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NEWS > 22 September 2025

VALUE, PURPOSE AND “THOUGHTFUL CONSUMERISM” TO SHAPE PREMIUM AND PRESTIGE BEAUTY

BY KACEY CULLINEY

Premium beauty 2026 growth, innovation and trends at Cosmoprof

Consumer price sensitivity is rising as global economic uncertainties continue, carving out a future of more thoughtful consumerism in beauty and a clear need for brand differentiation, say experts.

Key Takeaways:

  • Global economic uncertainties are creating price sensitivity amongst beauty consumers worldwide
  • Premium and prestige beauty need to differentiate and innovate to target value and purpose
  • Cosmoprime (the area showcasing premium and masstige brands with selective distribution for retail and high end segments of cosmetics, perfumery, and lifestyle beauty) will spotlight innovators and key trends

Last year, premium and prestige represented close to half of the entire global beauty industry with a shared retail value of 335.91 billion USD–just behind mass at 343.03 billion USD, according to data analytics firm Euromonitor International. In 2024, premium beauty and personal care products accounted for 175.29 billion and prestige 160.61 billion, with both categories forecast to grow in the coming years. Skin care holds the lion's share of both categories, followed by colour cometics and then hair care, according to Euromonitor International data, though hair care is forecast to grow fastest.

So, despite ongoing global economic uncertainty, the premium and prestige beauty categories continue to be important. But how exactly can these higher ends of industry thrive in today's landscape? And where exactly are the growth opportunities?

image VALUE, PURPOSE AND “THOUGHTFUL CONSUMERISM” TO SHAPE PREMIUM AND PRESTIGE BEAUTY

The rise of “thoughtful consumerism”

“Given the likelihood of a trade war in 2025 that involves the largest economies, consumers globally are anticipating higher inflation and rising prices,” said Yang Hu, Asia Pacific Insight Manager for Health and Beauty at Euromonitor International.

And whilst price sensitivity has been rising for some time in beauty, Hu said it would continue to rise further in the coming years, given ongoing “economic uncertainty”. For consumers, she said this price sensitivity would continue to shape and influence purchase decisions and engagement with beauty brands worldwide. “With a heightened focus on value, consumers are shifting towards more thoughtful consumerism during a time of restrained beauty spending,” Hu said.
 
Beauty companies, therefore, will need to focus on building out multi-tiered pricing portfolios across categories if they want to remain “competitive and accessible” – two key points to success in today's beauty and personal care market, she said. Industry must also look more closely at true “engines of growth”, Hu said, which are gradually diversifying beyond traditional strongholds like skin care and colour cosmetics and into fragrances, sun care and hair care. Geographical opportunities are also stretching beyond mature regions and into areas with “substantial unmet potential” like India, Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East, she said.
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“Differentiation is crucial”

Michael Nolte, SVP Creative Director at BEAUTYSTREAMS, said beauty businesses certainly have to be working strategically today. “The global beauty market is experiencing a period of unprecedented complexity and opportunity,” Nolte explained. “Consumers are demanding more performance, more personalisation, more sustainability, whilst also navigating new values around wellness, inclusivity, and conscious consumption. This has resulted in a hyper-competitive environment where differentiation is crucial and innovation must be both meaningful and measurable.”

For beauty brands, he said this means balancing complexity and creativity. “Those who can translate global shifts into clear, compelling, and consumer-relevant solutions are the ones shaping the future of beauty.”Connor Spicer, consultant at Euromonitor International, said that for those brands and companies operating in premium and prestige beauty, differentiation will be more important than ever as these areas of beauty morph. 
Whilst premium and prestige continue to grow and bolster wider global industry growth, Spicer said masstige is also continuing its rise as consumers balance quality and value in response to economic uncertainties. “As such, the definition of premium is evolving–less about price, more about perceived value and purpose,” he said.
 
Innovation and personalisation, therefore, will be key to bolstering growth and engagement in the premium and prestige beauty sectors, driving continued demand for “specialised products”, he said. An ongoing focus on sustainability will also help, Spicer said, given consumers are increasingly scrutinising corporate sustainability efforts, ingredient transparency, and ethical sourcing, which are all becoming “critical factors in purchasing decisions”.
 
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Cosmoprof 2026: the global stage of beauty

Nolte said the upcoming Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna 2026 trade fair represents an ideal platform for global beauty businesses to connect and innovate in the face of today's shifting consumer market. “Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna is the heartbeat of the global beauty industry,” he said. 

Enrico Zannini, General Director at BolognaFiere Cosmoprof spa, said the trade fair is designed to offer space for companies to launch, interact, evolve and innovate. And for those businesses operating in premium and prestige, Zannini said Cosmoprime–the fair's dedicated space to the higher end of beauty–is a key space for meeting and showcasing, particularly the Extraordinary Gallery area.
 
“The Extraordinary Gallery is a long-established feature of Cosmoprime, and its mission remains consistent: to offer a curated, high-visibility platform for indie and niche brands that are pushing the boundaries of beauty innovation,” the General Director said. “It's a discovery zone where high-level buyers, distributors, and press can find originality, creativity, and authenticity–elements that are increasingly vital in today's beauty landscape.” Cosmoprime also has a dedicated Buyer's Lounge where professionals can connect, network and exchange ideas, he said–equally important for beauty business today. “For 2026, we expect attendance to continue growing, in line with the positive trend of recent editions,” Zannini said. “Interest from international markets remains robust, especially amongst retailers, category and merchandiser managers, importers, and distributors seeking innovation and a global perspective on beauty trends.”
Cosmoprime highlights brands distinguished by a curated and intentionally limited SKU portfolio, alongside a selective distribution strategy. These elements not only reflect a clear and distinctive vision and mission but also position participating companies as true benchmarks of innovation and authenticity in the premium and prestige beauty landscape.
 
To discover the latest innovations and the key players driving this transformation, the must-attend event is Cosmo Perfumery & Cosmetics, taking place from 26 to 28 March 2026. Once again, it will serve as the international reference point for the premium and prestige beauty industry.
 
Discover Cosmo Perfumery & Cosmetics
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