Faced with an economic downturn in 2000, lipstick sales boomed—the ‘Lipstick Effect’– suggesting a turn to beauty indulgences during tough times. 

Some amazing trends are beginning to emerge in this industry, and in large part, due to social media. People want to look as gorgeous as their favorite celebrity, and they will have Botox and injectable lip fillers or cosmetic surgery after seeing an ad or image on social media.  

The sheer ease of access to the market through multiple marketing channels has now made the selling of beauty goods easier than ever.  

To build loyal customers, you will need the best marketing to stay ahead of the game. The intention of this posting is to highlight a few creative marketing ideas that you could implement with different technologies to build a successful beauty business. 

What Is Beauty Marketing in 2025? 

Over the last few years, the beauty industry has grown into a trillion-dollar business. The industry is far more crowded than it was before. Investors have recognized the beauty gold mine and are now digging in to make their first million as quickly as they can.

In summary, beauty marketing is the application of marketing approaches to encourage the use of goods and services in relation to beauty. In 2025, where beauty marketing has evolved, the focus has shifted from selling to empowering and educating people. Brands must guide their audience to reflect on their beauty standards, also with a focus on inclusion.  

As previously mentioned, the beauty market is competitive, but thankfully, people can transition easier into brands than in other industries. That being said, if you play your cards right, there is a good chance to find success.

When Will the ‘Lipstick Effect’ Happen?

The current phenomenon is a fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The lipstick effect started to work at that point. When luxury items like jewelry and electronic devices become inaccessible during an economic downturn, a person still wants to feel appealing without breaking the bank. 

People can choose to spend their money on cosmetic items instead of bigger splurges to cope in these situations. It serves to maintain the need for comfort or some semblance of normalcy. In a recession, beauty products serve as an affordable option to practice self-care and as confidence-boosting entertainment.  

Best Marketing Options for Beauty Brands 

Everyone has different needs, wants, and tastes, which means not every marketing strategy will suit the needs of every beauty brand. Finding the best marketing strategy to use in your business plan can be tricky, and a successful beauty brand in 2025 can seem unattainable. Let us help you with that.

Build a Powerful Digital Presence

More than 900 million people worldwide buy beauty products and services online. The figure is expected to increase to 1.3 billion by 2028. 

This is a clear indication of the importance of having a positive digital presence for your brand. Your website is the first line of defense for capturing and persuading customers to purchase your products. It’s the best way to unify all your other digital assets, including branding, packaging, and complementary products. 

Just creating a website is not enough; you will also need to make sure that it performs well enough to rank highly in search so when someone searches, your website will be the first result. 

Learn how to leverage your website, email marketing, and SEO to promote your beauty business through digital channels.

Example: Glossier

Glossier is a good example of a strong digital presence for any beauty brand. The brand sells skincare, fragrance, and makeup items aimed at improving natural beauty. This brand has adopted effective marketing methods to improve its visual identity and online visibility. 

Their main goal has been to promote their brand abroad through organic content and influencer marketing. The value of simplicity is evident in how they design their website and give material to attract visitors.

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Glow up your beauty brand with smart marketing! Source: Hobo. Video

Curating Content on Social Media

Don’t just post; provide attribution for the people who purchase your products. This is another great marketing strategy for attracting customers to your brand. Companies can curate high-quality content from bloggers and influencers and provide the attribution. 

Bring in your voice and curate lots of information across content types to create social media buzz. People want to see fascinating and engaging things across many content types, affording brands the opportunity to extend, build trust, and create a bond with their customers.  

Example: Fenty Beauty by Rihanna

Now let’s look at the successful beauty brand ‘Fenty Beauty by Rihanna.’ The brand was great at curating content that resembled their diversity-focused brand. It’s all about the multitude of UGCs to show the versatility of their products. 

Fenty is a brand that makes stuff that reflects their identity. The brand was all about providing credit to the original creator while having a little of their brand voice. This type of curation marketing approach offered a sense of community and generated engagement from the audience.

Develop a Community

Creating a community for your business is like going into a store and running into someone with the same beauty passion. You walk to a coffee shop to continue the dialogue. This is how a sensitive approach to building a community works.  

It demonstrates that it is not always about consuming your services and goods but about interacting with those that have the same passion about looking and feeling great.   

Example: Sephora Beauty Insider

To understand this, ‘Sephora Beauty Insider’ is a fantastic example of building community. It provided a way for their product customers to share best beauty practices when it comes to exchanging beauty education, seeking expertise, and discounts and promotions.

Leverage Testimonials to Your Advantage

Your customers are your greatest supporters; do not take them for granted. Regardless of how many you collect, post happy customer reviews on your social media. In a perfect world, businesses should post them on their stories so everyone can see them. It adds value to the customer, develops trust, and builds loyalty to brands. 

Since your customers are your best salespeople, you should share their content (reviews, etc.) on your profiles to persuade potential customers on the edge of inaction to finally click ‘buy.’

For a little extra confidence, think about video content for reviews. Seeing real people in the real world testing your product goes a long way for enough trust. 

For example, The Ordinary 

The Ordinary understands that most people want evidence of results in the real world. Their evidence comes in the form of testimonials from skincare professionals instead of famous personalities, which is ideal for those that want to do their research before they buy and want to know what exactly is in their skincare. The Ordinary utilizes informative testimonials to appeal to clients that value science-based beauty.

Increase Sales with Social Commerce/Ecommerce 

The beauty industry is booming online. From small independent companies to large established brands, everyone has opened a business on social media and websites. The question is, why? Because this is where you, the consumer, are! It’s so convenient: you can see products, read reviews on products, and buy everything from your couch! 

And these online retailers can get to know you better so they can suggest products you will like and give you deals too! So next time you’re looking for a new lipstick or a fancy new face cream, try exploring the beauty industry online; it is effortless, entertaining, and may become your new favorite way to shop.

Influencer Marketing 

Influencer marketing is a billion-dollar industry. It is important to use this marketing method to help grow your beauty brand’s online presence and make sure your social existence remains alive.

Micro-influencers are your best friends; instead of expensive celebrities, you get real people, like you and me, who reveal everything about their daily lives. From experiences and struggles, the fact that they are organic is trying to be an influencer with a huge following. 

Micro-influencers know the feeling of a bad hair day or the search for the perfect lip color. This is why companies have turned away from paid influencers that gain credibility to maximize organic audience reach. Once you’ve selected your desired social media platforms, it’s important to know how to select your influencer or micro-influencer. 

Resources, like ‘Social Blade,’ can help you do your research on their reach and influence so you can hire the influencer or micro-influencer that works with your vibe and your audience. Skip the celebrity, target a micro-influencer, and perhaps you’ll find a BFF in the beauty business.

Example: Kylie Cosmetics All The Way 

Kylie Jenner utilized her social media celebrity to start the highly successful makeup company Kylie Cosmetics. Instead of paying a slew of influencers, Kylie did it herself! She shared content showcasing her wares, offering followers a behind-the-scenes look. 

Consider a Subscription Model

Subscription boxes are here to save the day and save you money! This is a great way for beauty brands to get your interest and keep your interest.

Brands send you a starter bundle that may include their best products, sample sizes, and/or everything has an introductory price. You may buy the bundle way under the product’s retail price and take the plunge without spending too much money. If you love a specific product, like it so much you want to use it and/or stop searching for your ‘one,’ you can subscribe and get it refilled or purchase it at the price you would normally pay at the retail level.

Example: Birchbox 

Birchbox brings out monthly subscription boxes containing two to six beauty products from over 200 companies. The boxes are tailored depending on a quiz that the buyer completes at the start, and the identical product is never shipped twice. If a buyer sees a product they like, they can buy the full-size version immediately from the website.

The Power of Email Marketing 

Using email marketing as another tactic to get traffic to your website is important. For instance, you can send newsletters and promotional offers as an inexpensive and efficient tactic compared to paying for ads. If you leverage email marketing correctly, you will save a bunch of money and still keep your brand authentic. 

Actually, several email marketing package rates have recently been slashed, meaning you can send even more emails. 

Example: e.l.f. Beauty 

e.l.f. having the “best” email marketing campaign is subjective, but it’s hard to argue they don’t stand out in the beauty market. They know their target market. By addressing beauty fans with budgets directly, e.l.f. draws attention to price, elevating them to the hero of affordable makeup!

Unveiling Your Beauty Brand’s Inner Superstar

In the competitive world of beauty brands, standing out requires a calculated blend of marketing magic. This guide has covered a variety of tactics for captivating your target audience, including creating a strong online presence, using the power of influencers, and cultivating a dedicated community. Remember that the goal is to understand your audience, create a compelling brand identity, and implement these methods in a way that reflects your unique brand values. 

For more similar blogs, visit EvolveDash today!

FAQs

  1. How can I market a beauty business on a small budget? 

Initially, we recommend starting with social media, simply because it is free! Social media is a great option for sharing user-generated content, partnering with micro-influencers, and sharing stories and engaging in live sessions. Email marketing is also a low-cost tactic for communicating with customers.

  1. What type of content works best for beauty brands on social media?

Examples of content ideas that work well for small businesses: short videos, tutorial videos, behind-the-scenes videos, and customer testimonial videos, as well as before-and-after visuals, can all be effective.

  1. How do I choose the right influencers for my beauty brand? 

When it comes to working with influencers, look for those whose principles align with your brand’s and who have a loyal audience that will engage with you on behalf of the influencer. tand out. It also influences buying decisions, especially for luxury beauty products.