As the new post-pandemic normal settles in and people adapt to a context of uncertainty, constant adversities, and pessimism, we are moving away from a moment in which consumers expected brands to rise up to society's challenges and into one when they’re demanding genuine allyship from businesses.

Experiment is filling the eco-conscious skincare gap with innovative products like its Avant Guard mask – aligning with Gen Z’s conscious consumption ideals. As younger cohorts shop with their values and demand planet-positive products, how can beauty brands adapt and push for positive change?

Beauty brand Starface has partnered with Instagram account @afffirmations, creating posts featuring ironic inspirational quotes around people’s experience with acne, such as "my breakouts are iconic." Getting Gen Zer humour right is a fine art, but it can pay dividends with a young audience.

Revolution has launched aShrek-themed make-up line that feeds Gen Yers and Zers' appetite for nostalgia. It follows a string of other collaborations from the brand based on films released in the '90s and 2000s, all of which facilitate playful escapism to help navigate through turbulent times.

What can the rise of ‘bad beauty’ tell us about the tastes of a new generation of consumers more focused on individualism and intersectionality than any before? And how do products need to embrace the revolutionary and rebellious nature of Gen Zers in order to win them over?