Magnificence product subscription service IPSY’s report explored shopper habits patterns and product developments recognized via its group of over 20 million magnificence lovers. To collate the information used within the report’s evaluation, IPSY drew from 200 million product opinions and intensive member knowledge from throughout North America, together with product alternatives, suggestions and buying patterns from the previous 12 months.
For cosmetics and private care product producers and suppliers, the findings supply strategic route for innovation, packaging and product launches in 2025 and past.
“We needed to highlight what our members are literally responding to in actual time,” Kristy Westrup, IPSY’s Chief Merchandising Officer, informed CosmeticsDesign. “The info displays not solely what’s trending however what’s changing.”
We spoke to Westrup for her insights into the report’s key takeaways and her recommendation on actionable outcomes for magnificence business stakeholders.
Make-up artist manufacturers outperform superstar traces
One notable shift famous within the report is that make-up artist-founded manufacturers are actually outperforming superstar magnificence traces. Based on Westrup, this pattern is rooted within the worth shoppers place on training.
“There are such a lot of wonderful merchandise on the market, the fixed cycle of enjoyable new classes, new codecs, new formulation is loads to maintain up with – a lot in order that after discovery, an important a part of the client journey is training,” she defined. “Most MUA-founded manufacturers have that training inbuilt as a result of it’s a part of how they relate to their prospects.”
She added that manufacturers with out that pure connection can nonetheless compete. “The excellent news for non-MUA-founded manufacturers is that that is one thing that they’ll emulate, and it’s one thing that IPSY has additionally all the time prioritized for our members.”
Gen Z shifts from perfume to lips
One other vital pattern famous within the report is Gen Z’s pivot from perfume to lip merchandise, particularly glosses and berry tones. Particularly, IPSY reported that in August 2024, berry-toned orders spiked to 422% and 2025 is already seeing a 50% year-over-year enhance in berry shade curiosity.
Based on Westrup, this indicators a shopper need for frolicsome, accessible and low-commitment methods to interact with make-up.
“Gen Z’s elevated curiosity in lip merchandise suggests a choice for inexpensive, low-commitment, but high-impact methods to discover make-up developments, like swiping on a berry-toned gloss,” she stated. “Magnificence TikTok is all about lips lately, too, which is a giant issue because it was with driving perfume.”
She suggested manufacturers to align product improvement with these evolving behaviors: “Manufacturers and producers ought to hold this in thoughts when planning new launches and take into account improvements that supply a flexible and enjoyable method to discover new magnificence appears.”
Maximalism opens doorways for colour, packaging, and collabs
The report additional highlighted the rise of a daring, maximalist aesthetic, impressed partly by cultural hubs like Chicago and Miami. This pattern is informing not simply shade preferences however packaging and collaboration technique.
“At IPSY, our group sits on the intersection of maximalism and exploration. They like to experiment with merchandise and embrace daring, vibrant make-up appears,” stated Westrup. “This ardour for maximalism creates thrilling alternatives for us, from the dynamic number of merchandise we supply to expanded shade ranges that align with our group’s numerous preferences.”
Based on Westrup, this pattern opens the door to inventive model partnerships, similar to “playful collaborations with maximalist magnificence icons, particularly with creatives from design-forward cities that mix magnificence with artwork.”
Hybrid serums overtake foundations
Information from the Magnificence Discovery Report signifies that serums have surpassed foundations in recognition amongst each Gen Z and millennial shoppers, a shift with noteworthy formulation implications. For instance, in accordance with the report, 89% of final 12 months’s IPSY subscriptions included serums and moisturizers, which is an virtually 9% year-over-year enhance, and moisturizer was probably the most bought class.
“Serums present shoppers with a broad vary of purposeful advantages, similar to combining tint, SPF, hydration, and extra in a single product,” stated Westrup.
“Given the rising demand for serums over foundations,” she added, “it’s clear that buyers gravitate in direction of multi-functional skincare-makeup merchandise that simplify and streamline their every day routines—and we don’t see this pattern slowing down anytime quickly in 2025.”
Sampling and subscriptions drive discovery and conversion
With 78% of IPSY members citing the subscription as their main technique of discovering new merchandise, the report additionally underscored the strategic worth of sampling.
“In immediately’s crowded market, it may be robust and expensive to face out,” stated Westrup. “However nothing is extra impactful than getting your product into somebody’s fingers, onto their vainness, and into their routine.”
She emphasised that sampling doesn’t simply drive trial, however delivers quick, actionable knowledge. “Sampling is particularly highly effective for launches,” she defined, “not just for the speedy consciousness and trial it generates, however as a result of inside days, you’ll be able to collect genuine buyer opinions,” including that “as we all know, opinions drive gross sales.”
She concluded that this strategy is equally useful for legacy SKUs: “Everytime you’re trying to increase consciousness, engagement, or pleasure, sampling to an viewers as passionate and beauty-obsessed as IPSY’s members is difficult to beat.”
