Key takeaways on mini cosmetics market
- Retailers and brands are expanding travel-sized and discovery formats.
- Packaging suppliers are innovating to meet demand for compact, premium products.
- Gen Z consumers value affordability, variety, and portability in beauty products.
According to a 2025 report from Circana, the mini cosmetics market in the US grew by 13% year on year.
In this market, the cosmetics retailer Ulta Beauty has also been regularly expanding its mini and travel-sized product assortment, as has another beauty retailer, Sephora, in European countries.
In the UK market, news reports said that beauty retailer Superdrug saw sales of its Mini Studio range grow by 54% in 2025 versus last year, reaching a value of £211k.
As well as being ideal for travel or on-the-go application, mini-sized cosmetics are also an accessible way to try trending products and discover new brands. They also make the perfect affordable gift or stocking filler during the festive season. Given all these factors, it appears that minis are far more than a temporary fad.
Packaging innovations drive accessibility and experimentation
In late 2025, the packaging company Asquan launched Makeup Minis, which includes teeny tiny lip products like gloss, balm and tint, as well as mini tubes with precision tips for easy application of balms and creams.
Another cosmetics packaging and application tools manufacturer Cosmogen has recently developed customised packaging for mini-format lipsticks for L’Oréal Group’s prestige brands, including Valentino Beauty, Lancôme, YSL Beauty, Armani Beauty and Prada Beauty.
According to Maud Lelièvre, who is Marketing & Communication Director at Cosmogen, this mini-format strategy allows brands to offer collections of multiple shades at an accessible price point. It responds to the expectations expressed by Gen Z and facilitates access to makeup offerings in discovery or travel contexts.
“Mini lipsticks allow the prestige brands of the L’Oréal Group to broaden access to their collections through discovery sets and travel retail, without compromising design or user experience,” explained Lelièvre.
“Gen Z is particularly receptive, valuing both the price–value ratio and the ability to own multiple shades at once; it is an effective alternative between single-use samples, which are set to disappear, and full-size products that can limit experimentation,” she said.
While the products for L’Oréal were bespoke, Cosmogen said it also offers a standard ‘ready-to-go’ mini format with a 1.4g capacity, which is increasingly popular for indie startups to optimise lead times, costs, and industrial consistency.
Lelièvre believes that demand for mini cosmetics is clearly increasing, driven by travel retail and discovery-oriented consumption, where compact formats have become strategic. “Mini lipsticks address needs for mobility, trial, and the creation of multi-shade routines at an accessible price point,” she explained.
She also said that these formats are particularly favoured by younger and urban-based consumers who are seeking out premium products at lower prices, along with product variety and experimentation, and even the collectability factor.
