As magnificence development normalised in 2025 from post-pandemic, virality-driven surges in classes resembling perfume and skincare, 2026 is shaping as much as be a yr of stability and evolution somewhat than pure acceleration.
According to Circana’s year-to-date November knowledge on status magnificence, main classes are actually rising at comparable charges, signaling a extra evenly matched market: perfume is up 5 %, which is roughly in line with make-up at 4 %, whereas skincare trails at 2 % and hair now takes the lead at 8 %.
Against this backdrop, winners can nonetheless see resounding success even in a more difficult market, particularly once they lean into credibility and cultural relevance. TikTok is, in fact, nonetheless a driver of gross sales spikes for rising manufacturers, however long-term resilience would require manufacturers to maintain buyer loyalty after producing the preliminary buzz.
“Social media remains critical for discovery, but sustained growth is no longer driven by influencer virality alone,” mentioned Jeff Lindquist, a managing director and associate at Boston Consulting Group, who famous that phrase of mouth is changing into a rising supply of belief in manufacturers. “The strongest brands are using social platforms to educate and validate, not simply to chase trends.”
Ok-Beauty Everything Goes Global
After years of skyrocketing skincare development, Korean magnificence is scaling make-up and hair, with nails and perfume additionally beginning to make their mark internationally.
The confirmed US success of Ok-makeup manufacturers like Tirtir has triggered a surge of launches at Ulta Beauty. According to Lauren Kang, the overall supervisor of skincare and Ok-beauty for TikTok Shop, cushion compacts and skincare-makeup hybrids are gaining gross sales momentum, powering the expansion of manufacturers like Missha.
While Ok-makeup is already in main US magnificence retailers, distributors say Korean hair care is shut behind. Korean scalp-care model Dr. Groot is already a prime vendor on TikTok Shop, in response to Kang, and a consultant for the model mentioned its digital web gross sales are up 1,148 % yr over yr thanks primarily to US adoption. Snail mucin success story Cosrx launched hair merchandise this yr with a give attention to the US market, enlisting Sydney Sweeney’s hairstylist Glen Coco as a spokesperson for the model. Mathilde Riba, a magnificence analyst at market developments analysis agency Spate, mentioned that the Ok-beauty development “glass hair,” an offshoot of “glass skin,” is a fast-growing development on search and social going into 2026.
While make-up and hair have the most important head begin, nails and perfume are additionally seeing worldwide traction. “We’re seeing consumers embrace playful, experimental designs and innovative textures coming out of Korea, like soft-gradient ombrés and glossy jelly finishes,” mentioned Tony Tjan, CEO and co-founder of nail model MiniLuxe. L’Oréal, in the meantime, has wager on Ok-fragrance with its funding in Borntostandout, which may portend the model’s world enlargement as different Korean fragrance labels like Gentle Monster’s Tamburins achieve worldwide buzz.
Medspa Treatments Come Home
In 2026, medspa tradition will proceed to maneuver decisively into the lavatory cupboard, in response to specialists. What started with viral units from manufacturers like Medicube or Lyma is evolving right into a full class of at-home options designed to imitate in-office outcomes.
“This is a top interest not just for brands in terms of product development, but also what our customer is searching for — either replicating in-office or products that help create stronger results from in-office treatments,” mentioned Chelsea Strauser, the vp of shopping for at Dermstore, citing merchandise like MZ Skin’s Microtox Eye Serum, meant to emulate neuromodulators like Botox, or the Liquid Peptides Advanced MP Face Serum by Medik8, a model acquired by L’Oréal this yr.
Products are showing in any respect value factors. At luxurious retailers like Violet Grey, customers can spend $200 on the Instafacial Plasma Bioactive Growth Factor Serum by Dr. Diamond’s Metacine, a 30 mL bottle marketed to present the impact of the well-known “vampire facial.” Or on Amazon, they will go for a $21 15 mL “filler in a bottle” volufiline plumping serum from The Ordinary.
Social media has gone all-in on medspa options. “There’s a lot of movement of taking things that are popularised in clinics and bringing the clinical home,” mentioned Kang, noting that Ok-beauty skincare manufacturers Medicube and Dr. Melaxin have been among the many prime 10 magnificence sellers on TikTok Shop in 2025, whereas VT Cosmetics noticed a gross sales surge on TikTok and helped drive development in searches for microneedling various serums with its viral Reedle Shot serum. Dr. Melaxin noticed 1,000 % development in search over the previous yr, mentioned Riba, as influencers proceed to advertise its multi balm as a type of “Botox in a stick.”
Makeup Artists Refresh the Category
Celebrity magnificence manufacturers proceed to be influential, however extra of their make-up artists than ever have been moved to start out their very own.
The launch of make-up strains by Hung Vanngo and Mary Phillips, which have been each instantly scooped up by Sephora, joined established names like Makeup by Mario, Danessa Myricks Beauty and Patrick Ta Beauty, whereas make-up artists like Fara Homidi and Katie Jane Hughes continued to achieve traction with their younger strains.
These MUA manufacturers are bringing again full-glam merchandise resembling eyeshadow palettes and lip kits as the info lastly seems to be exhibiting “clean-girl” magnificence is dropping steam: Spate finds that the development is lastly on the decline this yr in phrases of search quantity.
According to Olivia Houghton, the insights and engagement director at developments forecasting agency The Future Laboratory, “a cultural countercurrent” to scrub woman is on the way in which up. “It began with the ‘hot mess’ renaissance, which was considered a revolt against the polished ‘clean girl’ aesthetic, and is now evolving into a spectacle that celebrates provocation and strangeness,” she mentioned.
Influencers who self-identify as MUAs are additionally serving to to speed up this development, recognising shopper belief in artist-led manufacturers — like Mikayla Nogueira, who launched lip kits along with her new model POV Beauty. Across the board, artists are on the prepared with merchandise and tutorials to share their experience on appears extra sophisticated than blush and mascara alone.
“Maybe I’m biased because it’s something I love doing, but eyes are going to have a big moment in 2026,” mentioned movie star make-up artist Ash Ok. Holm, including that individuals are “hungry for more glam in their lives.”
The Middle Eastern Scent Drift
It’s not simply Kayali cashing in on a Middle East perfume growth. A rising variety of manufacturers are bringing perfumes from the UAE and past entrance and heart globally throughout value factors. While ultra-luxury manufacturers like Amouage noticed fast development in 2025, accessible labels like Lattafa have been surging on “Perfumetok.”
Lattafa has turn into a TikTok Shop prime vendor, selling inexpensive scents in fancy packaging, in addition to youth-oriented gourmand fragrances in viral cupcake-shaped bottles. After AI-generated deepfake accounts have been referred to as out selling the model, its virality solely appeared to solely heighten as intrigued real-life perfume influencers rushed to supply their critiques.
Kayali, a longtime driver of the Middle East-inspired layering development, stays a world perfume chief as a prime fragrance model at Sephora. Searches for “Arabian perfume” and “oud perfume” on Google and TikTok are up sharply, in response to Spate.
“Online communities, from TikTok’s ‘smellmaxxing’ to indie fragrance forums, alongside challenger brands such as Kayali, are driving experimentation and participation,” mentioned Houghton.
Hyper-Targeted Anti-Aging Skincare
Rather than treating the face as one uniform canvas, magnificence consumers are zeroing in on particular zones most related to seen getting old and concern. Eye cream might have paved the way in which, however undereye remedies are increasing into an unlimited array of choices with masks, patches and serums for more and more concentrated outcomes. Neck lotions and focused neck remedies are additionally rising in search and launch exercise, signalling a broader shift towards preventative, area-specific care.
“Consumers are trying to use targeted treatments for areas that will maybe show aging signs,” mentioned Riba.
Lips are additionally rising as a breakout class: Lip serum is at the moment Spate’s prime skincare development with 79.6 % year-over-year development in searches, changing into the following massive lip class craze after the extra makeup-oriented lip oil growth, with a give attention to plumping and smoothing. A prime vendor in the class is Laneige with its Glaze Craze Tinted Lip Serum, one other hit skincare for lips product after the huge success of the model’s lip masks.
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