Revieve, a Finland-founded beauty technology company specialising in artificial intelligence and augmented reality solutions for the beauty and wellness industry, has released its first Beauty & Wellness Index 2025.
The new report analyses millions of anonymised AI-powered skincare and makeup interactions across more than 100 global brands and multi-brand retailers. The data points to a clear shift in how consumers discover and purchase beauty products in 2025: guided diagnostics and virtual try-on experiences are no longer optional enhancements – they are becoming the backbone of modern beauty commerce.
Guided Journeys Drive Engagement
One of the report’s key findings is the performance gap between guided and non-guided experiences. Selfie-based diagnostics achieve completion rates between 70% and 86%, nearly double that of traditional browsing journeys. These guided experiences can also drive up to twice as many purchase actions, indicating that consumers respond strongly to personalised guidance.
The report also suggests that engagement depth is becoming more important than speed to checkout, particularly in skincare. Consumers are increasingly exploring multiple concerns and products before making a purchase decision.
Consumers Are Navigating Multiple Skin Concerns
Skincare journeys are becoming more complex. More than 65% of users report three or more concurrent skin concerns, highlighting growing demand for personalised routines rather than single-product solutions.
The data also shows that visible pores now rank above acne in many skincare journeys, while nearly one in four users still does not know their skin type. This knowledge gap reinforces the role diagnostics can play as both an educational and commercial tool.
Makeup Discovery Is Led by Exploration
Makeup journeys tend to follow a different pattern from skincare, with discovery and experimentation taking centre stage.
The report found that around 97% of users navigate to product detail pages, with sessions typically including around three products. Consumers also test five to seven shades on average before committing to a purchase, particularly when using virtual try-on tools.
Virtual try-on is most commonly used for lipstick, foundation and concealer, while radiant and natural finishes remain the most popular choices among users.
A Mobile-First Beauty Audience
The research also highlights who is driving digital beauty engagement. Beauty interactions remain predominantly female (around 91%), with the strongest participation among consumers aged 18–34, although skincare journeys attract engagement across a wide range of age groups.
In terms of devices, mobile accounts for more than 80% of beauty interactions, while desktop continues to play a role in later-stage decisions such as confirmation and repeat purchases.
Holiday Season Performance
The report also examined behaviour during the 2025 holiday season, where engagement with AI diagnostics increased significantly. Retailers saw a 50–70% rise in daily engagement volume, demonstrating that guided experiences can scale effectively even during peak shopping periods.
A New Beauty Conversion Model
Overall, the report suggests that beauty purchasing is no longer a linear process. Instead, consumers are entering the journey with uncertainty and using diagnostics, personalised recommendations and virtual try-on as a validation layer before purchase.
As the findings indicate, guided and personalised experiences are increasingly shaping how consumers discover products, explore solutions and ultimately make confident beauty purchasing decisions.
Download the full report here.
