3 min read
Over the last seven months, I’ve been knee-deep in reviewing over 600 products for our annual Beauty Awards, analyzing each category and identifying the trends shaping the industry. Across makeup, skin, hair, and body care, clear themes emerged, some expected but a few genuinely surprised me. Trends come and go, but the real question is: Do they actually work? After putting these products to the test and evaluating their performance, these are the beauty trends I believe are truly worth watching and trying.
1. K-Beauty is reshaping skincare
Danusia Wnek / Good Housekeeping
K-beauty skincare isn’t just emerging anymore—it has fully landed in the United States. In our testing, these formulas consistently stood out not just for their unique textures and applications, like an overnight sheet mask and a bubbling exfoliating nose patch, but also for how well they actually performed among consumers.
Best of all, and likely why I think they resonated with our testers, is that they didn’t feel complicated like the 10-step Korean routines we saw in the past. These products are enjoyable to use and effective like Medicube’s Jelly to Foam Cleanser.
With more brands that were previously only available in Korea at major retailers and legacy brands incorporating Korean formulas into their lineups, it is clear that this isn’t just an emerging trend anymore.
2. The fragrance boom
Danusia Wnek / Good Housekeeping
This year, fragrance was by far the category that saw the biggest expansion. What was once dominated by luxe eau de parfums and eau de toilettes is now growing with the return of body mists and the rise in popularity of the hair perfumes category.
What I especially found interesting is how these formulas are evolving. Many of these new launches are going beyond the traditional combination of fragrance, alcohol, and water to include skin softening ingredients, which in addition to the lower fragrance concentration can make them feel less drying than EDPs and EDTs. Take, for example, Josie Maran’s Fragrance Mist that incorporates emollients like argan and jojoba oils and Eos Body Mist that adds glycerin, aloe, and hyaluronic acid.
Additionally, fragrance is starting to feel more approachable. The more accessible price point makes them a great option for building a wardrobe, i.e. the trend of having multiple fragrances for different moods or seasons instead of a signature, or for experimenting with layering since they are also less concentrated.
3. Strength without the weight
Danusia Wnek / Good Housekeeping
I am finding more than ever consumers are seeking hair care options for thinning hair and brands are delivering solutions targeting both strands and scalp.
Previously, strengthening shampoos, conditioners, and masks typically contained high levels of conditioning ingredients to lubricate strands, reducing friction and helping prevent future breakage. The downside is that they can weigh hair down, especially fine hair. This new wave of strengthening products is much more lightweight. For example, Vichy’s Dercos Collagen Peptide 17 Ultra Repairing line stood out for not only making hair feel stronger but also voluminous, a rare combination in hair care benefits.
Brands are also addressing the root of the problem, no pun intended, with an emerging new category of scalp serums. These serums contain ingredients commonly found in skincare like antioxidants, niacinamide, and even peptides to help keep the scalp nourished in an effort to support hair strands. Our testers appreciated how lightweight and easy to use these products are and how they make hair feel thicker.
4. The rise of ease-to-use, accessible packaging
Danusia Wnek / Good Housekeeping
Beauty should be for everyone and brands are finally rethinking packaging design to make them easier to open, hold, and use, without sacrificing performance.
One standout: Tilt Beauty, the first beauty brand to receive the Arthritis Foundation’s Ease of Use Certification. The Easy Way Lip Liner packaging is easier to open and close packaging, includes braille on the carton, and is refillable, as are all the products in their line. Our testers who have varying levels of dexterity consistently praised the design of this product, from opening the carton to applying the product more steadily and precisely. The long-lasting formula was just as impressive as the packaging, applying smoothly and evenly, and did not smear, feather or bleed throughout the day.
I also noticed thoughtful product improvements at mass retailers. Olly’s Body Wash performed well overall, but what stood out the most was the packaging: a wider pump head and a more stable bottle design that made it easier to use one-handed in the shower without tipping over even when the bottle was half empty.
Accessible beauty has always mattered but seeing thoughtful design paired with superior formulas feels like a real step forward, and something I hope becomes the standard.
Danusia (she/her) is a senior chemist in the Beauty, Health and Sustainability Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute where she evaluates haircare, skincare, cosmetics and beauty tools. She holds a B.S. in chemistry from St. John’s University and a M.S. in pharmaceutical sciences with concentration in cosmetic science from the University of Cincinnati. Danusia has over 10 years of experience in the personal care industry including formulation, product development, claim evaluation and efficacy testing.