Water-Based Foundation, Glow Makeup Lead Cosmetic Trends in US

With skin type and vibe dictating consumers’ foundation choices, the skin perfector resonates with all types of beauty lovers.  

 

For one, there’s the makeup minimalists with the mantra “a little bit goes a long way” with skin tints and serum foundations. And there are those makeup aficionados who opt for heavier coverage and matte formulations. 

 

This holiday season 2023, analysts at Spate found that searches for foundation are spreading, particularly water-based and glow foundations being the top-searched in the US.

Water based foundations consist mostly of water and pigment, and they’re very popular; high competition exists with nine market leaders including Tarte. Consumers are searching for “best” and “review” alongside “water-based foundation,” highlighting their desire to conduct research before making a purchase. 

 

Spate advises brands to consider implementing gifting-for-review programs to boost their review count. They should also consider partnering with influencers to review their products on social media, aiming to make it appear as non-sponsored as possible. Consumers are also searching for face primers, oil based and silicone, indicating a concern about mixing water-based foundations with other formulations. Brands should explicitly address the mixing and matching of formulations and their effects in the product description, analysts advise.

Glow foundation is another highly competitive trend with eight market leaders, including Nars, NYX and Dior. Consumers are searching for sheer, luminous, flawless, glowing, and filter, highlighting sought-after benefits. Searches for product formats such as serum and liquid foundation provide insight into the preferred formulations in consumers’ minds when it comes to glow foundation. Additionally, searches for “shades” alongside “glow foundations” showcase a concern for the diversity of shade ranges in foundations. In 2023, there’s no place for foundations with only five light- to medium shades— inclusivity is essential, analysts say.