WGSN Predicts the Future of Makeup & Color Cosmetics

Leading cosmetics brands such as Huda Beauty are rolling out makeup products with skincare benefits.

Soft Sculpting: The Skinification of Makeup

The aggressive contouring that has defined the 2000s will be replaced by a more natural look called soft sculpting. Designed for everyday rather than the screen, this next generation of contouring products will deliver a softer sculpted look with a lot less makeup.

Clean Color: Payoff Versus Planet

Clean beauty will include clean color makeup. Driven by increased consumer awareness of the environmental impact of beauty ingredients and demand for natural products, consumers will put planet-friendly pigments before payoff, seeking buildable formats with safe color that is non-toxic and ethical.

Male Makeup Boom: Cosmetics as Grooming Hack

The normalization of men’s makeup will see the category gain lasting traction. Stripped of gender constraints and outdated views of masculinity, color cosmetics will be embraced as a “grooming hack” by the mainstream and a new means of colorful self-expression by others.

No-Makeup Makeup: But This Time for Real

“No-makeup makeup” will be reinvented for 2024, moving away from the labor-intensive fakery to a more minimalist execution that more authentically reflects the look's name. Driven by the shift to less “done” looks, products will emphasize and reveal natural complexions, making the look genuinely about less makeup rather than more.

Lipstick 4.0: Lip Color for the Masked Era

The embodiment of post-pandemic freedom, the next generation of lipsticks will focus on positivity, self-expression and boosting moods. The traditional “analogue lipstick” experience will be transformed via hybrid formulations and personalization that enhance the consumer experience and drive sustainable consumption.