From decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs) run on Discord to city-wide mutual aid groups, people are finding safety and optimism in numbers. For growing numbers of people, collective action is emerging as the only viable solution to compounding crises and deepening alienation.

Once a signifier of luxury or novelty, custom products and services are now within reach of the everyday consumer, thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence, algorithm-led platforms, and the COVID-era digitisation boom. Today, everyone wants to be the main character of their brand experience.

How are digital worlds reimagining IRL beauty? What do skintellectuals want from brands? And how is emerging tech shifting consumer expectations of cosmetics? In this part of the 2023 Expert Outlook, we speak to three experts about how online and offline innovations are impacting beauty routines.

Chinese Gen Zers are brand-savvy shoppers who have more access to product information than their predecessors. But how exactly is this consumer power affecting their beauty buying habits? What do they expect from cosmetics brands and how are their demands shaping the sector?

Sephora is making a move to support the rising global dominance of the Chinese beauty market. As consumers want products that meet local beauty standards and have an air of homegrown heritage and appeal, brands are targeting beauty connoisseurs through products that transcend cultures and borders.

In Japan, as middle-aged men become more conscious of how they look, they're turning to cosmetics – particularly as the idea of ‘skin health’ for all is normalised. Brands have the opportunity to help men ease ageing-related anxieties and boost self-confidence with targeted products.