As we settle into a new year, we are all still coming to terms with what the next 365 days will have in store and what approach we want to take with our fresh start. At times like these, we may feel we must change the world to create the life we want for ourselves in 2025. Instead, we can start with small things, like our self-care routine. To help guide your goals and give you an idea of where things stand in the beauty world today, Ulta Beauty and Bread Financial collected data to reveal what is “in” and “out” for beauty lovers in 2025.
Ulta Beauty and Bread Financial’s 2025 Beauty Consumer Ins and Outs
What’s In
As Ulta and Bread Financial’s data discovered, Millennials and Gen Z continue to dictate what’s trending in beauty. For 2025, beauty as self-care, community and self-expression takes charge, with 52 percent of Gen Z and 48 percent of Millennials saying they “view beauty rituals as a means of self-expression and connection, cementing these routines as an essential part of their identity.” Also in amongst the beauty crowd are evening rituals focussed on relaxation. According to the survey, 38 percent of beauty consumers “treasure” their evening skin-care routines, with 52 percent “engaging in relaxing self-care practices like face masks and bath soaks.”
Also popular this year, according to Ulta and Bread Financial’s data, is that of men’s beauty and grooming. “Men are now outspending women in beauty, with an average monthly spend of $90 compared to $80 for women,” the survey reports, “Hair care, skin care and fragrances are among the top leading categories.”
What’s Out
Fighting against the pull of the Ozempic era and the return to unrealistic beauty standards, Ulta and Bread Financial’s study found that obsessing over one’s appearance is on the “out” list for beauty consumers in 2025, with “74 percent of consumers prioritizing self-care and wellness routines, focusing on creating moments of relaxation connection over appearance enhancement.” In a similar realm, over-complicated, multi-step routines are on the outs, with consumers opting for intentional, wellness-driven routines instead.
