Now that most mask rules have been lifted and more people are going back to work, travel and events, women in the US are going back to their old makeup routines or even stepping them up, according to a recent report from market intelligence firm NPD Group.
Mascara and Foundation Lead The Way
According to NPD’s “Makeup Attitudes and Usage Report” for 2022, mascara is the most popular makeup product overall. Foundation, eye shadow, eye line, and lipstick are the next most popular.
From January to May of 2022, sales of prestige makeup in the US grew by 22% compared to the same time last year. NPD’s Retail Tracking Service says that’s more than twice the rate of skin care and faster than fragrance.
Women say they wear makeup mostly to improve their looks, but Gen Z and Millenial women say they wear makeup mostly to boost their confidence. Across all age groups, almost 30% of women who wear makeup say it makes them happy. “The pandemic shifted our definition of wellness, moving it beyond the physical to be more about mental health and well-being,” Jensen explained. “Makeup products are satisfying an emotional need to look good and feel better about ourselves.”
The NPD numbers are backed up by new data from Global Data, which found that 46% of US women used more makeup in 2022 than they did during the pandemic.
| Type of Product | Use more now | Use the same now | Use less now |
| Facial Skincare | 13% | 61% | 26% |
| Body Skincare | 14% | 76% | 19% |
| Hair Care Products | 19% | 63% | 18% |
| Makeup | 46% | 42% | 13% |
| Nail Care | 34% | 53% | 13% |
| Fragrance | 33% | 56% | 11% |
Contrasted Situations Around The World
A similar trend was seen in France, where sales of high-end makeup went up by 8% in the week after March 14, 2022, when it was no longer required to wear mask in public places. Even though bigger numbers haven’t been released yet, there are reasons to be hopeful because most European countries are growing again and their social lives are almost back to normal and tourists are going back to their usual summer destinations in Europe.
In China, however, the COVID-19 outbreak in the second half of March led to regional lockdowns and more people wearing masks, which caused prestige e-commerce beauty sales to drop 1% for the month. According to NPD, sales of makeup and fragrances fell by 6% and 4% in March 2022, compared to the same month last year. Some major cities, like Shanghai, still had restrictions in April and part of May, but things have gotten better by the end of May, just in time for the start of China’s 618 Shopping Festival.
