At Cosmoprof North America, held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center from July 15 to July 17, thousands of beauty founders and executives hunted for the next big trends, gems, and innovations from more than 1,000 exhibitors hailing from 44 countries. And while beauty was represented from every corner of the market (Men’s, Gen Alpha-inspired items, AI-powered products, next-level skin patches) it was hard to miss how many brands showed up seemingly destined for the shelves of Target, Ulta, Amazon, and Walmart, with price points created for accessibility and formulations that rival prestige. Apparently masstige, which only claims 8% of the total U.S. beauty market, is beauty’s next big bet.
And while small, masstige is mighty. According to Circana, the fastest growth in the skin care category can be found in masstige brands. To win consumers, masstige skin care offerings deliver affordability without compromising confidence, quality, or efficacy. And with consumers focusing on value, retailers that have a broader distribution strategy are performing better than those with a more cu-rated selection of brands. Hair care too is a star category within masstige, one that leads the sector with an 18% share. (Many masstige brands trace their roots to salons or DTC.) Circana noted that the top retailers in the U.S. for the 13 weeks ended April 26 were Amazon, Walmart, Target, Ulta Beauty, and Sephora, ranked in descending order.
“Consumers are the boss now,” said industry consultant Louise Butler of Ignite Beauty Strategy. “They know there’s quality across price points, and ‘dupe culture’ has made it cool to brag about getting prestige-level re-sults for less.” In uncertain economic times, this white space between luxury and mass is exactly where opportunity lives.
To read CEW’s exclusive coverage about the trends at Cosmoprof Las Vegas 2025, which includes masstige, K-beauty, AI, and detoxification, DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT HERE – written by By Andrea Nagel, Faye Brookman, and Kaitlyn D’Angelo
