Shaved heads, no eyebrows and messy makeup are some of the latest visuals popping up in beauty as Generation Z emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic looking to flip the lid on dated, traditional narratives.
Exclusive insights from a host of thriving beauty brands have revealed how firms can understand the purchasing behaviours of Gen Zs and better connect with them, while also exploring how this radical generation could fundamentally change the industry...
Beauty brands must start to create camera-first digital strategies because consumer interaction with the tool is evolving fast, particularly amongst Gen Z and Millennial beauty seekers on Snapchat, say executives at Snap Inc.
UK high street cosmetics brand Lottie London is expanding fast, developing trend-forward beauty items inspired by social media buzz amongst its Gen Z target audience, its founder says.
Chinese video-sharing platform Bilibili is steadily becoming a key marketing channel for beauty brands targeting Gen Z consumers as beauty-centric content grows on the platform.
Sephora’s acquisition of British beauty e-commerce major Feelunique and tie-up with German online fashion retailer Zalando are clearly part of a move to capture younger beauty consumers, notably millennials and Gen Z, says an analyst.
Beauty brands cannot ignore the rising power of Generation Z and need to remain highly engaging in-store yet influential online to draw in the first truly ‘woke’ generation, says a branding expert.
There is significant potential to develop probiotics in the beauty space, particularly targeting anti-ageing, Generation Z and women, according to Lumina Intelligence.
Generation Z are looking for playful beauty experiences to counter their anxiety about the future but also expect all products to be inherently sustainable and designed with purpose, say trend experts.
![The COVID-19 crisis has fuelled important shifts among Gen Z beauty consumers around gender, image and mental health [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2022/08/25/beauty-trends-gen-z-post-covid-show-unconventional-gender-fluid-escapism-important-says-verve/15710946-1-eng-GB/Beauty-trends-Gen-Z-post-COVID-show-unconventional-gender-fluid-escapism-important-says-Verve.jpg)
![Gen Z and Millennial Snapchat users in particular are engaging heavily with what the camera tool can offer in the app [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/12/01/snapchat-says-beauty-engagement-with-virtual-try-ons-via-cameras-rising-fast/13056609-1-eng-GB/Snapchat-says-beauty-engagement-with-virtual-try-ons-via-cameras-rising-fast.jpg)
![Lottie London most recently teamed up with My Little Pony, developing a line of beauty products and tools ahead of the 2021 film launch [Image: Lottie London]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/11/08/lottie-london-says-quick-innovation-inclusivity-and-sustainability-key-for-gen-z-consumers/12992707-1-eng-GB/Lottie-London-says-quick-innovation-inclusivity-and-sustainability-key-for-Gen-Z-consumers.jpg)
![Bilibili is steadily becoming a key marketing channel for beauty brands targeting Gen Z. [Bilibili]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/article/2021/10/27/why-bilibili-is-becoming-key-marketing-channel-for-beauty-brands-targeting-china-s-gen-z/12960963-1-eng-GB/Why-Bilibili-is-becoming-key-marketing-channel-for-beauty-brands-targeting-China-s-Gen-Z.png)
![Sephora recently confirmed its acquisition of Feelunique and announced a tie-up with German fashion e-tailer Zalando - two moves set to stretch its online reach and engagement with younger beauty consumers [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/headlines/market-trends/sephora-feelunique-acquisition-and-zalando-tie-up-clearly-targets-millennial-gen-z-online-beauty-consumers/12685233-1-eng-GB/Sephora-Feelunique-acquisition-and-Zalando-tie-up-clearly-targets-millennial-Gen-Z-online-beauty-consumers.jpg)
![Brands and retailers can diversify imagery around the menopause - depicting more women of colour, different body types and queer and non-binary people, says a media expert [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/wrbm_tiny/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2023/02/23/menopause-beauty-can-help-shift-media-stereotypes-and-create-more-inclusive-category-says-expert/16193494-1-eng-GB/Menopause-beauty-can-help-shift-media-stereotypes-and-create-more-inclusive-category-says-expert.jpg)
![From staff training to digital diagnosis and data-based research, scientists in all related disciplines should collaborate to make the most of what the metaverse can offer the cosmetic dermatology world [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/wrbm_tiny/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2023/02/15/metaverse-offers-cosmetic-dermatology-promise-for-diagnosis-doctor-patient-engagement-and-research/16171697-2-eng-GB/Metaverse-offers-cosmetic-dermatology-promise-for-diagnosis-doctor-patient-engagement-and-research.jpg)
![Today, the International Collaboration on Cosmetics Safety (ICCS) is made up of 35 beauty companies, suppliers, trade associations and NGOs, though many more are in final stages of becoming members [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/wrbm_tiny/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2023/02/13/international-collaboration-on-cosmetics-safety-iccs-talks-funding-research-gaps-and-global-collaboration/16164881-1-eng-GB/International-Collaboration-on-Cosmetics-Safety-ICCS-talks-funding-research-gaps-and-global-collaboration.jpg)
![In 2023, two revised Directives on urban waste water treatment and packaging would become critical to follow closely, among other updates [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/wrbm_tiny/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/headlines/regulation-safety/cosmetics-europe-director-general-discusses-unprecedented-2023-regulatory-change-for-beauty-personal-care/16107284-1-eng-GB/Cosmetics-Europe-director-general-discusses-unprecedented-2023-regulatory-change-for-beauty-personal-care.jpg)
![Recent advances enabling better characterization of the skin microbiome has led to important findings [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/wrbm_tiny/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2023/01/20/la-roche-posay-reviews-skin-microbiome-wound-healing-link-identifying-promise-in-new-therapies/16102649-1-eng-GB/La-Roche-Posay-reviews-skin-microbiome-wound-healing-link-identifying-promise-in-new-therapies.jpg)
![Currently available in 14 languages, more will be added to the COSMILE Europe database next year, widening access even further for European consumers [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/wrbm_tiny/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2023/02/21/cosmetics-europe-launches-cosmile-europe-database-for-information-on-30-000-ingredients-in-14-languages/16186577-1-eng-GB/Cosmetics-Europe-launches-COSMILE-Europe-database-for-information-on-30-000-ingredients-in-14-languages.jpg)
![There are a raft of theories available and ongoing research happening to identify the precise process behind blue light-induced skin damage [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/wrbm_tiny/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2023/02/24/blue-light-skin-damage-science-must-focus-on-mechanisms-of-action-say-researchers/16198408-1-eng-GB/Blue-light-skin-damage-science-must-focus-on-mechanisms-of-action-say-researchers.jpg)
![The open letter says the current microplastics ban proposal doesn't go far enough, with 'exceptionally long transition periods' for some categories, including leave-on nail products [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/wrbm_tiny/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2023/02/20/beauty-industry-writes-open-letter-to-european-commission-calling-for-swifter-microplastics-ban-in-cosmetics/16184813-1-eng-GB/Beauty-industry-writes-open-letter-to-European-Commission-calling-for-swifter-microplastics-ban-in-cosmetics.jpg)
![Some medical tech innovations, like smart mirrors or watches, can ultimately and indirectly lead to beauty through routine or product recommendations [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/wrbm_tiny/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2023/02/02/medical-tech-versus-beauty-tech-the-innovative-focus-at-ces-2023-says-robin-raskin/16139546-1-eng-GB/Medical-tech-versus-beauty-tech-the-innovative-focus-at-CES-2023-says-Robin-Raskin.jpg)
![Researchers should be careful not to over-emphasise Euro-centric data, remembering that Africa has the highest level of genetic diversity in the world [Getty Images]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/wrbm_tiny/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2023/01/12/dermatology-professor-discusses-skin-pigmentation-research-hurdles-and-opportunities-at-ifscc-2022/16077320-1-eng-GB/Dermatology-professor-discusses-skin-pigmentation-research-hurdles-and-opportunities-at-IFSCC-2022.jpg)