October 9, 2019

Teen Makeup and Beauty Spending Statistics

I came across very interesting article today about the steep decline in teen beauty and makeup spending this year. According to Yahoo Finance reports teen’s spent 20% less on makeup in Fall 2019 than they did the previous year. It got me wondering if Gen Zers are spending so much less what about millennials and Gen Xers? I personally feel like the makeup and beauty industry has gone flat. The bubble has burst and people are starting to wake up and realize that they’d rather purchase quality over quantity. We’ve been conditioned to not jump on all the new releases because we know at some point they’ll go on sale, we have plenty of nude, neutral eyeshadows and we don’t need another one, and we realize that having a lot of makeup isn’t akin to having fewer pieces that are of good quality.

Some interesting statics for this study put males at nearly 16 years old being the biggest spenders in the beauty industry at 54% and the other 45% being female. Another interesting factor is the brick and mortar store may not be dead because 91% of teenager girl said they’d rather shop in stores rather than online. I wonder if this could be because they have more access to cash versus a debit or credit card. I got my first credit card when I was 21 but today’s youth is a lot more advanced than I was growing up so, I could be the only thinking they shop in store versus online due to lack of plastic.

One of the most interesting aspects in the survey that was performed is that Ulta is favored by teens over Sephora. This is interesting because again I wonder where this puts millennials and Gen Xers. I’d say in the same boat as Gen Zers. Ulta has added many, many brands to their catalog, has an amazing cash back rewards system, and continues to churn out very exciting sales and promotions where as Sephora fails in many of these important areas.

Curious what brands teens are buying? Me too! Tarte. Yup! Tarte! I called Tarte on their Sugar Rush launch! I thought it was silly and I also, felt like they were aiming way too low with their demographic but turns that Tarte is a brand that’s very popular among female teenagers with Too Faced coming in second and Maybelline after (Maybelline won over MAC if you can believe that). Tarte, forgive me, you obviously know your market.

As we head into 2020, I do wonder where the beauty and makeup industry will go. For me, it’s changed and evolved so much that sometimes I feel like I don’t even recognize it. I guess when we hit bottom the only place we can go is up. So, I hope 2020 doesn’t sink the industry further. I hope it continues to grow and flourish but also, to become more unique and innovative.

What do you think of these statistics? Do you think they hold true for everyone else aside from teens?

9 Comments

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Christine

    I don’t think teens care that much about buying makeup personally. I have been into makeup since I was about 13 and prestige makeup since I was about 23 (I’m 35). and I have to say, very little gets me excited anymore. I agree with you Muse, that the market is way overpriced and over saturated. It makes me sad and I hope as you say, the only way to go is up.

    • Isabella Muse

      I dunno! I felt the same for a while because as a tween I wasn’t terribly makeup yet! I wore a little blush in senior year and chapstick. But today, teenagers/tweens are SO different to how I was raised and how I grew up so I think maybe they might be pretty big consumers of beauty! especially considering the birth of youTube beauty gurus. I hope so too! I hope so too. As nowadays, makeup has become a bit boring!

  • Michelle

    I’m 60 years old, so what a teenager wears isn’t going to suit me. However, that doesn’t mean that it has to be stodgy and/or dated either. I prefer the high end quality products tastefully done. Nothing too wild. Not drab either. So Sephora and department stores over Ulta, although I shop there too.

    • Isabella Muse

      I wasn’t saying makeup for an more mature woman has to be stodgy or dated 🙂 it was just a study about what teenagers spending habits are and if others that are older are seeing a decline in their own purchases. I’m def not a teenager too but I can relate to the article because I see the change in the industry and how much less people are spending on makeup/beauty.

  • Renu

    I’m glad to hear this. If brands would stop with the palette-a-minute, stick to S/S, and A/W (and maybe Holiday) collections each year, I feel the industry would quickly return to where it used to be. Because there were just S/S and A/W releases, they sold well. Now, with a palette a minute, no one has the time, the money or the darn SPACE to keep up (or keep it all). Also, why not more quads, and more single shadows, instead of 70-million-pans-per-palette? Take the Etude House Look At My Eyes Maple Road single shadows, for instance. I’ve tried to buy all 15, and the darn things are sold out in so many places that I only managed to get nine of the pans, from three different websites (Disclaimer: I don’t buy off eBay). Not only is it easier on our pockets to buy a single shadow or two, or a quad, than a 500-billion-pan palette (and requires less space), but there’s also less chance of buying something similar to what we already have! I feel that the root cause of this reduction in spending is the focus on palettes – and highlighters. JMO!

  • kjh

    I have mentioned Tarting up a 10 year old for her bday. ‘Best day of my life. My first bra and my first palette.’ For Xmas, it’s the CP princess palette. ‘Course, her older sister stunned the Sephora SAs at the same age, by totally nailing liquid liner. That 23-24 y.o.lovesm/u, but prefers to spend (her school loans) on Victoria’s Secret, LuluLemons, alcohol, and $400 hair styling. I see the jhs and hsers gaggling through S at the mall, touching, messing up, applying, and yes, stealing. They are far better behaved at both little Sephora, in a higher end, all outside entrance ‘collection’ style shopping center and Ulta, which is stand alone. Both require driving, whereas big S can be reached by public transportation. I def agree with the findings of preference for Ulta. If you know your stuff, you can do very well there, across all price ranges and offerings. Kids are not dumb about $ and cost, esp if they have to have a job, and have to fork over for the car insurance or the phone. The phone is the end all and be all of their lives. We read about the young beauty YTers, because we have an abiding interest in the subject. Not all young’uns are into IG, etc. IG stories, where they can be their own cruel teen selves, or be so innocent you want to cry for them is their bag. Take their phones away, and they’d jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. What I find interesting is that in the current public school generation, they can be complete narcissists, with no face products! Where I live, a sizeable % of the girls go to private Catholic and private schools, though very few go to boarding school. Makeup is a big fat no in those schools; they are still in uniform, with no way to differentiate themselves but hair ribbons. Something has to spark the interest, no matter what age/ generation, and I think the overload, accessibility, internet access, and ubiquity have lessened the glamour, the thrill of the hunt, the play for self-expression. I’m 70 and remember m/u things that really WERE revolutionary. Nowadays, it’s like that Ryan Reynolds spoof you did: Sure, honey, you really need that 500th brown eyeshadow! Or tenth redtoned palette, or 15th KK nude lip. Or, wtf, I have every UD palette ever, so of course I’m getting Honey (even though golds look dreadful.) Maybe they have better sense than I do. But I agree, this industry needs a buy in from the younger folk, or it’s going to contract like a balloon in an ice storm.

  • MDW

    Could be Photoshop is easier to use than felt tip eyeliner and people are hanging out social media more than face to face. Also read that overall cosmetics purchases are on the decline. Could be the same for fashion as well. Photoshop is the new makeup?

  • sarah

    I’m not surprised. I was on a spending ban for the past 2 years and so far the only thing I bought were items I go through quickly (ie. mascara) and a couple new palettes from BH cosmetics. It ended up being super easy for me because I really wasn’t tempted. I bough nothing from a luxury brand because, frankly, the drugstore and mid-range brands have really upped their game in the past few years.

    Also I’m seeing a trend from Youtube beauty gurus ‘decluttering’ their stash which is more along the line of minimizing their collections in a minimalist fashion rather than getting rid of expired and products they don’t like to make room for more. So I’d expect we’ll see more in minimalism in the cosmetics world for the next few years.

  • genevieve

    It makes sense to me that teens prefer bricks and mortar stores because at that age, and for me too (64 years), I like to see what I am getting. At our local Priceline in Aus (a budget beauty store similar to Ulta but without the range), I see lots of teens coming in with their friends to check out the testers and experiment with their style.
    I think the point about having cash and not a credit card is a relevant one too. Often Ulta and stores like them have really good deals that teens can afford, if they are into makeup.
    As for me, I think the addition of low cost, excellent quality brands like Sydney Grace, Colour Pop, Coloured Raine etc do a great job of showing up the more expensive brands like Dior, Chanel, Guerlain on how to deliver excellent quality.