The blurred lines of beauty continue to blend in 2023 with the “skinification” of makeup and infusion of wellness elements into color cosmetic formulations. Add sustainability and multi-use SKUs into the mix and beauty marketers have big shoes to fill when it comes to creating the next best thing in eye, lip and facial makeup.

According to Nathalie Gerschtein, president, consumer products division, North America for L’Oréal, shoppers are maintaining or increasing their beauty product usage and she expects that trend to continue into 2023.

“The lipstick effect is real!” Gerschtein told Happi. “As part of this, we’re seeing consumers are still willing to branch out and try new things when it comes to cosmetics. They want to be in-the-know on new techniques, looks and hacks and aren’t afraid to experiment with and embrace newness.”

Pantone Color Institute experts predict that colors for Spring/Summer 2023 reflect how consumers’ experiences of the past few years have influenced their relationships with color.

“Colors for Spring and Summer 2023 are recalibrated for the new era we are entering. Blending escapism with reality, wholesomeness and joy, we embrace the exploration of extreme contrast in mood and color,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “There is utility and basic-ness to this season’s color story, while at the same time, there is an uplifting vital sense of play that comes through.”

Maureen Kelly, founder and chief executive officer of Tarte Cosmetics, is also excited about the prospects of makeup product development in 2023. She told Happi, “I personally love that so many of the trends going into 2023 are all about looking and feeling like your best, most confident self. That’s why we’re seeing people lean toward a radiant, glowing complexion—we like to call it juicy skin—and fresh, natural-looking lip and cheek colors that feel like they were picked just for the consumer.”

Shoppers all over social media and beyond are embracing makeup for Spring 2023. With more than 1.6 million followers on TikTok, Stephanie Valentine—aka Glamzilla—is known for her expertise on all things makeup, skin care and wellness, and she thinks it’s all about a fresh look for the season. 

“We are seeing a lot of bold statements on the eyes, lips, and cheeks; and you know I will forever love a bright red lip,” she said. “We are also seeing a shift in complexion, where everyone is leaning toward a more natural satin look.”

Beauty sales reflect consumer enthusiasm for color cosmetics. According to Information Resources Inc. (IRI), mass market eye cosmetics sales rose 4.5% to $2.2 billion, facial cosmetics sales increased 9.8% to $1.9 billion and lip cosmetics sales soared 16.5% to $810.9 million for total US multi-outlet (supermarkets, drugstores, mass market retailers, military commissaries and select club and dollar retail chains) for the 52 weeks ended Jan. 1, 2023. For a deeper look into the categories, check out the chart here.

And, US prestige beauty industry sales revenue grew 15% to reach $27.1 billion in 2022, according to The NPD Group. All prestige beauty categories grew by double digits with makeup rising 18% to $8.8 billion for the year. Makeup contributed the most sales revenue gains of all the prestige beauty categories. Lip products represented the fastest-growing segment in makeup, with sales surpassing pre-pandemic 2019 levels by double-digits. Lip gloss outperformed lipstick, compared to both 2021 and 2019, said NPD in its report.

Face Forward
In 2023, color cosmetics industry insiders continue to see traditional beauty practices moving toward overall wellness. According to Pascal Houdayer, chief executive officer of Orveon, in the last five years, beauty standards have permanently changed, which was accelerated by the pandemic. 

“Today’s consumer not only seeks product benefits, but want to feel confident, comfortable and great in their own skin,” he explained. “There will be less of a singular goal of making people look a certain way, with emphasis placed on also making them feel a certain way – from confidence to true physical impact.” 

For example, 2023’s must-have foundation must offer a flawless finish, but also robust skin improving benefits to meet the consumer’s needs, according to Houdayer.

“In 2023, we can expect to see this trend dominate as products and campaigns are centered around a more holistic approach to beauty,” he noted.

According to market research firm Spate, serum foundation is an apropos option for consumers seeking a foundation with skin care benefits. In fact, there are 7.4K searches on average every month in the US for serum foundation, which is low volume relative to other foundation and base products. It has grown 98.6% in searches since last year with very high competition and seven market leaders, which include The Ordinary, L’Oréal and Ilia.

Skinimalism is in and consumers are on the hunt for highly effective multitasking products like serum foundation, concluded Spate. Water-based foundation formulas are also on the rise; on average there are 15.2K searches every month in the US for water-based foundation, which is medium volume relative to other searches for foundation products. It’s grown 43.9% in searches since last year with high competition. These lightweight foundations are ideal for consumers with sensitive or oily skin.

New for 2023, L’Oréal Paris introduced the brand’s first range of dermatologist-tested primers, powered by “expert-recommended actives” to perfect skin, extend makeup wear and improve bare skin over time, according to the company. Applied with fingers, brush or sponge, the primer is designed to be the last step of the skin care routine.

Variations from L’Oréal Paris include a 24H Pore Minimizer Primer formulated with a 1% Resurfacing Complex; a 24H Matte Setter Primer with perlite to reduce oil, adhesive polymers to grip makeup and salicylic acid to mattify skin; a 24H Redness Eraser Primer featuring green pigments to neutralize redness, long-wear polymers to extend makeup’s wear and 4% niacinamide to correct tone; and a 24H Dullness Reducer Primer with orange pigment to brighten skin, long-wear polymers to extend makeup’s wear and 4% niacinamide to correct tone as well.


New facial cosmetics from Too Faced for Spring 2023. Too Faced is bulking up its facial cosmetics portfolio with Cloud Crush Blush. Available in six different pink hues, the products give cheeks a “cloud-like kiss of color and a rejuvenating natural blurring effect of flawless skin,” according to the company. Cloud Crush is 93% naturally-derived with ingredients from plant, non-petroleum minerals and water sources, according to the Estée Lauder-owned beauty company. Also new at Too Faced is a Cheek Popper highlighting glossy powder that shimmers like pearls. Ideal for all skin tones, the formula differs from other Too Faced’s highlighter products because its wet formula lays on the skin to create a translucent base.

Meanwhile, the latest skin-perfecting facial product to join Thrive Causemetics’ line is Instant Makeup Fix Set & Refresh Spray. The lightweight mist sets makeup for extended wear all day as it perfects the complexion, according to the indie beauty brand. Powered by “16-Hour Crease-Free Technology,” the multitasking setting spray locks makeup in place. Instant Makeup Fix Set & Refresh Spray can also be used as the last step in a skin care routine for extra hydration and to smooth skin for makeup application, according to brand founder and CEO Karissa Bodnar. 

Key ingredients in Instant Makeup Fix Set & Refresh Spray include caffeine, which calms skin while brightening and firming; ferulic acid to help prevent skin damage caused by UV rays; hyaluronic acid to plump skin and smooth the look of fine lines with long-lasting hydration; licorice root extract to brighten dullness and diminish the appearance of discoloration for radiant skin; and rice ferment filtrate to restore skin’s moisture and leave a glowing, brightened complexion.

According to Bodnar, for every product purchased, Thrive Causemetics donates to nonprofits to help communities thrive.

In other charitable news, Tarte Cosmetics partnered with a rainforest cooperative to develop an all-female farming community where they use the seeds that would normally be discarded and cold-press them into maracuja oil. The product benefits the skin while empowering a community of women and reducing the carbon footprint, said Kelly.

The new Maracuja Juicy Glow Foundation uses a “10+ superfruit complex” and sustainably sourced ingredients like hyaluronic acid to give medium coverage and a dewy-radiant finish for a soft-focus, ethereal glow. Utilizing encapsulated maracuja spheres, this 16-hour wear waterproof foundation will create a natural finish. The antioxidant-rich illuminating flower extract delivers “next-level radiance,” according to Kelly. Other new developments at Tarte include the Energy Amazonian Clay Palette, Maracuja Juicy Lip & Cheek Shift and Tartlette Tubing Mascara.

The Eyes Have It!

Tubing mascara is gaining traction in the beauty world. Currently, there are 23,200 searches on average every month in the US for tubing mascara, according to Spate, which is high volume relative to other searches for mascara products. It has grown 63.4% in searches since last year with high competition and Blinc, Tarte and L’Oréal as the market leaders. 

Unlike traditional mascaras, which are typically made from oils or waxes, tubing mascara contains tube-like polymers that wrap around each individual lash. The result is long, defined natural lashes. The search for “volume” and “waterproof” alongside “tubing mascara” indicate some key benefits that consumers are searching for when it comes to this form of mascara, according to Spate. 

Primers are also still a key player in the mascara category. For 2023, Maybelline New York rolled out Lash Sensational Sky High Tinted Primer. The formula, which is said to lengthen, thicken and darken lashes, is described as serum-infused. It contains ceramides and pro vitamin B5 to help care for lashes. It can be worn alone for a more natural look and with the infused care, lashes also feel soft after four weeks of use, according the company.

The latest addition to the Sky High family, it features the same flex rower brush as the rest of the range, according to the beauty brand.

MAC Cosmetics is also amping up its mascara offerings with its biggest breakthrough in mascara tech, according to the company. MACStack Waterproof is touted as the “ultimate mascara” that is waterproof, tear-proof, splash-proof and smudge-proof.

MACStack burst on the scene in 2021, quickly going viral on TikTok for its endless buildability racking up 269 million views for #macstackmascara. At launch, it was ranked the No. 2 mascara in the market and since then it has become the most popular mascara from MAC. It is now available in a waterproof option giving fans even more ways to customize their lash look.

MACStack Waterproof Mascara is designed with a Superstack Mega Brush, allowing natural to next-level volume and length, said the company. MACStack Waterproof features a lightweight wax blend, fiber technology and Drench-Defense Technology, wrapping around each individual lash to repel water.

Green ingredients remain top of mind for the eye makeup shopper. Coty’s Rimmel brand is infusing sustainability into its color cosmetics for Spring 2023. Not only has Rimmel London recently become CFI Certified, but it has also been working to create clean and vegan versions of some of its most beloved products, including the new Clean Scandaleyes Reloaded Mascara and Scandaleyes Volume on Demand Mascara. Additionally, Rimmel has extended its Rimmel Kind & Free collection and is launching Rimmel Kind & Free Clean Eye Definer in an array of neutral and colorful shades.

Coty’s leading beauty brand, CoverGirl, marks a milestone this year; its hero mascara that sells every seven minutes—Lash Blast Volume Mascara—is celebrating its 15th anniversary. The top selling orange tube of mascara is getting a limited-edition upgrade to commemorte the milestone with gold foil confetti.

“CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume has paved the way for the mascara category since its release in 2007. Over the past 15 years we’ve released multiple iterations,; most recently, a clean and vegan version. We are thrilled to celebrate this landmark moment to honor CoverGirl and Lash Blast fans with the launch of our Lash Blast Volume Quinceañera Edition Mascara. We are truly honored to celebrate this occasion,” commented Alexis Stern, senior vice president, CoverGirl global marketing, Coty, New York. 

Also new from the brand this season is CoverGirl Clean Fresh Clean Color Eyeshadow Quads, touted as “prestige inspired with a range of matte, shimmer, and metallic shades that come in a variety of highly pigmented tones to perfect the eye look.”

In a unique eyeshadow launch, indie beauty brand HipDot harkens back to the nu metal era of the 1990s with two new CD-shaped makeup palettes designed after Korn and Evanescence. Korn’s “Follow the Leader” Palette comes in eight “tracks “of soft mattes, pigmented shimmers and easy-to-blend glitters. Meanwhile, the HipDot x Evanescence CD Palette consists of eight tracks of soft mattes, pigmented shimmers, foils and easy-to-blend glitters. The shades are inspired by each band’s music.

Lip Service

L’Oréal’s biggest lip launch of 2022 was Maybelline Super Stay Vinyl Ink Longwear Liquid Lipcolor. According to Gerschtein, it shows consumers’ interest in glossy lips, and it really helps make lips pop.

“Lip products are my personal favorite type of cosmetics, so I’m excited to see this trend continue and see people using and loving more of our lip products,” she added.

Maybelline expanded into natural lipcolor with its Green Edition Butter Cream Lipstick. The line offers high-pigment color in 10 shades infused with cocoa butter for non-drying, all-day wear. The vegan lipstick is made from 86% natural-origin ingredients and the packaging is made of 95% recycled plastic. Green Edition is the first makeup range to be certified by the Cradle to Cradle Certified Products Program, one of the world’s most advanced measures of product sustainability. 

Kelly of Tarte is also a fan of developments in lipcolor. She told Happi, “This year it was incredible to watch products in our maracuja juicy family go viral on TikTok – from the volumizing lip plumps to our most recent drop of the maracuja juicy lip and cheek shift that magically adjusts to a custom shade of pink. I can’t wait to introduce even more innovation to the maracuja juicy family in the next few months.”

Get Social

Social media and the metaverse will continue to help color cosmetics brands grow in 2023. According to Gerschtein, L’Oréal is tapping into social media to connect with consumers, push out new products and share product benefits and how to use them.

“We make sure we represent the diversity of beauty in our campaigns, including our work with influencers, to show how our products are for all and not only for some,” she told Happi. “This is especially true for the consumer products division, which is really focused on making beauty accessible to everyone.”

L’Oréal is also exploring how it can interact with consumers in the metaverse. Gerschtein explained, “The family of brands—particularly NYX Professional Makeup—has a rich legacy of experimenting and engaging in the virtual, digital world, so evolving into a presence in the metaverse was a natural extension of this legacy. In fact, L’Oréal recently announced a partnership with Meta and HEC Paris to launch a startup acceleration program dedicated to creativity in the metaverse—how exciting is that?”

As a leading beauty brand in the metaverse, NYX Professional Makeup’s digital footprint recently appeared on Roblox—which attracts up to 58.8 million daily active users— via the House of NYX Professional Makeup. This was made possible through a partnership with iHeartMedia to continue expanding the brand’s connection with the community at play. The limited-edition looks were inspired by the NYX Professional Makeup Spring 2023 drop.

NFTs are another area that could be very popular in beauty, according to Gerschtein.

“The intersection of art and technology is very interesting to us as a beauty company, and we’re finding NFTs are an important tool to advance our company purpose, support women and give back to our communities,” she told Happi. “I’m so excited to see where technology takes us, because it’s helping us unlock new ways we can interact with our customers and help support and empower them through beauty.”

Laura Mercier also recently entered the metaverse. The beauty company, which is part of Orveon, partnered with industry-leading experiential e-commerce platform Obsess to launch its first virtual store, World of Beauty. According to the company, the World of Beauty is its first step into a virtually experiential e-commerce presence, offering an immersive and interactive online shopping experience.

Another Orveon company, Buxom, recently expanded into the metaverse in a “gamified experience” in the virtual world of Decentraland. The partnership rolled out on the heels of the launch of Buxom’s best-selling Plump Shot franchise with the new Sheer Tints collection, which will be included in various ways throughout the experience of “Plumpverse.” The live experience will run into June 2023 with a different, dedicated event each month.

“Individuality, distinctiveness and originality encompass the core values of our brand that we established in 2006, which is also the mantra of the current, younger generation,” said Buxom Brand President Sidi Drissi. “Web3 is an amazing opportunity for our consumers to express who they are, or who they want to be, without the fear of being judged. It pushes the boundaries of interactive and interpersonal experiences more than ever before.”

Kelly of Tarte agrees. She told Happi, “The metaverse is definitely an untapped area for the beauty industry. As more and more consumers move to this space, it will be important for us to find ways to engage with them where they’re spending their time.”

A Colorful Future

The color cosmetics industry is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5% for the next several years, according to Future Market Insights, Inc. By 2031, demand for natural and organic color cosmetics and facial makeup products will continue to rise, resulting in color cosmetic sales that will surpass $50 billion by that year.

Sales of color cosmetics have grown thanks to the expansion of distribution channels and the increasing penetration of social media platforms. Additionally, it is anticipated that the growing demand for cruelty-free cosmetics will drive sales of vegan color cosmetics throughout the course of the projection period, found Future Market Insights.

Color cosmetics will benefit from growing demand for environmentally-friendly cosmetics and the incorporation of cutting-edge technology like artificial intelligence. Leading color cosmetic companies like L’Oréal and others are incorporating AI to improve the visualization and comparison of thousands of cosmetic color options.

Besides this, key players are investing extensively in research activities to include organic and natural color cosmetics such as face and eye makeup products in their portfolio. This bodes well for the market. Per Future Market Insights, facial makeup will remain dominant in the global color cosmetic market during the forecast period.

Meanwhile, shoppers might be willing to spend more for their makeup. The global premium cosmetics market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7% by the end of the forecast period (2019-2029), per findings from Fact.MR. Despite issues in global trade and worldwide economic uncertainties, the overall trajectory for the premium cosmetics market is largely positive, according to the market research firm.

In the past few years, premium cosmetics brands have made substantial shifts in business strategy, which has been influenced by a number of factors including higher disposable incomes for the middle class, demand for high-efficacy products, finances for women and consciousness about aesthetics among men.

Furthermore, factors such as greater brand recognition, digitalization and the rising awareness among consumers about premium ingredients in cosmetics, account for a positive shift toward premium branded cosmetics. The surge in premium cosmetics imports is driven by factors such as brand reputation, product pricing and safety standards, which will drive market growth in the near future.

Tinted cosmetics are often used to cover up blemishes, uneven skin tone and pores. These cosmetic products are gaining popularity, as they help achieve a natural and makeup-free look, according to Future Market Insights (FMI). The firm found that the global tinted cosmetics market was estimated at $1.5 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach nearly $2.3 billion by 2032, with overall sales accelerating at a CAGR of 4.3% from 2022 to 2032.

Eyes, lip and cheek tints are the next popular tinted cosmetic products, according to FMI. They are used by both men and women. Tinted products for men include moisturizers and serums, which provide additional benefits to the skin—furthering the skinification of makeup and the infusion of wellness into the beauty marketplace. 

Pantone Names Viva Magenta Color of The Year for 2023 Shade extension from the red family will be popular in lipstick, nail polish and other makeup products. Pantone’s Color of The Year, Viva Magenta 18-1750, vibrates with vim and vigor, according to the color authority, which revealed the trendy hue at a media event in Miami for Art Basel. According to Pantone: “It is a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a new signal of strength. Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative.” Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known, said the company. “Rooted in the primordial, Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta reconnects us to original matter. Invoking the forces of nature, it galvanizes our spirit, helping us to build our inner strength,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director, Pantone Color Institute. “The last few years were transformative in many ways in terms of people’s sense of self, and the way well-being, priorities and identity are being thought about,” said Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute. “As a result, space has been created where we are free to explore and be accepted for exactly who we feel we are, whether it be in a cybernetic universe, a conventional space or a magical blend of both. “We are creating a dynamic world that encourages experimentation, one that leverages the virtual within the physical realm and emboldens our strength and spirit to explore groundbreaking possibilities.”