What goes into consumers’ two-minute make-up bag?

As the world enters the third year of Covid-19, consumers are now attuned to fast, low-maintenance looks and techniques adopted during the pandemic. 

“Consumers will hang onto flexible and low-key beauty lifestyles and adapt them for hybrid life post-pandemic,” as Clare Varga, Director of WGSN Beauty, explained to The Daily Mail. “We envisage them naturally migrating to stripped-back, easy-to-apply, multitasking products, ones that create a healthy ‘no make-up make-up’ look in a matter of minutes.”

Centred around new and smarter beauty hacks that deliver better results but with a lot less effort, cost and commitment, this two-minute make-up bag combines elements of two trends that we’ve been closely tracking at WGSN: beauty snacking and skinimalism.

The post-pandemic beauty shopper

As beauty consumers continue to reassess their priorities and needs, brands and retailers must empower these newly confident and self-sufficient shoppers to make smart decisions for their pockets and the planet. 

Meanwhile, the appetite for travel post-pandemic will see demand for portable formats increase. Brands will need to explore travel-friendly ‘snackable’ items with well-edited, multifunctional essentials that allow people to touch-up on the go and travel light. 

Multifunctional beauty

Stackable and multi-product formats will be essential, offering fun and functionality. US colour cosmetics brand Morphe’s Quad Goals Multi-Palettes are joyful little stacks that deliver four looks in one, with an eye shimmer, cheek cream blush, lip tint and a sparkle pigment to add shine to any of the others. 

Reflecting the desire for travel, MBX’s make-up brand Kaja means “let’s go” in Korean and is built around portability. Its Beauty Bento Bouncy Trio is a stacked eyeshadow palette curated in shimmer and matte combinations of threes.

Designed for smaller, everyday journeys, e.l.f.’s collaboration with OUAI founder Jen Atkin is a portable make-up collection “for busy people who sometimes put their make-up on in the car”. The line includes the Xxtra Lip Duo (a two-in-one lipstick and liner) and the Let’s e.l.f.ing Do It Palette with a blusher, bronzer, highlighter and eyeshadow. 

As people continue to experience mindset and behavioural shifts during the pandemic, whether in terms of travelling expectation or hybrid working, products that allow them to customise their own on-the-go make-up choices will have an edge and also appeal to refillution-minded consumers.

WGSN subscribers can discover more key trends hand-picked by our experts in Top Beauty Trends for 2022 & Beyond.