Online fashion and lifestyle platform Zalando has unveiled its first beauty trend report, Beauty in Brief, uncovering the emerging trends shaping the industry this summer and beyond.

Drawing on insights from over 52 million customers across Europe, Zalando’s in-house beauty experts analyse key consumer trends and global cultural patterns to predict what’s next.

Exploring five core themes of 2025, the Beauty in Brief report unpacks eight emerging micro trends changing the face of beauty.

Macro trend:

Energy Reset

• Following years of digital burnout, emotional overdrive, and post-pandemic hypersensitivity, consumers are seeking beauty rituals that don’t energise - instead, they regulate. With chronic stress symptoms on the rise, this emotional wear-and-tear is now visibly manifesting in the skin: sensitivity, dullness, flare-ups, and fatigue.
• Lazy routines, stress care products, and sensorial beauty regimens will encourage effortless self-care and relaxation. These routines will enable consumers to nourish and restore their bodies without overwhelming their busy lives. 

Micro trends:

Lazy
 Routines

Key Shift: From complex routines → to streamlined rituals

• Routines that reduce decision fatigue and time-pressure while offering calming, targeted results are on the rise. Searches for ‘minimalist skincare’ are up 125% on Zalando.
• Low-maintenance hairstyles adorned with French barrettes and embellished snap clips are also on the up.
• In body care, multi-use oil-based products will become staples, with ‘shower oils’ seeing a 164% search increase on Zalando. 

Nervous System Regulation

Key Shift: From boosting energy → to nervous system recovery

• Beauty products that down regulate the nervous system and reduce the body's response to sensory overload are trending.
• As awareness of stress's impact on skin and overall health grows, with #cortisolface reaching over 6.8k posts on TikTok, cortisol-lowering fragrances, calming skincare rituals, and barrier-restoring serums are aiding relaxation and rejuvenation in 2025.
• Searches for 'clean perfume' are up 81% on Zalando.
• Having a mindful fragrance wardrobe allows consumers to intuitively match scents to their emotional states – whether it’s seeking calm, clarity, or a joyful boost.
• In skincare, ‘how I regulate my skin + mind’ routines are also gaining more traction, with searches for ‘calming skincare’ up 700% on Zalando. 

Macro trend:

BioHacking Beauty

• Beauty is merging with biohacking. Combined with increasing costs, the post-pandemic boom in at-home beauty treatments is continuing to steer people away from clinics and towards DIY treatments. 
• Sleep, in particular, is now a peak optimisation window for reducing stress and turning the skin’s biological age back in time.
• From hydrogel under eye patches and overnight face masks to scalp oils and aromatherapy pillow mists, science backed products are booming in beauty

Micro trends:

Beauty Sleep

Key Shift: From passive rest → to active overnight regeneration

• Sleep is becoming a biohacking opportunity as routines increasingly blend skincare and sleep rituals.
• While #SleepingPretty, ‘wake up better’ and ‘unwind with me’ content is taking off on TikTok, searches for overnight masks on Zalando have surged by 264%, and scalp serums have spiked 123%.
• Scalp care is also growing.

Macro trend:

Real Life Beauty

• Research shows that consumers are much more intent on wearing SPF daily, and Gen Z in particular are seeking makeup that resists humidity, friction, and stress.
• The new standard in beauty is real skin that lives real lives. Consumers are no longer impressed by polished perfection - they want to see authentic beauty that sweats, scars, flakes, ages, and heals.
• In 2025, many women feel beauty advertising still sets unrealistic standards. The reaction is a welcome shift towards inclusive, feature-supportive products, not flaw-erasing ones.

Micro trends:

Life-Proof Formulas

Key Shift: From performance beauty → to performance-proof beauty

• This year, the goal is to look refreshed, not flawless - favouring functional products that fit into real schedules and perform in real life.
• Beauty formulas built to protect against UV, hold up against humidity, calm skin conditions and support the effects of hormone fluctuations are growing in demand.
• Meanwhile, clutch-sized, on-the-go products and anti-frizz oils are also predicted to see an increase in demand as busy summer schedules and humidity take hold. The aim is to feel put together not perfect - and to do it in under 5 minutes.

Sweat-Compatible Systems

Key Shift: From silence and stigma → to strength and support

• Women are more open than ever about their menopause experiences, with hot flush reactions, peri menopause “what I eat in a day” and menopause skincare content circulating on socials in 2025.
• This is seeing a rise in tutorials and demand for products designed to withstand heat and sweat while providing hydration and long-lasting, breathable coverage.

Undetectable Makeup

Key Shift: From flaw-concealing → to celebrating unique features

• Fresh-faced, breathable looks that embrace rather than transform authentic features are continuing to flood FYPs, with searches for ‘light coverage’ up 200% on Zalando.
• Letting freckles shine through, showing off beauty spots, and keeping contouring to a minimum. The priority is to gently enhance natural features while cancelling out shadows with subtle coverage.
• And while bold, full coverage looks are still in favour, natural makeup routines - particularly for daytime outings - are expected to continue down the ‘barely there’ route, but become even more paired back.
• This could look like pinpoint concealing, brow gel in place of mascara and subtle earthy tones around the eyes.

Macro trend:

Comfort in Nostalgia

• In 2025, beauty is seeing a return to classic aesthetics, embracing timeless, dependable beauty rituals and products.
• Consumers are seeking the stability and confidence that comes with tried-and-tested, iconic looks with many finding comfort in familiar beauty rituals.


• 90s minimalism. Milky nails. A centre part and a slick bun. They represent visual confidence and reduced decision fatigue. 

Micro trends:

90s Minimalism & Neutrals

Key Shift: From statement beauty → to back-to-basics minimalism

• From nails to hair to brows, minimalist styles iconic of the 90s are making a comeback.
• Offering reliable, polished, timeless beauty that doesn’t ask for attention, but earns it anyway - milky nails, neutral palettes, slicked-back styles, and French tips are enjoying a resurgence.
• Searches for ‘90s minimalism’ are up 133%, with neutral and brown shadows, up 66% and 77% respectively on Zalando.
• Nude lips are also seeing a huge 142% spike. 

Macro trend:

True Radiance

• Glow is a reflection of wellness; as the definition of radiance is more about the calm and balance found within, rather than just surface level ‘shine’.
• This is seeing a rise in K-beauty layering and barrier-first rituals that focus on achieving a natural glow through consistent care, prioritising calm, hydration, and, above all, balance

Micro trend:

Glow by Layering

Key Shift: From instant glow hacks → to glowing from within

• Touted for its innovative ingredients and gentle, step-by-step skincare routines that promote long-term skin health, Korean-inspired beauty is on the rise with searches for ‘K beauty’ up 248% on Zalando.
• And while matte skin may be trending, ‘dewy skin’ is still in the lead, seeing a search term spike of 311% on Zalando.
• This is also seeing the quiet return of skin cycling - alternating stronger active ingredients like retinol with rest days to give the skin a break and support its natural repair cycle.

For the full report, visit zalando.com