Key takeaways on the period drama beauty takeover
- Beauty brands are rapidly aligning with period dramas such as Bridgerton and Wuthering Heights, using nostalgia and cinematic aesthetics to drive product innovation.
- Fragrance launches dominate the trend, with Coty, Floral Street, and Dior Beauty tapping into regency-inspired storytelling.
- Retailers and suppliers, from Ulta Beauty to Hunter Luxury, report heightened consumer engagement with “romantic”, “gothic”, and regency-era aesthetics.
- Search behaviour shows explosive interest in period-inspired beauty, especially gothic romance looks.
We may only be in February, but 2026 has already become a year of bodice-ripping period drama.
Let’s start with the Netflix period drama Bridgerton. Part one of the show’s fourth season was released on 29 January, with the second instalment set to arrive in late February.
To celebrate the return of the series – which ranks among the top ten most popular English‑language television releases of all time – a stream of beauty brands has collaborated with the Bridgerton universe to launch themed collections or products inspired by the show.
Beauty brands harness the power of Bridgerton’s global influence
From LVMH’s Dior Beauty, which has signed Bridgerton actor Florence Hunt as its newest Brand Ambassador, to British indie fragrance brand Floral Street – which unveiled a new floral gourmand eau de parfum, Enchanted Masquerade, created in collaboration with the show – beauty brands are eager to be linked to the cult-status show.
Unilever’s skincare brand Dove has created a limited-edition bodycare range for the UK market. The launch is designed to attract younger shoppers.
“This partnership is a perfect example of how Dove can connect with new audiences by embedding itself within a cultural phenomenon,” explained Dove Skin Cleansing & Masterbrand Marketing Manager, Libby Shiel. “This collaboration will bring real excitement to the personal care category with highly engaging in-store activations sure to drive incremental purchases and therefore category value.”
The range is priced between £4.50 and £8.00 and will includes a body wash, body scrub and an antiperspirant spray.
Fragrances appear to be a standout category for this trend. For example, Coty’s new fragrance incubator, CotyLab, has dedicated an entire seasonal collection to the regal world of Bridgerton.
The three‑piece line features Eau de Parfums in Tempting Peach, Rebel Vanilla and Graceful Hydrangea, available in 50ml and 10ml sizes. Its marketing campaign is narrated by Queen Charlotte (actress Golda Rosheuvel).
From the clear glass bottle – which Coty says “alludes to apothecary bottles from a bygone time” – to the Damask ornamentation on the label and box, the perfumes are unapologetically devoted to the series.
“With the Bridgerton fragrance collection, Coty is redefining how storytelling comes to life through scent,” said Coty’s UUCANN President, Amaury de Vallois. “As the first launch from CotyLab, this collection reflects our ambition to fuse cultural relevance, creative innovation and olfactive excellence.”
Ulta Beauty has also joined the Bridgerton moment, becoming the exclusive US retailer for the CotyLab scent collection – a strategic move given US consumers’ ongoing love of English period drama.
Vice President of Merchandising at Ulta Beauty, Linda Suliafu, said: “Bridgerton is a cultural phenomenon, and we are thrilled to collaborate with Coty to bring this fragrance collection to life for our guests.”
Suliafu added that Ulta Beauty shoppers across all generations remain highly engaged with the fragrance category, embracing scent as a form of self‑expression, self‑care, and a way of building community through shared inspiration.
“We’re proud to be the exclusive US retailer offering a limited‑edition experience that blends prestige fragrance, romance and pop‑culture magic," she said.
Demand for regency-era packaging surges
The influence has reached packaging too. UK‑based luxury packaging supplier Hunter Luxury says demand for regency‑era styling has surged, prompting the launch of its ‘regency collection’ of vanity cases, cosmetics pouches and drawstring purses inspired by historical reticules.
Product Inspiration Manager Amanda Wakeling said the trend has “emerged from genuine fascination with how period dramas manage to make the past feel urgently, thrillingly present, how they balance historical authenticity with contemporary sensibilities, and how they transform corsets and carriages into cultural phenomena that generate hundreds of millions in economic impact.”
Gothic romance fuels demand for moodier, cinematic beauty looks
Meanwhile, the new Wuthering Heights adaptation starring Margot Robbie has just arrived in cinemas, and according to Google Trends, searches for ‘Wuthering Heights beauty’ have surged by 724%.
This spike suggests that audiences want to translate the film’s moody, textured aesthetic into real‑life styling choices: windswept waves, smoky eyes and a brooding, anti‑hero‑inspired look that embodies ‘Moor‑core’.
Beauty Expert at booking platform Fresha, Annabelle Taurua, has observed the trend. “From undone, textured hair to smudged, smoky eyes, this trend leans into darker, moodier styles that add real depth and character.
“Gothic‑romance might look dramatic at first glance, but it’s surprisingly wearable. Rooted in ease, it’s all about loose hair, imperfect finishes and make-up that feels lived‑in rather than styled to perfection,” she said. “The looks are cinematic, romantic, and full of texture and personality, which stylistically capture this aesthetic.”
Pinterest is also forecasting the rise of the ‘vamp romantic’, and TikTok searches for ‘romantic gothic makeup’ jumped more than 1,000% in mid‑February alone.
All signs point to beauty shoppers moving far beyond the yawn‑inducing ‘clean girl’ aesthetic towards something far more emotional, expressive and atmospheric. As gothic romance and regency trends continue to dominate, expect to see plenty more soft waves, smoky eyes and heightened drama.
