The future is clear, says industry expert Emma Grace Bailey, senior strategist of global trends forecaster WGSN.

Here, Beauty Packaging's Jamie Matusow asks for her thoughts on the beauty industry in the year ahead. 

Jamie Matusow: Will there be a makeup market takeover in 2022—or will skincare still rule as the leading category?

Emma Grace Bailey: Skincare, the beauty industry leader, will continue its dominance in 2022. This category has been growing steadily year-on-year, and was least affected by Covid-19 as consumers looked for daily moments of self-care.

Skincare’s near universal appeal will ensure it remains a category leader, while its close connection to health and wellbeing will accelerate its growth as consumers seek ways to treat their mind and body on a daily basis.

Skincare and makeup will come together, however, with poly-tasking products that offer both coverage and skin-care benefits. The next generation of multitaskers will be super-charged ‘do-it-alls.’

Driven by home hub lifestyles and demand for cost-efficient beauty solutions, these hyper-hybrids are poly-occasion, poly-beneficial and poly-usage. 

Think Kosas’ Tinted Face Oil (shown above) that evens skin tone and hydrates, or Iris & Romeo’s three-in-one Power Peptide Lip Balm (shown above) that plumps, hydrates and gives buildable color.

JM: What trends are you seeing in the Color Cosmetics category—in general and specifically, as far as packaging?

EGB: For beauty packaging, the focus is on functional design that simplifies routines, instilling practicality into everyday items. Multifunctional elements will emerge in the form of emotional support, with protective packaging made from soft, comforting materials soothing to the touch.

Monotones and bold blocks of color in packaging will subtly transform products into statement pieces and increase both real and digital shelf appeal.

‘The Refillution’ leads the way, disrupting long-standing packaging with designs to help consumers cut down on daily waste. Single-use packaging will be a thing of the past in 2023, as refillable packaging dominates

Consumers will expect packaging to last for several rounds, if not for life, while subscription and delivery refill services will see consumers borrow packs, sending them back to be refilled and reused when empty.

Note: One recent launch is Fenty Icon Refillable Lipstick, shown above

JM: How has Covid influenced new cosmetic launches?

EGB: Beauty brands and retailers have been forced to pivot their businesses, and while this disruption has ushered in many challenges it has also given brands a chance to change and innovate.

Sampling has drastically changed since the Covid-19 outbreak. Product launches are historically promoted through in-store sampling, but with hygiene concerns remaining a key priority for consumers, brands have had to find new ways for consumers to try-before-they-buy.

AR try-on tools have come into their own, offering consumers a way to try on myriad cosmetic products from the comfort of their home. And with consumers now accustomed to connecting with people on-screen, these tools will continue to be sought after.

New hybrid home/office working lives have also inspired the emergence of beauty home delivery services. Boots and John Frieda are partnering with Deliveroo, and Benefit Cosmetics teamed up with Uber Eats during the 2021 Holiday season.

These efficient, easy-to-use and convenient services are ushering in a new world of ‘beauty-on-demand’—and are set to have a long-lasting impact on the beauty industry.

Covid has also inspired a much-needed acceleration of sustainable practices. With consumers stuck at home, awareness of waste, inefficient recycling services and single-use products skyrocketed, and consumers became more and more vocal about their desire to lessen their impact on the environment through their purchases.

This demand has fueled a rise in refillable beauty products, milk-delivery style services for refills, supersized products, long-shelf-life formulas, mono-material packs and a design-for-disassembly mindset.

JM: Which specific category is seeing the most growth? Lip, Eye, Cheek…?

EGB: Eyes are leading the charge in makeup products, driven by our new mask-wearing normal. With lipstick becoming harder to wear, unless a product offers efficient long-wear properties, the eyes are now the go-to area for self-expression.

Colorful eyeshadows, eyeliners and mascara are all coming into play, while stick-on embellishments are gaining ground.

The ’90s is key in terms of inspiration, and WGSN’s Color of the Year for 2023, Digital Lavender, is high on the list of priorities for brands and consumers.

Eye palettes are becoming much more diverse in their shade offering, too, while customizable, refillable palettes will be expected, moving forward.

These products allow customers to decide which colors they want in their eyeshadow palettes, with removable pans that can be swapped out when empty. This approach drastically reduces product waste, and ensures customers actually use all the colors in a set. 

Emma Grace Bailey is senior strategist at WGSN