Elly Lau is a Behavioural Analyst at Canvas8. With a degree in sociology and Japanese studies from the National University of Singapore, she operates at the intersections of cultural insight, strategy and storytelling. Armed with a uniquely APAC perspective, Elly has conducted research on DIY media in Singapore and East Asian art history. She also writes a music criticism newsletter in her spare time and is a lifelong defender of fangirl culture.

Diversity and inclusion are rapidly becoming the default expectations among beauty shoppers, especially within hair care. Brands are reckoning with these values, whether it's 

 celebrating the role of hair in Black womanhood or 

 showcasing hair diversity during Black History Month. But beyond the 

 of marginalised hair types, Black women's critiques of the 

 – a phenomenon whereby hair products aimed at Black women are more expensive per unit and used more frequently than those aimed at straight hair – signal people's desire for 

don't rely on a one-size-fits-all approach

 are cropping up to capture the 62% of UK Gen Zers who respect brands more if their DE&I initiatives are community-led, as reflected in the Canvas8 survey from June 2023. At the same time, companies are kickstarting conversations on lesser-known stigmas – think 

 spotlighting alopecia among Black women due to the cultural pressures to straighten their hair.

Catering to different lifestyles and hair types

As hair care brands acknowledge the diverse profiles of their customers, they're developing 

 to cater to a broader range of lifestyles and hair types. For instance, 

 focuses on gym-goers with fitness-oriented products that offer a convenient alternative to dry shampoo for post-workout beauty rituals. And as people become 

savvier about their individual hair needs

 and the ingredients that go into their hair products – thanks to what OLAPLEX chief marketing officer Charlotte Wilson calls the “skinification” of hair care – brands are stepping up in their personalisation efforts. From 

 microbiome-boosting range for prebiotic aficionados to 

 hair health assessment tool for shoppers with textured hair, the possibilities are endless. The drive to create niche experiences has also trickled into hairdressing. For instance, Sydney-based salon 

 is transforming catch-ups with hairstylists into safe spaces to talk about climate anxiety.

While beauty has long been a medium for championing individuality, people are now weaving hair into their personal stories and identities in more prominent ways. As hair care becomes more integral than ever in people's everyday beauty routines, it's no surprise that they're seeking inclusive, accessible tools to help them wear their hair proudly. For instance, Black-led hair care brand 

 to offer limited-edition bundles that tie in with the hairstyles featured on the show. In London, 

 allows customers to experiment with hair looks in a sustainable, affordable manner. The demand for culturally specific narratives surrounding hair is also seeing the hyper-local take centre stage, with young Latinos reclaiming the oft-memed ‘

’ as a symbol of working-class Chicano identity, and Dove's 

 campaign speaks up against forced haircuts for girls in Thailand.

of Americans agree that brands often fail to acknowledge the diversity within minority or marginalised communities

OOO-ing Studio is breaking beauty standards in Taiwan by popularising face-framing jellyfish cuts and acid-neon colours. As people look for ways to defy social standards, brands are pushing individuality and self-expression by centering discourse around different definitions of beauty and style.

OOO-ing Studio: taboo-breaking hair styles in Taiwan

As consumers become more diverse with each generation general hair treatment lacks in comparison, especially for the unique texture of Latine hair. Ceremonia addresses this by bridging the gap between the lack of variety in the hair care industry and the Latine community’s focus on wellness.

Ceremonia: formulating holistic hair care for Latines

Similar to the way skincare boomed as people looked for ways to take control of self-care routines, hair care is next in line. People are understanding the nuances of hair care better and are looking for brands and products that understand them deeply, work well, and don’t compromise on their values.

What are Aussies looking for from specialised hair care?

Dove Men+Care has tapped former NFL player Marshawn Lynch as the face of its whole-body deodorant sprays. As multifunctional products enter personal care routines, brands can partner with aspirational figures who can spotlight the benefits of holistic care on the go.

Dove taps former NFL player to bust whole body odor taboo

Cult beauty brand Glossier got worldwide coverage when it partnered with the USA women’s basketball team for the Paris 2024 Olympics. As women’s sports finally get the attention they deserve, beauty brands can explore opportunities in a previously male-dominated market.

Why Glossier levels the field for active beauty buffs

The beauty brand is helping women counteract the often restrictive resolutions with their body confidence program. This campaign joins the ranks of brands supporting people who are seeking holistic approaches to wellbeing that allow them to define their health on their own terms.

Dove's New Year campaign challenges toxic resolutions

L’Oréal has acquired South Korean skincare brand Dr.G from Swiss retail group Migros. As social media erodes barriers to international cultural exchange, demand is increasing for products and experiences beyond borders, like K-beauty. 

L'Oréal leans into K-beauty demand

Leaning heavily into traditional notions of masculinity, Trump’s cologne launch has sparked debate about the future of men’s grooming. With gender conservatism on the rise in the US, experts think representations of masculinity in this space will grow increasingly polarized.

Trump fragrance line reflects masculinity split

India’s beauty market is evolving rapidly, fuelled by the convenience and discoverability of e-commerce, social media, and quick commerce platforms. As Indian’s embrace premium products and tech tools like virtual try-ons, brands are racing to capture attention, especially in Tier 2 and 3 cities.

How tech and quick commerce are transforming Indian beauty

The battle for market share in beauty retail is heating up between discount and convenience stores in South Korea. As the boundaries between mass and premium increasingly blur, brands in the space can dial up personalised experiences to set themselves apart from low-cost competitors.

Convenience stores disrupt premium K-beauty retail

Ulta tried to appeal to younger generations by launching a 68-piece toy collection mirroring its most popular beauty products. The move has been controversial with parents and caregivers, who want brands to protect their kids and educate them about harmful beauty standards.

Parents seek more educational brands in Ulta backlash

Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2025 is Mocha Mousse, a muted brown in the red-orange family. The color is meant to evoke a sense of calm and connection to the Earth in a seemingly increasingly unstable world, linking to our desire for comfort and all-encompassing forms of wellbeing.

Pantone’s Color of the Year taps comfort and wellbeing

Influencer and user-generated content (UGC) is powering a second wave of popularity for K-beauty, following a global trend that values authenticity over celebrity ambassadorships. In this shifting consumer landscape, brands are creating inclusive products and tapping more diverse creators to represent them.

How UGC kick-started the revival of K-beauty

As young Britons embrace their skincare era early, brands like Bubble have mastered the art of appealing to UK Gen Alphas. With skincare skewing younger, brands can go beyond TikTok to educate and empower young fans (and their purse-wielding parents) with age-appropriate products and guidance.

How Bubble won over Gen Alphas with tween-safe skincare

In an era dominated by AI, social media filters, and tweakments, body horror aesthetics are challenging traditional beauty norms and exploring the tension between humanity and technology. By embracing imperfection, distortion, and the macabre, this movement redefines self-expression for a new generation.

Body horror aesthetics are so hot right now

New York-based nail studio Chillhouse has partnered with Cash App to introduce a payments-via-chip technology embedded in nail extensions. As people seek financial hacks and frictionless shopping, brands can play a pivotal role in ensuring the privacy and security of customers remain uncompromised.

Chillhouse and Cash App roll out nail chip payments

Brazilian cosmetics brand O Boticário’s Christmas ad encourages open conversations among families about care costs and responsibilities. As more generations opt to live together due to the cost of living crisis, brands can go beyond empathetic messaging to offer tangible support for carers.

O Boticário’s ad unites families burdened by care costs 

Gen Z men are transforming hair care, swapping traditional gels for products that prioritize health, hydration, and natural texture. Fueled by wellness trends and sustainability values, they demand clean, ethical formulations and embrace individuality. How will brands meet this self-care revolution?

Why Gen Z men are redefining hair care as wellness

A 77-year-old YouTuber @koreagrandma is launching a skincare brand in collaboration with global cosmetics giant Cosmax. While anti-ageing concerns still dominate beauty trends, older adult influencers who promote self-care are paving the way for pro-ageing rituals instead.

Viral South Korean influencer challenges ageing attitudes

Nike has partnered with renowned make-up artist Isamaya Ffrench to create two fresh colourways of the Air Max Dn. The collab draws inspiration from women athletes whose influence extends from the field of play to the fashion world, further blurring the boundaries between fashion, sport, and beauty.

Nike x Isamaya Ffrench collab bridges beauty and sport

48 Collagen Café in Paris blends beauty and wellness through collagen drinks and treatments. Located in the trendy 9th arrondissement, it caters to the beauty-from-within trend, providing aesthetic lattes and rejuvenation sessions, making it a hub for quick, yet premium and experiential, self-care.

How 48 Collagen Café makes healthy drinks for beauty buffs

With personal care products reflecting the skin-brain connection, neurocosmetics brand JustHuman meets Indians' demand for verifiable ‘clean beauty.' Using a science-backed approach, the brand caters to oft-ignored Gen X women, helping them battle negative environmental changes and stressors.

How JustHuman rethinks beauty for mindful women in India

In partnership with Shanghai’s Power Station of Art Museum, Aesop debuted a themed event that blended film exhibitions with the brand’s new, limited-edition Gift Kit sets. The effort taps into the rising interest of Chinese shoppers in experiential brand pop-ups aligning with their personal hobbies.

Aesop taps Chinese cinephiles in film-themed activation

The health-focused scanning app Yuka has introduced a feature to bring power to shoppers pushing for changes in the food and beauty industries. This aligns with the high demand for transparency and accountability as people prioritise informed, ethical, and sustainable choices.

Yuka turns shoppers into change agents

TikTok is placing age restrictions on some of its beauty filters to address concerns about how they impact the mental health of its teenage users. With young people feeling increased pressure to look perfect online, there’s a need for more open dialog to combat toxic beauty standards.

TikTok blocks beauty filters for teens' mental health 

Nostalgia, global permacrisis, and a rejection of perfection have led to a sea change and the revival of messier, more chaotic cultural aesthetics. How can brands engage with this ever-shifting trend landscape while maintaining the integrity of their identity and customer loyalty?

Why messy aesthetics signal rebellion against perfection

Sleep tech start-up Asleep is launching an AI-powered assistant to meet the growing demand for accessible and tech-driven wellness solutions. With Z-Talk, it's feeding into a desire for brands to help people manage their wellbeing through personalised and innovative products.

AI sleep assistant targets growing stress relief needs

The Ordinary is countering the chaos of Black Friday with a slower approach to November sales, using striking campaigns to unveil the realities of this harmful phenomenon. The brand’s bold actions embody a growing movement toward mindful, intentional shopping over unnecessary consumerism.

The Ordinary's Black Friday ads target slower shoppers

A survey has found that of those using TikTok as a source of inspiration while doing their holiday shopping, nearly half are looking for food and beverage-related gifts. As food intersects with other areas of culture, like fashion, high-end food and drink products are becoming status symbols.

People turn to TikTok in search of food-related gifts 

French TikTok idol Bach Buquen has risen to social media stardom thanks to his mission to normalise make-up for men. Sporting a ‘hetero-dude’ image, his influence is pushing more of his male Gen Z peers to buy into cosmetics, making male make-up not just acceptable but aspirational.

Gen Z French TikToker is normalising make-up for men

Prestige beauty brands are standing out as desirable gifts for the holidays, according to a Circana report, especially in homes with Gen Alpha kids. These findings show that shopping habits are still being driven by desires for little luxuries amid economic challenges and social media inspiration.

Gen Alphas use beauty for 'little luxury' holiday gifts

Cosmetic treatments like injectibles are being rebranded as 'skincare', downplaying their invasive nature and blurring lines with traditional beauty routines. Despite the normalisation of ‘tweakments’, a stigma persists, highlighting a need for open conversations around evolving beauty practices.

People are reframing cosmetic work as skincare 

From creating futuristic skincare experiences to helping women through ageing woes, Shiseido shines in both worlds. With its significant comeback in Japan and slow decline in other regions, the J-beauty powerhouse continues gaining ground, especially with men’s brewing soft spot for beauty.

How Shiseido highlights individuality for J-beauty buffs

As the beauty market becomes oversaturated, people want products to work harder and to deliver on multiple fronts. They’re also seeking new routines which make them feel good. As desires and preferences differ across demographics, products need to be smart and adaptable.

Adapt it, hack it

With many now enjoying greater and more detailed understanding of skincare and skin health, they’re seeking new avenues to experiment with this knowledge and to express themselves. Moving away from just the face, there’s a shift towards investing effort and money in whole-body rituals that make people feel both well and confident.




Body Care Buzz

As perfume’s stellar growth continues, beauty fans are becoming more thoughtful about the impact of scents on their mood and wellbeing. People are using scents – both personal perfumes and home fragrances – to build personal spaces they’re comfortable and confident in.

Elevated scents 

The growing size and diverse geographies of the beauty market mean that people’s purchasing journeys are becoming more complex. Amid the expanding range of retail destinations, inspirations, and knowledge, brands need to offer a seamless and practical way of discovery that also enables emotional connection.

Valued Connections 

Korea’s Gen Zers and Alphas are snapping up smaller-sized cosmetics to affordably splurge on beauty and test new products before committing to them. As mini items flood an already oversaturated market, brands can lean into new, unique modes of personalisation that tiny product design facilitates.

Koreans buy mini make-up for low-cost experimentation

In an era in which Gen Z and Y value authenticity, athletes transformed the 2024 Olympics into a canvas for personalisation – and beauty and fashion brands were on hand to collaborate. But how exactly did athletes become our new cultural vanguards?

How beauty is tapping into Gen Z's shifting sports attitudes

What are the latest developments in beauty retail? How are people using fragrance to transform themselves and their spaces? What is the potential of body care as people are increasingly interested in taking care of their skin beyond their face? How are beauty routines changing?

Beauty Sector Snapshot: November 2024

Brazilian beauty brand Natura has launched the first sonic logo created with bioelectric sonar signals from the Amazon rainforest. Amid a sense of climate fatigue, it's showing how brands can harness novelty and creativity to strengthen people’s relationships with nature.

Natura harnesses sounds from Amazon trees for sonic logo

Gen Zers in the UK are now taking body care as seriously as skincare. To fit into their detailed shower rituals, they’re looking for affordable, non-toxic, and sustainable products that – perhaps most significantly – deliver on their promises. So, how are brands adapting to attract this cohort?

What do Gen Z Britons want from body care?

Facing economic uncertainty and shifting cultural values, Germans are seeking affordable, high-quality beauty products that reflect their personal values. How are indie brands filling this gap with innovative, inclusive, and sustainable offerings?

How German shoppers are embracing indie beauty brands

L’Oréal’s three-year partnership with the Louvre will kick off with an immersive beauty-inspired tour. The collaboration speaks to desires on both sides to emphasise the links between art and beauty, highlighting an opportunity for the alignment between cultural and personal aesthetics.

L’Oréal x Louvre partnership combines beauty and art

The revival of Tom Ford’s Oud Minérale – and its move from the brand’s Private Blend collection to its Signature Line – taps into a desire for self-expression, little luxuries, and ‘smellmaxxxing’, even if on a budget. The scent draws fragrance fans and young men still forming their identities.

How Oud Minérale embodies the essence of personal luxury

At The Benemart, Benefit Cosmetics’ virtual shopping experience, people can shop, game, and socialise simultaneously. Brands continue to offer initiatives that blend the physical and digital world to engage shoppers, while also incorporating gaming elements to appeal to younger generations.

Benefit Cosmetics launches virtual shopping experience

Dubbed 'winter arc', a fitness trend aimed towards men is spreading online. Seeped in language and optics that push for self-discipline and productivity, the trend speaks to how body optimisation is quickly becoming viewed as a year-round form of self-improvement for men.

'Winter arc' trend pushes body optimisation in winter

Puig exceeded expectations with its Q3 earnings, bolstered by fragrance and skincare sales and demand in the EMEA region and Americas. As brands within luxury ponder whether to ‘go high’ or 'go low', Puig is opting for an enticing strategy – ‘go niche’ to stand out in a turbulent market.

Puig courts niche audiences within luxury

German brand Weleda has been creating botanical formulas for over 100 years, with Rihanna and Julia Roberts among its celebrity advocates. As people grow unsatisfied with simple ‘natural’ claims, the brand’s continued success stems from its adaptation to the need for transparency in beauty.

How Weleda repackages skincare for eco-conscious Germans

Discothèque’s perfumes aim to capture the smells of infamous nightclubs from around the world, speaking to Gen Zers' nostalgia for more unfiltered days in a globalised context and ensuring an array of nightly touchpoints are captured.

Discothèque's perfumes smell like infamous nightclubs

TikTok is fast turning into an online shopping destination, and it’s reshaping the way we shop as a result. No industry has been more affected by this online retail revolution than the beauty business. How has ‘shoppertainment’ sent sales of make-up, skincare and hair care soaring?

How TikTok Shop is revolutionising UK beauty e-commerce

A-beauty is evolving, shaped by shifting consumer values around authenticity, sustainability, and inclusivity. From the rise of male grooming and cruelty-free products to the pushback against beauty fatigue, Aussie brands are responding with innovation and transparency to win over discerning buyers.

Why A-beauty’s ethical glow-up is going global

Glossier has launched a series of billboard and digital ads urging voter registration in key swing states ahead of the US election. As it becomes increasingly difficult for brands to dodge the crossfire of polarization, the campaign makes a case for doubling down on a clear brand purpose.

Glossier reaffirms brand politics in pre-election push

With tech integrations, shifting wellness priorities, and the increasing popularity of cosmetic enhancement, oral care is getting the luxury treatment. As demand for high-quality, aesthetically pleasing oral care solutions grows, brands are responding with gamified experiences and innovative products.

Why luxury oral care is America’s next wellness obsession

The perfume industry, while smaller than the broader luxury market, is growing nearly twice as fast, driven by innovations that merge fragrance with emotional wellbeing. As people increasingly prioritize self-care – reflected in the rise of wellness spending and a greater focus on beauty – fragrance is evolving into a key player for ‘scentsational’ mind-body connection.

Why fragrance is the new quiet exclusivity in the US

Gen Z’s Y3K aesthetic envisions the year 3000 through the nostalgic lens of Y2K retrofuturism, offering Gen Zers a new way to express themselves. Brands can respond by matching their desire to experiment with identity and blur the lines between the old and the new, the digital and the physical.

How Y3K became Gen Z’s futuristic fashion frontier

Changing norms around male grooming, new-age body ideals and cosmetic advancements are causing an uptick in men seeking six-pack surgery. Grappling with new pressures around appearance and status, surgical treatments are seen as the quick-fix path to self-improvement for a growing number of men.

Body dissatisfaction leads men to undergo ab-sculpting

As people’s suncare needs have changed,  established and emerging brands have evolved to keep up. While there are more sun protection offerings than ever before, gaps in the market remain: how can brands fill them and what does achieving and maintaining success in the suncare space look like today?

How suncare is glowing up

TikTok Shop has launched the UK’s first-ever Super Brand Day with L’Oreal Paris, featuring a 12-hour live beauty shopping event streamed at Piccadilly Circus. In a social shopping era, live streams have become a hub for community engagement centred around shared interests and product placements.

L'Oreal Paris' 'Super Brand Day' courts social shoppers

Glossier has launched its first 'athlete-proof' lip gloss in partnership with the WNBA. As the beauty sector continues to intersect with the world of sports, niche brand collaborations will be crucial in re-framing outdated biases around beauty and building products that adapt to the needs of all.

Glossier and WNBA deepen make-up's place in sport

A viral trend sees users deconstruct their overnight self-care routine in a bid to wake up looking their best. As beauty and wellness rituals gradually merge, people are taking a more integrated approach to personal care, but experts urge that some extreme measures may fuel harmful beauty standards.

‘Morning shed’ trend signals beauty-wellness fusion

Dove may be known for its focus on doing good for women, but Greenpeace is drawing attention to its role in damaging the planet through plastic pollution. With people cynical about eco efforts, they're looking to businesses to hold themselves, and each other, to account.

Greenpeace campaign targets greenwashing from Dove

E.l.f. has announced Get Ready With Music: The Album, a 16-track release inspired by the 'get ready with me' trend. Crafting a soundtrack for beauty routines, the move taps into the deep connection people feel between makeup and music as tools for self-expression and community-building.

E.l.f original album merges worlds of beauty and music 

Body deodorants are transforming our approach to sweat and body odour in unexpected places, and demand for them is rising. Cultural shifts and open conversations are driving a shift to safe, multifunctional alternatives to traditional antiperspirants. How can brands navigate this space with empathy?

Why are people using more body deodorants?

Back-to-schoolers are booking 5 am natural glam makeup appointments for the first day of school. As teenagers and Gen Alpha increasingly spend on beauty products, this trend raises concerns about their priorities on aesthetics, driven by social media's influence on their self-image.

Teens are hiring back-to-school makeup artists

Dove has teamed up with tennis star Venus Williams to launch the brand’s first-ever beauty bar collaboration. As more women and girls engage in sports participation and fandom, brands have the opportunity to showcase their dedication by breaking down entry barriers through meaningful partnerships.

Dove taps Venus Williams to help girls stay in sports

Diptyque Paris is debuting a luxury perfume concept that draws inspiration from the natural world. The collection caters to fragrance enthusiasts seeking unique, exclusive offerings, aligning with the growing trend of personal expression through niche, narrative-led perfumes.

Diptyque launches luxury line of conceptual scents

Tapping into sustainable shoppers in Barcelona, Aesop has launched a new store built on recycled local materials. The brand aims to spotlight its commitment to circularity and sustainability while inspiring others to explore the creative reuse of materials within a unique retail and design experience.

Aesop's anastylosis-centred design targets eco shoppers

Beauty

People are demanding brands recognise the link between hair and identity

Critiques of Eurocentric beauty ideals are on the rise, and hair care is increasingly recognised as something that represents an individual's culture and identity. Hair discrimination is being called out in the industry and wider society, and people are pushing for better representation and products tailored to their needs.