LookFantastic says social media influenced 2023’s top beauty trends and looks ahead to 2024

11 Dec 2023 --- The internet is still king when it comes to influencing trends in the beauty industry. LookFantastic analyzed internal product data and the most searched-for products on TikTok and Google to reveal which brands and trends were at the top this year and what to expect in 2024.

From the cold girl and latte makeup trends to skin cycling hacks, LookFantastic says most trends this year started on social media.

“MAC’s No-makeup” makeup
MAC Cosmetics was named the largest beauty brand of 2023, with its dewy skin tint selling out repeatedly. The “no-makeup” makeup look held steady popularity for most years but grew in 2023, leading to skin tints such as MAC’s Strobe Dewy Skin Tint and the brand’s rising demand.

Over 200,000 shoppers searched for MAC Cosmetics products on LookFantastic this year, with 4 million searches on TikTok.

Trending brands and products
With a focus on natural looks, skin care was highlighted as a vital step for makeup routines. LookFantastic saw a massive shift toward skin care for the beauty industry in 2023, with more consumers prioritizing skin health.

A report from LookFantastic names Drunk Elephant as the largest emerging brand of the year.CeraVe and La Roche-Posay were the second and third most popular beauty brands in 2023, according to LookFantastic. The beauty retailer connects the brands’ prevalence to their reputation in the dermatological space while sitting at an accessible price point.

Skin care brand Drunk Elephant received a 480% increase in site searches since 2022, becoming the biggest exploding brand of 2023.

LookFantastic attributes much of the brand’s growth to social media star Alix Earle and her dorm room “get ready with me” videos. It believes Earle influenced her followers to purchase the Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drops alongside other products from the brand.

2023 hair trends
The most popular hair care product in 2023 was the Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray. Color Wow experienced a 128% increase in searches since 2022.

Celebrity hairstylists like Chris Appleton shared their obsession with the Dream Coat Supernatural Spray that makes hair waterproof, heatproof and shiny. Thousands of videos online showcased the product, which may have encouraged viewers the products were worth it.

Brazilian Bum Bum scent
Sol De Janeiro’s Brazilian Bum Bum Cream went viral online, leading the brand to fame this year. The brand is famous for its products’ fragrances, especially pistachio and salted caramel.

TikTok users claimed the scents of the skin care brand are a way to drive a man crazy, and Sol De Janeiro gained over 130,000 searches on LookFantastic and 664,000 on TikTok.

According to LookFantastic, the Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Jet Set was the most popular product of 2023. The set includes a travel-friendly collection of the brand’s most iconic products, including the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, the Brazilian 4 Play Shower Cream-Gel and the Brazilian Crush Body Fragrance Mist.

Looking to 2024Skin care and makeup are blending together in the cosmetics space.
According to the Global Cosmetic Industry, 51% of people plan to spend more on daily skin care in 2024. LookFantastic reported what trends to look out for in the coming year.

This year, hair trends received over 4.4 billion views on TikTok. This will continue in the new year, with glass hair care emerging.

Keely Gough, managing director at LookFantastic, says: “Following the rise in micro-trends over the last 12 months, largely influenced by consumer lifestyles and pop culture, we expect a cross-category transition in 2024. The popular ‘glass skin’ cosmetics trend, for example, will likely make its way into hair care, as more consumers seek the desired result of glossy or glass-effect locks achieved from oil and serum hair care formulations.”

Moreover, consumers want to streamline their skin care routines with products that work twice as hard, leading to “overnight miracles.”

“As efficiency becomes more prevalent across consumer lifestyles, we predict a greater emphasis on beauty that caters to time-poor, fast-paced routines. Ultimately, consumers are looking to gain more by effectively having to do less, so overnight formulas and treatments that reap long-term rewards by working through the night will be key,” continues Gough.

In 2024, customers will search for expert approvals. Dermatological skin care is LookFantastic’s fastest-growing category in the UK, as consumers continue to seek recommendations from experts in the medical field.

LookFantastic calls red the color of the beauty industry for 2024.Generation Alpha is breaking the mold by prioritizing their beauty routines from a younger age. With abundant information accessible at their fingertips, more consumers are aware of the benefits of starting young and how to find the right products for their skin type.

Therefore, the industry will witness younger consumers entering the space in the coming year.

In 2023, the line between skin care and makeup got smaller and smaller due to the “skinification” trend. Foundations and concealers were infused with skin care benefits, and lip products had an added hydration level. In 2024, this line between makeup and skin care will continue to blur.

LookFantastic’s internal site-search data shows a massive increase in searches for makeup trends over specific products. For example, there was a 240% increase in internal site searches for “Barbiecore” products in 2023.

LookFantastic sees trend-led purchases rising in 2024, with brands releasing new products to tap into them.

Gough adds that if 2023 was the year of Barbie pink, 2024 will be seeing red, which is noted as the next “big” color in the cosmetics industry.

Lastly, consumer awareness of the environment and the beauty industry’s impact will continue to grow.

“With a continued emphasis on sustainability and eco-conscious beauty routines, we can expect to see a surge in brands committing to long-term initiatives through product packaging and formulas,” Gough explains.

By Sabine Waldeck

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