71% of beauty consumers find inspiration and trends via social media, according to the results of a new survey.
YouTube is the most popular platform due to its perceived reliability, followed by Instagram and TikTok. The average consumer uses two skincare products, three makeup products, two haircare products and one electrical product.
These findings are from a poll by logistics company GXO which surveyed 4,000 consumers from the UK, US, Ireland, France and Germany on the role of beauty products and their purchasing preferences.
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The research also looked at popular beauty topics on social media to determine how trends have translated to offline behaviour. 35% of respondents said they followed the “no makeup” makeup trend, the most popular among the trends discussed. #NoMakeupMakeup has more than 119,900 tagged TikToks, and fans of the trend value multifunctional quality products that are near undetectable when applied.
Of the consumers surveyed, 30% had an interest in clean beauty and 18% applied the principles of mindset makeup – using makeup as a tool to build confidence and emphasising the psychological impact of beauty. 15% had slugging as part of their routine, while 11% applied seasonal colour analysis principles. 15% said they don’t follow any beauty trends.
Consumers are more loyal to products than brands, with overall brand loyalty coming in at 38%, and 41% of consumers saying they are loyal to specific beauty items. Changing the formulation of a favourite product can lead to backlash from customers, as seen with Glossier.
When it comes to purchasing priorities, 47% prefer to buy their beauty products online but 72% said they also enjoy in-store shopping, making brick and mortar experiences something brands should prioritise – just look at the popularity of recent pop-ups by brands such as Rhode and Summer Fridays. Affordability and value for money are priorities for 31% of shoppers, while 58% of purchased products are in the mid-range to luxury category.
A key trend for brands to be aware of is personalisation. 39% expect personalised skincare recommendations or routines when shopping, both online and in-store, and 30% of those surveyed want beauty products tailored to their exact needs. This explains the success behind brands such as Skin+Me. In the survey, 22% of consumers also expect the ability to virtually try on makeup looks – something brands can do through social platforms such as Snapchat.
By Dina Zubi, news and features writer for CORQ.
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