Y2K renaissance continues apace.
It is no wonder then, that a key make-up look from the era is making a stealth return – and may even give blush a run for its money.
The latest bronzers are getting an upgrade, as brands offer multi-benefit formulas and formats that bring them a long way from the shimmers of the early 2000s.
Blendable, high performance products with soft, creamy and even jelly textures, that deliver comfort, nourishment and a diffused appearance on the skin are now in demand.
Trend 5: Tubing mascara
With searches for tubing mascara jumping by 100.3% last year, according to Spate, a wave of make-up brands have been focusing on the format for their latest mascara launches – and with great success.
“Tubing mascara is like the cool cousin of traditional mascara,” says Elyse Reneau, Head of Global Make-up at Too Faced.
“It’s a little quirky, totally dependable, and much easier to remove. The biggest perk is no panda eyes, ever.”
This trend explains why tubing mascaras – which first came to market in the nineties – are trending now, and if it’s a fleeting trend, or here to stay.