Gen Z and Millennial Beauty Trends Take Center Stage in Inaugural Report Debuted at the Third Annual Ipsies Awards in NYC

LOS ANGELES, May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — IPSY, the ultimate beauty membership and discovery platform, announced its first-ever Beauty Discovery Report at last night’s The Ipsies: 2025 Beauty Awards. Created to uncover trends currently driving consumer shopping behaviors in beauty as well as provide a look at what products are rising to the top of the crowded marketplace, the 2025 Beauty Discovery Report draws on insights from its community of 20+ million beauty enthusiasts.

Rising to the top of the report’s findings is a notable shift in an interest in makeup artist-founded brands.  Three out of five of the most popular brands at IPSY are founded by makeup artists, outperforming celebrity beauty lines among both Gen Z and Millennials. IPSY is predicting this significant market shift as an “MUA Movement” that will continue to drive purchase behaviors in 2025.

“Our data shows that consumers are craving credibility in a crowded market,” said Kristy Westrup, Chief Merchandising Officer at IPSY. “In a sea of celebrity brands, makeup artist-founded brands bring technical expertise and authentic passion that resonates deeply with our beauty-obsessed community. This movement reflects consumers’ growing trust in brands founded by professional makeup artists rather than celebrities, valuing their artistry-first approach and innovative formulas. This shift was noticeable at The Ipsies: 2025 Beauty Awards as well, where we were proud to spotlight six industry leaders reshaping the ecosystem as demonstrated by our consumers.”

IPSY’s 2025 Beauty Discovery Report report also identified micro beauty trends dominating the landscape this year. You can find the full report’s findings on www.ipsy.com.

• Gen Z Shifts Focus From Scents to Gloss: Gen Z is moving on from fragrances to lip products, signaling the category’s growth potential.
• The Maximalist Aesthetic Unites Beauty & Design: Art and design hubs like Chicago, Miami and San Antonio are bringing the maximalist decor trend into the world of makeup.
• Back to School Means Back to Bold: The ultimate back-to-school trend is a bold lip, illuminating how Gen Z is prepping their school year makeup routine.
• The Hottest Product for Skin Right Now Is Serum: Beauty routines continue to get more “skinified.” Serums and moisturizers are outperforming typical complexion makeup products like foundation.

“As a beauty platform built on exploration, we’ve always had our finger on the pulse of emerging trends and consumer preferences,” said Francine Li, Chief Marketing Officer at IPSY. “The Beauty Discovery Report and The Ipsies: Beauty Awards transform our wealth of consumer insights into actionable intelligence for the industry while celebrating the brands and products our members love most.”

The Ipsies: 2025 Beauty Awards Honor Community Favorites
In addition to the Beauty Discovery Report, IPSY revealed the winners of its third annual The Ipsies: Beauty Awards, which honor brands and products making the biggest impact on the IPSY community based on member reviews and popularity.

Demonstrating the increasing presence of the MUA Movement, multiple makeup artist-founded brands received top honors, including Danessa Myricks Beauty for Most Innovative Brand, Charlotte Tilbury’s Beauty Skin Foundation for Best Complexion Product, and Zach Dishinger’s Formula Z for Best Indie Brand.

Other standout winners included:

• Best Serum: Byroe Hydrangea Tea Intensive Hydration Serum
• Best Lip Product: Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer
• Best Moisturizer: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream
• Best Scent: Commodity Juice Expressive
• Member-Favorite Brand: Tarte

The awards ceremony was preceded by an exclusive industry forum featuring prominent beauty experts and brand leaders, including Divya Gugnani, CEO and Founder of Wander Beauty and 5Sens, Aliett Buttelman, Co-Founder of Fazit, and Andrea Kohlmeyer, VP of Marketing Operations at Tarte.

You can find the full list of winners from the night on the IPSY blog.

ABOUT IPSY
As the world’s largest beauty subscription, IPSY delivers monthly drops of the greatest beauty discoveries and curated community favorites just for you. Uniting over 20 million hyper-engaged fans to a network of established and emerging brands, creators, and experts, IPSY is the only place that curates endless beauty finds to discover what’s right for you. Whether you’re a beauty enthusiast or just starting your journey, IPSY lets you experiment, evolve, and find new ways to express yourself with every box.

CONTACT: [email protected].

SOURCE IPSY