Two years ago, the pandemic changed life for us as we knew it. Everything fell into a whirlwind, leaving many people scrambling to regain their lives and routines. Beyond shifting the economy, the pandemic also changed the beauty industry and our perceptions of beauty. Here are the top ten lessons we learned about beauty this year:
Self-Care is King
Self-care became a crucial topic during the height of the pandemic. We collectively realized that with heightened cases of COVID-19 and mental illness, taking time out to indulge in self-care habits could pull us through even the darkest of days, and in many ways, make us feel beautiful from the inside out.
The Beauty Industry Has Adjusted
At the height of the pandemic, beauty companies shifted from actively promoting cosmetic items like lipstick and lipliner to focusing on sanitary products like hand sanitizer. This shift was primarily due to the impact of the mask mandate. Companies also saw an increase in skin-care, hair-care, and bath-and-body products. This was due to the uprising in self-care and pampering trends that significantly increased when COVID-19 broke out.
Do-it-Yourself Beauty Products Have Become More Popular
When salons were closed down across the nation for weeks during the pandemic, people did not have the opportunity to color their roots or get braids done professionally. During that time, DIY beauty trends skyrocketed and became a significant power player on the playing field.
Digitalization is Possible
With the eased mask mandates, more people could buy new lipsticks and different lip gloss brands, and online shopping remained at an all-time high. Beauty brands dipped into this opportunity to digitalize the online shopping experience. When shopping for lipstick, hair color, and foundation, people could virtually try on the lipstick or other items to determine the best fit.
Bold Steps
The pandemic pushed bold makeup. With many people walking around with half of their faces covered in a mask, many of us have chosen to opt for bold eye makeup like vibrant eyeshadow, glittery or colorful eyeliner, and bold mascara. The pandemic has taught us that there are no limits to what good eye makeup can achieve.
Going Natural Works Too
On the opposite end of the spectrum, people embraced natural beauty. Because of newly introduced masks, many people ditched concealers, bronzers, blush, and foundation and opted for moisturizer instead. A lot of people have adopted this as a new regimen, and it has become a norm for them.
It's Okay To Dress Up Often
The pandemic brought on a new movement that became widely accepted, especially by the most ardent fashionistas. Usually, the norm was to dress up and go out to events and social gatherings. The pandemic brought restrictions that ultimately changed physical outings and made people gather virtually more often. This started a trend for more people to dress up more often even when they had nowhere to go.
Physical Beauty Is Nice, But Not Permanent
In the mask age, prestige makeup and other expensive makeup brands took the back seat. According to beauty industry experts, makeup sales in stores like Sephora dropped by about 37 percent at the height of a pandemic. We have collectively been less focused on physical beauty in the pandemic era. Instead, most of us have found that true and long-lasting beauty exists in our relationships, mental health care, and quality of life.
Personal Hygiene Is An Element of Beauty
The pandemic stressed the importance of cleanliness and sanitation, which ultimately helped people realize that cleanliness is essential. It also made people more aware of the link between cleanliness, personal hygiene, and outer beauty.
Skincare Routines Are In
Because Americans spent more time at home due to the pandemic, a majority paid more attention to their skincare routines more than ever before. With more people cutting back on using makeup, skincare regimens have become a new norm across the board. Beauty experts anticipate that this trend will remain even after the pandemic ends.