Beauty isn’t a side note anymore
For a long time, style talk started and ended with clothes. The jacket that sits just right on the shoulders. The dress that makes you stand a little taller. Shoes that make noise on purpose. All of that still counts, of course — but if you watch real people on real mornings (the coffee queue, the school run, the Tube), you’ll notice something else running the show. Beauty.
Skincare is now king in the beauty market, representing 40% of the total revenue, with hair care at 22% and cosmetics at 20%. This is a paradigm shift in our daily decision-making on style. It’s the perfume that arrives a second before you do. The concealer that erases the three hours of sleep you didn’t get. The lipstick is living in your coat pocket like a tiny emergency flare.
And “luxury”? That word has wandered far from velvet ropes and glass counters. 58% of shoppers now allocate between $1 to $100 monthly for skincare and makeup, proving that luxury is small and repeatable. A serum that makes you enjoy your own face under bathroom lighting. The scent you spritz even when you’re staying in. A £12 nail colour that gets you compliments at the till.
1) Perfume: the outfit you can’t see
You can be in jeans and a jumper and still look… expensive. That’s perfume. Research shows just how powerful this invisible accessory has become: around 41% of females in the U.S. use perfumes every day, and 78% of UK consumers believe that fragrances can improve their mental wellbeing.
A quick scene: Monday, grey sky, lukewarm coffee. You’re half a beat behind the timetable. Two sprays of something bright — lemon peel, tea, a bit of neroli — and suddenly the morning has edges again. This isn’t just perception; 40% of fragrance consumers believe in the ability of fragrances to enhance emotional wellbeing.
The fragrance market reflects this emotional connection. Perfume and fragrance stores in the U.S. are generating $7.7 billion in 2025, while premium Parfum is projected to grow at an 8.23% CAGR from 2025-2030, outpacing the overall market. Scent has democratised — and it’s better for it.
2) Makeup: the daily power play (and sometimes, the safety net)
Perfume whispers; makeup talks. Not loud, necessarily. Just clear. There’s a particular kind of morning when a single makeup choice changes the temperature. A red lip that fixes posture. A skin tint that still looks like skin. Cream blusher on the tube, done with a fingertip.
Surveyed Gen Zers tend to splurge on beauty (29 percent), reflecting makeup’s role as daily armour. Social media turbocharges this. E-commerce sales of beauty products have grown by 20% annually since 2022, with trends born on Tuesday afternoons reaching kitchens across the country that evening.
If you’re curating your kit, you don’t need everything. You need pieces that solve mornings: the base that doesn’t fight your moisturizer, a mascara that behaves on wet days, the palette that makes sense with every jumper you own. When you’re ready to look around, explore curated selections like makeup and beauty at Glow Empire — less rummaging, more finding. Pick pieces that solve mornings.
Beauty as lifestyle (not an afterthought)
“Self-care” became a practical routine. A 25% CAGR is fueling the clean beauty market boom, reflecting consumers’ shift toward wellness-integrated beauty. Laundry on Sunday; yes. But also: hair mask while the oven is on. A face mist by the desk. Two perfumes on the dressing table because layering is a small joy.
It’s all serious. Beauty keeps borrowing from wellness; wellness borrows back. The numbers don’t lie: $89.7 billion on beauty in the U.S. in 2025 – the highest in the world.
The affordable-luxury shift (why the good stuff isn’t rare anymore)
People are savvy now. We read ingredients. We compare swatches on actual faces. 83 percent of consumers surveyed feel hair care is affordable, but that figure drops to 67 percent for fragrances, showing price sensitivity across categories.
Result? Affordable luxury — the phrase that used to feel like wishful thinking — is just… the market. Online sales are projected to contribute 38.4% of the total revenue in the Beauty & Personal Care market by 2025. E-commerce flattened the old gatekeeping. You don’t need a flagship store within walking distance.
The trends running the show (2025’s real habits)
Skinimalism, but not bare
Fewer steps. Better steps. The data backs this: skincare’s 40% market dominance reflects consumers choosing quality over quantity.
Layered scent
A soft base you can live in; a bolder top you can add at 6 p.m. Premium Parfum’s higher fragrance oil concentration (20-30%) ensures intense, long-lasting scent experiences.
Inclusivity matters
50% of beauty consumers prioritize inclusivity and diversity when choosing brands. Notes don’t have a passport. If you like woods, wear woods.
Cleaner choices, smarter packaging
Current trends prioritize organic and sustainable beauty products with natural ingredients and eco-friendly packaging. Refill when you can. Buy less, finish more.
Build a “beauty wardrobe” (the no-panic version)
Fashion people love a capsule. Beauty people should steal the idea. Start with what you always reach for:
- one fragrance that feels like home
- a base that works with fingers on the bus
- a neutral eye that plays nicely with everything else you own
Then add seasonal switches. Consumers are more interested in floral, fresh, and citrus scents that leave a refreshed feeling — perfect for summer rotations.
The quiet psychology (why we keep buying the small things)
We don’t pick up beauty just to look “nice.” The research reveals deeper motivations: fragrances can improve mental wellbeing, while metropolitan consumers seek relaxing experiences beyond just products.
Maybe it’s the perfume that drops you straight back into childhood. Or the lipstick you apply before meetings. These aren’t shallow habits. They’re affordable fixes with real weight — which explains why beauty spending remains resilient even during economic uncertainty.
Practical edits that actually help mornings (and evenings)
- Keep a tiny kit in your bag: lip balm, travel perfume, brow gel
- Five-minute face: skin (SPF + concealer), brows, one statement
- Layer fragrance: clean base at 8 a.m., warmer top at 6 p.m.
- Buy palettes that respect your commute: no fallout, working brushes
- Finish things: The end of a bottle is proof you’re buying right
When beauty meets clothes (quiet maths)
Beauty gives minimal wardrobes more range. 35% year-over-year growth in beauty eCommerce reflects how consumers are investing in versatile beauty over fast fashion. A silk shirt feels different with a fresh green scent than with amber. Trainers and lipstick. Tailoring and bare face. It’s all conversation.
What to buy next (if you’re stuck)
Given that luxury perfume demand among men is expanding at 6.6% CAGR, driven by Gen Z’s increasing interest, consider:
- A fragrance you’ll actually wear on Tuesdays
- A base you can apply standing up
- One “loud” thing you can turn down
- A moisturiser that makes you finish the pot
- The brow product that doesn’t migrate
Closing note: luxury, un-gated
5.7 million jobs globally depend on an industry that’s democratised luxury. You don’t need designer labels to feel polished. Keep it bare Wednesday, go chrome Saturday. Wear oud to the office if it makes emails nicer.
Beauty isn’t a test you pass or fail. It’s how you change the channel on a day that won’t behave — and how you celebrate one that does. With specialty beauty retailers growing 14 percent last year, the market confirms what we already knew: beauty belongs in daily life.
That’s luxury. And the data proves it’s for everyone now.