Cosmetics are products that are used to enhance the appearance  or to improve the texture and smell of a body. Makeup is one of the most important aspects of cosmetics and has seen a meteoric rise over the years in how the public perceived it and how it is affecting consumer behaviour.  Gone are the days when makeup was applied behind closed doors in front of mirrors nor is it just limited to the female gender . Today, social media has successfully managed to strike down the reputation of cosmetics being attributed to only the ladies!  

Impact of social media  on the cosmetics industry

Before the advent of social media, television and offline media were the prominent avenues to promote makeup and cosmetic products. Not only that, but this was  only limited to lipsticks, fairness creams and moisturisers. However, once the internet slowly started becoming available to people all across the globe, it became clear   social media platforms have become very powerful tools to push products and services. When YouTube was released, several enterprising individuals realised putting up tutorials on how to apply makeup and use various cosmetics was a very good way to generate revenue.  

Today, YouTube is the primary platform for aspiring entrepreneurs in the makeup space, to showcase their skills and gain subscriptions.  In a way, it is safe to say social media also managed to empower people to break out of their shells and pursue their entrepreneurial passions. YouTube offered people the ability to make video tutorials and with the recent live feature that rolled out across most social media platforms, influencers and aspiring influencers can directly reach out to their followers and interact with them in real time and answer questions.  Facebook and Instagram in particular have evolved into a thriving marketplace where buyers and sellers can connect with each other. 

Social media also offered more refined ways to identify target audiences for a particular cosmetic product or service.  Social media now has advanced ad targeting tools that let the advertiser have complete control over audience targeting. Information such as age and gender, as well as personal interests, and communication preferences, such as the types of devices they use.  Other items that may be relevant include education level, location, and income will refine audience targeting for a particular cosmetic product or a service.  The cosmetic industry has evolved into a $ 5.5 Trillion industry since the adoption of social media.  India’s cosmetic industry is forecasted to exceed $ 20 Billion by 2025.

Cosmetic startups and entrepreneurs in the 21st century

When we look at the cosmetic landscape on social media now, it is quite easy to find startups offering various beauty and cosmetic products, bloggers making tutorials on how to use beauty products and cosmetic startups trying to adopt greener ways to create their products.  Kylie Jenner is probably the most important example of how big cosmetic startups can grow. Kylie Jenner became the youngest billionaire in the world through her startup Kylie Cosmetics. Kylie also uses her social media accounts to do makeup tutorials as well. In India, cosmetic e commerce startup Nykaa is not easy to miss, with a strong online presence and loyal customer base as well as scaling up to open offline stores.  Aggregator platform startup UrbanClap successfully provides a platform for beauty, cosmetics and skincare professionals to connect with their customers. Brands like Ustraa, Beardo, The Man Company, Bombay Shaving Company are some popular startups in India that cater exclusively for men, thereby proving that social media has made a visible impact on how cosmetics are perceived.

YouTube has paved the way for self made entrepreneurs who created their own brands.  YouTube creators like Jeffree Star, Huda Kattan, James Charles, Tati Westbrook are just some of the prominent entrepreneurs who managed to use the video sharing platform to build their brands.  Before becoming YouTube creators most of the influencers mentioned above started out by blogging about makeup. Once they adopted YouTube as a medium to reach out to a wider audience, most of the influencers began by launching their own products on YouTube videos which clicked with their audience.  James Charles became famous when an yearbook photo of his in which he sports makeup went viral on Instagram. Charles then pivoted on that fame to launch a successful YouTube channel where he talks about various aspects of makeup.

The cosmetics industry is a constantly evolving space with more and more diverse products and cosmetic verticals popping up day by day.  Green products are the current rage in the make up space which gave rise to enterprising Indians to fall back on their roots and come up with Ayurvedic cosmetics. While it is easy to keep on talking about how diverse the cosmetics industry is, there is no denying that the industry is here to stay.