Here’s how beauty brands cope with the ever-changing landscape of trends

For homegrown beauty labels, it isn’t  just newer technologies and innovations that matter today—trends have equally taken centre stage

Until about 15 years ago, the scope of the Indian beauty market started with local cosmetic supplies available at a chemist or beauty shop in your vicinity and ended at a few branded kiosks namely Lakmé, Colorbar, Maybelline and so forth, largely found in malls or at a salon. Today, however, it is at par with any other international counterpart, and is only proliferating—in terms of both quality and quantity of products available. It is also perhaps the effect of the inclining global appreciation of beauty, both as a cultural concept as well as a ritual. However, with the perks of this upward trajectory also comes a set of challenges, specifically for beauty brands—keeping up with dynamic ‘trends’ being among the most common ones. 

In the past  year or so, a slew of trends have come and gone, from slugging and glass skin to glazed donut nails and underpainting make-up. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram serve as a medium for a new trend to go “viral” every other day, leaving beauty enthusiasts intrigued worldwide. However, jumping on the trend bandwagon doesn’t come as easy for brands as it does for consumers. While the consumers’ piqued interest levels allow them to get acclimatised to a new product, trend or technique periodically, it’s exigent for brands to adhere to every ‘it’ thing in more ways than one. From financial and innovation crunches to logistics and mass production, there are many roadblocks in the way of brands befriending something trending instantaneously. 

The take on trends

When you come across a beauty trend on social media, you quickly pin it to your wishlist, given that it’s in vogue. However, for a beauty brand’s founder, a trend can translate into a threat just as much as an opportunity. According to Nikita Deshpande, co-founder of homegrown beauty brand Ilana, beauty trends are an integral part of the industry and have been around for decades. “As consumers' preferences and demands keep changing, trends emerge and fade away. In my opinion, it’s essential for brands to keep an eye on the latest trends, but they should also strive to create products that meet the needs of their customers and align with their brand values.” For Diipa Khosla, content creator and founder, indē wild, changing trends are a part and parcel of the beauty industry. “It’s fascinating to see how they evolve and shape the industry. It’s also important to remember that what’s hot today may not be so tomorrow.” Even Deshpande believes that while it's good to be aware of trends, blindly following them without considering their relevance and impact on customers can be detrimental.

Letting us in on what motivated Sheil Jain to found Gush Beauty, she says, “I felt disconnected from the contemporary beauty narrative—so much content, so little time to consume or understand it all. The industry is evolving, and I get that, but I also understand how keeping up with this barrage of trends can be extremely exhausting. And thus, Gush stands for two things—functional and fuss-free.”

However, despite her personal perception of and towards beauty, Jain theorises that it is important as a business owner to stay on top of these trends, no matter how short-lived they are. On the same lines, Bindya Talluri, content creator and founder of Bindt Beauty, feels that trends can sometimes help brands up their game while developing a product range. “It definitely challenges the brand to come up with a unique range of products and categories and helps better innovation. Having said that, not all trends are for the best,” says Talluri.

Is Gen-Z the key influencer?

It’s futile to talk about trends and not add Gen-Z to the discussion, as their influence in critical business decision-making today is unparalleled. “There is only one front-runner when it comes to making and breaking trends in this era of fast-paced content consumption, and that’s Gen-Z,” says Jain. “Today, they want to buy from brands that are rewriting cultural scripts to make them more inclusive, diverse and authentic. The search is on for brands that match their own values. The unattainable standard of beauty that had been perpetuated by the industry is on its deathbed, I would say. In a few more years, this generation will have reclaimed the narrative—real, raw, unfiltered beauty standards will definitely be ubiquitous.”

Beauty writer Aparrna Gupta, who also consults with brands like Ajmal, Daughter Earth and Aminu, throws light on the strongly-established connection between Gen-Z and social media. “The way people consume media has changed. From radio to television to newspapers/magazines to now social media. Social media has a direct influence on sales, and hence you will find most brands engaging on that platform, as they get an instant result,” says Gupta. “Gen-Z is having a moment. Everyone wants to woo them. So a lot of new product developments and launches are aligned with their choices. And, how does one understand and predict their behaviour? Social media. It is the tool to understand what drives them and I don’t think there was any generation whose journey was watched with so much intent.” She believes that social media—whether TikTok or Instagram—gives a ready-made communication platform to share your views, opinions, feelings, highs and lows. It’s the new-age form of sharing. 

From Glossier and Colourpop to Youthforia and Rare Beauty—and Gush Beauty and FAE Beauty closer home—Gen-Z has become the premise of conceiving and curating beauty products that exude fun, quirk and aesthetics without giving education, information and utility a miss. “Social media platforms like TikTok have given consumers more power and influence over what's considered popular and desirable. With the rise of social media, brands have had to adapt and evolve quickly to keep up with the changing beauty landscape. Brands that are quick to adapt and embrace new trends have a better chance of staying relevant and engaging with younger audiences,” states Deshpande.

How taxing can it get?

Talking about how she implemented a trend/demand into her brand’s offerings, Deshpande shares, “Recently, we had to incorporate a ‘transfer-proof, matte, liquid lipstick’ as that is what’s trending and also what consumers demand. This kind of formulation isn’t possible without silicones, and that didn't fit in our brand ethos (list of safe ingredients). We decided to conduct an in-depth research on the safety of this ingredient. Upon reworking many product alterations, we discovered that the two types of silicones—linear and cyclic—have different compositions and one is safer than the other if used in the right proportions. If a particular ingredient is becoming popular due to its skincare benefits, we may consider including it in our formulations. We may also update our packaging to align with the latest trends or customer preferences.”

However, Deshpande does opine that harbouring every new trend that emerges can be challenging for beauty brands, especially if they don’t have the resources or infrastructure to make frequent changes. “I don’t think it is possible for brands to cover and represent every trend. As a brand, it is important to be careful of what media zeitgeist you are associating with. It is important to fit in trends as naturally as possible—that is when it doesn’t feel like an obligation and also helps customers relate better,” mentions Khosla.

Jain also shares a similar opinion, “With the rise of influencer culture, new trends tend to emerge overnight and honestly, while we do our best to keep up, it can be rather challenging to hop onto every major marketing moment. What works for us, though, is keeping up to date with major trends instead of trying to utilise every minor fad through research and being flexible with what we post.”

Talluri, whose brand Bindt Beauty thrives on clean formulations, says adhering to trends is tougher for her. “It definitely becomes very challenging, especially in the clean beauty segment to formulate and come up with a product so as to keep up with the ever-changing trends.”

As far as well-established, cult brands are concerned—whether it’s M.A.C Cosmetics globally or Forest Essentials in India—tackling the pressure of succumbing to newly-emerging trends becomes easier. “Trends can be a double-edged sword for beauty brands. Established cult brands may find it easier to resist trends, while newer brands may feel the pressure to follow them. Ultimately, a balance between staying true to the brand’s identity and incorporating relevant trends is key,” thinks Khosla. Gupta, who believes that brands must focus on creating trends rather than following them, says, “Usually, a legacy brand will launch a product with breakthrough ingredients which will be expensive and accessible only to a few. People are looking for hacks to have access to it. Brands then follow suit, trying to offer a similar experience at a lower cost price.”

The best modus operandi

“Earlier it was next to impossible to build a brand without deep pockets as you needed advertising and media to push your brand identity forward or to reach a consumer base. With social media, the brand is more empowered than ever—they can partner with the right set of creators, have an in-house digital team and get started with a brand. But that’s just the first step. If you don’t have the vision to scale your business, you will struggle, and a brand will fall into the trap of a mid-life start-up crisis,” says Gupta. At times, the efforts to keep abreast of trends can also be counter-intuitive. “If a brand is hopping on a TikTok trend, it has already missed the bus. Additionally, any brand rebranding itself every year—changing the logo and brand identity—doesn’t come off as innovating, it seems confused, and just trying its bit to catch up.”

“In my opinion, it’s essential to strike a balance between staying current with trends and maintaining brand identity and product quality. Brands that can identify and capitalise on relevant trends that align with their core values are more likely to succeed in the long run,” concludes Deshpande.

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